The Basics of Before Crisis

Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII is a Japanese action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in 2004. It was the first original (i.e. not an enhanced remake) game to be produced by Square Enix for mobile phones, and was released on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 900i line of phones on a monthly subscription basis. Because of its dependency on the FOMA wireless network, it is unlikely that the game will see commercial release in North America. The game utilises Japan's I-MODE Network to play the game as well as the Phone's camera ability, to create Materia by detecting the major colours in the picture. A release outside of Japan is unlikely, due to technological restraints.

Before Crisis is a prequel to the 1997 Sony PlayStation video game Final Fantasy VII, taking 5-6 years prior to the game. It involves the adventures of the Turks and the events years prior to Final Fantasy VII. It was the second installment in the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII" series, which also includes the games Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, as well as the CG movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

The game is currently being updated by the form of "Chapters". Periodically, Square-Enix will release new chapters, where players of the game can download it and play further in the game.

STORY

Before Crisis's story begins immediately following the war between the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company and the Wutai tribe, a conflict described in passing in Final Fantasy VII. With the Wutai crushed, Shin-Ra finds itself the dominant economic, military, and political power in the world. But there are those who remain dedicated to the destruction of Shin-Ra, chief among them the newly emerged insurgent movement known as AVALANCHE. Before Crisis concerns the earliest conflicts between Shin-Ra, represented by the Turks, and AVALANCHE. In contrast to Final Fantasy VII, which was told from the point of view of AVALANCHE, Before Crisis centers on the Turks. AVALANCHE is generally portrayed as the enemy.

The game unfolds through a series of "missions." Because of the subscription-based nature of the game, more missions are added on a fairly regular basis, each developing the story more fully.

GAMEPLAY

At the start of the game, the player is given five characters to choose from, two males and three females, each of whom specializes in a different type of weapon and has different statistical attributes. The male characters use melee weapons, while the female characters use range weapons (specifically guns). In the future updates will make more characters available. As in Final Fantasy VII, magic abilities and skills are gained through Materia. To obtain Materia, the game utilizes the mobile phone's camera. You must take a picture, and the game distinguishes the main colours and turns it into Materia. Exact details on how this works is unclear.