Crisis Core Review
Okay, I often tend to be ~2 years behind on video games. My excuse is that I am too thrifty to shell out full price for most games, so I tend to wait until the price goes down or I happen to find it at a used games store, because I don't like spending more than $20-25 on a game.
In Crisis Core's case, I have to admit that although I knew I wanted to play it eventually, I wasn't in a particular hurry because I'd been so put-off by Advent Children. I don't think I've ever talked about it here, but I really didn't enjoy Advent Children very much, but never mentioned it because I figured fandom would kill me. Admittedly fandom is probably half the reason why I didn't like AC; I felt like all the fangirls made it into so much more than it was, which IMO ultimately was nothing more than an attempt to show off their latest and greatest graphics technology and shameless fanservice. I didn't think the story was compelling and couldn't find myself giving a rat's ass about whether anyone other than Cloud lived or died. Fandom's obsession with the Sephiroth remnants made me want to puke and is one of the reasons why I will no longer come within a mile of FF7 fandom, which is kind of sad because it does hold a very special place in my heart (as my first console game, first JRPG, and first fandom I ever wrote fanfic in).
Point being, when my dad gave me Crisis Core for Christmas and I started to play it during spare moments, I didn't go into it with high expectations. I was basically expecting it to be the same as AC: shiny graphics and fanservice, and nothing more.
I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Okay, it was shiny, and admittedly there was fanservice. But there was so much more as well. The story was great and the characters were all surprisingly likable. I loved seeing Sephiroth as a human being rather than just a vicious super-villain. I didn't expect to like Genesis or Angeal (I expected them to be basically the equivalents of the remnants in AC: pure fanservice), but I did, especially Angeal. (I was ambivalent about Genesis until I read that he was basically an incarnation of Gackt, and then I had much more respect for him.) And Zack! I liked Zack! I'd never shared fandom's obsession with him, but I found him to be an enjoyable protagonist, and I definitely cried at the end. I also have new-found respect for the Zack/Aerith pairing. And Cissnei! I loved Cissnei! I really wish we could've gotten to see more of her.
So, yes. I was impressed, and very happy that I finally got to play this game.
On a somewhat related note, those of you also into games should all sign up for
newgameplus, an art and ficathon just for game fandoms! And not just obscure ones, which in this case was really good timing for me because it means I can request Crisis Core fic without having to come too close to FF fandom, which I'm still not really brave enough to do. 8);
In Crisis Core's case, I have to admit that although I knew I wanted to play it eventually, I wasn't in a particular hurry because I'd been so put-off by Advent Children. I don't think I've ever talked about it here, but I really didn't enjoy Advent Children very much, but never mentioned it because I figured fandom would kill me. Admittedly fandom is probably half the reason why I didn't like AC; I felt like all the fangirls made it into so much more than it was, which IMO ultimately was nothing more than an attempt to show off their latest and greatest graphics technology and shameless fanservice. I didn't think the story was compelling and couldn't find myself giving a rat's ass about whether anyone other than Cloud lived or died. Fandom's obsession with the Sephiroth remnants made me want to puke and is one of the reasons why I will no longer come within a mile of FF7 fandom, which is kind of sad because it does hold a very special place in my heart (as my first console game, first JRPG, and first fandom I ever wrote fanfic in).
Point being, when my dad gave me Crisis Core for Christmas and I started to play it during spare moments, I didn't go into it with high expectations. I was basically expecting it to be the same as AC: shiny graphics and fanservice, and nothing more.
I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Okay, it was shiny, and admittedly there was fanservice. But there was so much more as well. The story was great and the characters were all surprisingly likable. I loved seeing Sephiroth as a human being rather than just a vicious super-villain. I didn't expect to like Genesis or Angeal (I expected them to be basically the equivalents of the remnants in AC: pure fanservice), but I did, especially Angeal. (I was ambivalent about Genesis until I read that he was basically an incarnation of Gackt, and then I had much more respect for him.) And Zack! I liked Zack! I'd never shared fandom's obsession with him, but I found him to be an enjoyable protagonist, and I definitely cried at the end. I also have new-found respect for the Zack/Aerith pairing. And Cissnei! I loved Cissnei! I really wish we could've gotten to see more of her.
So, yes. I was impressed, and very happy that I finally got to play this game.
On a somewhat related note, those of you also into games should all sign up for
newgameplus, an art and ficathon just for game fandoms! And not just obscure ones, which in this case was really good timing for me because it means I can request Crisis Core fic without having to come too close to FF fandom, which I'm still not really brave enough to do. 8);