Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, touted as a portable version of the beloved franchise, falls short of expectations and fails to resonate with fans.
Initially released in most countries last September, the game was region-locked, excluding Southeast Asian and East Asian countries until March 14 of this year.
Despite its belated availability, spending roughly a month with the game revealed numerous flaws that hindered the overall experience.
The game attempts to condense the intricate narratives of Final Fantasy VII and its prequel Crisis Core into bite-sized portions, resulting in a fragmented storyline that leaves much to be desired.
While it introduces a new prequel titled The First Soldier, featuring a young Sephiroth and new characters, the live-service model means content will be drip-fed over time, leaving players waiting for updates.
Gameplay in Ever Crisis follows a repetitive loop of selecting missions, watching brief cutscenes, and engaging in three-round battles, devoid of exploration elements present in the original games.
Battles themselves lack excitement, with manual control proving to be a chore due to limited actions, while the auto mode offers little engagement.
The game’s progression system, tied to a convoluted “Power Level,” accumulates various elements such as character levels, weapon ranks, and magic levels.
This arbitrary system hinders progression, forcing players to grind through side content to advance.
Moreover, Ever Crisis relies heavily on monetization and gacha mechanics, becoming a pay-to-win game during its later stages.
Basic activities like leveling require real money to speed up the process, disrupting the gameplay experience for those unwilling to invest financially.
Overall, Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis disappoints with its reliance on monetization, lackluster gameplay, and structural issues. While it may appeal to newcomers, dedicated fans are likely to find it lacking compared to the original games.
