Kitase says Crisis Core Reunion Story won’t change much, but I’m not sure.
Square Enix could, or might not, make Crisis Core modifications in the game’s Reunion that will impact its prequel story. A new interview with Yoshinori Kitase, Square Enix producer, raises more questions than answers about Zack Fair’s story and how it feels “off”.
Audrey ( @aitaikimochi) has provided another translation. We now have a few more HTML7R rabbit trails to follow. Kitase discusses Zack’s story in a Bilibili Gaming Festival interview. Square Enix confirmed a few points, such as notes on an English-language voice cast and a refreshed world. Square Enix describes this version as an upgrade to the original with all lines voiced and a battle system familiar to HTML7R.
Kitase’s commentary on the story is what raises eyebrows. Kitase claims that the story in C Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion will not differ from the original game. But, Kitase then adds, “However… even if that is the case, there might still be some people who watched Remake or the Rebirth trailer and felt something was… off.” There are a million interpretations of this.
We know that Final Fantasy VII: Remake is not following the same continuity as the original. Although many of the changes made to the game’s early and middle game can be attributed to modern retellings with more resources and time, the ending throws everything you know about the original out the window. Zack isn’t dead in FF7R, and that’s the part that doesn’t align with Crisis Core.
The Crisis Core original PSP release fleshes out Zack’s story, which we only briefly learned in the PlayStation 1 game. Square makes a big deal of Zack’s final moments. It has that feeling of “finality”, leaving no room for any lingering “but… if he’s still alive?” I assume Kitase refers to changes made from Crisis Core and not major departures in Crisis Core. Kitase also said that we could consider Crisis Core FF7 Reunion a part of the FF7R Project, which doesn’t help to put the pieces together.
Who the hell knows? Kitase could mean Crisis Core Reunion. The ending is the same as before, but it has been updated to current standards. The real story change starts with FF7R. Perhaps we will see the ending change into something new, keeping it in line with the new continuity. Square Enix is so coy about everything that it has to do with the series that it’s difficult to believe in any of them.
Regardless, the original Crisis Core still makes sense, considering how FF7R ends it. Rebirth may not be available for a while. Square Enix claims the Crisis Core remaster should be available for PC and consoles this year. Let’s hope they have fun.
