CRISIS CORE IS MINE!!!!!

DJ_Man · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:07 am Post subject: CRISIS CORE IS MINE!!!!!

My import copy of CC:FFVII finally arrived today! I saved a chart of katakana onto my computer so I could (hopefully) understand it better, and I did have some success translating names from the manual while waiting for my PSP to charge. Speaking of the manual, inside it I found a small pamphlet which gave instructions on how to play the game in English, which was a very big help, since I would be struggling with the controls otherwise (I wouldn't of known that Triangle was block, for example).

The graphics are amazing, with in-game graphics better than any I've seen on the PSP (although KH:BBS may change that) and CGI FMVs on par with AC. The gameplay is also astounding, and manages to feel innovative yet familiar at the same time while still flowing smoothly without any major kinks. Basically, there's a small menu in the bottom of the screen with various icons. A sword icon is normal attacks, green orbs-icons are, you guessed it, Magic Materia, Yellow orbs are yellow Materia and serve the same purpose they did in FFVII (being special attacks). The one I have now is a spin-attack type move that decimates all enemies around you. There's also an icon for items, which opens up your item menu and lets you heal yourself, or whatever action you wish to take. The shoulder buttons let you cycle through the actions while the analog stick (or D-pad, if you prefer) moves Zack and the O button uses whatever action you have selected. Also, if you're on the opposite side of the menu from "Attack," you can hit the X button to automatically select Attack. So basically, imagine KH2, except much more refined and with Magic that actually hurts enemies.

Contrary to popular belief, Zack DOES have combos in this game. The one I have at the outset of the game begins with a downward slash, then he does a low horizontal swing, and finishes with an upward strike. To help balance it out, Zack takes a bit of a pause between the swings, which, while although that might sound like a bad thing, actually does serve some purposes. First off, it moderates how quickly you cut down enemies (and they fall easily enough, believe me), yet it also makes combos flow together better, so the pause between the last hit in one combo and the first hit of the next isn't quite so noticable. There's also a Limit Break-type system called the D.M.W. (Digital-Mind Wave) which is basically a slot machine in the upper-left corner of the screen that works on its own (so you have no control over it). The reels are constantly spinning with the faces of characters Zack's met and if three of the same line up, Zack does a special attack.

Lastly, the music and environments are blissfully nostalgic. The opening movie shows Zack jump out of a helicopter onto a train in Midgar, with the same music playing as the opening of FFVII, and, after watching a pretty FMV of Zack slaughtering grunts that are trying to stop him, the train pulls into a station exactly as it did in FFVII. Also, I don't think there's a person alive who couldn't squeal with glee when Sephiroth made his first appearance (and shattered Zack's sword, might I add). Overall, a very, very nice game... then again, I'm about five minutes into it...
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You are food. Nourishment. I will hunt you, and then I will devour you.

~Abel Nightroad

Warrior of the Dark Moon · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject:

Sweet! Good going man! You know we'll be expecting a review of the game when you're through with it!
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I am a warrior. I fight for the Mother Moon, whose dark light shines a pale beauty upon our eternal land. Shine on Moon, and show your children the way...

Of such great powers or beings there may be conceivably a survival... a survival of a hugely remote period when... consciousness was manifested, perhaps, in shapes and forms long since withdrawn before the tide of advancing humanity... forms of which poetry and legend alone have caught a flying memory and called them gods, monsters, mythical beings of all sorts and kinds...

- Algernon Blackwood

Sands of Arrakis · Demi-God Joined: 18 Jun 2007 Posts: 247

NO FAIR!! I WANT THAT GAME TOO!! Cheater!
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"I must not fear. Fear is the Mind Killer. I will face my fear and let it pass through me, and when it is gone, only I will remain."

-The Litany Against Fear

Warrior of the Dark Moon · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:33 pm Post subject:

DJ_Man · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:32 am Post subject:

You now are obligated to buy copies for all of us, DJ_Man!

Sure, I'll buy a copy for everyone who gives me sixty bucks to spend on it.
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You are food. Nourishment. I will hunt you, and then I will devour you.

~Abel Nightroad

ladyice · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 1:10 am Post subject:

Congrats DJ_Man! And I love your icon, what is it from?

I just got Crisis Core this weekend. I just started it tonight, so far I love it!

Esperenza Grace · Chieftain Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 166

Trinity Blood.
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"I am a blooming Lilac in the dread valley; beauty in an ugly life, and when the rain comes to bring life to a dead land, my purpose is served, and I fade away, to return when death takes the valley once more."

~Family Saying

DJ_Man · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:39 pm Post subject:

I suppose I should also mention that I have it in English now too. Pretty awesome, now that I can understand what's being said. The English version comes with a "Hard Mode" and, since I beat the game twice in Japanese, I figured I'd be skilled enough for Hard Mode. Unfortunately for me, Hard Mode gives all enemies a rabid stat increase, as well as massively boosting up their HP (I've seen enemies with more than 8x as much HP in Hard Mode than normal). It manages to put up a pretty decent challenge.

Also, because I heard it was good, I got the BradyGames guide. Normally, BG half-asses everything they do, but the CC guide was superbly done. Full details on the mechanics of Materia Fusion, complete list of all items, Materia, accessories, etc., beastiary, maps and strategies for all 300 of the game's bonus missions, profiles on all the characters with a summary of how they play into the story and how they connect to the original FFVII, a fold-out poster of Zack with a Materia Fusion chart on the back, and, just to top it off, they included an art gallery. Probably about as close as we'll ever get to one of SE's Ultimania guides without having to learn Japanese.

And my avatar and signature are both from Trinity Blood (a wicked-awesome vampire anime, if you didn't know).
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You are food. Nourishment. I will hunt you, and then I will devour you.

~Abel Nightroad