Like so many of the games that have rounded out the world of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core is a prequel to the classic PSone RPG. Much like the cell phone game that captivated Japan, Crisis Core is a game that tells the story before the story we all know and love to replay every five years or so.

Unlike many of the other Final Fantasy VII-inspired spinoffs, though, this one does not focus on the main cast of FFVII, but on Zack, a new main protagonist. Through the telling of his story, we are filled in on the backstories of Sephiroth and Aerith, as well as being introduced to Genesis and Angeal. Of course, other faces familiar to FFVII fans make appearances, as well, the most important of which is, of course, Cloud Strife.

But Crisis Core is not solely his tale, and the game is the better for it. Allowing us to see the world of Final Fantasy VII from a new perspective opens up entirely new storylines and viewpoints on the characters we do know from previous games.

I was skeptical when I first heard the game was going to boast an action-based battle system, rather than a turn-based one. I’ve long been frustrated with most FFVII follow-ups exactly because they don’t stick closely enough to the formula that made the original game a hit; in this case, however, the new system is more appealing than I anticipated.

Of course, it being an action-based RPG makes the game a natural for my wife, who prefers action-based systems to turn-based ones; that she enjoyed the game didn’t surprise me. What has surprised me is that I’ve enjoyed the game, as well. The shoulder button helps you switch between the types of action you’re taking when you hit “X,” which works quickly and smoothly enough to maintain some sense of turn-based control while delivering the battles in a much more active, real-time presentation.

It helps that the art style is similar to the Final Fantasy VII movie, Advent Children; Zack is drawn as a sleek action hero, missing only the vintage sunglasses to complete the look. The world he inhabits looks better than even the cinemas of the original FFVII. While the main quest takes only 20-30 hours to complete, there are loads of side-missions available that can easily boost playing time up, over and well past 50 hours, which should satisfy most fans. And the visuals come across quite well on the PSP system, though that is no surprise on a SquareEnix game.

While the game is all merely setup for Final Fantasy VII, in the end you’ll still find yourself emotionally satisfied by the tale that you’ve lived through with some beloved characters. Still, the game is not without its weak points.

While fun and appreciated for filling the game’s playing time out, the side-missions are quite spurious and nonessential to the story, making them more of a pesky diversion that one might have hoped for. And the leveling-up system, with it’s one-armed-bandit style of interface, makes character progression seem all too random to be truly satisfying.

Additionally, the game camera is awkward, often positioning itself behind a monster you’re fighting while your character is in front of it, making it quite difficult to move strategically around, dodge attacks or just simply see what’s going on. In fact, if pressed, I’d have to say that the game camera is, without exception, the worst aspect of Crisis Core. Fortunately, these weaknesses are all mostly minor and do not markedly detract from enjoying the game as a whole.

In the end, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is not the dream-sequel most of us have wished for since the credits rolled on FFVII over 10 years ago; it is, however, the first truly satisfying spinoff from that game, and stands heads and shoulders above the many inferior games that have leaked out onto the market bearing the name of this legendary RPG as a subtitle.

Crisis Core probable won’t make most people stop wishing for a true sequel to Final Fantasy VII that retains the classic turn-based battle system and follows up on the post-FFVII events in the lives of the surviving heroes from that game. But in the meantime, Crisis Core is at least the first follow-up title from that original game that is, without a doubt, worth playing… and perhaps even replaying, every five years or so. Time will tell.