Screen shot of Cloud and Sephiroth at the Shinra mansion in Ever Crisis, an FF7 remake compilation for mobile devices.

Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis will remake the original FF7 and several spin-offs but many fans will miss out due to its mobile-only status


Among the many games in the current wave of Final Fantasy 7 related titles Ever Crisis stands out as perhaps the most ambitious, but the game is only slated for release on mobile platforms, which is clearly a mistake. While the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series offers a new timeline, Ever Crisis is a modernized remake that will retell the original FF7 story along with its three spinoff games and feature film sequel. Ever Crisis eschews the action RPG mechanics of FF7 Remake and Crisis Core: Reunion for a classic turn-based battle system. The compilation could be a milestone for FF7 fans, and it deserves a full PC and console release.

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The FF7 series games Ever Crisis will be remaking include FF7: Before Crisis, a mobile title that was never localized, thus offering English-language players more than just an opportunity to revisit old classics. Ever Crisis’ style leans closer to the original PlayStation FF7 as trailers show 32-bit-type character models in exploration sequences, but battles feature proportional characters that would fit in with FF7 Remake’s aesthetic. This project is more than a curiosity for FF7 fans, making a mobile release the wrong call.

Related: Crisis Core Tried Too Hard To Set Up FF7


An Ever Crisis Compilation That Includes All Episodes Would Be Perfect For PC & Console Release

Screen shot of Cloud and Tifa as children in Nibelheim in Ever Crisis, an FF7 remake compilation for mobile devices.

While most fans adjusted to the fast-paced battle system of FF7 Remake, and its divergent timeline making the story less predictable, the FF7 remake within Ever Crisis is closer to the original game. It will feature turn-based battles and cover the same story beats as the PS1 original, and 2D character portraits have been shown, adding to the nostalgia. But Ever Crisis runs the risk of meeting the same fate as FF7: The First Soldier. One of the main reasons FF7: The First Soldier is shutting down is its genre, since a battle royale is a hard sell for many RPG fans; but it was also a mobile-only title, and a console and PC release could have helped the game connect with FF7 veterans.

It seems Square Enix is not learning any lessons from The First Soldier’s failure, as Ever Crisis is slated to release solely for Android and iOS storefronts. Where a Final Fantasy 7 prequel battle royale is a game no one asked for, the package Ever Crisis presents is another story. It offers a more purist-friendly remake of the PS1 classic FF7, along with content that English audiences have never had access to before. Ever Crisis appears to be designed around mobile monetization, as promotional materials suggest an episodic release, and possibly gacha elements, which could complicate a console port.

Since Ever Crisis will show a young Sephiroth, retelling events from The First Soldier, it could offer two unsupported mobile titles a new lease on life. A console and PC release would ensure that content remains accessible, but mobile-only titles often have shorter lifespans. FF15: Pocket Edition also had an episodic release format on mobile, but was sold as a collected edition for consoles and PC. The episodic Final Fantasy Dimensions mobile game was also later sold as a single package. Given this precedent, is it certainly possible Square Enix could release a definitive Ever Crisis collection for consoles after the individual episodes have launched.

Related: Crisis Core’s Ending Is Pointless After FF7 Remake

Mobile Game Monetization Could Ruin Ever Crisis Even For Hard Core Final Fantasy 7 Fans

Screen shot of Zack facing enemies on a train in Ever Crisis, an FF7 remake compilation for mobile devices.

The Ever Crisis versions of the games it remakes will feature truncated versions of their original stories, but they could still be the best way to experience them if handled properly. The Before Crisis story Ever Crisis includes will be new to many fans, but few Western fans associate Final Fantasy 7 with mobile gaming, making it unlikely to succeed. If Ever Crisis relies too heavily on gacha elements for monetization it could ruin the game, regardless of what platforms it releases on. An episodic game that charges players for more gameplay content is one thing, but an RNG-dependent gacha system could taint the experience for longtime FF7 fans.

Square Enix may intend to honor Final Fantasy 7’s history as much as its future, but Ever Crisis needs a PC and console release just like the FF7 Remake series, and it must avoid cheapening the original’s legacy with overzealous monetization, or many fans will simply return to the PS1 version.

More: Crisis Core Shows Cloud’s Buster Sword Is The Ultimate Hand-Me-DownSource: Square Enix/YouTube

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