Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion will keep the slot machine combat system, disappointing some fans

Many Final Fantasy fans love Crisis Core and its hero Zack Fair — just look at all the memes celebrating the soldier boy. However, the fans don’t all like Digital Mind Wave, the slot machine-like combat system featured in the original game. Whether you like it or not, the DMW mechanic is back for the remastered Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.

The news was confirmed by the official Final Fantasy VII Twitter account, which gave a brief synopsis of how the DMW works. “Lining up the same numbers or images gives Zack various status boosts or allows him to unleash potent Limit Break attacks,” it reads. As in the original game, the slots rotate automatically during battle, but they trigger special effects when three symbols in a row line up. Buffs like invincibility, zero magic cost, and zero ability cost are on the menu. Line up three character portraits, and you’ll use a Limit Break, accompanied by an animated flashback of the associated character. For example, three Sephiroth portraits unleashes Octoslash, while three pictures of Aerith release Healing Wave.

DMW stands for “Digital Mind Wave” and features slot reels which turn automatically during battle.

Lining up the same numbers or images gives Zack various status boosts or allows him to unleash potent Limit Break attacks. pic.twitter.com/g4SpImM9sA

— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) July 6, 2022

The explanation for this system is that Zack remembers past experiences and his companions’ tactics during battle. Justified or not, some Crisis Core fans don’t like the mechanic and the random chance associated with it. Just look at the responses to the above tweet, and you’ll see a number of folks who aren’t happy that it’s part of the remaster. The DMW does tie into the game’s ending (in a way we won’t spoiler here), but it’s nonetheless a divisive feature.

Regardless, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion will be coming this winter, though the specific release date hasn’t been announced yet. The original game was made for PSP, but many more people will be able to get their hands on the remaster. As stated during the announcement, Reunion is headed to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.