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Apparently the game has a very early review embargo.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Reviews

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is rated 'Strong' after being reviewed by 124 critics, with an overall average score of 79. It's ranked in the top 21% of games and recommended by 78%...

opencritic.com

79 on OC based on 43 critics.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion critic reviews

Metacritic aggregates music, game, tv, and movie reviews from the leading critics. Only Metacritic.com uses METASCORES, which let you know at a glance how each item was reviewed.

www.metacritic.com

77 on MC.

 

[adamsapple]

Eurogamer: Recommended

A sensitive remaster of the PSP prequel that's recontextualised in the wake of Remake.
Read full review

Gamespot8 / 10

Crisis Core Reunion triumphs in transforming a PSP classic into a modern-day must-play, especially for fans of the Final Fantasy VII saga.
Read full review

Game Central 4 / 10

An inspired piece of Final Fantasy 7 fan service, and a very good remaster, but as a standalone game the story and gameplay has very little value.
Read full review

 

[Draugoth]

---

Game Information

Game Title: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

Platforms:

• Nintendo Switch (Dec 13, 2022)
• PlayStation 5 (Dec 13, 2022)
• PC (Dec 13, 2022)
• PlayStation 4 (Dec 13, 2022)
• Xbox Series X/S (Dec 13, 2022)

Trailers:

• CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION | Launch Trailer
• CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION | More Than A Remaster
• CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION | Launch Date Trailer

Publisher: Square Enix

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 79 average - 80% recommended - 42 reviews

MetaCritic - 77 average - 45 reviews

Critic Reviews

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Atomix - Sebastian Quiroz - Spanish - 85 / 100

Thanks to a series of substantial visual updates, and an improved combat system, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion stands as the best remaster Square Enix has ever made. This is the definitive version to enjoy the adventure of Zack Fair.

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COGconnected - Nicola Kapron - 80 / 100

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion is equal parts cheesy, satirical, thought-provoking, and nostalgic.

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Checkpoint Gaming - Pedro Cooray - 8.5 / 10

For fans of the OG PSP game, Crisis Core Reunion is a fantastic remaster, seeing how meticulously a game can be updated with enough budget behind it. For fans of Final Fantasy VII on PS1, this is an opportunity to play the best game in the original Compilation (no offence to Dirge of Cerberus) on modern consoles. Its many changes and additions help bring these PSP mechanics closer to modern standards and the game is better off for it. For fans of Remake keen to understand more of this world and characters, Crisis Core is a great amuse-bouche before Rebirth launches next year.

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Dexerto - Laura Gray - 4 / 5

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core Reunion is an emotional barrage of nostalgic gameplay and new challenges. The remaster has given the classic story new life, updating it in a way that both long-time and new Final Fantasy 7 fans can enjoy.
While some graphical updates aren't completely smoothed out, every aspect of the game is sensitive to the original content while bringing it up to speed for modern consoles. I have always wanted to play this game as if it was new again, and this remake granted that wish.

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Digital Trends - Giovanni Colantonio - 3 / 5

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion looks like a modern game, but its aged PSP gameplay doesn't match the HD overhaul.

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Eurogamer - Ed Nightingale - Recommended

A sensitive remaster of the PSP prequel that's recontextualised in the wake of Remake.

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Everyeye.it - Antonello "Kirito" Bello - Italian - 8.5 / 10

Quote not yet available

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GamePro - Eleen Reinke - German - 84 / 100

Crisis Core Reunion offers a fantastic graphical boost and gameplay improvements, but it shows its PSP roots.

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GameSpew - Richard Seagrave - 7 / 10

As HD remasters go, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion goes above and beyond what’s expected in many regards.

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GameSpot - Jessica Howard - 8 / 10

Crisis Core Reunion triumphs in transforming a PSP classic into a modern-day must-play, especially for fans of the Final Fantasy VII saga.

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Gameblog - French - 7 / 10

FF7 Crisis Core Reunion is neither more nor less than an old school game with an angelic face that stills has some charm.

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GamesRadar+ - Hirun Cryer - 3 / 5

Some elements of Crisis Core shine, while others are left in the past

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GamingBolt - Shubhankar Parijat - 8 / 10

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is an impressive visual upgrade that, above all else, proves the quality of the original game yet again. Much of it can feel dated at times, but thanks primarily to its enjoyable combat system, it remains an easy game to recommend.

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GamingTrend - Abdul Saad - 90 / 100

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is almost undeniably the definitive version of the 2007 action RPG, as despite its issues it still succeeds at presenting the player with an unforgettable experience.

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Hobby Consolas - Álvaro Alonso - Spanish - 80 / 100

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion is more than a remaster, yes, but just in some ways. In many others, it's still the same PSP game... for better and for worse. Nevertheless, this is the best version to discover Zack's story... or to reunite with an old friend.

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IGN Italy - Alessandro Digioia - Italian - 7.8 / 10

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a good remaster of a prequel that really shows its age in terms of narrative structure and gameplay design. The work done by Square Enix is commendable, with significant improvements made to the graphics and the combat system, but the experience as a whole remains a bit shaky, and we would have definitely preferred a full-fledged remake rather than a remaster that doesn't hold up too well.

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IGN Spain - David Oña - Spanish - 7 / 10

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion rescues one of the best PSP videogames, with a remaster that looks like a remake and generates frictions that are hard to ignore. A half-baked work that, yes, is a good opportunity to explore the past of some of the most interesting characters of Midgar.

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Inverse - Hayes Madsen - 8 / 10

Crisis Core Reunion doesn’t alter the story of the original PSP game, but it lands somewhere between a remaster and a remake on account of its gorgeous graphical updates and gameplay improvements. That being said, the limitation of the original game being on a handheld still shines through, becoming obvious through the game’s simple structure that uses mostly small confined environments and linear pathways. For anyone coming from the tremendously ambitious Final Fantasy VII Remake, Crisis Core is going to feel remarkably limited.
Still, the overwhelming positives of experiencing the Crisis Core story on modern consoles make its minor flaws totally forgivable.

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Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 4 / 10

An inspired piece of Final Fantasy 7 fan service, and a very good remaster, but as a standalone game the story and gameplay has very little value.

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PC Gamer - Kerry Brunskill - 86 / 100

An excellent remake, prequel, and game in its own right-Crisis Core has it all.

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PSX Brasil - Thiago de Alencar Moura - Portuguese - 95 / 100

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a masterclass in how to do a remaster, vastly improving every little aspect of the original game without changing its essence. If the original was already one of the best games on the PSP, this remaster can easily be considered one of the best JRPGs on PS4 and PS5, offering a story, gameplay, visuals and soundtrack worthy of the best games of the genre of all time.

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PlayStation Universe - Garri Bagdasarov - 8.5 / 10

A fantastic remaster of one of the best Final Fantasy spin-offs. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is the definitive version of a game lost for fifteen years. With a masterful visual and audio upgrade and a combat system that, in my opinion, outshines Remakes with its fluidity and ease of use, Crisis Core shouldn't be missed; it's just a shame that the writing remained unchanged, and side content is just as repetitive as it was fifteen years ago.

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Polygon - Natalie Flores - Unscored

Expressive visuals and refined combat bring the 2007 game back to life

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Press Start - Kieron Verbrugge - 9 / 10

Not quite a remake, but well beyond what's expected of a remaster, Crisis Core Reunion is exactly the kind of reverent and carefully-considered re-release that fans of the original deserve. Not everything from the 2008 iteration holds up equally, but the updates are plentiful enough that it hardly matters. Whether you managed to catch it on the PSP or you're diving in for the first time – this is without a doubt the definitive way to experience the excellent prequel to Final Fantasy VII.

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Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 7 / 10

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a top tier remaster of a flawed and often comically awkward spinoff. But for all of its angsty melodrama, the story of Zack Fair is an endearingly daft tale that only adds to the world of Final Fantasy VII.

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RPG Fan - Bob Richardson - 78%

Those invested in the series who haven't played this will find the best way to play it, while those with cursory interest may be left wanting.

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RPG Site - Scott White - 8 / 10

After almost 15 years, the story of Zack Fair has escaped the confines of its UMD prison and has emerged as one of Square Enix's best remaster offerings that new and old fans of Final Fantasy VII need to experience.

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Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 8 / 10

More than just a remaster, this is the best way to play a game that while admittedly banks on its fan service is nevertheless still a fun game.

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Screen Rant - Connor Trinske - 3 / 5

Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion still has its place in the hearts of many veterans of the series and Final Fantasy 7's world, and maintains its relevance to the FF7 Remake series. However, the original Crisis Core also received a lot of justified criticism, and Reunion doesn't do much to address those points.

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Shacknews - Ozzie Mejia - 9 / 10

As a whole and in a vacuum, I heartily give this game a thumbs up. To Final Fantasy 7 fans, specifically, I have to say that Reunion is an absolute must play, especially given that nobody knows where this is all heading.

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Siliconera - Kazuma Hashimoto - 9 / 10

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion lives up to its legacy, setting a benchmark for Square Enix remasters going forward.

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Spaziogames - Domenico Musicò - Italian - 7.9 / 10

Despite some balancing problems that simplify the game difficulty, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 - Reunion is a work of love that respects the original game and its unforgettable story.

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TechRaptor - 8.5 / 10

Crisis Core Reunion is an excellent example of a remake. Crisis Core looks and plays better than ever before with updated controls and the story is just as good as the original if you're someone who buys into brooding anime boys. If you're wanting to refamiliarize yourself with Zack's journey or replay this classic FF title then now is the perfect time!

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TrueGaming - Arabic - 8 / 10

The story of Zack Fair is still humane and touching a it was the first time, its one of our favorite Final Fantasy games and Square Enix improved every single aspect of it with this remake. Don't miss this one.

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Twinfinite - Zhiqing Wan - 4 / 5

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion isn’t perfect, but it’s got a lot of heart. And sometimes, that’s enough.

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VG247 - Alex Donaldson - 4 / 5

Repackaged into one of the sharpest Remaster releases I’ve ever seen, it’s a relatively irresistible package - warts and all. The blemishes upon its carefully airbrushed visage are, in many ways, part of the charm. This is a joyous little time capsule of 2000s Square - and perhaps a curious aperitif before Remake part 2. It’s easy to recommend.

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Wccftech - Francesco De Meo - 8.5 / 10

With vastly enhanced visuals and audio, a major combat overhaul that finally makes the game fun to play, and a great ending, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion is, without a doubt, one of the best remasters released in recent years. While some of the original's issues haven't been addressed, such as the bad story pacing and mediocre writing, they shouldn't stop any Final Fantasy VII fan from getting the game. The price of freedom is steep, but it is one worth paying.

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WellPlayed - Mark Isaacson - 8 / 10

It does feel a little patchwork in places, but Crisis Core is a reunion worth going to. The emotional gut-punch of a finale remains one of the best in the long running series, and that alone is worth the price of admission.

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Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 8.5 / 10

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core Reunion manages to be a lot more than the sum of its parts. There are a lot of things that you can complain about, from the dumb antagonist to the legacy of its PSP roots. It's a credit to the game that despite those flaws, it is still probably one of the best Final Fantasy spin-off games on the market, and Reunion is by far the best way to experience it. It should do a good job of tiding over fans until at least Final Fantasy XVI.

 

[fart town usa]

If it's anything like the PSP version, it should be damn fun with a much better than expected story.

I'll definitely get it at some point. I feel like the PSP version has one of the best narratives in any Final Fantasy. Like I mentioned in other threads, it's the game that made me give a crap about Aerith.

 

[Mr Moose]

Eurogamer: Recommended


Gamespot8 / 10


Game Central 4 / 10

A very good remaster. 4/10.

 

[Lokaum D+]

Its a good game made for FF7 fans, u cant review this game as standalone lmao

 

[Punished Miku]

I've never understood the love for this game. Type-0 was 100x better but no one hypes that up. Hell, 3rd Birthday was substantially better as well.

I think people should expect an average game that's fun for FFVII super-fans. There's definitely an audience for it, but I'll pass. It was impressive for a PSP game graphically though.

 

[Airbus Jr]

 

[GenericUser]

Square really had the nerve to port a PSP game to the PS5.

 

[Punished Miku]

Square really had the nerve to port a PSP game to the PS5.

3x this year. (Valkyrie Profile, Tactics Ogre, Crisis Core)

 

[adamsapple]

3x this year. (Valkyrie Profile, Tactics Ogre, Crisis Core)

That's one way to get a lot of games out I suppose.

They had the quantity this year, but much of it lacked quality IMO.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Square really had the nerve to port a PSP game to the PS5.

Some very good games trapped on PSP which is now a dead and archaic platform, so I see no issue with this whatsoever. They've put in very good effort to enhance the game and they're not charging full price.

 

[Punished Miku]

That's one way to get a lot of games out I suppose.

They had the quantity this year, but much of it lacked quality IMO.

I'm not complaining. Bought a ton of their games this year, and there's more I still want to buy.

 

[TGO]

Guess nobody is buying this then.

 

[Coloress_Kafka]

Square really had the nerve to port a PSP game to the PS5.

Crisis Core is too damn good to be stuck on PSP and PC through emulation. Having it on all the major platforms is a huge win for FF fans.

 

[Kimahri]

Its a good game made for FF7 fans, u cant review this game as standalone lmao

Of course you can. It's a standalone game, released as a standalone game.

Your subjective opinions on the matter are rather irrelevant.

 

[FoxMcChief]

I figured a lot of 6’s or 7’s. While I really liked the PSP game, I didn’t think the gameplay would age well.

 

[Neo_GAF]

i played it back during the release date and i remember that so many missions of the game were basically filler material.
only the beginning and the end of the game were INTENSE.
except that, the rest was really mediocre.
the gameplay was already not fun back in the day. playing only as zack with this slot machine thingy sucked.

 

[swaffles23]

Really excited for this. I'm kinda disappointed I missed out on the steel from preorder bonus from Best Buy

 

[Needlecrash]

Pretty solid scores all around. Seems worthy of a pickup to me.

 

[trikster40]

I loved the PSP game, finished it completely. Some of the reviews say the gameplay has been updated, others say it hasn’t aged well, so not sure what to believe.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I loved the PSP game, finished it completely. Some of the reviews say the gameplay has been updated, others say it hasn’t aged well, so not sure what to believe.

The way some of these comments read, it was as if gaming wasn’t good 10+ years ago. When criticisms get made about old classic games there’s always this thing inside of me wishing they’d give concrete examples.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I exhausted the psp game. Loved it. Don't need to play it again but I advise anyone who hasn't and enjoyed ff 7 to give it a go.


Love Zack.

 

[saintjules]

so not sure what to believe.

Believe with your own eyes, for sure.

 

[danklord]

This seems perfect for the Steam Deck. Almost poetic.

 

[MikeM]

Any word on PC issues?

 

[wvnative]

Reviews about in line with expectations, this is NOT FF7R, this is just a more direct remaster of the original PSP game with only minor QOL tweaks. Very much still a PSP game but a wonderful one that now has a much wider audience.

Would have been great if Square-Enix could have done this prior to FF7R...

 

[RoboFu]

I’ve never heard of half of these review sites. Not saying they are wrong .. the original game was basically a fan service cash in.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Scores make sense. The original Crisis Core was based on hype from the FF7 series, the PS2, and Sony causing headlines entering portability with a gaming handheld that doubled as a multimedia device with wifi browsing and video/MP3 capability. Along with the promises made with UMD, half of which Sony broke before it was clear UMD wasn't going anywhere.

It got great scores for the PSP, but when you actually look back at the game without all the extra stuff it's serviceable but not exactly amazing. It's flaws became more apparent as the PSP life came on, and Squareenixs lack of interest of making the game digital or bringing it elsewhere until recently showed they didn't think it would amount to much.

This remake fixes a few QoL issue, but the game is mostly the same as it was then with the same problems. But fans of FF7 will likely enjoy the title.

 

[FoxMcChief]

I’ve never heard of half of these review sites. Not saying they are wrong .. the original game was basically a fan service cash in.

So nothing has changed.

 

[Swift_Star]

4 is harsh and makes no sense.

 

[lyan]

It got great scores for the PSP, but when you actually look back at the game without all the extra stuff it's serviceable but not exactly amazing. It's flaws became more apparent as the PSP life came on, and Squareenixs lack of interest of making the game digital or bringing it elsewhere until recently showed they didn't think it would amount to much.

Might have to do with Genesis / Gackt.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Punished Miku]

Not even Square-Enix does.
They're just reselling whatever crap they can to get money, since they're unable to create new games that are good.

nah, I can't agree with that. I've liked a ton of their stuff this year. But I'm not that into Crisis Core. Still had plenty to play though.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Danjin44]

With this game It all comes down to if you liked Crisis Core back in PSP, if you did you going to enjoy this game and if not this one is not gonna change your mind.

 

[Fbh]

I've never understood the love for this game. Type-0 was 100x better but no one hypes that up. Hell, 3rd Birthday was substantially better as well.

I think people should expect an average game that's fun for FFVII super-fans. There's definitely an audience for it, but I'll pass. It was impressive for a PSP game graphically though.

Same, the story is awful, and the combat never clicked with me.

The only good part was that the overall presentation was really solid for a psp game.

Still sort of want to replay it, just to see if all the years have changed my opinion on it. Also japanese voices should help reduce the cringe of the plot.
But I'll wait for a steep sale

 

[saintjules]

this is just a more direct remaster of the original PSP game with only minor QOL tweaks.

What? New music arrangements and summon cinematics aren't remasters lol.

 

[Jack Videogames]

What? New music arrangements and summon cinematics aren't remasters lol.

Isn't the combat system completely new too? This is more of a light remake than a remaster

 

[scydrex]

Never played this on PSP. Will do it sometime maybe next year.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Same, the story is awful, and the combat never clicked with me.

The only good part was that the overall presentation was really solid for a psp game.

Still sort of want to replay it, just to see if all the years have changed my opinion on it. Also japanese voices should help reduce the cringe of the plot.
But I'll wait for a steep sale

This game + Advent Children just retroactively lowered my opinion of the original.

If it wasn’t a) based on an already successful IP and b) a technical showpiece for a new-ish handheld system, nobody would’ve given a single shit about this game. Zero desire to replay it.

 

[Danjin44]

This is more of a light remake than a remaster

its between remaster and remake, its basically upgrade similar to Nier Replicant 1.22

 

[Punished Miku]

its between remaster and remake, its basically upgrade similar to Nier Replicant 1.22

NieR is basically a complete remake. This sounds like a Remake Jr.

 

[Danjin44]

NieR is basically a complete remake. This sounds like a Remake Jr.

Taro himself doesn't considered it as remake, he calls it upgrade.

 

[March Climber]

As expected. Swimming in 7s.

 

[fart town usa]

I've never understood the love for this game. Type-0 was 100x better but no one hypes that up. Hell, 3rd Birthday was substantially better as well.

I think people should expect an average game that's fun for FFVII super-fans. There's definitely an audience for it, but I'll pass. It was impressive for a PSP game graphically though.

As someone who recently played it (right before FF7R released), I really enjoyed how easy it was to simply play the game. It was linear as hell and the combat was pretty simple but it was just smooth gaming for me with a solid story, and I generally roll my eyes at Square narratives.

But yea, I see where you're coming from. I guess if the remake is similar in design then people should check their expectations. It wasn't a deep mind-blowing experience on PSP, just a fun/solid game.

 

[Slicker than your average]

I actually thought this game was garbage when I played it on psp. Takes a total dump on the story of final fantasy.

Zack is likeable though.

 

[Brigandier]

An excellent wonderful amazing remaster 1/10....

Odd review from GC lol but each to their own I'll pick it up for super cheap next year.

 

[Saiyan-Rox]

Wonder if they changed the story to line up with the remake?

 

[Lillie]

This is coming to Series? Interesting. I might get it on Series then or else I will get it on PS5 or Steam