Of course, that’s not all. Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, The Jackbox Party Pack 9, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and No More Heroes 3 will be playable on PS4 and PS5. Previous-gen subscribers can avail of Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Complete Edition, Deadcraft, and Steep.

Premium-exclusive offerings include the VR title Job Simulator on PS VR2 alongside classics like Volition’s Summoner, a PS2 era RPG, and PlayStation Portable titles Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters and Jeanne d’Arc. All three classic titles will be playable on PS4 and PS5, with the PSP games supporting up-rendering, quick save, the option to rewind gameplay and more.

As per the report, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, the remastered 2022 release of the acclaimed PSP action RPG, will be among the headlining additions that PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can look forward to this month. It will also be joined by Gunfire Games’ Remnant 2, while the leaker also claimed there’s a good chance that its predecessor, Remnant: From the Ashes, will be added as well- though this isn’t set in stone, they say.

In addition to the aforementioned titles, the report says, subscribers can also look forward to No More Heroes 3, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Complete Edition, Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Enhanced Edition.

Allegedly, this month’s new additions will be available to subscribers starting July 17. Stay tuned for an official announcement from Sony, likely in the next day or so.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero

Trails from Zero, like the other Trails games, isn’t just about the ending. It’s about all the resolutions and developments leading up to it. So seeing Renne finally join with Estelle and Joshua after finally getting closure on her family, Lloyd learning about his brother’s fate, or the D∴G Cult finally being brought down and KeA rescued all lead to a great catharsis. The Special Support Section is celebrated, and Crossbell is seemingly at peace…until Trails to Azure, of course.

Horizon Forbidden West

The conclusion of Forbidden West had it all. A siege on the Zenith base via air, Aloy rescuing Beta, the deaths of Erik and Gerard – you name it. But perhaps the biggest surprise is that Nemesis, which the Zeniths accidentally created, was responsible for everything. The extinction signal that reactivated HADES in the first game; the destruction of the Zeniths’ colony, prompting their whole plan to steal GAIA; and so on. After Tilda betrays Aloy and is soundly defeated, everyone bands together – even Sylens – with Aloy to stop Nemesis when it arrives. Sure, it’s a cliffhanger, but it feels like one storm has already calmed and another is getting ready to rage.

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen

Say what you will about Destiny 2’s story-telling, but The Witch Queen’s story is pretty good. It starts with the implication that Savathun stole the Light, but it’s revealed that she died following the effects of Mara Sov’s ritual. The Traveller resurrected her and bestowed the Light, perhaps finding her worthy. In return, Savathun sought to seal the Traveller. Before dying (though her Ghost gets away, so who knows if she’s dead), she speaks of the Witness, and we see the Black Fleet on its way to the Solar System. There’s a lot more to unpack, like Rhulk and his role in Savathun’s creation, but the campaign and shock twist more than make the expansion worth playing.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

The lore behind Kirby and the Forgotten Land is fascinating, whether it’s Fecto Fargo’s role in teleportation technology’s creation or the origins of those who established Planet Popstar, Kirby’s home. On top of defeating Fecto Elfilis to save the regular Elfilis, players also travel to Isolated Isles: Forgo’s Dreams to defeat Forgo Leon and ultimately save Leongar. But that’s not the end either. Upon venturing back to Forgo Land and defeating Morpho Knight, Kirby partakes in the Ultimate Cup Z to face Chaos Elfilis. Defeating it once again makes Elfilis whole, resulting in the happiest ending.

Beacon Pines

Beacon Pines is the story of Luka and his friends, Rolo and Beck, as they navigate the strange goings-on in the titular town. What makes the story so amazing is that Luka will learn specific actions and words throughout the story book-esque setting, and can apply them to different situations. This can result in different endings, like the town suddenly freezing over. On reaching the climax, learning that the entire ordeal was masterminded by Sharper Valentine is a shock, but one that makes sense. That’s one of the strengths of the story and ending: Through all the ridiculousness, it feels refreshingly grounded.

Citizen Sleeper

As a rogue Sleeper living on Erlin’s Eye, there are plenty of story threads to pursue through Citizen Sleeper. You could help a repair shop with some ventures, assist a captain in repairing her ship and chase after a bounty, infiltrate the network, learn what other entities exist in the Eye’s systems, and much more. Perhaps the most noteworthy is being able to leave the Eye to an unknown planet with a father and his daughter, experiencing various cycles en route to finally shutting down. Alternatively, you could stay on the Eye and continue, seeing what life has in store.

Tunic

Tunic’s story revolves around freeing the Heir, a hero sealed in the Far Shore after revealing a terrible truth. If you fight the Heir in the final fight, their soul disappears, and you take their place until the next hero comes along, which could mean repeating the entire cycle. However, if you gather all 56 pages of the in-game manual and show it to the Heir, a fight doesn’t happen. After breaking down in tears, the curse binding them is also broken, and their body restored. You then explore the world together, taking in the sights. It’s a nice subversion of the traditional hero’s journey, providing that there’s more to being one than slaying “the villain.”

Stray

Now, we know what you’re thinking. Despite opening up the ancient Walled City 99 and defeating the Zurks, the cat from Stray loses its droid B-12. It doesn’t even reunite with the family it separated from at the beginning. However, someone calculated that the opening the cat leaves through is very close to where it first fell in. Even if you don’t believe it, there’s no denying that the cat seems to hear something nearby before it goes offscreen, perhaps responding to its family.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

After events that cause Hugo’s powers to rise again, Amicia travels with him to a mysterious island that could seemingly provide a cure. Throughout the journey though, it becomes clear that this isn’t the case. Eventually, after thinking that Amicia may be dead, Hugo gives in to his powers, and the only way to stop him is by killing him. It’s a somber result, for sure.

But one year later, Amicia finds the strength to continue and works with Sophia to find the next carrier to protect and guide (before tearfully bidding farewell to Hugo’s grave). The post-credits scene shows a baby’s arm before indicating the Macula within, hinting at them being the next carrier.

God of War Ragnarok

God of War Ragnarok’s final act has received some criticism, and rightfully so. But there’s no denying just how much it gets right. The turnaround in Thor’s character as he finally opposes Odin; the chaos caused by Surtr-turned-Ragnarok; Sindri’s appearance, which brings down the walls of Asgard; and seeing Kratos, Freya and Atreus trounce Odin; and much more. Freyr sacrificing himself to ensure everyone escapes is a bummer, but we finally get Aesir and Vanir at peace.

Atreus embarks with Angrboda on a journey to find the remaining Giants, Kratos sets out to bring peace to the Nine Realms, and almost everyone gets a happy ending.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion

Yes, this is technically an ending from an older game, but it’s incredible. After escaping from Shinra, Zack and Cloud are on the run, with the latter being catatonic. Eventually, they run into Shinra troops, and Zack fends them off on his lonesome to protect Cloud. Throughout the fight, memories flash through the Digital Mind Wave, as we’re essentially seeing his last moments. By the time all enemies have been eliminated, Cloud has finally come to, and a dying Zack passes on his sword – and his legacy – to him.

The Last of Us Part 1

If there’s one ending which stood the test of time, it’s The Last of Us, and it looks even better in the remake. Upon reaching Salt Lake City, Joel learns the Fireflies are attempting to create a vaccine for the Cordyceps infection using Ellie’s brain. However, the procedure will kill her, which causes Joel to go on a rampage, killing everyone in his path to saving Ellie. After leaving, he lies to her about the entire ordeal, planting the seeds for events in The Last of Us Part 2.

Sifu

The overall story of Sifu centers on forgiveness and Wude, a martial mortality system. As such, players can kill each member of Yang’s gang, before taking him down, but this leads to a bad ending. The supposed “good” ending sees the protagonist sparing each member and Yang, leading to their death as they awaken in the peaceful afterlife. A mid-credits scene plays if you gather all the components of the magical talisman, which shows a seemingly reformed Yang, with his student following Wude.

Nintendo’s big-name titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokemon Violet, and Nintendo Switch Sports captured fourth, fifth, and sixth places, respectively. Sonic Frontiers is in seventh place following its price drop in the UK and sold highest on Nintendo Switch for the week. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope also saw a 50 percent increase in sales thanks to discounts.

The major releases of December 2022 aren’t faring too well, though. The Callisto Protocol dropped to 22nd, with sales down by 25 percent. Need for Speed Unbound is in 28th place, with sales up slightly by four percent, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion dropped to 30th place a week after its debut as sales dropped by 76 percent. Check out the full UK top ten below.

Climbing back up into pole position, then, is FIFA 23, which sees an impressive 67% bump over the previous week’s sales, likely thanks to a combination of increased Holiday sales and worldwide football excitement being generated by the FIFA World Cup, which recently concluded. This makes it the tenth time that a FIFA title has topped the weekly Gfk charts in the week leading up to Christmas. 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has also seen a bit of a bump, climbing up to second place thanks to a 13% increase in sales from the previous week. Meanwhile, the recently-released Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion has debuted in the charts at No. 8, with 70% of its sales coming on the PS5, 12% each on PS4 and Switch, and 6% on Xbox (as per data provided by GamesIndustry’s Christopher Dring on Twitter).

Meanwhile, a number of spots in the top 10 are occupied by evergreen Nintendo Switch big-sellers, including the likes of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (No. 4), Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (No. 5 and No. 7), and Nintendo Switch Sports (No. 6). 

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending December 17 below. 

Despite being a remaster, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion features heavily revamped visuals, from better-looking textures and redone character models to sharp-looking effects, lighting, and atmospherics. Animations are more or less unchanged, though summon cinematics have been overhauled. Combat is smoother with linkable combos, the ability to use Limit Breaks, more shortcuts for items and magic, and a much more streamlined user interface.

In terms of story-telling, it doesn’t feature any changes or new content additions, but all cutscenes are now fully voiced with English and Japanese language options. For more details, check out our review here. You can also check out the resolution and frame rate differences between each platform here.

And to make the wait until its launch a little easier, Square Enix has revived, revitalized, and re-released another game that might not be as big in stature as its precursors, but is beloved in its own right. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 is a vital part of this self-contained universe, serving as a prequel to Final Fantasy 7 and telling a tale that’s bound to serve as crucial backstory for Square Enix’s ongoing FF7 Remake trilogy. Since its launch a decade and a half ago, however, it’s been stuck on the PlayStation Portable, the system it originally launched for- until now.

"Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion straddles the line between being a remaster and being a remake with great aplomb, making significant upgrades and refinements in a number of key areas while ensuring that in terms of actual content – both on gameplay and story fronts – is virtually unchanged."

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion brings the portable action RPG to modern platforms while sprucing it up in several ways, and Square Enix has gone about it in almost the perfect way. It straddles the line between being a remaster and being a remake with great aplomb, making significant upgrades and refinements in a number of key areas while ensuring that in terms of actual content – both on gameplay and story fronts – is virtually unchanged. Square Enix calls it “more than a remaster”, and it certainly lives up to that billing. Though this is still Crisis Core at its, well, core, it’s more than just a simple upres.

The biggest improvement, and the one that players will notice right off the bat, is the visuals, to no one’s surprise. The original Crisis Core launched for incredibly weak hardware (especially by current standards) fifteen years ago, so it’s no surprise that as far as graphics are concerned, it hasn’t aged particularly well. With that in mind, the technical leap on display in Reunion is hard not to be impressed with.

Square Enix has ported the game over to Unreal Engine 4 for the purposes of this remaster, and everything from character models and environments has been completely redone and sports much greater levels of detail. While it’s obviously not on par with something like Final Fantasy 7 Remake (which wouldn’t be fair to expect of what is ultimately still a remaster anyway), it does look consistently sharp and detailed. Animations are still a little stiff and look right out of a 2007 game (which they are), but the remaster does an admirably job of overhauling the visuals by and large. It’s still a decade and a half old, but rather than looking as it really did back then, it looks like what I remember Crisis Core looked like when I first played it back in the day.

Reunion polishes up the production values of the original in other ways as well, from the music (which was already excellent) being improved to voice lines being rerecorded. In spite of the latter, however, storytelling remains as goofy and borderline laughable as it has always been in this game. Stilted and inane writing and grating voice acting frequently make for conversations between characters that make absolutely no sense, while protagonist Zack has a boisterous personality that can be a bit much at times (though he does tend to grow on you). Of course, more than a few major plot developments can also be too contrived- though that is fitting enough for a Final Fantasy 7 experience.

"Square Enix has ported the game over to Unreal Engine 4 for the purposes of this remaster, and everything from character models and environments has been completely redone and sports much greater levels of detail."

Of course, Crisis Core’s story and the melodramatic manner in which it often chooses to tell it are exactly what endeared the game to no few people when it first launched for the PSP, and if you were in that group, there’s a good chance that you’ll still find plenty to enjoy here- I most certainly did. Ultimately, it’s hard not to be invested in Zack Fair’s story and its tragic ending, while the way it all recontextualizes Final Fantasy 7’s story adds even more value to it, especially with the Remake trilogy currently in full swing. Just know going in that Crisis Core’s story has been brought over as is in this remaster, and it’s one of the aspects of the game that has aged the worse.

Conversely, one area where Reunion is an absolute blast, almost without any reservations, is the combat- which, of course, was very true for the original Crisis Core as well. Combat functions like an action title, with one button being dedicated to your regular attacks, and one each to blocks and dodges, both of which function with satisfying smoothness. The fact that the game runs at a crisp 60 FPS obviously helps things, and even at its core, the moment-to-moment action remains enjoyable.

Of course, things are spiced up by the introduction of other elements in the mix, such as equipping Materia orbs, which, in turn, give access to various abilities and magic skills that you can use at any time, as long as you have the MP or AP for it. Another crucial mechanic is the Digital Mind Wave, or the DMW, which is essentially a slot machine that’s always rolling on the top left corner of the screen in combat, and grants various buffs and bonuses at random, including having unlimited MP or AP for short windows, having higher stats for a short period, or even being able to call in Summons (who all have brand-new and gloriously explosive animations to gawk at). The complete randomness of the DMW might put off some players, but personally, I love how dynamic and unpredictable it can make battles, and how much it helps to stave off repetition.

"One area where Reunion is an absolute blast, almost without any reservations, is the combat."

Don’t get me wrong, Crisis Core is still a very straightforward game- this is still a PSP title, and that shows in its design. Combat is much more straightforward than what we get in modern action RPGs, and the level design in particular is barebones at best, with little to no room for exploration and levels being comprised largely of collections of corridors. Though Reunion deserves a lot of credit for how radically it improves Crisis Core’s visuals and the several quality-of-life improvements it makes, it’s also clear that, by design, it doesn’t make much of an effort to modernize other aspects of the experience as well. Of course, that straightforward and old school nature has an undeniable charm of is own, and even though Reunion doesn’t breathe life into Crisis Core the way Final Fantasy 7 Remake did into the original FF7, it still does an awful lot more than you’d ordinarily expect from a remaster.

As long as you’re calibrating your expectations, you’re likely to have a blast with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion. It looks sharp, the combat is a lot of fun, and the story, for all of its issues, has its bright spots, especially if you’re invested in the Final Fantasy 7 universe. Sure, crucial aspects of the experience have clearly not aged very well, but there’s still more than enough here to attract not only those who’ve played the original Crisis Core, but also new fans who’re looking to dive deeper into the larger FF7 story. Without a doubt, this is the best way to reunite with this underappreciated PSP classic.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Of course, as always, calling Reunion a “remaster” is somewhat untrue. The character models and environments have been remade from the ground up on Unreal Engine 4. In addition to fully voiced cutscenes and a newly arranged soundtrack, the combat and user interface have also seen various improvements.

You can learn more about those features here. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is out on December 13th worldwide. It’s confirmed to run at a variable 60 FPS and 4K resolution on Xbox Series X/S and PS5. The PC version also supports up to 4K with 30 FPS, 60 FPS, and 120 FPS. Head here for more details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrnBSjHBHCQ

Ahead of its imminent release in December, the game’s full list of Trophies and Achievements has also emerged online, courtesy of PowerPyx. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion will feature a total of 51 unlockable Trophies. One of those will, of course, be the Platinum, though the exact values of all other Trophies are currently unknown.

Several Trophies are obviously tied to story progression, while several also entail optional content, including the Training Room, collecting equipment, obtaining collectibles, unlocking shops, finishing the game on Hard more, performing better in combat, and more. You can check out the full list through the link above.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion launches on December 13 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

With Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, Square Enix is remastering the original for a new generation of platforms. Releasing for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch on December 13th, here are 13 things you should know before picking it up.

Story and Setting

Taking place seven years before the original Final Fantasy 7, Crisis Core chronicles the journey of Zack Fair as part of Shinra’s SOLDIER program. After a mission against the Wutai, which Shinra is warring against, his mentor Angeal suddenly disappears. Zack is tasked with locating his missing friend along with Genesis, another SOLDIER who deserted the program under mysterious circumstances.

Other important events include Zack’s first meeting with Aerith, his encounters with Cloud Strife and Sephiroth, and the greater truth behind the SOLDIER program. Along with Midgar, locations like Wutai, Banora, and Nibelheim are included, providing a closer look at events portrayed in Final Fantasy 7’s flashbacks.

Overhauled Visuals

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is touted as a remaster, but one look at its visuals proves this to be far from the actual case. It’s developed on Unreal Engine 4, and all of the original assets have been replaced. In addition to high-definition graphics, all character models have also been redesigned, while the resolution and textures for CG cutscenes look better. Environments sport improved geometry while lighting, shadows, texture, and post-processing effects are on another level entirely, making this look more like a remake.

Combat Improvements

Crisis Core was a huge departure from the original Final Fantasy 7’s combat due to being real-time, and Reunion sticks to this while offering several improvements. Attack combos can now be linked together, making combat feel more fluid. Furthermore, Limit Breaks – which were only accessible through the Digital Mind Wave or DMW system – can now be accessed at any point in battle. Leveling up and buffs are still random, but you can now skip the DMW cutscenes during combat if they prove too disruptive.

Magic Shortcuts

The Quick Access Bar allowed for assigning Materia and Items to use in battle, which was good, but the total number of slots was very limited. Reunion separates the bars for Materia and Items, allowing you to access multiple types of each more freely. Based on the gameplay showcased thus far, players can assign up to four Materia and eight items in the Quick Access Bars for easy access in combat.

Improved Camera and Movement

While the camera was previously locked, not allowing any free movement, this has changed for the remaster. You can now freely rotate it, allowing a better view of the battlefield at all times. Furthermore, a new Dash function has been added, and it should be similar to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, allowing for quicker movement outside of battle.

Optimized UI

One of the most welcome overhauls is visible in the combat UI. The DMW meter is smaller and sleeker, while the different bars for HP, MP, and AP look sharper. Even the Quick Access Bar shortcuts for items and Materia look more compact. The result is a UI that scales better on bigger displays while still showcasing all of the critical information.

New Background Music Arrangements

The Final Fantasy 7 series has its share of memorable tunes, and Crisis Core is no different. The combat music alone was reason enough to endure so many encounters. Original composer Takeharu Ishimoto returns for Reunion with a newly arranged soundtrack, so hopefully, those classic tracks will sound even better. Whether fans will have the option to stick to the original OST remains to be seen.

Full Voice Acting

The original PlayStation Portable release featured a mix of voice-acted and text-only cutscenes. In Reunion, all cutscenes are fully voice-acted, further enhancing the immersion. Producer Yoshinori Kitase also confirmed that Briana White, the voice actor for Aerith in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, would reprise her role. This is to bring things in line with the new Remake trilogy.

New Voice Actors

Along with Aerith, several characters are voiced by their Final Fantasy 7 Remake actors. Instead of Rick Gomez, Caleb Pierce is the voice of Zack Fair, while Cody Christian brings Cloud Strife to life over Steve Burton. Other noteworthy changes include Tyler Hoechlin as Sephiroth, Kayli Mills as Cissnei, Vic Chao as Tseng and Shaun Conde as Genesis.

No New Story Elements

While meant as a means for Final Fantasy 7 Remake fans to learn more about Zack Fair’s backstory, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion won’t have any new story elements. That’s because it’s still being positioned as a remaster and not a remake. As a result, it’s an expansion on the original Final Fantasy 7’s story, as opposed to being a new starting point for the franchise like Final Fantasy 7 Remake was. Kitase also confirmed that there were no plans to add other new elements like side quests or additional stories.

60 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X

It’s probably not surprising that Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion will run even better on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Producer Mariko Sato confirmed that it would run at 60 FPS on current-gen platforms. Details on the resolution have yet to be confirmed (though gameplay trailers indicate 4K support), and no information has been provided for the frame rate of the Xbox One and PS4 versions. The Nintendo Switch version’s resolution and frame rate also hasn’t been detailed, though Sato confirmed there would be “differences” from other platforms.

120 FPS on PC

On the plus side, Sato also confirmed that PC players could benefit from a 120 FPS frame rate. While 4K resolution support on PC hasn’t been confirmed, 60 FPS at 1080p resolution is possible based on the system requirements. Further details on graphical options and settings, along with requirements for 120 FPS, have yet to be revealed.

System Requirements

Another positive in favor of PC players is the system requirements. To run the game at 30 FPS and 1280×720 resolution, one will need an AMD A8-7600 or Intel Core i3-3210, 8 GB RAM and an AMD Radeon RX 460 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti at the very minimum. The recommended requirements include a Ryzen 3 1200 or Core i5-6500, 8 GB RAM and either a Radeon RX 5500 XT or GeForce GTX 1060 with 3 GB VRAM for 1080p/60 FPS gameplay. Overall, not too heavy, and in both cases, you’ll need only 30 GB of installation space.