Disaster Core: Remaining Fantasy VII Reunion Evaluate (PS5)

Disaster Core: Remaining Fantasy VII is a PSP unique spinoff from 2007 that is typically remembered fondly via 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 Youngsters, 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 typically misjudged.

For all its points, although, it is easy sufficient to argue that Disaster Core deserves a second probability, particularly now that we reside 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 via the ranks of Shinra’s elite navy drive, SOLDIER.

Now, Sq. Enix has been hit or miss with its remasters in recent times. Remaining Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age might be among the best remasters cash can purchase — however then you definitely’ve bought Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Version, which nonetheless runs like canine muck on PS4. Fortunately, Reunion is far 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 would possibly rub some followers the mistaken approach, nonetheless. 2007’s Disaster Core had a personality model harking back to Kingdom Hearts, with massive shiny eyes and cartoonish facial animations. And whereas Reunion reuses most of these goofy (pun not meant) actions, the forged are far more ‘reasonable’ in look — presumably in an try to make it appear like the brand new Remake saga. For us, it really works as meant, 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 least you’ll be able to’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 nearly 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 a lot of — these comically overdone animations can look downright silly now that the character fashions are a lot extra reasonable. There’s undoubtedly a noticeable disconnect between the sport’s old-school (and comparatively low-cost wanting) in-game cutscenes, and the way good the remaster seems to be as an entire.

However let’s face it: Disaster Core has at all times been an extremely dumb sport. Even for a 2000s Japanese RPG, even for a Nomura-led Sq. Enix undertaking, 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 ceaselessly borders on nonsensical, and protagonist Zack is continually left in the dead of night by his superiors, who simply so occur to like talking in hilariously overwrought riddles. For those who’re not conversant in the unique launch, you are in for a journey.

Is the sport’s jaw-droppingly awkward method to plot supply a part of its appeal, although? We’re tempted to say sure. There is one thing endearing about simply how silly Disaster Core will be. It walks a really advantageous 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 pondering “Sephiroth is so cool” each time he appeared on display screen.

A lot of what makes Disaster Core tick is principally fan service, however there’s nothing essentially mistaken with that. The sport goes out of its option 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 when it is dumb, Disaster Core does, in the end, assist flesh out one of the crucial beloved worlds in gaming.

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

By far the largest enhancements lie within the remaster’s fight. Fights within the authentic have been decidedly wonky affairs the place the sport could not fairly determine whether or not it was an motion title or a command-based battler. It actually 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 appears like an actual motion RPG that rewards correct timing and data of your opponent’s capabilities. It is a large step up.

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

However not all methods will be universally praised. Disaster Core’s most divisive mechanic is the so-called Digital Thoughts Wave — or DMW for brief. Basically, it is a slot machine that sits within the high left nook of the display screen throughout battles. It is at all times 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 almost as irritating because it as soon as was. With Zack able to holding his personal in more durable fights, you needn’t depend on girl luck to provide you a needed edge, which signifies that the DMW is now extra of a enjoyable further — because it at all times 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 fundamental and boring in 2007, and that hasn’t modified — even when the backdrops do look lots higher. Mission areas are simply corridors full of encounters, and relying on how deeply you dive into the facet quests, you are going to be seeing those self same corridors over and time and again. Disaster Core could be a very repetitive sport, and its transportable origins change into more and more clear once you’re churning via bite-sized non-obligatory content material.