Though the name of the game has been known for some time, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for the PSP has finally been revealed. The game tells the story of gray-haired bad boy Sephiroth's transformation from a loyal member of SOLDIER into a megalomaniac mass murderer.

The game focuses on Zack, the soldier whose experiences formed many of Cloud's false memories and psychotic episodes in the original FFVII game. He also showed up in the recent Advent Children movie in a flashback.

Though the game is an action RPG, no footage of the actual gameplay was shown at the press conference. All that we saw were extensive cinemas detailing the story sequences in the game, which highlight interactions between Zack, Sephiroth and other characters - including many lines that were clearly said by doomed beauty Aerith, even though she was never shown on screen. Her famous flower-filled church, one of the most important locations in the original game and in the Advent Children movie, also showed up. Though Square Enix also has stated that Cloud will be in the game, he wasn't shown during any of the sequences we saw. The graphics are among the most detailed on the PSP, as you would expect from a Final Fantasy game, and everything is presented in full 3D.

May 8, 2006