Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion players recommend Japanese VA over English

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion, a remaster of Final Fantasy VII prequel Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- for modern consoles, has enjoyed a positive reception following its release earlier this month. Recently, the official Final Fantasy VII Twitter account asked, “What’s your top tip for anyone starting out in #CrisisCore?” The tweet has garnered a wide range of responses from users, and we decided to take a look at some of the more interesting ones.

Let’s start with some practical gameplay tips. Many users suggested that new players “hug the edge of the levels.” In both the original Crisis Core and the remaster, the points on a map that trigger battles are located toward the center of areas, so by sticking to the walls or edges of a map, you can avoid combat encounters. Enemy encounters occur frequently during missions, and even though battle themselves are fun and exhilarating, knowing the trick to avoid them may help to take a bit of stress out of the experience.

There are even a few tips that might help you out during battle. One user suggested that “Firaga and High Jump make the game a breeze.” Another user showed that battles could be swiftly dealt with by using a combination of Darkness and the Battle Stance, a new feature added in the remaster. All of these abilities are gained between the middle and end of the game. In the later parts of the game, you can obtain many powerful abilities, and trying out different combinations is part of the fun.

There were also a large number of responses that suggested switching the voice acting to Japanese. One common reason was that people did not care for the performance by Zack’s new English voice actor. Zack was voiced by Rick Gomez in the original version of Crisis Core, but is voiced by Caleb Pierce in the remaster.

Just like in the original version, Zack is voiced by Kenichi Suzumura and Aerith is voiced by Suzumura’s wife Maaya Sakamoto. Some users expressed the opinion that because the two are married in real life, their dialogue together is performed wonderfully and feels natural.

Many responses included the line: “Embrace your dreams.” This line, which is said to Zack by Angeal, is one of the most iconic in the game.

You can also see a good number of somewhat foreboding bits of advice, like “Don’t get attached,” and “Grab tissues.” These responses are likely related to the story of the game, and we imagine that anyone who has completed it will fully understand what they mean.

While Square Enix’s use of social media in Japan tends to be rather formal, the official English accounts like to actively engage with users. The Crisis Core tweet provides a perfect example of how differently they interact with their users.

[Update 2022/12/28 21:23 JST] Updated the headline of this article.

Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-12-27 16:36 JST)