Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a role-playing game for the PSP. The game is a prequel to the classic 1997 game Final Fantasy VII, and is a part of the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII" spin-off project developed by Square Enix.

Set seven years prior to FF VII, the game centers around the up and coming Shinra empire and their reigning city of Midgar. We follow Zack, who was seen in flashbacks in FF VII, a second-class soldier who dreams of making it to the top. For those that still don't remember Zack, he was Aeris former boyfriend and the person who Cloud based his memories and actions upon. Zack slowly learns throughout the story the dark secret of Shinra and also of another first-class soldier known as Sephiroth.

Unlike the original game, these battles occur in real-time although all of the battles are random in occurrence. Battles occur in a walled off area where you are able to run around freely. Most of the systems of the previous game are still in tact such as the use of Limit Breaks and Materia. The biggest difference is the inclusion of the Digital Mind Wave (DMW). The DMW is a slot reel that holds the key to two important facets of Crisis Core's gameplay: leveling up, and limit breaks. The reel contains six slots, three that have the character portrait and the other three contain numerical digits. Throughout battles you collect the soldier points which acts as currency to keep the DMW slots spinning. If you land on all three character portraits, you can unleash a limit break. If you match all the numerals, you level up. The DMW also controls some status changes such as temporary invincibility.