Square Enix has released Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion for Nintendo Switch 2 following a surprise announcement during Nintendo’s September 9 Direct. The dedicated Switch 2 version launched the same day as its reveal, giving the 2022 remaster another platform more than three years after its original release. Square Enix is also offering the game at a 30% discount until September 23 as part of the Switch 2 launch.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a remaster of the PSP action RPG Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, which serves as a prequel to the original Final Fantasy VII. The story follows Zack Fair, a young member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER organization, as he investigates the disappearance of other operatives alongside characters including Angeal, Sephiroth, Cloud and Aerith. Its events provide important background for Zack, Sephiroth and the incidents that ultimately lead into Final Fantasy VII.
Reunion originally launched in December 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Rather than simply increasing the original PSP game’s resolution, Square Enix rebuilt much of its presentation with updated character and environment models, a redesigned user interface, fully voiced dialogue in English and Japanese and newly arranged music from composer Takeharu Ishimoto. Combat was also streamlined, including changes to attacks, camera behavior and the way Limit Breaks and Summons are triggered.
The Switch 2 release is therefore not a new remake or expanded story edition. The underlying game and narrative remain Crisis Core Reunion, with the new launch primarily extending the remaster to Nintendo’s newer hardware. Reports surrounding the release indicate higher resolution and frame-rate support compared with the original Switch version, although Square Enix has not published a detailed technical comparison covering every performance target and graphical setting.
The timing also places Crisis Core alongside Square Enix’s broader expansion of Final Fantasy VII across Nintendo Switch 2. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has already been positioned for Nintendo’s newer console, while the more demanding open-world structure of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has required extensive Switch 2 optimization. Bringing Crisis Core across gives Nintendo players another part of the wider Final Fantasy VII timeline on the same platform.
That wider project is continuing beyond the existing releases. Square Enix has also discussed an “ever-evolving future” for Final Fantasy VII beyond the current remake trilogy, while Final Fantasy VII Revelation is scheduled to continue the main remake storyline in 2027. Crisis Core remains distinct from that trilogy, but its focus on Zack and the events preceding the original game makes it closely connected to characters and story elements that continue to appear throughout the modern Final Fantasy VII projects.
For players unfamiliar with the original PSP title, Reunion preserves several mechanics that set Crisis Core apart from the main Final Fantasy VII games. Battles take place in real time, with Zack able to attack, dodge, guard, use materia and activate abilities directly. Its Digital Mind Wave system continuously runs during combat and can trigger bonuses, Limit Breaks and other effects depending on the symbols and characters that appear.
The game also retains its mission-based structure, with large numbers of optional assignments available alongside the main story. Those missions provide additional battles, equipment and progression while reflecting the portable design of the original PSP release. Reunion modernized how those systems feel without fundamentally replacing the structure that defined Crisis Core.
The Switch 2 shadow drop means players did not have to wait after the announcement to access the new version. Square Enix confirmed the game for the platform during the Direct and made it available digitally the same day, while the launch promotion reduces its price by 30% until September 23 at 11:59 p.m. local time.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is available now on Nintendo Switch 2 alongside its existing versions on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The new release brings Zack Fair’s prequel story onto Nintendo’s current hardware as Square Enix continues expanding the Final Fantasy VII lineup across modern platforms.
