Before Crisis Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII continues to take over the world of RPGs with another chapter in its never-ending saga: Before Crisis. Players become a new member of the Turks, whose goal is to stop Avalanche from completing their mission. 

If you have to ask for the details of Avalanche’s mission, then clearly you’ve missed out on one of the greatest video games ever made. All was revealed in the original Final Fantasy VII. The group, made up of Barret, Tifa, and others seeking freedom, did not want Shinra, an evil world-dominating organization, to continue sucking the life out of the planet. They were literally doing just that – in FFVII’s universe, they believe in an element called the Lifestream, a spiritual force that gathers the souls of those who have past on to watch over and protect the world. 

Shinra would stop at nothing to stop Avalanche, just as they’d stop at nothing to stop them. Shinra commissions the Turks to remove Avalanche from the face of the planet, causing its members’ souls to enter the Lifestream, who would then be drained by Shinra’s life-sucking Mako reactors. 

Of course, Avalanche prevailed. The Mako reactors were destroyed, Shinra fell apart, and even the impervious Sephiroth fell victim to Cloud’s sword. 

…Or did they? 

Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII examines a world where you are a part of the Turks. It’s an action/RPG with a new story, new graphics, and an entirely new platform (mobile phones). 

As a member of the Turks, players control a fierce warrior with unprecedented skills. Many familiar monsters will be revealed, with frequent text boxes appearing to advance the storyline. The game’s soundtrack is still a question mark, but if the other FFVII spin-offs are any indication, the original’s classic themes will at least be a part of the experience. 

Square Enix is designing the game to be played in real-time with several other gamers, making this the first action/RPG of its kind for the mobile platform. 

Graphically the game is not spectacular, but looks good considering the platform it was designed for. Classic characters, locations, and scenarios are instantly recognizable. Even those who have no desire to play games on their cell phones will at least be curious by what Before Crisis has to offer. That is, assuming you’re a diehard Final Fantasy VII fan. 

No release date has been set, but Square Enix did confirm that the game would be available sometime this year.