Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core Upscale Project - Tour of Midgar (Crisis Core Fan Remaster Gameplay)

[CenturionNami]

The video is about a month old, but I just found out about the project from PC Gamer.

Square Enix abandoned FF7 Crisis Core to the PSP, so these fans are making an HD remaster themselves

The upscale project overhauls more than 5000 textures, and gave the modders a welcome distraction throughout 2020.

www.pcgamer.com

Some comparison shots.

It's good to see something like this, with Crisis Core so important to the Remakes.

 

[DanteMenethil]

Thats awesome, keeping an eye on it. Crazy that square never rereleased it and remastered it

 

[Deleted member 7051]

If Squeenix announced a next gen version of FFVIIR with a Crisis Core remaster included I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I really want to replay it but it's stuck on my PSP and has never been released on any other platform.

 

[Stowaway Silfer]

Might use this when I replay it before FF7R PC.

 

[tabris]

Crisis Core is the reason why you don't include J-Rock star likeness or music not produced specifically for a game in a game.

It's buried on a platform and can't be released digitally anywhere without re-licensing (and I assume Gackt is being an asshole about it) or truly changing a lot to get around the Gackt license issue.

 

[badcrumble]

I honestly wasn't a huge fan of the game (mostly because it was so very, very grindy in my experience), but it's absolutely worth preserving (and it's pretty flawed but it's better than the rest of the Compilation of FFVII stuff was).

 

[Mekanos]

Thats awesome, keeping an eye on it. Crazy that square never rereleased it and remastered it

Click to shrink...

You can thank Gackt for that.

 

[Deleted member 721]

Cool mod i wish the best mod would be a genesis remove/change for another villain.
But that would be hard to do i think

 

[CenturionNami]

Gackt did nothing wrong.

 

[tabris]

Crisis Core has one of the best Final Fantasy songs ever:

FFVII Crisis Core Soundtrack: The Price of Freedom

Crisis Core OST The Price of Freedom by Takeharu Ishimoto.

www.youtube.com

And the ending is SO good. The gameplay was interesting. Only real downside for me was the Genesis character - and funnily enough the reason why it can't be released digitally.

 

[CenturionNami]

It's even more of a shame cause they fully integrated into the Remake's canon. Yet it's hard to find a copy of it.

 

[ShaiKhulud]

Some textures here are way better than if FF7 Remake, lol.

 

[The Last One]

This is a really good job.

 

[PAFenix]

Crisis Core is the reason why you don't include J-Rock star likeness or music not produced specifically for a game in a game.

It's buried on a platform and can't be released digitally anywhere without re-licensing (and I assume Gackt is being an asshole about it) or truly changing a lot to get around the Gackt license issue.

Click to shrink...

I never thought of this, but it makes the most sense.

 

[Jimmypython]

this is amazing. I wonder if it is possible to make it 60 fps

 

[Dark Knight]

Hm. I kind of don't like how they're making it cartoonier. Not that I mind toony styles but it doesn't really fit here.

 

[Yautja_Warrior]

Still sucks Crisis Core is trapped on PSP officially with no other ports. Will definitely check this out.

 

[dubc]

Someone else already released upscaled textures, at least I'm pretty sure. I was playing it on PPSSPP earlier this year pre-pandemic. This looks much more involved, but the texture pack alone made the game look much better when upscaled in PPSSPP.

[edit, ah it's mentioned in their post. It's here for those wondering.]

 

[m0therzer0]

Only real downside for me was the Genesis character - and funnily enough the reason why it can't be released digitally.

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I don't know, I could've done with completely omitting LOVELESS and that slot machine mechanic in battle.

 

[Deleted member 81119]

I don't want to be a downer, but the timing for this feels a bit awkward. Square Enix are in full on remaster mode, and Crisis Core really is just a matter of time. I could see it being released within a couple of years.

Although I suppose this would preserve it in its original form!

 

[MetalKhaos]

I'm glad someone was doing this. Pain in the ass it was never released digitally.

 

[Vashetti]

Forever waiting on the Crisis Core/Dirge of Cerberus HD collection

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

And the ending is SO good. The gameplay was interesting. Only real downside for me was the Genesis character - and funnily enough the reason why it can't be released digitally.

Click to shrink...

I've never played Crisis Core, but how can a character in a game prevent a digital release?

 

[m0therzer0]

I don't want to be a downer, but the timing for this feels a bit awkward. Square Enix are in full on remaster mode, and Crisis Core really is just a matter of time. I could see it being released within a couple of years.

Click to shrink...

I think I'd be onboard for this if they cleaned up the gameplay and story. My eyes just about rolled into the back of my head every time Genesis appeared and started quoting LOVELESS like a nerdy 15 year old who just discovered Nietzsche.

 

[chandoog]

Now this is a fan project I can get behind.

 

[sensui-tomo]

I've never played Crisis Core, but how can a character in a game prevent a digital release?

Click to shrink...

Genesis is literally using Gackt's likeness for the character design. And you can't use someone's likeness without their consent, kinda like how universal got sued for using the dad's likeness in back to the future 2(and they didn't pay him for it) and renegotiating gackt's likeness might cost more than SE is willing to drop. (They may have only contracted him to use it for only crisis core and Dirge of cerberus and only for the platforms it released on)

 

[tabris]

I've never played Crisis Core, but how can a character in a game prevent a digital release?

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The character was modelled after this guy who licensed his likeness/etc:

Same reason for Dirge of Cerberus, but that's a shitty game so it's no problem.

 

[Hero Prinny]

Love this game, its what got me into ff. Wish it got a proper remaster

 

[Deleted member 81119]

Genesis is literally using Gackt's likeness for the character design. And you can't use someone's likeness without their consent, kinda like how universal got sued for using the dad's likeness in back to the future 2(and they didn't pay him for it) and renegotiating gackt's likeness might cost more than SE is willing to drop. (They may have only contracted him to use it for only crisis core and Dirge of cerberus and only for the platforms it released on)

Click to shrink...

The whole 'Gackt is preventing a re release' is likely not true. Fans always come up with theories as to why SE haven't re released their games...and then they do. The truth is SE just get round to it when they get round to it. They have a huge back catalogue of games people want re released, and not unlimited resource.

EDIT: oh I think I've misunderstood. Gackt is probably the reason Crisis Core wasn't released digitally yeah. Sometimes people were funny around that time with giving permission for digital releases.

 

[Empyrean Cocytus]

If Squeenix announced a next gen version of FFVIIR with a Crisis Core remaster included I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I really want to replay it but it's stuck on my PSP and has never been released on any other platform.

Click to shrink...

Even worse, it's on UMD only. Meaning you need a PSP to play it and cannot legally play it on a PS Vita or PSTV.

 

[Kuro]

Yeah this mod is pretty decent. I used it to replay the game and it made me realise how bad it was outside of the fanservice and Zack himself. Terrible gameplay with some decent bosses and a decent story when it wasn't involving anything to do with Genesis or his lame ass clones.

 

[Samiya]

Funny, I was just listening to Retronauts' recent episode on this game. They didn't seem too enthusiastic about it, but I still found it to be a solid game.

This upscale mod makes the game look super sharp. The images don't really do it justice, the video is much much better at showing how big of an improvement this really is.

 

[Niosai]

I've actually been following this loosely for awhile, assuming it's the same one. As someone who's working on an HD pack for another game, I respect now just how tedious it is to replace every texture. I'll probably give this a shot sometime soon. SE leaving Crisis Core on the PSP forever is a travesty.

 

[m0therzer0]

The whole 'Gackt is preventing a re release' is likely not true. Fans always come up with theories as to why SE haven't re released their games...and then they do. The truth is SE just get round to it when they get round to it. They have a huge back catalogue of games people want re released, and not unlimited resource.

Click to shrink...

Possibly true, and Square might be holding onto paying Gackt for his likeness again until they do a proper remaster. Considering this game never left UMD, I might guess Square might also be in a legal gray area for including his likeness and songs performed on a digital storefront.

 

[VariantX]

Crisis Core is the reason why you don't include J-Rock star likeness or music not produced specifically for a game in a game.

It's buried on a platform and can't be released digitally anywhere without re-licensing (and I assume Gackt is being an asshole about it) or truly changing a lot to get around the Gackt license issue.

Click to shrink...

On the same note, its clear that his likness and presence in the game were used to help sell copies and likely was used in its marketing and it was clearly short term thinking on the part of Square Enix. And it seems like a super common marketing tactic over there.

 

[AuthenticM]

Square could also redesign Genesis just fine. Only turbo nerds would make a stint out of it.

Personally, I am fine with Genesis staying buried on a UMD because he was a terrible character anyway.

 

[Modest_Modsoul]

What a coincidence I have this on my PS3. 😄

Seriously though, back then when PSP at it's peak, Crisis Core was one of the games that blew me away, I can't believe playing this kind of graphics on portable.

This 'remake' looks great.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

This game is single handedly keeping my PSP from Ebay.

 

[Vic Damone Jr.]

Crisis Core is the reason why you don't include J-Rock star likeness or music not produced specifically for a game in a game.

It's buried on a platform and can't be released digitally anywhere without re-licensing (and I assume Gackt is being an asshole about it) or truly changing a lot to get around the Gackt license issue.

Click to shrink...

This.

 

[LongLivePlay94]

I hated this game. I wanted it so badly and bought the limited edition console and when I played it, I really was upset. I didn't finish it but I thought a remaster would be nice if it's like the 7 remake.

 

[SunBroDave]

I hated this game. I wanted it so badly and bought the limited edition console and when I played it, I really was upset. I didn't finish it but I thought a remaster would be nice if it's like the 7 remake.

Click to shrink...

That's a shame, the only thing good about this game is its ending lol

 

[The Praiseworthy]

Fantastic job !

Wish SE had given this the same treatment as Type-0 HD Remastered and released it on PS4 to keep us waiting for the Remake.

But oh well...

 

[Blade24070]

If Gackt was the issue, couldn't they simply change Genesis' design/face? And recast him in JP?

 

[fourfourfun]

I wonder what costs more? Replacing the character model and changing the music, or sorting the license?

 

[Deleted member 721]

Besides some story problems, the gameplay has problems too, the mission maps and sidequests are very bad.
If Square wants to touch Zack story again a 6 hour 30 dollars, stand Alone rebot game with ff7 remake assets would be perfect imo

 

[OmegaDL50]

If Gackt was the issue, couldn't they simply change Genesis' design/face? And recast him in JP?

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Don't see why not. If SEGA can recast or change the face of Tanimura in Yakuza 4, then it's not out of the realm of possibility for Square to change the face of Genesis.

I think the big issue is if Gackt's likeness is in any FMVs or pre-rendered stuff. Those would be particularly tricky to replace outright.