Fans have wondered whether Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is a remake, remaster, or reboot. With Final Fantasy 7 Remake, there are now multiple timelines in the series, and it wasn’t clear from the reveal which one Crisis Core Reunion follows. Luckily, the developers have clarified things a bit since then.
Is Crisis Core Reunion a reboot, remake, or remaster?
Crisis Core Reunion is a remake for the most part. While the story has stayed the same, almost everything else has been reconstructed or tweaked. Speaking with Everyeye, Tetsuya Nomura had this to say (translated from Italian):
“We were conflicted on the subject. We weren’t sure what the best way to describe the project was. At one point, there was a debate to determine whether it was appropriate to call it a “remake” or a “remaster.” I think the product comes closest to the definition of a remaster, as the story hasn’t changed in any way, and it’s still the same game.
However, on a technical level, the graphics have been completely renewed. We recreated the polygonal models of the characters from scratch, and many scenes that were text-only in the original have been dubbed. Even the combat system has seen updates. With all that, we’re undecided about which term best describes the game, which is why we settled on “reunion.” It’s complicated because it’s much more than a remaster, but at the same time, it’s not a complete remake either.”
According to Nomura, the team decided against modifying Crisis Core because it could interfere with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. Everything had to remain as it was so we wouldn’t break continuity.
So, while the story is a 1:1 match with the original, Crisis Core Reunion remakes every other aspect. So, while Nomura and his team seem confused about what term it falls under, we’d say it’s more remake than remaster.
