Monday, May 07, 2012

F is for Final Fantasy VII (Crisis Core)


Crisis Core begins seven years before the start of Final Fantasy VII, and encompasses the events that take place until just before its beginning. The game's hero is Zack Fair. He is a SOLDIER working for the Shinra Electric Power Company under Director Lazard Deusericus. The game tells the tale of Zack's battle against the villainous SOLDIER defector, Genesis Rhapsodos, and the other products of the Jenova Project. - Wikia

If you've played the game Final Fantasy VII, then without a doubt, you know Cloud Strife. In FFVII, Cloud is a proud swordsman who believes that he is part of SOLDIER, an elite group of Shinra warriors. As the game progresses, he begins to uncover some of the lost memories, and the reasons as to why are explained in the Crisis Core Playstation Portable (PSP) game.

Crisis core is the story of Zack Fair. His dream to become SOLDIER first class and his quest to be a hero. He met Cloud Strife, a Shinra infantryman, on a mission. Zack becomes Cloud's mentor and friend, They developed a deep friendship, unaware that it'll soon changed their destinies. It is also the story of the iconic Buster Sword.. On how this massive weapon came to be in Cloud's possession.


Zack Fair is not part of the original FFVII game (screentime only in flashback sequences) because by the end of Crisis Core, he died. I honestly didn't want him to die. I remember hoping and wishing that Zack would be able to kill all the the Shinra troops that attacked him. I remember blaming Cloud, because as an infantryman, he should have brought something as precious as phoenix down. (A phoenix down is a common FF item that enables a player to come back to life).





But such is Zack's destiny. And Cloud's, as well. With the Nibelheim incident trauma, his Mako poisoning and then witnessing his friend's death, Cloud's confused and tortured mind cracked.. and this caused him to merge Zack's persona and memories with his own. The game ends with him, entering Midgar with a new personality and as a SOLDIER 1st class, signalling the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.

Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero.. you need to have dreams. - Zack Fair



* The video is Crisis Core's full ending, English dubbed. I cried, the very first time I finished playing the game. I still shed a tear whenever I play and finish it again. If you've played the Crisis Core, I'm sure you'd agree with me that this is one of the saddest endings in the action Role-Playing Game world.



12 comments:

  1. Rated 16+ for guys with really big swords.
    A friend of mine is a pretty hardcore FF fan herself, and tried explaining the timeline to me not too long ago. Not having played it makes it all really hard to follow though. ):

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    1. Oh. Well, it will really help if you play the game. (winks) I know, right. hehe.

      The story is like this.. Zack wants to become SOLDIER 1st class.. His mentor is Angeal. Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis are SOLDIER first class and are best of friends. Genesis defected. And when Sephiroth found out about the Shinra experiments, he cracked. Zack met Cloud on a mission.. he was able to defeat Sephiroth, though he's not the tough and proud swordsman he was in the original FFVII.. not yet, anyway. Angeal was the owner of the Buster sword.. then he passed it down to Zack. When Zack and Cloud were returning to Midgar, they were ambushed by Shinra troops. Cloud was poinied by Mako and could barely stand up.. and so Zack faced the troops alone. He died, then in his dying breath, told Cloud that he's his living legacy.. Cloud returned to Midgar with a new persona. He believes that he's SOLDIER 1st class, just like Zack.. and became the Cloud we know and love in the orignal FFVII game.

      yay!! ;)

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  2. Well I do know of your love of this game :) My brother has it, and I think he's played it (not sure if he's completed it) but I haven't borrowed it off him yet. I figured it would include Zack's death. I think I'd play it just to see more of Aerith. Even though I knew what was going to happen when I played through VII again recently I didn't want it to.

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    1. You should definitely borrow it. ;)

      Aww. Aerith is very beauitful in Crisis Core. So cute and innocent-looking. Imagine, she's afraid of the sky. Ahehehe.. but then, that's quite normal since she's living in the slums. Aerith and Zack are great together.. So sad that their lovestory was cut short.. :(

      Looking at the bright side, she's with Zack in Advent Children.. so I guess, it's a happy ending after all. :)

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  3. oh yeah! one of my favorite ff games! paulit-ulit ko tong nilalaro sa psp.

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  4. huwaaa..... pinanood ko pa ang final fantasy kagabi lang talaga.... ehehehhe... lupet.. masarap parin panoorin at ulit ulitin... dyan ka na kumuha ng costume mo....

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    1. Ah, yung Advent Children siguro ang pinanood mo. Movie kasi yun, iba rin yung Crisis Core. :)

      Ngee.. anong costume, yung kay Tifa? Hehehe.. Pwede din. Kaso leather yan! Hindi ko keri magsuot ng leather! ;P

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    2. I know games yan... fan ako ng FF ever since lumabas yan... fan na ako niyan... ehehhe.. lately lang ako di na nakakalaro.. kasi you know... nasa Saudi na ako.. pero kapag na sa Zambo ako nilalaro ko yan sa PS

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  5. grabe... i love it

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  6. ff sa gameboy lang yung alam ko. heheheh. di ko alam yang kila cloud though popular sya

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  7. Have not played this game though..., but looks cool!

    not to mention how awesome sepiroth and cloud are, hehe

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