Square Enix is finally releasing a Crisis Core PC version after more than a decade of the Final Fantasy 7 prequel being locked to the PlayStation Portable. The publisher announced Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion as part of the Final Fantasy 7 25th anniversary celebrations, and it’s set for a release date on Steam sometime in winter 2022. That means you’ll be able to play it on Steam Deck as well, yet another addition to the handheld’s growing library of RPGs. Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion will also release on consoles. While it’s billed as a remaster, it seems like the project goes beyond being a simple glow up. Square Enix enhanced Crisis Core’s graphics and upscaled every 3D models for Reunion, along with adding full voiceovers and new music arrangements designed to present the familiar tale in a brand-new light.
Crisis Core follows Zack Fair and a series of conflicts that take place before the main story of Final Fantasy 7, introducing familiar faces such as Aerith and Sephiroth and setting the stage for Sephiroth’s and Shinra’s grand plans.
Not that timelines matter too much anymore in the Final Fantasy 7 universe. During the showcase, Square Enix also announced Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, officially called Rebirth. Zack makes a return in the trilogy’s second installment, and in the game’s debut trailer, he and Cloud’s other companions comment on how fluid time is – so much so that people who died in another timeline are still alive and well in Rebirth.
If you want to catch up on Final Fantasy 7’s story, or stories, you’re in luck. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 1 is available on Steam for the first time. It includes the Intergrade DLC starring Yuffi Kitsuragi, and you can even play the RPGs on Steam Deck if you fancy.