Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion has officially been rated by the Australian Classification Board. As expected, it’s an M-rated game. The level of sex and language is rated as having a ‘very mild impact’, and the violence has a ‘moderate impact’, which is the primary reason for the final classification decision.
Not much is revealed about Crisis Core in the recent listing, although we do know it’s a multiplatform game, and that it has a ‘production year’ of 2022. While this may change, it’s a good indicator that the title is still on track for its planned launch in holiday 2022.
Recently, the game was also rated by the ESRB, the ratings organisation for the United States and Canada. Here, Crisis Core received a similar rating – T for Teen, due to blood and violence. As noted by GameRant, the classification does not have tags like ‘mild language’ and ‘mild suggestive themes’ like the original game, which could indicate tweaks to the story – or an overall change in values and attitudes towards these themes.
It’s always fascinating comparing ratings to those of the past, as it becomes clear exactly how our beliefs change, even between decades. It’s unlikely Square Enix would ‘censor’ the game as some have suggested, with the updated rating likely being a more accurate reflection of the modern world and its relationship with media.
Read: Everything new we’ve learned about Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
‘This is an action/role-playing game in which players follow the adventures of Zack Fair, a special forces member trying to uncover a plot and save a fantastical world,’ the game’s official ESRB rating description reads.
‘From a third-person perspective, players explore various environments and towns while battling enemies in melee and occasional ranged combat. Players use oversized swords and, during one mission, sniper rifles to kill enemy guards and fantastical creatures (e.g., fire monsters, ghouls, demons).’
‘One sequence depicts a character attacked by soldiers; a cutscene depicting the aftermath shows corpses laying in pools of blood and with blood splattered on faces, clothing, and weapons. A handful of other cutscenes depict characters impaled by swords.’
There’s nothing too unexpected in this description – and players who are familiar with the original Crisis Core on PSP will likely recognise these scenes. While we haven’t seen a lot of Crisis Core just yet, this is a good indicator that the game will be as faithful to the beloved spin-off story as everyone hopes.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is not currently dated, but is expected to be on track for a holiday 2022 release on Windows PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and
