Crisis Core trailer emphasizes PSP shortcomings, offers hope
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Dec 1st 2006 at 6:25PM }
Square Enix's closed-door TGS trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core has finally surfaced. For the bulk of this five-minute demonstration, a handful of manicured men (and one woman) ham it up in a whirlwind of staged emotional drama. Are we supposed to want to play a soap opera? (Don't answer that.)
There are some brief moments of relief, glimpses into the game's active battle system, which suggest commonalities with Final Fantasy XII. There's no denying that Crisis Core appears extraordinarily capable; a bittersweet detail. That is, efforts like Crisis Core really highlight the lack of solid support for PSP. Alas, Square Enix's prequel has been a long time coming -- and, for those of us outside of Japan, the wait isn't getting any shorter.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rabish12 @ Dec 1st 2006 6:34PM
"Are we supposed to want to play a soap opera?"
Haven't Final Fantasy fans been doing that for years? BA-ZING!
Ryoga Vee @ Dec 1st 2006 6:47PM
This is the ONLY, and I do mean ONLY reason I've kept my PSP.
I would have sold it or given it away months ago if it had not been for this game.
Right now I’ll hardly get $100 selling it so it’s not even worth it.
But this is the game. This is the one that will show the PSP for what its worth.
And I HATE, really hate to give Sony any credit... actually, I wont, I give Square the credit. This just might boost sells of the PSP. Finally a decent game worth playing.
Antaeus @ Dec 1st 2006 6:41PM
this is tight, like a mans anus
Vandor @ Dec 1st 2006 6:45PM
In my opinion, this game will be avaiable for PS2 a few month after the PSP-Version. That would be quite a money-cow for SE
Storm9 @ Dec 1st 2006 6:58PM
Wow the above two posts are proof this website is full of d&*kheads that just want point and shoot games, without storylines.
Also explains how the majority of them love to suck Bill Gate's Hairy Balls.
Kefka @ Dec 1st 2006 6:50PM
This will definitely be the system seller for me.
Dracula Jones @ Dec 1st 2006 6:49PM
You know, we all joke about it, but does anyone actually know WHY every single man in every single Final Fantasy game looks like a woman? Why? Why?!
ts8lemonade @ Dec 1st 2006 6:53PM
6, I thought that was a requirement for it to be a "Final Fantasy" game...
Storm9 @ Dec 1st 2006 6:58PM
"Dracula Jones "
Go read a psychology book, boys who are young and have feminine features are said to be the cutest and more beautiful in human society.
Though some American sentiment differs and they prefer hairy, brute force.(The girls who driver hummers, want these men, while the girls driving ferrari's prefer the "cute" boys)
Kelvin @ Dec 1st 2006 8:05PM
"And I HATE, really hate to give Sony any credit... actually, I wont, I give Square the credit. This just might boost sells of the PSP. Finally a decent game worth playing."
The real kicker is that all this time we've been waiting, Square's been promising and delivering a slew of stuff for DS and even GBA, so you could've gotten your fix a lot earlier (unless you also have one of those).
jay @ Dec 1st 2006 8:15PM
Ransom-Wiley,
Way to take something positive and put some undue negative spin on it. You're right that this game looks capable, but implying that the PSP has a lack of support of good games is wrong and borderline irresponsible as a pseudo-journalist. This Fall, the PSP has arguably received or will receive more quality titles than the prolific Nintendo DS. Here's a few of the great games: Loco Roco, Killzone, Vice City Stories, Lumines II, and Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops. If you're into old school games there's also Capcom Classics Reloaded, Sega Genesis Collection, and the Power Stone Collection. Granted the last three aren't new games, but they're interesting and fun none the less. That's a pretty stellar and diverse list of games. You could have very easily said Crisis Core is further indication that the PSP is hitting its stride, but you chose the negative spin. Preferably, you would've just presented the game and its trailer on its own in an objective manner rather than put any sort of spin on the article at all. That's just my 2 cents
Martin @ Dec 1st 2006 7:08PM
w00t this will be excellent to play at work on my PSP but to tide me over.....
MetalGear Spec Ops comes out next week! hell yea!
Happy @ Dec 1st 2006 7:11PM
Wow, was that girly man crying?
American developers know how to make main characters. Why would you want to play as some whiny wuss then you can be a badass like Master Chief or Marcus Fenix?
Happy @ Dec 1st 2006 7:13PM
Storm9, there are three (that I know of) of these terrible boring japanese rpg games with girly male main characters in development for the 360.
Also, you are an idiot. Go play your cutscenes.
IggyChaotix @ Dec 1st 2006 7:16PM
I haven't played my PSP in almost a year, and was considering selling it. But this game might actually convince me to warm it up one last time.
Bernard @ Dec 2nd 2006 2:57AM
So this makes my..fourth PSP game. Hells yes.
Scott E @ Dec 1st 2006 7:56PM
"Go read a psychology book, boys who are young and have feminine features are said to be the cutest and more beautiful in human society."
Ahhhhh I understand the whole RPG thing now- You guys are all a bunch of pedophiles.
Boing @ Dec 2nd 2006 10:50AM
Geez, even if this game is the best ever released for the PSP that still isn't saying very much. Sorry, I won't pay $300 for a console (especially an overpriced one like the PSP) just to play one game.
iAlta @ Dec 1st 2006 8:51PM
A tear rolls down my cheek...
Count Noobula @ Dec 2nd 2006 1:41AM
Man... when will it all end? I mean we are approaching Final Fantasy 13. Its time to make a FINAL Final Fantasy game. It says it in the title that this is the last of the Fantasies, so why are they not stopping?
Jokes aside, they should really stop with Final Fantasy. Make a new rpg, like they used to do back in the snes era. At least there were other options like Chrono Trigger, Secret of Evermore, Earthbound, Secret of Mana. You get the picture.
Anticrawl @ Dec 1st 2006 8:17PM
My my my, those are some perty women. I like my asian women to be true to their roots, all flatchested like in this video. Hot stuff, I'd do all 5 of em, even the dyke wearing the business suit.
*cackles insanely*
Hahaha metrosexuality,
Anticrawl
Anticrawl @ Dec 1st 2006 8:06PM
My my my, those are some perty women. I like my asian women to be true to their roots, all flatchested like in this video. Hot stuff, I'd do all 5 of em, even the dyke wearing the business suit.
*cackles insanely*
Hahaha metrosexuality,
Anticrawl
DiahrreaMan @ Dec 1st 2006 8:44PM
I hate Sony, but I've got to hand it to them, looks like they've gotten themselves a winner. The DS got the Final Fantasy III remake (which is awesome, regardless of what the inexperienced reviewers said), and now PSP is getting this. Now, if only the system was cheaper, I might pick one up used, I don't want Sony to see any of my money, though they probably will anyways, but it isn't. The DS is also getting Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, that should be interesting when it's released. I agree with Jay, no need to try and bash Sony when you're showing footage of a promising game, it makes you look stupid. :)
STILL WAITING FOR GOLDEN SUN 3 DAMMIT!
Yoshi Likes Boys @ Dec 1st 2006 8:39PM
The comments above are amazing. I'll take the bishounen over Epic uber-masculinity any day of the week. Somehow I don't think many people want to see Fenix fall in love with Yuna. If you don't get it, fine, but plenty of us do.
Gamers are wonderful, wonderful people.
MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Dec 1st 2006 8:41PM
jay
You can try to spin this into "awesome" news, but you will fail. Yes, the PSP is FINALLY getting a few good games, No, they do not beat the DS lineup this year, and Yes, the PSP will be in a slump after this year AGAIN while DS will continue to get solid titles.
It is cute that you think you know what you are talking about.
serge @ Dec 1st 2006 8:44PM
Bah i sold my PSP =[
MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Dec 1st 2006 8:58PM
"I agree with Jay, no need to try and bash Sony when you're showing footage of a promising game, it makes you look stupid. :)"
Who is bashing Sony? It is stating facts when someone said they had a lackluster library for the PSP. This one game, which might not even be good might I add, will not help the PSP much, especially since we don't know when it will come out (I doubt anytime before Q4 2007).
If anything, it makes you and jay look stupid for your spin.
Wolfrider @ Dec 1st 2006 9:08PM
Wow, this is the first Square game in a long time that I actually am dying to play. Please bring it to the PS2. Please?
Pulse @ Dec 1st 2006 9:56PM
Bill has balls? :S I could have sworn it was software that made him the playa he is now, lol.
Why would I want to play with a cheezy character like Master Chief is the question I ask, whats the point, I might as well play with Arnold S, they are both the same, they make up cheezy lines, run around in armour and do the same thing over and over for a living, destroy ppl and say "Ill be back", only an idiot would like Master Chief over cloud's awesomeness, Japanese actually know how to put together a decent storyline, not that destroy aliens crap that Xbox has over and over again, hmmm, have you noticed that games on xbox seem to have the same cliche ideas, its like the devs just steal the ideas and change the monsters, oh well, not that 360 fans would notice, most couldn't even read ABC books, so they won't need storylines, as long as it has a muscle bound six pack man who can throw around hie wight with a gun, they'll gladly run to buy the game. Halo, GOW etc, they're all the same, just given different very basic easy to understand for thicko storylines and always have aliens or zombies as the target, whats different? Meh, its no wonder MS offered KIng Kong as a HD-DVD, its a perfect example of what the ideal 360 fan gamer wants to be when they grow up :)
Zero_ @ Dec 1st 2006 10:03PM
Hmm... what's that word, where you try and change something, specifically something that's already been set? Because this is exactly what Square is doing with the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. Adding Gackt in both the sequel and prequel, where he was never present in the original? Adding some sort of "mentor" to Zack, something that was never even mentioned in the original? Oh man... Cash cow or not, Square has completely screwed up Final Fantasy VII for me.
Pulse @ Dec 1st 2006 9:56PM
Actually, I think 360's games represent the Bush way of doing things just like Bush :) Shoot now, think later, lol, run into battle pointlessly and kill some aliens, reflect on why you ran into battle in the first place...um...never. Its like the movies, they are exactly the same as the games, macho man rubbish, like superman, thats why America always seems to save the world from Aliens, noone else ever seems smart enough to think like that.
This game looks awesome, I'll definatly pic this up for my PSP.
Haunted One @ Dec 1st 2006 9:56PM
wow @ the hating comments and lol @ all the teenagers trying hard to overcome their masculine insecurities - It'll get better when you're older, I promise.
I don't even have a PSP and think Crisis Core looks great. Not enough to sell me a system made by those accursed Sony-people (I'm in Europe), but that game looks awesome, no matter how much you try to spin it.
MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Dec 1st 2006 10:01PM
@27
I can say the same thing.
"Wow @ all the FF fanboys creaming their pants over cgi cutscenes and a 5 second gameplay clip.
thegrey @ Dec 1st 2006 10:13PM
@30 How do those thing even ruin the original story? I do find it funny that Zack pulls out a cell phone in a prequel(hint cell phones weren't that small in the 90s)
Pulse @ Dec 1st 2006 10:23PM
MoonfirePewPEwPEw, that was more then 5 seconds, try counting again, at least we saw some gameplay, isn't that good enough considering all the CGI that is going around nowadays, PPL slagging off Killzone for CGI, but yet COD 2 advert was misleading, GRAW ad was misleading and Halo Pics shown so far look nothing like the CGI vid that was featued. Whats new?
Woptendo @ Dec 1st 2006 10:36PM
Wow, 30+ comments of Japanophile/M$/sony/LOL drama but not a one about the battle system...
To me it looks pretty interesting, very actiony and fast, but the whole slot machine deal kinda gives off a gimmicky vibe...
SkyCroc @ Dec 1st 2006 10:56PM
Can't FF7 fucking die already?
Jin Dogan @ Dec 1st 2006 11:44PM
Heh. All those people they showed are dead.
Dark-Pen @ Dec 2nd 2006 12:48AM
What's with the flaming retardation on the subject of guys crying and looking pretty? SOMEONE has an insecurity issue...
You guys wanna know WHY "most" final fantasy male leads look "pretty?" Because that's how they were DESIGNED. I mean, there are so many freaking factors that explain why characters of Final Fantasy look the way they do, just like how most actors in Hollywood are either attractive or are incredibly symmetrical. Even characters that are gruff like Sam Fisher of Splinter Cell fame looks like a modified George Clooney.
If you have a problem with how they look, either take it up with Yoshitaka Amano (who's awesome, imo) or Tetsuya Nomura (who's also awesome).
Up until Final Fantasy 7, the only reference to how characters looked was through concept art, portraits, or their pixely bodies. None of which obviously made a humongous enough impression for this idiocy to have been quelled back when Final Fantasy 8 came out.
I mean, if you really, REALLY need to blame someone, then blame Gackt. The guy was practically the spokesperson and reference for Squall back when it was released on the PS1. It was also noted that Tidus in FF10 was still based on what remained of Gackt's aesthetic impression. As for Vaan, he's a whole other story.
The argument (and assumption) that women in general (or more specifically in Japan) find closer attraction to pretty men has been overly used and lost its meaning long ago. People, particularly those in the US, need to get over themselves and just enjoy what's to come instead of being whiny ass bitches, questioning melodrama and sex.
Dark-Pen @ Dec 2nd 2006 12:57AM
@33
Yeah, i noticed that, the slot machine thing does look funky. I have to disagree with mr. james ransom-wiley. It doesn't look like its based off of FF12's open-field mmo-esque battle system, but rather something closer to Star Ocean/Tales with the spirit of FF7 meets Cait Sith's Limit Break. I really found the slots to be wierd. The only thing that makes it look like FF12 is the animation for sword swings and the running around, though it just doesn't addup as to why that would be. I dunno, its so confusing.
Happy @ Dec 2nd 2006 3:57AM
@26 Pulse
Wow, someone has a boner for Japan. If you want a nice story find a good book instead of the sappy shit you find in final fantasy games. Don't even start about xbox games using the same concept when you are defending final fantasy. Is this the 17th game or something? Stop making retarded generalizations and go play your cutscenes with menus.
gok @ Dec 2nd 2006 5:53AM
And this is coming out when? Look like i have to buy psp. Or ps2 if this will be realeased for it.
Pulse @ Dec 2nd 2006 6:52AM
Square doesn't need to make a new RPG, the whole point in FF is to have completely different storylines and different styles of fighting for each FF they make, just because its under the same name doesn't mean its the same game, FF8 is completly unique to FF7, thier only similarities being they are both RPGs.
As for you Happy its not like you have an apprecition for a good storyline, the closest thing you've probably ever played with a storyline is Pacman. I'd rather have an entertaining storyline, it gives you reason to play the game, how many cutscenes are there in FF, considering how much play time, the odd 5 and 10 seconds of cuts scenes mean nothing, or do you prefer characters that can't get chicks?
You must have a mind like Master Chief then Happy, which commander asked you to post here? Cos isn't that all MC does, follow orders, ask questions later?
Duscrom @ Dec 2nd 2006 7:18AM
Pulse, Wow, I love the Japanophile thing but you want to talk Cliche storylines? How many more JRPGs have to come out where some unlikely hero boy (bishounen) must join up with a party to find a mystical item that wil save the world from an ancient evil. There are about 25 of those games on the PS2.
It's funny, cause, to me... a game should be fun, you know.. to play. I have a bunch of friends who want to be game designers, and I can tell the japanophiles, because their ideas of a great game consist of "It's like Final Fantasy, but my story goes like this...." The irony is, though, they'd never play their own games, because thwy are american. And they don't play any game out of America.. because the storylines are cliche... So they return to their anime diet of Naruto, and Dragonball Z, or, Ruroni Kenshen, Inu Yasha and Samura Champloo.. or whatever anime are about some scool-aged boy being around a bunch of girls who all want him, but for some reason he's working at his grandfather's shrine amd is too gay or too much of a gentleman, to really decide on one of the girls... and... well, you know where I'm going with this.
The storylines are cliche and "uncreative" because you like Japanese girlymen. Now myself, I have no qualms about being the young boy who teams up with a party to find am amcoemt relic to save the world from a great evil. nor do I have any qualms about being a bad-ass masculine man saving the world from aliens, or some freshmeat thug trying to take over the city, or anything like that. As long as a) I don't talk myself into believeing that any one country isn't less cliche then another, b) the characters around me are at least amuseing and interesting, and c) the game is just fun to play.
Every story has already been told a million times.
Pulse @ Dec 2nd 2006 7:29AM
Duscrom -_- Do you not think I know that...?
I love gaming no matter what it is, what I hate is those who slag off a good brand, especially when it is Japanese that make a high percentage of the great games we see today, why do you think Micro is trying so hard to appeal to the Japanese and thier devs.
MGS is a superb game, and it has nothing to do with friendship and happyiness, and when it came out, it was really qite unique for storyline and gameplay. But there are a couple of PPL who call the RPG characters sissie and stupid la di da, but yet they would much prefer a game without reasoning where the whole point is to repeat the same repetitive motion over and over again and ask yourself why you wasted so much time after the year you spent playing the braindead thing. This isn't just about FPS or the Japanese, its about lack of storyline depth, and keeping the gamer interested, DOA is just as briandead.
There are some ppl who like bland fish and chips, there are some who like a variety of different foods, I happen to be the person who likes variety not the same bland none mind using but mind numbing games all the time like the likes of some of these shoot em ups you enjoy where the only objection is to kill anything that pops up on the screen and a pathetic storyline is added, might as well have no storyline if thats the case.
Urbanstorm @ Dec 2nd 2006 10:04AM
People that say final fantasy storylines are cliche have never played final fantasy games before.Not one final fantasy game is ever the same in terms of storyline,game play and even visuals.
This is why final fantasy is a way stronger band than halo will ever be(and out sells gears of wars as we speak) because its still one of the only few games that make you care about that people you play as.There hasnt been a game yet that shock the world when aires (spelling?) was killed.
Duscrom I agree with you to a point but we as western people have no right to talk when we cant even make an RPG without elves ,orcs and dwarfs.............
Final Fantasy will always be around because unlike some games its always a different fantasy and always a different feeling with every game and if what I hear about Final Fantasy XIII is true you may finally get that more "action pack" game that some people been asking for.
So dont knock a game because you dont understand what people (millions of people worldwide) find so good about a game called final fantasy.Also if you look at some of the best selling you find that alot of them have good story telling or people that do care about stories.
Hell look how many people were pissed at halo2 ending (me included).........
ccc @ Dec 2nd 2006 10:29AM
"the whole point is to repeat the same repetitive motion over and over again"
Perhaps Bungie should introduce a gambit system so that Halo players won't have to repeat the same repetitive motion over and over again.
"its about [...] keeping the gamer interested"
"ask yourself why you wasted so much time after the year you spent playing"
If a gamer has been playing something for a year, I think the developer's done a pretty good job of keeping the person interested.
Anyway, this trailer would be a lot more interesting if I could understand it. Is there a translation floating around anywhere?
jgrey @ Dec 2nd 2006 11:35AM
You know, I have no love for Sony personally, but the anti-Sony spin in this article reads so horribly... to the point that it's almost like a propaganda masquerading as an article. That sort of article has been pretty frequent too in recent weeks.
I like Joystiq overall, but it's at times like this that I think the site would benefit from having one chief editor to do the quality control. I know it's a blog, but enough people read it, surely Joystiq itself would benefit from having such standards.
pixelator @ Dec 2nd 2006 1:04PM
Ad nauseum, the eternal PSP and Sony bashing by Joystiq. Such strident fanboy bias would be laughable if it weren't being passed off as journalism.
Mr. R-W and most other Joystiq contributors readily take ANY good PSP news and skew it (even when there's no real downside, like here) - because they're on a crusade to remind us that the PSP doesn't have ANY good games and support is NIL. Right? Right. The last few months have seen NO decent new releases, NO original games. The PSP is a ghettoland of low rated games. Oh, and ports. Nothing but ports. Did we mention our latest HILARIOUS fake interview with Kaz Hirai? Can we get a Riiiidge Racerrrr?
Don't mind us, we're just Joystiq, telling you what to think (cherish Nintendo! despise Sony!) and bringing you all the news that's fit to... Promote Nintendo.
But hey, at least Joystiq doesn't ban people because they say they're biased *cough*four times*cough*... Nope. Not us.
>.>
pixelator @ Dec 2nd 2006 1:03PM
"I won't pay $300 for a console (especially an overpriced one like the PSP) just to play one game."
The PSP basic pack is $199. Games average around $35.