Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 788: If Only He Were My Boyfriend

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core is a story expansion of the Final Fantasy VII series, set eight years before the events of the original game. At this time, Zack Fair is still a rookie SOLDIER, and his mentor is Angeal, one of Shinra's elite three SOLDIER First Class operatives.

The other two are Genesis and the eventual main antagonist of Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth.

Aside from chronicling Zack's growth, the game also reveals Sephiroth's descent into darkness and introduces new characters like Genesis, who will appear in future entries.

Crisis Core features numerous scenes that mirror those in Final Fantasy VII.

For example, the opening scene with Zack standing atop a moving train is identical to Cloud's iconic train entrance in the original game.

Later, Zack falls from the upper plate into the slums and meets Aerith—another sequence that mirrors a similar event in Final Fantasy VII.

These moments evoke a powerful sense of nostalgia for players who've experienced the original, while also deepening the emotional resonance of Cloud's eventual journey.

The average playtime for a first run is about 20–30 hours for most players.

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But for those looking to fully absorb the story or unlock all achievements, it will definitely take longer.

Speedrunners may be able to finish the game in about 10 hours on subsequent playthroughs.

Thanks to the legacy of the original, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core's success was never in doubt.

In fact, players were more worried that there wouldn't be enough physical copies in stores to meet demand.

Other developers could only look on enviously.

The influence of a truly excellent game is undeniable.

On its release day alone, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core sold 1.5 million copies—both digital and physical combined.

At the same time, sales of other titles from rival companies plummeted.

Smart game companies would avoid launching anything during that window.

If they wanted to release something, they'd wait at least a month.

No one wanted their title crushed by the Final Fantasy VII juggernaut.

A game that might've received three-star reviews and had a shot at a million sales could see its numbers plunge to under 500,000 if released alongside Crisis Core.

That's no exaggeration. For premium, single-purchase games, most of the sales come early on.

If you can't make the most of that window, recovery is tough. Not every game has a long tail—those that do are rare.

In fact, even games released by Gamestar Electronic Entertainment themselves would see diminished sales if they launched alongside Crisis Core.

"Uuu, it's Aerith! It's really Aerith! So Zack and Aerith actually had a thing in the past?"

Back at the apartment shared by Aiko, Oto-chan, and Kazumi, the girls had been gathered in front of the TV for nearly eight hours.

They'd taken turns playing Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.

The coffee table in front of them was piled with takeout containers—they'd clearly been gaming straight through mealtime.

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Currently, Oto-chan was playing.

This version of Crisis Core had introduced new gameplay features built on top of the traditional turn-based system.

It was almost like an evolution of the genre.

The core combat still followed turn-based mechanics, but within those turns, characters could now move freely and use dodging techniques—almost like an action game—to avoid damage.

But it wasn't quite like an action game. In true action games, skilled players can sometimes achieve no-hit runs.

In Crisis Core, no matter how well you played, zero damage was basically off the table. That was a fundamental difference.

Another new mechanic was the slot machine-like DMW system, which randomly granted Zack boosts to power, healing, or special attacks.

This randomness introduced short bursts of overwhelming strength and resilience—it was surprisingly fitting and fun.

Still, the game's biggest draw was undoubtedly its story.

Aiko, Oto-chan, and Kazumi were part of the second generation of gamers.

They came to video games a little later—after the original Final Fantasy VII—but the legendary reputation of the series meant they would never miss out on it.

For them, this wasn't just nostalgia. It was also a learning opportunity—especially as they hoped to one day create games themselves.

Final Fantasy VII introduced many design principles that developers still study today.

The game created a vast world, then filled it with fun systems like chocobo racing, fishing, and exploration.

Its emotional side stories—some touching, some hilarious—brought the world to life and taught creators how to build rich, immersive game worlds.

It's no wonder players still get lost in its emotional journey.

Even after all these years, Final Fantasy VII still sells 30,000 to 40,000 copies a week. That adds up to close to a million units a year—a dream number for most developers.

Kazumi was one of the many touched by Final Fantasy VII's story.

She fell in love with it from the first playthrough, and her bedroom was full of Final Fantasy VII memorabilia.

Some of those items were now out of print—her prized collectibles.

She'd spent well over a million yen over the years acquiring them.

After a while, and a few more hours of gaming, the trio had reached about 50% story progress.

Cloud had finally made his first appearance—still just a low-level Shinra grunt.

When he appeared, all three girls were shocked.

His contrast from the original game was huge.

In Final Fantasy VII, Cloud always acted like a cool, detached hero.

But here, he was so green, so childlike—a far cry from the aloof persona they remembered.

"Wow... Cloud was really this innocent before? But even like this, he's totally adorable. I wish he were my boyfriend," Kazumi sighed.

Oto-chan shot back, "Even if he's hot, it's not like he's gonna pop out of the screen and start dating you."