What Is Before Crisis?

Before Crisis is an action RPG game created for the mobile phone format. While mobile gaming is by no means a new concept, the kind of gameplay the creators had in mind is pushing the frontiers of what was then currently available in Japan, and what is still only starting to make its way into North America and Europe. In terms of the actual game itself, BC, like its Final Fantasy predecessors, is strongly story based. At the same time the creators sought to infuse elements from action games into it. As the standard mobile phone has more keys, the potential to create more options and combinations is made available. Currently, the controls for the game utilize four buttons. The placements of the buttons and their functions allow a streamlined experience for the player, as there is a great potential for using combination movements. At the same time, as there are only four keys, it’s easy to catch on to what each one does.

Advertised as a “mobile network action RPG”, Before Crisis requires that you play online – while you download a program that allows you to access the game, the game itself can only be played online. This strategy was in accordance with the game planners’ wish for a real time game in which one could immerse themselves in the world of the Turks. This is also why you will receive missions and requests from other players on the network in real time, as one presumably would, if they were a Turk.


Before Crisis Abroad

While Before Crisis has not been released outside of Japan yet, expectations for the game are high. Mobile gaming has not yet picked up in popularity in North America and Europe, but Square-Enix is hoping that the success the game has had in its home market base will be reflected abroad. A tentative feeler has been put out in North America, where Square-Enix is said to be planning an American release in 2006 on the Verizon mobile network. Actual confirmations as to date and other mobile carriers to be used have not yet been made.

Overall, the game is an easy one to pick up on. The controls are straight-forward, as is the storyline. Technologically speaking, the game and its proposed platform would make for the most advanced mobile game created to date. Combining new ideas with classic elements from the original Final Fantasy VII, the producers are hoping that players abroad will find the game just as enjoyable as the original.