Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans should check out PS Plus Extra this month

Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion is now on PS Plus Extra, making this a great time for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth fans to check out the canonical prequel.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans should check out PS Plus Extra this month
Lee Brady

Lee Brady

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For fans of 2024's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, there's never been a better time to check out those Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion trophies — something you're going to want to do if you want to absorb the remake's full story. Now that Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion is on PS Plus Extra, you can finally get to know Zack Fair and his role in FFVII a lot better.

Why you should play Crisis Core Reunion on PS Plus Extra

If you've been weighing up whether to dive deeper into Final Fantasy VII's backstory, then good news: Sony has made it a little bit easier for you. With the arrive of those PS Plus Extra and Premium July 2024 games on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, subscribers can now access the canonical FFVII prequel Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
If you'll check out our Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion review, you'll get a sense of whether this PS5 and PS4 action RPG is up your alley. That said, if you're hoping to wrap your head around the events of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, you're definitely going to want to play Crisis Core ASAP.

However, if you're still unsure whether you should check this game out, then don't panic: I've got three good reasons why you should check out Crisis Core Reunion on PS Plus Extra.

Reason 1: Crisis Core Reunion gives you Zack Fair's backstory

The star of Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion is Zack Fair — a SOLDIER that appears very briefly in the original Final Fantasy VII but one who ultimately plays a critical role in the life of series protagonist Cloud and main party member Aerith.

While Zack was only a bit player in the PS1 original, his role has since been significantly expanded upon in Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Reunion. To the point where he's not only featured on the box art of FFVII Reunion, but he's also one of the game's main playable characters, starring in his own selection of side missions.

Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII ReunionYou should get to know this guy.

While playing Crisis Core Reunion is unlikely to help anyone wrap their head around Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's multiverse, it'll at least help you understand who exactly Zack Fair is and why he's so important to Cloud and Aerith — something that the Remake trilogy hasn't quite explained to new players just yet.

Plus, Zack is a really enjoyable character in his own right and he shines in Crisis Core Reunion. So, it's worth checking out the game just to get to know the character for his own sake.

Reason 2: Crisis Core helps you get loads of FFVII Rebirth references

Over halfway through Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, you're going to run into Cissnei — leader of the Gongaga Youth Coalition. She's an interesting character and we spend a lot of time in side missions getting to know her, yet you might have noticed that she keeps asking Cloud cryptic or coded questions. It's almost as if she already knows him.
Well, if you've played Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion, you'll know that she absolutely knows who Cloud is. There's also a good reason why she decided to move on out to Gongaga of all places. FFVII Rebirth is littered with allusions big and small to the events of Crisis Core Reunion, and if you play the prequel, you'll be able to pick up on a lot of them.

Reason 3: Crisis Core Reunion will prepare you for FFVII Rebirth's sequel

We don't know yet what to expect from the yet-unnamed third part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, but if what we've seen so far gives us any indication, then it looks like we can expect a lot more references to Crisis Core Reunion.

We've already seen both Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth lean heavily on material from the two big FFVII spin-offs: Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus. The next game in the series also already looks poised to see Zack return in some form alongside Dirge of Cerberus character Nero.

Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII ReunionYou never know when Lazard Deusericus might get a namedrop.

Yet, I'd be very surprised if that's as far as the references to Crisis Core Reunion go in the next game. For example, there's still a lot of room for the Remake trilogy to delve into Sephiroth and his backstory. If it does go that way, then it will inevitably have to reference characters like Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley — supporting characters that play important roles in Crisis Core Reunion.

Crisis Core Reunion also features more backstory details for Cloud, Yuffie, and Aerith, much of which has yet to come to light in the Remake trilogy. So, if you want to ready yourself to understand every scrap of information given to you in the upcoming PS5 game, you'll want to make sure to check out Crisis Core Reunion first.
Luckily — in case you've forgotten — it's now handily available on PS Plus Extra. So, if you have an active PS Plus Extra or PS Plus Premium subscription, you can jump into the Game Catalog and download Crisis Core Reunion right now for your PS5 or PS4.

In summary, Crisis Core Reunion is full of important moments, so taking advantage of your PS Plus subscription to catch up on it should be your top priority! Plus, it helps that it's easily one of the best PS Plus games available right now, so definitely check it out, then let me know what you think in the comments below.
Written by Lee Brady
Staff Writer Lee keeps one eye on the future (Astro Bot), one eye on the past (PS1, PS2, and PS3 games), and his secret third eye on junk he really likes (Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Sonic). A PlayStation fan for over 25 years, he loves replaying classic games via PS Plus.
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