Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Lore & Background

The game's storyline spans the war between Shinra and Wutai to the events in Nibelheim, culminating in Zack's death, which occurs before the start of Final Fantasy VII. However, a post-credits scene directly leads into the opening of Final Fantasy VII, showing Zack handing his Buster Sword to Cloud.

Reader's Guide

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is significant as a narrative bridge between the original Final Fantasy VII and its expanded universe. It introduces Zack Fair as a central figure, whose story directly leads into the events of the 1997 game. The game sold over two million units and received generally positive critical reception, with praise for its story but mixed responses to its combat system. A remaster, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, was released on December 13, 2022 for all major consoles and on September 9, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2. Its storyline was also recreated in the mobile game Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis. The game's development began as a planned port of Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII but evolved into a new title.

Did You Know?

• The game was initially planned as a PlayStation Portable port of Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII before becoming a new game.
• Leveling up in Crisis Core is based on luck via the Digital Mind Wave slot machine mechanic, not experience points.
• The North American and European releases include an added difficulty mode that increases enemy power and health.
• The game's storyline ends with Zack's death, but a post-credits scene directly leads into the opening of Final Fantasy VII.

The Road to a Trilogy

The decision to break the 1997 classic into a multi-game project was announced in 2015 when Square Enix first revealed the Remake. Director Tetsuya Nomura explained that remaking the original with modern technology represented a 'massive undertaking' that could not be adequately captured in a single title without sacrificing essential elements. Producer Yoshinori Kitase drew a parallel to the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy's multi-entry structure, though he emphasized a key distinction: the Remake series centers on Cloud Strife as its singular protagonist rather than rotating perspectives across multiple characters. Early planning saw the team debate whether two games would suffice, a deliberation that complicated scope decisions for years. By June 2022, when Rebirth was unveiled, Kitase officially locked in the three-game plan, and Nomura confirmed that preliminary work on the third entry was already underway. A first draft of the script was reportedly finished by September 2023, though Kitase noted it would be revised based on how audiences received Rebirth.

Redefining the Open World

Revelation introduces several mechanical firsts for the Remake trilogy. Most notably, the game expands into a fully open world and grants players a controllable airship, the Highwind, from which they can parachute directly onto the map terrain—a freedom of movement the earlier entries did not offer. The team also developed a system called FITS, or Function Integrated Tactical Suitwear, allowing characters to equip specialized gear that reshapes their visual design and unlocks abilities drawn from classic Final Fantasy archetypes like the Warrior or Black Mage. Two characters who appeared as supporting figures in Rebirth graduate to full playable roles: Cid Highwind, the spear-wielding pilot who commands the airship, and Vincent Valentine, a former Shinra experimental subject who wields firearms and can shift into a bestial combat form. Game director Naoki Hamaguchi reportedly spent the year leading up to Rebirth's February 2024 launch drafting the design improvements that would carry into Revelation, including the larger world and the airship system.

The Final Stand Narrative

Revelation picks up directly where Rebirth left off, carrying the party from their arrival at the Great Glacier toward the story's ultimate confrontation. The narrative follows mercenary Cloud Strife alongside the AVALANCHE crew as they push toward the Northern Crater, battling both the Shinra Electric Power Company and the ancient Weapons that have awakened to protect the Planet. The central antagonist remains Sephiroth, the former SOLDIER elite who summoned the Meteor to wound the world and seeks to merge with the Lifestream to achieve godhood. His broader scheme, called Reunion, involves collapsing the alternate timelines created by the destruction of the Whispers into a single reality under his dominion. The game also restores two locations absent from Rebirth—the Shinra-occupied nation of Wutai and Rocket Town—giving them prominent narrative weight. All three entries collectively reimagine the 1997 original's characters, world, and plot for a modern audience.

Production Milestones & Release

Revelation entered active production by November 2024, shortly after Rebirth's launch, and the team completed its story by the following year. The title itself was officially revealed at the 2026 Summer Game Fest, confirming the name and the April 8, 2027 release date. Square Enix will develop and publish the game simultaneously across Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. Director Tetsuya Nomura, who also helmed the 2005 feature film Advent Children, has stated that the trilogy—including this final chapter—is intentionally structured to flow naturally into the events of that film, ensuring continuity between the games and the broader Compilation of Final Fantasy VII media. The project's long gestation, from the 2015 initial announcement through to its 2027 arrival, reflects Square Enix's commitment to treating the source material with the scope and care it demands rather than compressing it into a single release.