Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, a review, after two days of playing, by Fei.

So, I've been playing Crisis Core relentlessly for a couple of days now, and here's my verdict: This game totally rocks ass.

In the begging, Zacks is so annyoing, you want to stab him repeatedly in the throat with his own spikey severed head, but either he grows up and starts behaving more like the Zacks we know and love, or my skin got thicker. I'm not too sure which. The point is, it passes. Even when I turned to Ben to say things like "I'm totally lost" or "Damn do I wish I could turn arround!" he says things like "Square is map" or "R1 & L1, out of battle". Obviously, the combat system is not my thing: it's real time, but this too has it's advantages: Battles are over fast, and I get to use my only gaming talent: extereme nerves makes my button mashing finger vibrate like [comparison ommited for taste reasons]. The transitions between battle and walking arround like a lost sheep, however, gets annoying after two battles. They're not as long as in any of the traditional ATB, they're unwarrented. Still, I think the game is nicer because of there being a combat mode and a walking mode: I prefer it to the mindless hack at whatever's immediately arround you that would otherwise occur. That is waaay too Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.

One can only describe the DMW as "Innovative". Basically, it works, we're not sure how/why, but we can't complain.

The graphics are good. Really good. Both technically, and by design. Sephiroth seems to be applying more mascara than usual though- he's starting to get Spiderlashes. That being said, people's facial expressions, phraseology and gestures seem to be on the blink. I cannot even imagine Sephiroth tapping his skull and saying "After you beat it into my head". I don't know who Square-Enix fired to ruin this element of the game, but it confuses me. I'm used to being able to recognize people by their tendancy to roll their eyes skyward and smile whist talking with the corners of their lips pursed. It's like watching Reno's conciousness in Sephiroth's body. And it's not just because he's happy.

This next comment will surprise you. It may even knock you off your chair. The voice acting is good. Not awesome... I don't have orgasms every time certain character's talk, but never have I banged my head against some walls over the voices. I am yet to whince. And that is something I can say about no other Final Fantasy game, no anime, even studio Glibi ones and Ghost in the Shell. The English voice acting is OKAY! It makes me feel stupid for downloading a Japanese pirate in case it was unbearable.

The music is also good. It's a fusion of new (good) stuff, familiar tracks, and tracks that ought to be familiar but have been changed to much you don't recognize them for a while. This, I think, is totally optimal. Of course, I'm tone retarded so don't take my word for it: Ben likes the music too.

I anticipate people saying that this game is too easy. I, for instance, have only died twice, and it was because I kept forgetting to heal, and then it was nearer the begging of the game. I'm hardly a gaming goddess. No, let's face it, I totally stink at all computer games in existance. Halflife, Myst, Carmagedon, Tetris, Stronghold... it tradescends genere (Even some RPGs). And I'm finding this game pretty easy. Obviously, this does not bother me in the slightest. I love it. But I have heard some people like a challenge. Here's my advice: don't do the missions. The missions are mostly complete nonsense, and all they do is level you up and give you stuff. Just don't do them and the game will be much harder. (Okay, perhaps do the ones to get summons and so on). One might also want to try doing it on hard: but there's no going back on that when the going gets tough.

You know I never play games without walkthroughs, because I don't want to miss anything or am too lazy to work things out myself? Yeah, I haven't touched a walkthrough for this. Not even a materia fusion one. I thought about doing a walkthrough myself, actually. Then I realized that there's not a person on earth who will have more trouble playing this game than me, so it was pointless. There is one thing about this game I don't think people will appreciate enough, so I want to make it absoloutely clear: (Please also note, that I may have to retract this statement at a later date)

There are no mazes (yet).

I can't think of anything that annoys me more than mazes in non-maze games (and maze games, but at least then I appreciate why they're there). What do they think they are doing when they put them in? "Ooh, you know what? I think people who play RPGs (and sometimes FPSs) are secretly dying to wander arround hopelessly with no clue where they are going for perhaps over a day real-time, getting into riddiculously frequent battles that only get in the way (Or no battles, making it more monotonous) and, what the heck, perhaps unable to save? I think people who play games certered arround fighting, heroism and action really, really, really love to feel lost, disorientated, angry and helpless." Or, more likely, "I think they're having too much fun. Put a maze in". Now there was some seamless ranting.

For those of you who did not pre-order, I'll tell ya: the art book is not vastly exciting. Just thought I'd reasure you. I thought about scanning it in, but that would feel like copyright fraud. Also, it's scanning protected: The spine's bound so badly you can't open it far enough.

Good things about this game	Bad things about this game
Aerith's totally hawt secks in it	It's hard to play whist eating
Sephiroth's totally hawt secks in it	I need to eat to live
Everything else	I had a book I wanted to read

Man, I am so lucky this didn't come out untill I'd finished my exams.

Conclusion: Play. It. Now.

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