Disaster Core: Remaining Fantasy VII Reunion Assessment (PS5)

Disaster Core: Remaining Fantasy VII is a PSP unique spinoff from 2007 that is usually remembered fondly by way of the tinted goggles of nostalgia. In reality, the unique Disaster Core was a messy sport when it first launched, and it is solely gotten worse with age. Very like Remaining Fantasy VII: Introduction Kids, the animated movie that flanked it, Disaster Core was full of cool concepts that appealed to followers of the unique Remaining Fantasy VII — however its execution of those concepts was usually misjudged.

For all its points, although, it is simple sufficient to argue that Disaster Core deserves a second likelihood, particularly now that we dwell in an age the place Remaining Fantasy VII Remake is a actuality. And so right here we’re, with Disaster Core: Remaining Fantasy VII Reunion, an in depth remaster — not remake — of Zack Truthful’s angsty adventures by way of the ranks of Shinra’s elite army drive, SOLDIER.

Now, Sq. Enix has been hit or miss with its remasters in recent times. Remaining Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age might be probably the greatest remasters cash should buy — however then you definitely’ve acquired Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Version, which nonetheless runs like canine muck on PS4. Fortunately, Reunion is rather more in step with the previous. Total, it is an immaculate graphical improve on the PSP authentic, boasting remade character fashions and environmental belongings — whereas additionally sporting an overhauled consumer interface taken straight from Remaining Fantasy VII Remake.

The change in artwork route may rub some followers the improper means, nevertheless. 2007’s Disaster Core had a personality type harking back to Kingdom Hearts, with large shiny eyes and cartoonish facial animations. And whereas Reunion reuses most of these goofy (pun not supposed) actions, the forged are rather more ‘practical’ in look — presumably in an try to make it appear to be the brand new Remake saga. For us, it really works as supposed, and Disaster Core now feels prefer it’s a part of Remake’s ongoing world. However others could not really feel the identical.

At the very least you may’t argue with the remaster’s efficiency. It is an unwavering 60 frames-per-second at 4K decision on PS5, and at occasions, it virtually seems to be pretty much as good as Remake — particularly when the sparks are flying throughout fight.

The one factor that lets Reunion down by way of presentation is these aforementioned animations. Within the sport’s extra static dialogue scenes — of which there are numerous — these comically overdone animations can look downright silly now that the character fashions are a lot extra practical. There’s positively a noticeable disconnect between the sport’s old-school (and comparatively low cost trying) in-game cutscenes, and the way good the remaster seems to be as a complete.

However let’s face it: Disaster Core has all the time been an extremely dumb sport. Even for a 2000s Japanese RPG, even for a Nomura-led Sq. Enix venture, even for Remaining Fantasy at its most overdramatic, Disaster Core has some actually horrific writing. Tiny, tiny bits of the script have been altered in Reunion, however the level nonetheless stands. The storytelling continuously borders on nonsensical, and protagonist Zack is consistently left in the dead of night by his superiors, who simply so occur to like talking in hilariously overwrought riddles. Should you’re not accustomed to the unique launch, you are in for a journey.

Is the sport’s jaw-droppingly awkward strategy to plot supply a part of its attraction, although? We’re tempted to say sure. There’s something endearing about simply how silly Disaster Core may be. It walks a really effective line between being really crap and being so unhealthy that it is entertaining. We have performed this earlier than and we all know the way it ends, however we nonetheless caught ourselves shopping for into Zack’s struggles, and considering “Sephiroth is so cool” each time he appeared on display.

A lot of what makes Disaster Core tick is principally fan service, however there’s nothing essentially improper with that. The sport goes out of its strategy to present you simply how a lot of a badass Sephiroth and his SOLDIER associates are, whereas additionally offering hints of attention-grabbing backstories for a lot of of Remaining Fantasy VII’s personalities. Even whether it is dumb, Disaster Core does, in the end, assist flesh out one of the vital beloved worlds in gaming.

And there is not any query that Reunion is one of the best ways to expertise it. Even in the event you’re not on board with the brand new character fashions, or the redone voice appearing (truthfully, the brand new Zack is questionable at finest), the quite a few gameplay changes tip the scales past doubt.

By far the most important enhancements lie within the remaster’s fight. Fights within the authentic have been decidedly wonky affairs the place the sport could not fairly resolve whether or not it was an motion title or a command-based battler. It definitely did not come near attaining the hybrid heaven of Remake’s system, and so Reunion takes a lot wanted cues from Cloud’s most up-to-date outing.

Zack is quicker on his ft and his assaults are simpler to combo. His dodge roll is extra responsive and extra evasive, and the result’s what seems like an actual motion RPG that rewards correct timing and information of your opponent’s capabilities. It is a huge step up.

It is value noting that you simply solely play as Zack in Disaster Core. There aren’t any get together members, and so the trademark Materia system performs an essential function in protecting issues attention-grabbing. By finishing aspect missions, you will purchase a library of stat-boosting and ability-granting orbs, letting you customise Zack’s loadout to go well with the state of affairs. Rewarding stuff, proving as soon as once more that Sq. struck gold with Materia in Remaining Fantasy VII.

However not all methods may be universally praised. Disaster Core’s most divisive mechanic is the so-called Digital Thoughts Wave — or DMW for brief. Primarily, it is a slot machine that sits within the high left nook of the display throughout battles. It is all the time spinning, and when it hits fortunate, you get entry to buffs, particular assaults, and summons. It is a bizarre factor, however now that fight has been overhauled for the higher, the DMW is not practically as irritating because it as soon as was. With Zack able to holding his personal in more durable fights, you needn’t depend on woman luck to offer you a obligatory edge, which implies that the DMW is now extra of a enjoyable additional — because it all the time ought to have been.

All of those fight enhancements are key, as a result of different areas of the expertise are missing to say the least. The sport’s environmental design was primary and boring in 2007, and that hasn’t modified — even when the backdrops do look quite a bit higher. Mission places are simply corridors stuffed with encounters, and relying on how deeply you dive into the aspect quests, you are going to be seeing those self same corridors over and over and over. Disaster Core is usually a very repetitive sport, and its transportable origins grow to be more and more clear once you’re churning by way of bite-sized non-compulsory content material.