Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
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| Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII | |
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| Developer(s) | Square Enix |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix |
| Designer(s) | Kousei Ito (producer) Yoshinori Kitase (co-producer) Hajime Tabata (director) Tetsuya Nomura (character designer) Kazushige Nojima (scenario supervisor) Yusuke Naora (art director) Takeharu Ishimoto (composer) |
| Series | Final Fantasy series Compilation of Final Fantasy VII |
| Platform(s) | NTT DoCoMo i-Mode phones, Softbank Yahoo! Mobile phones, AU EZweb phones |
| Release date | DoCoMo:  September 29, 2004Softbank: January 30, 2007AU: April 5, 2007,Carrier TBA:  TBA |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media | Monthly subscription |
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII (ビフォア クライシス -ファイナルファンタジーVII- Bifoa Kuraishisu -Fainaru Fantajī Sebun-?) is a Japanese online action role-playing game[1] developed and published by Square Enix in 2004. It was the first original (i.e. not an enhanced remake) game to be produced by Square Enix exclusively for mobile phones, and was released on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA iMode line of phones on a monthly subscription basis. Following an announcement at TGS 2006, it was released for the first of two additional Japanese mobile carriers, Softbank Yahoo! Mobile, in January 2007, and a version for EZweb was released in April 2007. In their pre-E3, 2005 press conference, Square Enix announced that an English version of the game will be released in the United States sometime during 2006, but this claim has thus proven false.[1] The prevailing rumour is that the game will be released on Sprint mobile phones; it has not been verified.
Before Crisis is the prequel to the 1997 Sony PlayStation video game Final Fantasy VII, taking place during the six years prior to the events of that game. It involves the adventures of the Turks, a group of supporting characters featured in Final Fantasy VII, and was the second installment in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series, which also includes the games Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, as well as the CGI movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and the OVA Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.
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[edit] General Information
Before Crisis's story begins shortly after the ending of the war between the Shinra Electric Power Company and the Wutai tribe, a conflict mentioned in passing during Final Fantasy VII. With Wutai defeated and the people of the world now dependent on their Mako Energy and materia, Shinra finds itself the dominant economic, military and political power in the world. But there are those who remain dedicated to the destruction of Shinra, chief among them being the newly emerged insurgent movement known as "AVALANCHE". Before Crisis focuses on this conflict between Shinra and the original AVALANCHE group, which began six years before the events portrayed in Final Fantasy VII, and lasted up to the time immediately preceding the events that took place in that game. In contrast to Final Fantasy VII, which was focused mainly on the viewpoint of the second incarnation of AVALANCHE, Before Crisis centers around the Shinra Company's Turks, with AVALANCHE serving as the game's main enemies.
The game unfolds through a series of periodic "episodes." Because of the subscription-based nature of the game, the game's story unfolded over a period of time. The last episode of the Japanese version of Before Crisis was released on April 1, 2006 — the series officially ending at a total of 24 episodes, one of which is divided into two full-length parts. Special episodes are also released periodically, and further expand the backstory of certain characters, some of which aren't normally playable. The first, "Special Episode of Tseng", and the second "Special Episode of Legend", further expanded on those character's backstories and their role within the Turks. The most recent, "Special Episode of Reno", was released to coincide with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, and portrayed a key event in the game from the perspective of the Turks while delving into Reno's character.
Additionally, several other features are available to players, including the Gold Saucer, which contains a number of minigames (such as Chocobo Racing), the Battle Square, which revolves around player versus player combat, Free Mode, which allows players to revisit areas from completed missions, and Rescue Mode, in which players who have failed missions and been captured can be rescued by other players. More recently, WEAPON Mode and WEAPON D Mode revolve around players traveling the world and hunting down the Jade WEAPON, which is released after Zirconiade is defeated.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Turks
The Turks perform covert operations on behalf of the company, including espionage, kidnappings and assassinations. They also scout for potential candidates for Shinra's elite military unit, SOLDIER, and serve as bodyguards for the Shinra executives. With Before Crisis, several members of the Turks not seen in Final Fantasy VII were introduced to continuity, and are included in this list. Note that all of the game's playable Turks' official names are composed of their weapon and gender, and have not been officially given any other proper names.
The following Turks are playable characters in Before Crisis (and therefore named by the player) and have no particular names, and are thus referred to here by their weapon of choice. The Softbank and AU versions of the game each originally contained an original character only available in those versions, however, all three versions share the same mobile network, meaning that they can interact via the Rescue Missions and other multiplayer aspects.
- Rod (Male): An ex-gang leader from Midgar, he enjoyed fighting other gangs and stealing motorbikes. He is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, as well as in riding and fixing motorbikes. He was rather unfamiliar with failure, and — with his ever growing confidence — decided to sneak into Shinra's parking garage to steal a bike from the company, but was arrested by Reno. Verdot realized his skills could be used to aid the Turks, and he was offered a place in the organization. Aside from his role in Before Crisis, he also appears in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII. In the OVA he seemed to have some familiarity with Shotgun (Female) due to the fact that she teased him at the end of the mission. He was also called "newcomer" by Reno before the Turks boarded the helicopter. He has been playable since the original beta version of the game, and uses a rod as his weapon. Voiced by Daisuke Namikawa in his guest role in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.
- Gun (Female): Her father was a teacher at the Shinra military academy, where she attended. She graduated with outstanding performances, and her forte is marksmanship. Her excellent handling of firearms impressed the leader of the Turks, Tseng, and he recruited her to the force with great confidence in her abilities. She is a very serious person who rarely jokes around, and is often very strict. Like Rod (Male), she also appears in Last Order. Elena, a Turks member featured in Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, is Gun (Female)'s younger sister. The two are not on very good terms in Before Crisis, as — despite their mutual dedication to their work and their exceptional skills — their personalities often clash and Elena resents her sister for outdoing her. Gun (Female) has been playable since the original beta version of the game, and uses handguns as her weapons. Like her more known younger sister, she is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi in her guest role in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.
- Two Guns (Male): A former bodyguard of Don Corneo, his specialty is his ability to rapidly fire two guns at once with outstanding accuracy, much like Gun (Female). Spending most of his time in the slums, he became fed up with the politics that had overrun the underworld society and was offered a place in the Turks. He took up the role, knowing that it would put his skills to the test. His unorthodox "underground" style of conducting missions often results in him failing. He also appears in Last Order, and has been playable since the official release of Before Crisis. His weaponry is strictly dual firearms. Voiced by Ginpei Sato in his guest role in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.
- Shotgun (Female): A female hunter from a wealthy family who likes to do things with flair. She has familiarized herself with the art of hunting since she was a child, and is, thus, an expert with her chosen weapon. She likes showing off and constantly tries to outdo herself, and, thus, immediately accepted the offer to become a Turk when it was presented. She also appears in Last Order, and has been playable since the official release of Before Crisis. She uses a range of shotguns as her only form of weaponry. Voiced by Mayuko Aoki, who has also voiced Yuna in Final Fantasy X and X-2, in her guest role in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.
- Martial Arts (Male): An ex-detective from Costa del Sol, where he solved some rather complicated cases. A passionate, hot blooded and courageous man, he puts his all into everything he does, a trait that manifests in his personal and professional lives. His tendency to rely on his emotions eventually got him in trouble with his previous occupation, and — seeing no alternative — took the job offered to him by the Turks, who had been trying to recruit him for some time. He uses his powerful fists as his only weapons. He has been playable since Episode 7 of Before Crisis when Verdot decided that the Turks were still lacking the required manpower to deal with AVALANCHE. Like several of the other Turks, he also appears in Last Order, where he is voiced by Hōchū Ōtsuka.
- Martial Arts (Female): A new recruit to the Turks in Episode 7, along with Martial Arts (Male). As a mercenary, she has seen a lot of battle and is accustomed to taking orders. As such, she adjusted to her new-found role in the Turks easier than some. A thoroughly businesslike woman during missions, she gets her work done with a minimum of fuss. She is level-headed, alert and perceptive, frequently able to assess a situation and take the most prudent course of action. She is a skilled martial artist who uses a style that involves a great deal of agility and kicking. Like many of the other Turks, she also appears in Last Order, but has no speaking role.
- Katana (Male): A swordsman who was born in Gongaga and has a soft spot for beauty. He tends not to stay in one place for very long. Those in his hometown fear his skill and strength for it is said that he killed a large number of people to rescue a friend and was imprisoned as a result. Under the condition that he would join the Turks, he was given amnesty. He first appears in Episode 18 of Before Crisis, but has been a Turk for several years at that point and was simply on an undisclosed assignment. He uses a katana as his sole weapon.
- Shuriken (Female): A young woman whose place of birth is unknown, she wields a crimson Shuriken called "Rekka" in battle as her weapon of choice. She is warm-hearted and has a mothering side which can border on bossy, which often manifests in how she looks after her colleagues. While still in an orphanage at a young age, the Turks expressed an interest in recruiting her, and she was brought up under harsh training techniques. In the history of the Turks, she is the youngest member to join. Like Katana (Male), she first appears in Episode 18, though at that time had been a Turk for several years and was simply on assignment. In "Special Episode of Reno", it is revealed that her assignment had been to keep Zack under surveillance. She also appears in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, in which she is given the name Cissnei[2], though she later reveals to Zack that this isn't her real name. She is voiced in Japanese by Asumi Nakata and in English by Carrie Savage in Crisis Core.
- Nunchaku (Male): A young man who was born into a wealthy household, and despite being raised in an environment where anything he wanted could be purchased, he was unsatisfied with money and demanded to join the Turks in order to seek out a new life of his own. The brand of the Turks is very dear to him, and he follows their ideals every day. He is a short-range fighter, using nunchaku in battle. He appears in Episode 1, and was originally only available in the Softbank version, though he is now available in the DoCoMo version as well.
- Knife (Female): A young woman from Corel who fights by using throwing knives. Although she feels as if she's all alone in the world, she covers it up by cheerfully doing her duties. Both her parents died in the war, so she fights desperately in hopes of creating a peaceful world to prevent tragedies like her own from happening again. She is well attuned to other people's feelings and is a bit clumsy due to an old bullet wound. She appears in Episode 1, and was originally only available in the EZweb version, though she is now available in the DoCoMo version as well.
- Legend (Male): Originally from Junon, he is a super-first class agent who was once feared on the battlefield as the God of Death, and is nicknamed the "Legendary Turk". His fame attracts a great deal of attention, thus he is intensely private in both his official and personal life. He uses both chain bombs and remote controlled bombs in battle. He becomes a playable character after completing Episode 24, has his own Special Episode, and can be used for Episode 10 and on.
Verdot (ヴェルド Verudo?)[3] is the previous leader of the Turks. He is very particular on matters relating to succeeding in missions and very unforgiving when it comes to failure. Tseng considers him a role model and eventually succeeds him. Though many of his subordinates are intimidated by his severity, they all deeply respect him. When Heidegger usurps his position at one point during the story, Verdot blackmails President Shinra into returning it. Formerly a resident of the town of Kalm, he had a daughter and wife that he believed perished when the town was razed due to his own misinterpreted commands. In actuality, his daughter survived, and is eventually revealed to be the leader of AVALANCHE, Elfe. He cares very deeply for the Turks, and does not wish for them to suffer any events similar to what he has; he also cares very much for his daughter, defecting from Shinra when he discovers she is alive. Verdot appears only in Before Crisis, but is mentioned in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.
[edit] AVALANCHE
AVALANCHE is an eco-terrorist organization that seeks to topple Shinra, whom they believe to be slowly killing the Planet with their manufacturing of Mako Energy. In Final Fantasy VII's continuity, there are two incarnations of AVALANCHE, the second of which is featured in Final Fantasy VII and its sequels; the original group, which was far more militant and ruthless, appears in Before Crisis.
- Elfe: Raised from a young age by AVALANCHE, she was chosen to be their leader after the founder died. She wields a katana, and her superb fighting capabilities have earned her much respect among the organization. Over the course of the story, she is revealed to be getting gradually weaker despite her superhuman strength, both of which came as a result of the presence of a mysterious summon materia — called "Zirconiade" — implanted within her body by Hojo. The only others who seemed aware were Aerith Gainsborough (who felt that Elfe's voice sounded nostalgic, though unaware that she actually recognized materia housed inside Elfe's body) and Fuhito, who intended to use Zirconiade in his plans. This summon beast is drawn from her when Fuhito summons Zirconiade in an incomplete form. Elfe is somewhat quiet, decidedly taciturn, and surprisingly non-charismatic. She is eventually revealed to be Felicia, the daughter of Verdot, leader of the Turks.
- Sears: A powerful field leader of AVALANCHE and second strongest member of the organization in physical terms (second only to Elfe), he had excellent hand-to-hand combat skills and often took charge of executing operations and formulating battle strategies. He is completely devoted to Elfe and even once asks the player to defend her if he should die. He and Fuhito are decidedly not fond of one another, and at one point argue over how Fuhito speaks of Elfe.
- Fuhito: The intellectual force behind AVALANCHE, Fuhito excels in creating battle plans. Highly knowledgeable in not just matters of science, but also in terms of tactical warfare, he is helpful with conceiving tactical solutions and providing support from a strategic vantage. However, he is very treacherous, planning to not only destroy Shinra, but he's also been using Elfe in a plot to summon a creature called "Zirconiade" to fulfill his true ambitions: killing all life on the Planet so as to remove all potential threats to it, while also revitalizing it. Fuhito creates the genetically enhanced AVALANCHE force known as "the Ravens," who serve as his personal attack squad, and he is shown to have no tolerance for failure, casually killing one of his subordinates for being beaten by the Turks. He is also shown to have no patience with Sears.
- The Ravens: A squad of AVALANCHE members who have undergone genetic modification by Fuhito to serve as his personal attack squad. Though they have developed increased combat capabilities, as well as the ability to completely recover from normally fatal wounds, they have lost their humanity. Despite their formidable regenerative capabilities, they can be killed when properly wounded. Named Ravens are Tierce, Kyneugh, and Kanos. (It is interesting to note all three of these names are taken from various minor Star Wars characters.) SOLDIERs Yishay and Sebastian were also put through the same modification.
[edit] Other characters
- Further information: Characters of Final Fantasy VII
Numerous characters from Final Fantasy VII reappear in Before Crisis, mostly in cameo appearances. These include the nine playable characters; as well as Sephiroth; Zack; the Shinra executives; Elena. Azul from Dirge of Cerberus also makes an appearance in Episode 21. "Special Episode of Reno", a crossover with Crisis Core, also features the Dr. Hollander and Genesis Copies.
Original minor characters include Shalua Rui, who would have a more important role in Dirge of Cerberus. They also include professor Rayleigh, a scientist who works in Shinra's science department and who appears in an early episode as a target of AVALANCHE , who is seeking the SOLDIER information she carries. The playable Turks character and Cloud Strife must work together to protect her during this scenario. Lastly, Yishay and Sebastian are two SOLDIERs Zack is acquainted with. They are later taken prisoner and experimented on by Fuhito. The player Turk later confronts them with aid from Zack, who — unable to free them from their soulless status resulting from Fuhito's experiments — is forced to kill them. (Both are named after figures in Christianity;[citation needed] Yishay is the father of David, and Sebastian is a saint.)
[edit] References
- ^ Before Crisis Tech Info (English). Gamespot. Retrieved on 2008-04-09.
- ^ CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-. Square Enix (2007). Retrieved on August 28, 2007.
- ^ Massimilla, Bethany (2006). E3 06: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII Hands-On Impressions. Gamespot. Retrieved on 24 May 2006.
[edit] External links
- Official Before Crisis web site
- Cetra Connection: Before Crisis Media - Trailers for Before Crisis.
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