Game Review: Final Fantasy Crisis Core

This review is almost a decade in the making. I have been an avid supporter of the Playstation Portable since it's birth in 2005. I purchased almost every launch title, and am still blown away today by the dream system that it is. 2005 was an amazing year, and the gaming world was looking up for both handhelds and consoles at the time. That didn't change over the next few years, and during a rush of great RPG's for all consoles, in 2008, Final Fantasy Crisis Core was released for the PSP amidst several Final Fantasy remakes and reiterations on the 3DS and the PSP. What set it apart, was the fact that it was a brand new story this time around, setting the events that lead up to the world famous Final Fantasy 7. I personally was never a huge fan of 7. I had it back in the day, but I always loved 8 way more. I recall getting past the first section of 7 and getting stuck. It did have a darker story than some other games in the series.

  The turn based combat was always interesting in the Final Fantasy series, but the fact that Crisis Core was introducing a real-time system of  combat surprised me. At the time, that style of RPG hadn't yet caught on. The "Tales" series utilized it, as well as Star Ocean and Grandia, but those were considered cult games. Little did we know that Crisis Core would have such an impact on the approach to RPG's. Not only did it implement a real-time system, it did it amazingly. Not long after its release, another side story to FF7 came out on the Playstation 2, which mimicked it. Since then, almost every RPG today draws from what Crisis Core did. What threw me off was the fact that you leveled up and used limit breakers via a roulette system. A roulette wheel randomly spins in the upper corner, which occasionally unleashes a Summon, or limit breaker special. This can be effected and altered by purchasing these specials in one of the secret stores. The stores are also accessed through the menu, but have to be found in various secret missions in the game. I took me a while to get used to it, but the fighting system was actually very cool. The action was intense and it felt good having control over fusing and creating special moves and powers, similar to Kingdom of Paradise. The one gripe I did have was the fact that the blocking mechanic is way too slow to be useful.

  The music in this game was good. It didn't blow me away, but it was moving and effective when it needed to be. I prefer more powerful and varied music, but it sufficed. Sound effects were done well also. I can't complain there.

 I'm not usually drawn into the story of Final Fantasy games. I even had the anime from back in the day, and it was horrible. Final Fantasy has always had a wonky story that tries to be serious. Or rather a serious story that is tripped up by wonky dialogue and cutscenes. The male characters were always a bit androgynous for my taste. That's why I fell in love with so few of them. They've always been gorgeous games, known for their cinematics, but I rarely felt drawn into playing them a lot. I was drawn into games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Lost Odyssey, and  Mass Effect, because the worlds and the stories were compelling. What got me to continue playing was the fact that Crisis Core had a hero I could respect and relate to. He was goofy at times, but he got the job done and he was serious about his ambitions. The story shows how Shinra comes to be what it is in the later games, and you get to see a more naked aspect of the entire Final Fantasy story. This was very poetic and was the kind of prequel that adds several layers of depth and meaning to the sequel. I respect Final Fantasy 7 tons more because of this game. Much of the plot revolves around the villain's obsession with the meaning behind a play called "Loveless." I really like how beautifully the play is written, and you hear pieces of it throughout the game, recited and written in various places. Honestly, I found myself wanting to find a copy of it to read, because I appreciate things like that.

  The way the play ties into the game in various ways and sums it up at the end, really impressed me, because it was bigger than I thought. This game was so moving, especially towards the end. What really made it awkward for me, was that I found out through a spoiler, that something dramatic happens at the end that causes the Cloud we know to pick up the story in Final Fantasy 7. I would rather have not found out, but it still didn't ruin the experience. The relationship between the hero and his girlfriend is corky at first, but then really becomes special, and a tear jerker at the end. It was a very action packed experience. It wasn't as nail-biting as it could have been, due to the fact that I got an OP(over-powered) attack spell near the end that allowed my to pound out my enemies without much worry. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I personally am all for real-time RPG's. In fact, I think they are the way it should be done here on out. However, it seems like balance can be an issue in these games at times, because if I did't get the super attack I got, I think the game would have been ridiculously impossible. Yet, with it, it felt almost anti-climatic. In the game, leveling up doesn't empower you like other RPG's. Not only do you need to land 7-7-7 on the roulette to level up, but it only raises your HP slightly. To raise stats, you have to dive into a deep Materia-Fusion system, which lets you modify items and skills. The process is demanding and very convoluted. It does still manage to maintain it's challenge even if you are OP though, which is nice, as most RPG's, especially turn-based, become no more than a movie, once you grind to max stats. That's why I got turned off to them.

 As an ending note, I have to touch on the presentation and visuals, because that is where Square-Enix really brought it home. Oh my goodness! You see, whenever I tell people about the sham that current gen consoles and the entire concept is, it's games like this that I refer to. Not long ago, I purchased "Fight Night: Champion," and "Assassin's Creed: Revelations" for the XBOX 360. I had all of the previous games in both series and already felt they were good looking games. Around the time Champion came out, the XBOX One and PS4 had just about dropped. Everyone was on board with them, swearing that the old consoles were obsolete, and couldn't give you the full experience. I watched gameplay from several new gen games, and I laughed at the fact that the same glitches were still there in almost every way. Also, the games simply looked like a few coat of paint thrown on what was already there. When I played Fight Night Champion, it looked like real boxers were standing in the ring. It was the quality of a cutscene, only in real-time. I, as well as others who played it, were shocked at how advanced it looked. Assassin's Creed was the same. The world was huge, colorful, and lush. The only thing separating that game from a PS4 game would be probably the scope at which the world can refresh and spawn. And when I thought about all of this, it brought me back to the game "Black" on the Xbox. That was one of the last XBOX games, and it looked about as good as almost any XBOX 360 game would for the next year or so.

 When it comes to handhelds, I've always asked the question, "What is good enough?" The Nintendo franchise has always held back in hardware specs, until the 3DS. But when it comes to Sony, the first time the approached a handheld, it was everything I dreamed of as a kid. Games like Crisis Core and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, will make you rethink how much you respect handheld games. If you've seen the Final Fantasy movies, you know how gorgeous they are. And if you've played Final Fantasy 10, you know how cinematic Square can tend to be. People have been trained for decades to expect less from a handheld. What I love about Sony, is that they dared to refute that when no one else would. People still sit in shock when they see games on the Vita and PSP. Most of the time, they'll find something to nit pick at, due to being in shock and denial at how that caliber of quality is in the palm of their hand. Crisis Core will leave you just like that, when you are done with the game. You will stand, looking at your PSP screen wondering the same thing the gaming industry wondered in 2005- How did I just get all of that from a handheld system? No corner is cut. Back in the day, on Gameboy Advance, you occasionally got a good looking game like Medal of Honor or Kingdom of Hearts, that would wow you for a bit. But then it would kick in that the game was exponentially shorter, or lacking menus and options, and several aesthetics. When Tekken came out on the Gameboy Advance, we were blown away by the full 3D presentation. But then we saw the empty mode list, and the fact that the only character fleshed out was King.

  Final Fantasy Crisis Core is amazing from beginning to end. While the main story lasts around 20 hours or so, I don't hold that against the game itself. That has become the new standard length for the genre since the mid 2000's. It's actually very rare to get a good 80 hour RPG these days. With all of the side missions and quests, you can easily log 80 hours in Crisis Core. When it comes to environments, at first it seems that you don't visit many locales, besides the Shinra building, the slums, and Midgar, but you'll find that the missions you go on, take you to some very lush and beautiful landscapes with many areas to explore. Often, I just lingered in an area, just to look at the background. And there is no shortage of cutscenes. There is a lot of dialogue, but there is also a huge amount of voice work in this one, and it's done quite will. The ending, I didn't see coming. The game was so huge, and so much happened, that I assumed it would be a moderately long cutscene and then credits. Even with that, I would have been impressed. But no. You get an ending worthy of a console RPG. In fact, I started to think of Lost Odyssey during it. It's an ending with so many scenes and parts. There are so many plot twists, and interaction, drama, and combat. And the whole time, it just gets more and more beautiful. Someone said that they don't think the PSP gets any more beautiful in it's lifetime, and as the ending unfolded, I saw what he meant. I thought I saw games on the system that were up there, and then as the ending kept unfolding, I kept eating my words. It was absolutely amazing. You will be more than rewarded for the time you spent.

  All in all, whatever gripes I could find with the game, they are just about washed away by how it all came together. When it ties into the beginning of Final Fantasy 7 at the end, the first thing you think, is not just about how this game almost outdoes that game, but how Final Fantasy 7 wouldn't be the same without this game. It means so much more now. Not only would I more readily play 7 now, but I would definitely play this game again. It's earned a high score in my book. I rate it 9.5/10

Venting and Ventures- Couldn't think of any other title....

 I'm so disgusted with society today. Just Monday, there were 6 US soldiers killed in Afganistan, while the US continues to exacerbate the ISIS issue while occupying the region. Yet, while trying to mediate the world, here on American soil, the racist bigots of society still can't get past coexisting with minorities- namely blacks.  Then you have the Sunday game of the Panthers vs. the Giants which you had several brawls in. The thing that sparks the talking among the league, is that gay slurs were thrown at ODB- Odell Beckam Jr. The hits that Odell launched were uncalled for period. Now, former players jump to his defense. There is a backlash over hits like the one he put on Norman's chin being routine pile clearing plays, when that is a lie. I was ashamed to hear Ryan Clark and company talk  like that on Sportscenter. I played the game for years myself, on the semi-pro level, where rule-sets trickle down from the pros, and even there we knew that it is never okay to blindside someone helmet to helmet, while performing a spear move. That is an automatic ejection, even before the rule changes of the last few years.

  The reason that I bring these topics up, is because the priorities of the US are ridiculous. It doesn't really shock me, but it's worth noting. I just brought it to an associate's attention that in today's world, a gay slur is more egregious than a racial one. That's where society is at. Yet they want you to mourn missteps by the government and military in foreign affairs that they have no business litigating. I still walk into establishments today, even in these turbulent times, and see the local racists unable to adapt to a minority having a meaningful presence in any business dealings. There are still people that backwards and stupid, as progressive as this generation claims to be. I contest this still, that how does a country that isn't a country hope to stand up under duress when facing a world war. For years, the answer has been simply money, but this time around that won't suffice. They'll never crack down on terrorism, when they are so focused on maintaining the segregated and fearful atmosphere that's present here today. That's why brother Bashir is knifing you in the side in your shop while you eye and try to sling offenses at me. You get what you deserve.

  This continuing behavior, coupled with the fact that transgender individuals are treated as more sacred than blacks is a small piece of the problem. Mistreatment is never right, but the fact that an entire race is pushed to the bottom of the stack, beneath alternative lifestyles is very telling. People think less today, and when they do, more ridiculously.

  When it comes to my plans, Coming of Age was my best project. It is also probably the last public effort I'll make. It's still going to be available globally, and will be reviewed and publicized, but after this campaign, I'm not doing any more projects. People have no idea how much money and time go into presenting a piece of art to the public, when it comes to an actual artist. The people you respect, like Iggy Azelea, Miley Cyrus, Justin Beiber and Chief Keef, put no real effort into the simplistic stuff they give to you. Yet, you purchase anything they churn out, all off of a name. It's insulting to those of us who slave over our work. People don't even listen to entire works anymore. This generation is all about skipping track to track, content with rubbish and filler tracks from their favorite artists. I'm not trying to bash these performers. Each one has their own thing going, and they have some notable work here and there, but why do the people who give you a single with fillers get more respect than the artists trying to give you complete masterpieces? That's how you choose to spend your money?


  One of the last straws was something I didn't even want to mention, but have to for this post. I let someone older than me, who I respected as an artist and purist, listen to my latest work. I also gave them an early listen to the first Magnum Opus album. They regurgitated the same impression from 2 different works. I told them its 69 minutes long, and to get some time, and space, and turn the bass and volume up. That was my way of hinting to make sure you have time, and don't bother sitting down to listen to the record if you're going to track sift. They claimed to listen to the work, and yet compare it to an end-of-the-club, mellow mix from the 90's. Then they pointed out 1 track that caught their attention. Instantly, I knew that they didn't listen to the entire album. There is no way a person could listen to the entire work, and get that vibe. They also referred to it as mellow, and low tempo, relaxing music. I'm not knocking this person. To be clear, I've got much love for this individual, and respect. It's just in the plane of music, that I draw question marks now.  I'm just saying that it's sad that people's ears for music have been that badly destroyed. They see things in association. Because I'm an instrumentalist and a jazz player, and fan, they immediately associate me with what they think jazz is all the time- mellow. What I mean by that is this- play a track from "A Love Supreme" by Coltrane for the average person. The minute they hear a jazzy sound, or one not familiar to them like the club mixes they listen to, they group it right with Kenny G, assuming that it's the same thing that he does. That's a very revealing issue with the limited ears of today's music listeners. Coming of Age is loaded with energy. Mellow is the last thing it is, but that never gets to the closed ears of today's listeners. Both Magnum Opus albums are heavy on drums, like I always am, and the tempo fast on many of the tracks. But when they here complexity in the notes, and themes, rather than dive into it, they block it off.  I come from the old-school of music. I can listen to  a Schubert or Bach piece right now, and tell you which ones are exciting, and which ones are melancholic. It isn't because I've heard the pieces before. It's because I know what moods in a piece are. They're called motifs. People will play other things, or even television over classical or jazz music, or turn the volume way down, to avoid getting into it, or giving it a stage. I've seen this behavior, and it shows me how desperate they are to cling to their disillusions.

   Apparently I'm alone in this, but I still have a CD player, and a vinyl player. I truly feel the need to give a dedicated listen to a record to enjoy it. I listen from beginning to end. That's the way music used to be played. It used to be about telling a story from beginning to end with the album. But now, when you do that, people will skip through your CD for tracks that remind them of what they usually listen to.  It's only now that you have this sifting through tracks to find one that you want to hear right now, which is usually close to what you choose to always listen to. That's such a childish way of listening to music, and it's become the standard behavior. I actually sort of wish I made the album a literal Concerto like I did with "New Music Eternal Love." Then it would be 1 track only, where you are forced to follow the story. And the thing is that it would have fit. I'm thinking of going back and doing an Opera mix of all the records in the series. I at least have to respect the opinion of the listener that I asked, for saying something in response, because most people are too afraid to try to give an opinion or a listen, because they know they're incapable of forming an opinion of their own.

  It's times like this that I read comments online about how people miss the old days of meaningful music, and I just shake my head and long for the days when I used to collaborate with my musical buddies. I really miss one in particular. He was one of the only people I could show this piece and get true feedback. Everyone else is closed minded and locked into what they have to hate and what they think they love.

  When the review is posted, I'll put a link here, as well as a link to the album, when it is finalized, but as far as ventures, I can't say there is a reason to continue. I feel like Howard Hughes. I feel like Miles Davis, trapped in world that doesn't get it, where I don't belong, except I never got my message fully heard. And it's fine. I couldn't care less. I'll keep conversation and any ideas I have to a minimum, unless it's with those with artistic and open minds.

Fixed Sports

  Myself and a few associates have speculated for years that sports are fixed. However, looking at things lately and looking back at some fights, I'm seeing things I missed. Did you know that for all the loss of power Pacquiao is accused of, he actually knocked Chris Algieri out in their fight in the 9th round? I was caught up in the fight, and the moment, but when I went back, it was like seeing it for the first time. Chris got laced with a clean left hook I believe, and it snapped his head back. He crashed down and smashed his head into the mat. Chris was dead to rights when he hit the canvas. His eyes were glazed over, and he looked like Roy Jones twitching out on the mat. The fight should have ended without a doubt period. The referee actually stopped counting and let Chris take about 20 seconds to get up. When he was at the 8 count, Chris was still on the mat doubled over. I've never seen that before, except for the Tyson versus Douglas fight. No one protested. Then when Pacquiao goes to finish, several times he has Chris out on the ropes, and the referee plays a game where he shuffles his feet and acts as if he's going to jump in  if it continues, assuming it won't, and then he stayed frozen while Chris got laid into, exposing himself. There was even 1 or 2 instances where the referee shoulder charged Pacquiao while he was teeing off, and angrily threw him away to the ropes to protect Chris. There was no foul Pacman was committing at all. He was simply overwhelming Chris, who wasn't supposed to get knocked out according to the agreement. Go back and watch this, and you'll see that he actually grunts something angrily to Pacquiao while he does it, that only Pacquiao can hear. I can't believe this has never come up in discussion. He literally saved an investment in Chris Algieri, and all of the big wigs supported and demanded that.

  Then you have the recent comeback fight of Nonito Donaire. That was a true spectacle. If you know fighting, there is no way you could miss that, and yet so many still do. Nonito's opponent clearly held back throwing any power shots, while being laced for 12 rounds. No human, as I stated before, is going to get laid into like that, and refuse to return fire at all. Your human survival instincts will never allow you to. I watched a few fights like that, and it really disturbs me, because the sports have become like the WWE, where you wonder what it is you're really seeing.

  Even watching some of the major tennis matches, it feels like points are shaved, and some games given up at times, to draw matches to  5 sets when they don't need to be. And yet, with all of that, they just declared Pete Rose ineligible for the Hall of Fame indefinitely. Over the years, they demonized him on the basis that he bet on games as a manager. Somehow, the biggots of the sport justified that he didn't deserve induction as a player because of that, which always looked, sounded, and was retarded. Many of the old-timers that I argued with would just recite over and over how egregious it is to bet on the holy sport of baseball, like cultish robots. I always asked them, that if character is the question, what does the hall of fame mean. I also asked them if they would respect the hall of fame if Michael Jordan wasn't in it, simply because he had a gambling issue. We don't even know for sure if he didn't bet on basketball games. The bottom line, is that often the issue raised was character, and I continue to argue that I thought the Hall of Fame was about the greatest players, not the greatest fakers. All of the commissioners, writers, and panel members are disgusting, filthy individuals, and that's what angers me. The NBA flames and destroys Tim Donaughy for filthy referee tactics, yet they continue to rackateer off of the same thing.


  Shortly before they passed this recent decision, the Major League began accusing Pete of betting as a player. And instantly, I knew they did that because they were tired of how stupid they looked banning someone for life, for betting as a manager, when they were the greatest player of all time. How would the Hall of Fame look years from now with that over their head? But while everyone eats that up, I simply ask one question- How in the heck did he achieve his stats as a player, by manipulating games as a player? The man has 4,000 plus hits. The greatest players today can only dream of 3,000. You're telling me that he did that, while winning championships and other awards, and he was shaving points the entire time as a player?! Does anyone actually think about that?! Too often, people mindlessly follow the nonsensical rhetoric that they're fed. It's annoying. Sport today are filthy, and the ones vilified are sadly the cream of the crop.