Final Fantasy VII Reunion gets a new battle system

Last month’s announcement of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion came as a surprise for many fans. The original Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII never left the PlayStation Portable, but this remake will finally allow players to witness the exploits of protagonist Zack Fair on modern consoles in some form. Considering the degree to which Final Fantasy VII Remake altered the original experience, fans will likely want to know what kind of changes they should expect. Fortunately, a recent tweet posted on the official Final Fantasy VII account shared a few of the additions and quality-of-life improvements coming to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, with mention of a new battle system.

As one would expect, these quality-of-life improvements include “improved camera and character movements” as well as “optimized UI.” Additionally, the remake will have brand-new music arrangements courtesy of Takeharu Ishimoto, the composer of the original game. Scenes that previously only featured text will now boast full voice acting to bring the experience more in line with other modern Square Enix games.

A whole new approach

The most eye-catching of the listed changes by far comes in the form of a “new menu-based battle system,” which will undoubtedly lead to some speculation. Notably, the remake still features the slot machine-based battle system from the original game, so it will be interesting to see how the new menu system will operate alongside the old one. There also exists the possibility that players can choose between new and old battle systems, which would potentially satisfy those who disliked the original combat.

We’ll have to wait and see exactly how Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion changes the battle system. Depending on how Square Enix handles it, the combat experience could be drastically improved for some players, or it could remain just as divisive.