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they are a little humdrum. The fights are usually combinations of sword swinging and healing when your hit points get low. Square included a variety of different combatants for you to fight against, but even the strangest tactics get predictable after a while.

Missions provide the worst example of the game's repetitive nature. Missions typically feature small maps to navigate around in the search for a boss. Once you kill the boss, the mission's over. With 300 missions to complete - most of which I've encountered follow this formula - you can see where there might be some tedium.

But the missions are optional. They're good for collecting items. And, happily, they're all short, which is perfect for PSP owners who often play in short spurts throughout the day.

I've slagged on the combat a bit, but I maintain that the game is great. So what's so great about it?

Like most - hell, almost all - Square games, Crisis Core looks beautiful. The characters feature the same cartoony expressiveness as the Kingdom Hearts games, albeit on a slightly more realistic level. The characters look so alive when they're talking that you'll wonder if you're watching a big-budget animated feature rather than a cutscene.

And the cutscenes! Lord, the cutscenes! Every now and then you're treated to computer graphics on par with those in Advent Children. My personal favorite takes place on a certain canon, and predictably enough, shows Sephiroth doing combat. I just can't get enough of that guy.

Complimenting the visuals is a solid audio track. None of the songs are likely to blow you away, but Crisis Core has a catchy - and surprisingly varied - selection. One minute you'll be listening to a piano, and the next a twangy acoustic guitar will cut through the air.

But the selling point of Crisis Core is its' story.

Final Fantasy games sell so well because they have good stories stocked with likable characters. VII was no exception, and indeed spawned some of the most recognizable faces in RPG history, tossing them into a story filled with intrigue, psychological shockers and epic battles.

Crisis Core follows what VII set out nicely. It remains faithful to the original game in its' characterizations. You get the feeling that Zack is a hyper, happy-go-lucky ladies' man when you first hear from him in VII, but Crisis Core really solidifies his personality. There are no crazy diversions in any of the characters, just a few pleasant surprises. And the new additions to the cast are generally well-formed characters (particularly Genesis, this game's primary antagonist).

The story fits in almost seamlessly around the established VII mythos. It covers some of the gaps that VII left behind and answers a lot of questions (What was Cloud like when he worked for Shinra? How did Zack meet Aeris/Aerith?). There are a few things that don't gel perfectly, but it's nothing that will ruin the world of VII for you.

Maintain your faith. If you loved Final Fantasy VII but hated the rest of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series, still give Crisis Core a try. Rent it. Try it out. You'll be glad you did.

Learn more about this author, Matt Bird.
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