Crisis Core is the Final Fantasy VII prequel fans didn't know they needed, and its profile, still limited in data, points clearly to its real strengths.

Gameplay ranks ahead of 96% of games, its dominant and most reliable score. Addictiveness and social experience land at 84%, desert island appeal at 83%, rediscoverability at 81%. That's consistent for a PSP action-RPG: the hands-on feel is there, and players who experienced it remember it well. Narrative at 70% and emotional connection at 78% are more modest, which may surprise for a prequel known for its attachment to Zack Fair. These numbers should be read with significant caution, the matchup count is very low and few criteria have enough data yet.

For a 2007 handheld game, holding these levels on gameplay against recent titles is notable.

If you're a fan of the Final Fantasy VII universe and want to explore its origins with dynamic gameplay, this is built for you. If you're expecting a narrative as strong as the original game, the current data doesn't yet give enough to go on.