If you like RPG's or Final Fantasy even remotely then there's no reason not to play Crisis Core.
Well, Crisis Core is a gaming gem! If you have a PSP then play Crisis Core, it's as simple as that.
It's a fresh game that comes up with a bunch of new ideas while sticking to the similar process which made the Final Fantasy games.
Well, I'll start with the gameplay. Crisis Core is an action RPG incase you didnt already know.
Gameplay pretty much works the same as regular Final Fantasy games. You explore the game world finding treasures and progressing through. And of course there are the random encounter battles. This is where Crisis Core comes up with new ideas all of its own and the gameplay changes dramatically. So once you're in a battle the screen changes to battle mode and a bunch of enemies appear. Now you don't just select commands, you move around manually attacking people. You still have commands which you can cycle between with the L and R buttons. You can also pick which commands you have available to you. Obviously you have to kill the bad guys in the battle to progress as you are given an area to kill them in, you can't just run away all the time (you can but then you're missing out).
Leveling up also works really really different. I sorta wish it stuck to the normal way but hey it's good that Crisis Core is original.
Leveling up involves this thing called the "digital mind wave" or DMW.
The DMW is kind of like a gambling machine... 3 slots, each slot with characters you meet in the game and numbers beside them. The slots spin until it stops (duh) and if you get three of the same character then you unleash this cool special move, different for each character. These either help you or do astounding damage to the enemy.
Other than the characters there are the numbers on the DMW which matter even more. The numbers are how you level up. If you get 777 then you're a level up, it's as simple as that. This goes for all your equipment you have stocked in your commands as well, different number combinations mean a different item of your equipment is leveled up.
It's a shame because you have no control over leveling up, it's all based around luck which means the only way to really level up quicker is to get into as much combat as you can or else the final boss is going to be near impossible. Now there's hardly enough combat in the story to meet your leveling up needs so you have to partake in missions.
You access these from the menu and they work just like the normal game. Kill all the dudes, collect the treasures and defeat the boss at the end. And if you want to level up you're going to need to do this over and over again.
The game is still fun though and the exploration is too although the random encounters from enemies can get really annoying.
The exploration doesn't work any different so nothing to point out there.
There's also this thing called materia fusion where you can combine two types of materia to get a brand new one. You can't find out which combinations are best though so you have to experiment or just look up a guide on the internet. This is a neat way to get new stuff.
The story is some of the best fan service you can get and follows Zack, Clouds best friend as I said before. It's engaging and gripping, and even touching all until it meets the final credits.
The graphics are also awesome as you would expect, everything is detailed beautifully it's just gorgeous to look at.
Crisis Core is a spectacular game that every PSP owner should play.
What are you waiting for, hurry up and buy it!