Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is the latest Final Fantasy game, exclusive to Android and iOS devices. It combines all events from theCompilation of Final Fantasy VIImedia franchise in one neat package. It’s part remaster, part expansion, but all classic Final Fantasy, albeit with some brutal monetization techniques mobile gamers should be more than familiar with.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis draws from all existing Final Fantasy VII lore, but this doesn’t mean you should expect to relive every experience from these games. Ever Crisis takes all the memorable moments from the collection and splices them with brand-new content and gacha mechanics while cutting out less important events and plot points.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the gacha mechanics. As you progress through the story, you’ll earn the necessary resources to level up your characters and weapons. You’ll need to stay on top of your daily stamina, free drops, and challenges to make the most of this system; those who want to speed through the story are in for a rough experience where you’ll run out of stamina.
Premium currency is the only way to roll for new upgrades, weapons, and characters, and you’ll need it to avoid grinding solo missions. Each episode has a recommended power level; fail to meet that, and you’ll struggle to make it through. Solo Content missions cost stamina. Run out of stamina, and you’ll have to wait for it to refill or pay cash. Everything you can think of has been monetized to the hilt; this is free-to-play gaming at its most egregious. Microtransactions run up to $69.99 for a daily pack of currency.
What makes this monetization so tragic is that the Ever Crisis does a great job of pulling Final Fantasy VII’s many threads together into a cohesive whole. While some veterans may be disappointed that not all the plot elements made it through, the major events are all there. However, even if you’re willing to empty your wallet, Ever Crisis' story is being released in monthly installments, so you’ll have to wait regardless.
Ever Crisis' dynamic combat doesn’t make up for its microtransactions, but it’s fun. While the basic gameplay is turn-based combat commonly found in gacha games, Ever Crisis reintroduces the ATB (active time battle system) from the original game, which lets you interrupt an opponent’s turn to perform skills and magic. This removes the waiting period of turn-based combat while keeping the pace steady. However, it’s not an intuitive process; you may find it necessary to follow ahelpful guide to the intricacies of Ever Crisis' gameplay.
Push past the aggressive monetization, and you’ll find that Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is an adequate nostalgia trip through one of the best-known Final Fantasy games. It’s not just the story; the graphics are directly inspired by the original PlayStation release. Chibi-style characters return but are remastered to suit modern hardware.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis might be a transparent attempt to capitalize on nostalgia, but it’s a decent way for veterans of the original games to relive its world. However, if Square Enix’s execution of this premise disappoints you as it did us, theoriginal Final Fantasy VIIis also available on Android; this port is available for a one-time purchase without any gacha mechanics.
