The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII is a group of related games, movies, and stories created by Square Enix. It is part of the larger Final Fantasy series and includes games, animated films, and short stories set in the world of Final Fantasy VII, which was first released in 1997. The Compilation was officially introduced in 2003 with the announcement of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. The main products in the Compilation are three video games and one movie. Additional items include books, mobile games, and animated stories. Advent Children and Before Crisis are a sequel and prequel to the original Final Fantasy VII, focusing on Cloud Strife, the main character of the original game, and the Turks, a group of secret agents. Crisis Core follows Zack Fair, a character who appears briefly in the original game, and Dirge of Cerberus, a movie that continues the story of Advent Children, follows Vincent Valentine, a character who was optional to play with in the original game. Over time, the Compilation has grown to include more projects, such as a planned set of three games that remake the original Final Fantasy VII. The first game in this set, Final Fantasy VII Remake, was released in 2020, and the second, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, was released in 2024.
The Compilation was created by Yoshinori Kitase, the director of the original game, and Tetsuya Nomura, the designer of the main character. Nomura helped design each part of the Compilation. Other team members who returned for the Compilation include writer Kazushige Nojima, art director Yusuke Naora, and composer Nobuo Uematsu. The video games in the Compilation belong to different types of games, and none are traditional role-playing games because of challenges in making games of that type. The first project announced was Advent Children, but it faced delays, so the first game released was Before Crisis, a mobile game. Among the main projects, Before Crisis is the only one not yet released in Western countries due to problems with technology and changes in the team. Reviews of the Compilation's projects have been mixed. Advent Children was praised for its visuals but criticized for being confusing. Before Crisis, Crisis Core, Remake, and Rebirth were all well-received by critics, while Dirge of Cerberus had mixed reviews. Overall, the Compilation has received mixed feedback, and some later team members linked it to a decline in the popularity of the Final Fantasy series in Western regions. The Compilation also inspired the creation of Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy, another group of connected games.
Titles
A novella titled Hoshi o Meguru Otome (The Maiden Who Travels the Planet) was written by Benny Matsuyama and published in the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Guide in 2005. The story follows Aerith’s journey through the Lifestream during the second half of the original game. Although Square Enix officially approved the novella, some fans argue whether it is considered part of the official story, or "canon," within the Final Fantasy VII Compilation. A message from Square Enix Customer Support stated the novella was official, but others say it conflicts with events in the later novel On the Way to a Smile, specifically the story "Case of Lifestream – Black & White." The novella was never translated into English, though some fans have created unofficial translations.
A mobile racing game based on a mini-game from Final Fantasy VII, called Final Fantasy VII G-Bike, was released on October 30, 2014, for iOS and Android devices. A version for Western audiences was planned. The game was developed by CyberConnect2, a Japanese company, as part of a series of mobile games based on Final Fantasy VII mini-games. While connected to Final Fantasy VII and the Compilation due to its origin, the developers confirmed it did not affect the Compilation itself. Due to challenges in providing consistent quality service, G-Bike was closed in 2015 without a Western release.
Setting
The setting of Final Fantasy VII is a world that resembles a science fiction environment filled with industry and technology. Characters in the game refer to this world as "the Planet," and it was later called "Gaia" in some promotional materials and by game developers. The planet’s life force is called the Lifestream, a flow of spiritual energy that supports all life on the Planet. When processed, this energy becomes "Mako." During Final Fantasy VII and its prequels, the megacorporation Shinra uses the Lifestream as an energy source. This causes the Planet to weaken, putting all life at risk. The main story follows an eco-terrorist group called AVALANCHE as they fight Shinra’s president, Rufus Shinra, and his forces, including the covert Turks and SOLDIER, a powerful military group that gives humans Mako to enhance their abilities. The group faces a threat from Sephiroth, a SOLDIER member who becomes mad after learning the truth about his origins, and Jenova, an alien being that wants to destroy all life on the Planet. Key characters include Cloud Strife, a mercenary who once served in SOLDIER; Aerith Gainsborough, a flower seller and the last member of an ancient tribe called the Cetra; Tifa Lockhart, Cloud’s childhood friend; and Vincent Valentine, a former Turk who became immortal due to Shinra’s experiments. During the conflict, Sephiroth calls a powerful spell called Meteor to severely harm the Planet. When Aerith tries to summon Holy, a defense that can stop Meteor, Sephiroth kills her. Eventually, the group defeats Sephiroth, and the Lifestream helps Holy stop Meteor.
The Compilation titles continue and expand the main story, focusing on different characters. Advent Children begins two years after Final Fantasy VII, when people worldwide are falling ill from a disease called Geostigma. Cloud, struggling with guilt, must face Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, who represent Sephiroth’s will. Before Crisis takes place six years before Final Fantasy VII and follows the conflict between the Turks and the original AVALANCHE group. Crisis Core occurs around the same time but follows Zack Fair, a SOLDIER who befriends Cloud and is later killed by Shinra after turning against the company. Genesis Rhapsodos, a SOLDIER member who rebels and protects the Planet, interacts with Zack. Dirge of Cerberus is set a year after Advent Children and follows Vincent’s battle against Deepground, a group of SOLDIER members trapped beneath Midgar during Meteor’s fall. Last Order takes place during events in Nibelheim, where Jenova was first discovered and Sephiroth learned about his origins.
Production
The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII was created by Yoshinori Kitase, the director, and Tetsuya Nomura, the character designer for Final Fantasy VII. Square Enix described the Compilation as their first step toward "polymorphic content," a strategy to share well-known games across different platforms to reach more people. Kitase said that Final Fantasy VII was chosen because its ending left many opportunities to explore characters and the world further. After Final Fantasy X-2 became very successful before Square and Enix merged in 2003, the company decided to create the Compilation to meet fan interest in continuing the story of Final Fantasy VII.
The first project in the Compilation was Advent Children, originally planned as a short film by Visual Works, the studio that made computer-generated images for Square Enix games. Early plans to make Advent Children a video game were changed because Visual Works had no experience making games. A key rule for the project was to bring back the original team members of Final Fantasy VII, including writer Kazushige Nojima, art director Yusuke Naora, and composer Nobuo Uematsu. After Advent Children started development, the team decided that one title would not be enough to explore the world of Final Fantasy VII fully. This led to the creation of Before Crisis, Dirge of Cerberus, and Crisis Core. Nomura was surprised that games were made, as he had expected only a film.
Each title in the Compilation had its own reason for being created. Before Crisis was an idea from Hajime Tabata, a new employee at Square Enix, who was asked by Nomura to make a game featuring the Turks. Dirge of Cerberus was inspired by Vincent’s weapon, Kitase’s interest in first-person shooter games, and the challenge it would give developers. Crisis Core started as either a spin-off game or a version of Before Crisis for the PlayStation Portable. After discussions with Kitase and Nomura, it became another title in the Compilation. The titles were given short names: AC for Advent Children, BC for Before Crisis, CC for Crisis Core, and DC for Dirge of Cerberus. The order of these names almost changed when Crisis Core was called Before Crisis Core, but the word "Before" was later removed.
Before Crisis began development in 2002. The Compilation was first announced in 2003 with the release of Advent Children. None of the titles were traditional role-playing games like the original Final Fantasy VII. This was because traditional RPGs take a long time and many people to make, which could have made the project too noticeable. The team also wanted to avoid making the titles too simple, like Final Fantasy X-2, which some fans disliked. However, X-2 showed that the team did not need to make only serious RPGs, which helped create the Compilation. Advent Children was the first project to start, but problems during its final stages made Before Crisis the first title released, even though it started second. Before Crisis was originally planned for North America, but the phones there could not run the game. Later, the producer Kosei Ito left Square Enix, and Tabata moved to other projects, making localization unlikely. Japanese studio Madhouse made a commercial for Before Crisis. Because the commercial was successful and some scenes in Advent Children felt disconnected, Madhouse was chosen to make an animated film called Last Order. Crisis Core was first planned as an action game but became an action RPG, staying within the team’s strengths while adding action elements.
In 2006, Yoichi Wada said the Compilation could continue until 2017, the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII’s release. After finishing Advent Children Complete, the team took a break but said they still had ideas for future titles. Later, staff members like Nomura said the Compilation was only meant to include three games and a film, ending with Crisis Core. They believed making more titles would overwhelm the market.
Reception
Compared to the original Final Fantasy VII, which was widely praised and later became a beloved classic, the games in the Compilation have received mixed reviews. Some people have criticized the entire Compilation. In July 2007, Edge magazine said the titles could be high quality, but they also changed parts of the original story in ways that upset fans. RPG Site's Alex Donaldson reviewed Crisis Core and said the Compilation was too far removed from the original game's story. He criticized Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus and noted that Before Crisis lacked characters from the original game, but he called Crisis Core the first successful spin-off in the Compilation. RPGFan's Stephen Meyerink said earlier Compilation games changed the story so much that some fans found it hard to recognize. Alexa Ray Corriea of Polygon criticized most Compilation titles, saying they did not match the quality of the 1997 original game.
Advent Children received mixed reviews. Critics praised its visuals and fan appeal, but many said the story was confusing for new players. Western critics liked Last Order, but Japanese fans criticized its changes to key events, leading to improvements in Crisis Core. Before Crisis, which was only released in Japan, got limited attention in the West, but previews were positive, with praise for its gameplay and graphics. Opinions on Dirge of Cerberus were mixed. Some praised its story and Vincent's character development, but others were unsure about its graphics and gameplay. Japanese magazine Famitsu gave it a delayed and negative review. Crisis Core was generally well-received, with praise for its character storytelling and action gameplay, though some said it was aimed more at fans of Final Fantasy VII. Critics often considered Crisis Core the best game in the Compilation before the Remake trilogy.
As of 2024, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has the highest Metacritic score at 92/100. GamingBolt's Shubhankar Parijat praised its combat system and new mechanics. He called the combat "exhilarating" and enjoyed the characters' unique abilities. PCGamesN's Will Nelson said the characters in Rebirth were "bursting with personality" and praised their dialogue, though he noted the open world had repetitive activities. The Washington Post's Gene Park complimented the game's detailed and seamless world design.
Many Compilation titles sold well. Advent Children sold 1 million copies in Japan, 1.3 million in North America, and 100,000 in Europe, totaling 2.4 million worldwide. The original Final Fantasy VII sold 4 million copies worldwide by 2009. Advent Children Complete sold 100,000 copies on its first day in Japan and helped boost PlayStation 3 sales. Before Crisis had 200,000 users on launch day, becoming the best-selling mobile game at the time, with 1.6 million accesses by June 2006. Dirge of Cerberus sold 392,000 copies in its first week, 460,000 in North America, and 270,000 in Europe. Crisis Core sold 350,000 copies in Japan on release and 301,600 in the U.S. within its first month, totaling 2.1 million worldwide.
Final Fantasy VII Remake sold over 3.5 million copies in three days, becoming one of the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 games. By September 2023, it had sold over 7 million units worldwide. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth sold over 3.5 million copies across PlayStation and Steam.
The Compilation inspired the creation of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries, which shares a common story. Before Crisis's popularity led to another mobile game, Final Fantasy Type-0. Battle sequences in Advent Children influenced the battle system in Final Fantasy XIII. Some former staff members said the Compilation and other expansions hurt the series' popularity and fan trust in the West.