Final Fantasy VII Reunion, the remastered version of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, brings the fast-paced action and rich lore of the original PSP game to modern platforms with enhanced visuals, improved mechanics, and a more accessible experience for newcomers and longtime fans alike. However, as you dive deeper into Zack Fair's journey, you’ll find that the game offers a wealth of side content — from unlocking missions to collecting rare materials and discovering hidden secrets. While side missions can greatly enhance your understanding of the world and offer valuable rewards, not all of them are available throughout the game.
Some missions in Crisis Core are missable, meaning they can no longer be accessed if you progress too far into the main storyline. These missed opportunities can be frustrating, especially if you are trying to complete every task in a single playthrough. In this post, we will explore which side missions are missable, why they are locked after certain story events, and the consequences of missing them.
Which Missions Are Missable?
In Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, there are certain side missions that are tied to specific points in the main story. If you pass these key story points, you will no longer be able to unlock these missions. The missions in question are as follows:
1. Mission 1-2-1
- This mission is unlocked early on but becomes unavailable after a certain story event. Make sure you complete it early on to benefit from the rewards.
2. Missions 2-1-1 to 2-1-6
- These missions form a set and should be completed before progressing too far into the story. They are unlocked through certain conditions that can be easily overlooked, making it easy to miss them.
3. Missions 4-3-1 to 4-3-6
- Another series of linked missions that players will need to complete before reaching a critical point in the game. As with the previous set, missing these will mean they are no longer accessible in a later playthrough.
4. Mission 6-2-1
- This mission is part of the set of missions that becomes locked when you pass a certain narrative threshold. If you’ve progressed too far, you will need to start a new game to access it again.
5. Mission 7-1-1
- Missable once you progress beyond a certain chapter in the game, 7-1-1 is easy to overlook as players focus more on progressing the main storyline.
6. Mission 8-2-1
- This mission is tied to Chapter 8: “Nibelheim,” and once you complete or advance past this chapter, the mission will be unavailable. If you want to complete all side missions, this is one to watch out for.
Why Are These Missions Missable?
So, why are these missions tied to specific chapters and progression points in the game? There are a few reasons behind this design choice, which reflects both the game’s narrative structure and the way side content is meant to integrate with the main story.
1. Story Progression and Plot Integration
Many of the side missions in Crisis Core are designed to enrich the game's world and backstory, offering additional lore or expanding on existing events. These side missions often relate to characters and events that occur at a specific time in the story. As such, they’re locked once those events have passed — this prevents players from accessing story-based content that would no longer make sense contextually.
For example, missions tied to certain locations or characters (such as those related to Nibelheim) are deeply connected to the narrative’s flow. If you advance too far in the story and complete certain key chapters, revisiting these locations or characters could break the immersion of the overall narrative. By locking these missions, the developers ensure that the player's experience remains coherent and focused.
2. Difficulty Scaling and Challenge Progression
Final Fantasy VII Reunion is structured in a way that the difficulty of side missions increases as the story progresses. In the early game, missions tend to be simpler, but as you near the middle and later parts of the game, side missions become more challenging and rewarding. By locking earlier missions after a certain point, the game encourages players to tackle them while their difficulty is appropriate. Once you’ve progressed too far, the challenge of these early missions may feel out of sync with your character's development, so the game restricts access to ensure a smoother difficulty curve.
3. Replayability and New Game Plus
While it might seem like a downside that these missions can’t be completed in a single playthrough, it’s important to note that Crisis Core encourages replayability through its New Game Plus feature. However, there's an important caveat: mission progress does not carry over into New Game Plus. This means that even though you can start a new playthrough with your upgraded character and all the bonuses from your first run, you will have to unlock and complete all the missable side missions again from scratch. This design choice encourages players to explore different aspects of the game on repeat playthroughs and adds an additional layer of challenge and discovery.
4. Missable Rewards and Completionist Goals
For completionists and players looking to unlock all possible rewards, these side missions are a critical part of the game. Many of the rewards from these missions include powerful materia, equipment, and other useful items that enhance your combat effectiveness. Missing them could mean that you have to start a new game to unlock these items, which is frustrating for those who want to see everything in a single run.
Some rewards also play into the broader lore of the Final Fantasy VII universe, further tying Crisis Core to the larger story of the Final Fantasy VII world. Missing out on them can mean losing the chance to learn more about the events and characters that shape the later Final Fantasy VII game.
How to Avoid Missing Side Missions
Complete Early Missions ASAP: As a general rule of thumb, try to complete side missions early on in the game. This will give you more time to explore and finish them without the pressure of advancing too far in the main story.
Keep an Eye on Story Progression: Pay attention to major plot events and chapters in the game. Some story progression points, such as reaching Chapter 8, may lock out certain missions. It’s a good idea to double-check mission availability before moving forward in the story.
Consult a Mission Guide: If you’re aiming for 100% completion, it’s helpful to consult mission guides that list when specific side missions become available and when they will be locked out. This way, you can plan your mission completion around the key story events.
New Game Plus: Don’t forget that you can replay the game in New Game Plus mode. While you will need to unlock all the missions again, this allows you to go through the game with a stronger Zack and explore any missed content.
Conclusion
In Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, the side missions offer a wealth of valuable rewards, lore, and opportunities to deepen your understanding of the Final Fantasy VII universe. However, due to the game’s progression-based structure, some of these missions are missable and will no longer be available once you pass certain points in the story. To avoid missing out, be sure to complete as many side quests as possible before progressing too far. And if you happen to miss a few, don’t worry — New Game Plus gives you the chance to try again!
By staying mindful of these mission unlock conditions and planning your playthroughs accordingly, you can ensure a more complete and satisfying experience in Crisis Core and make the most of everything this remastered title has to offer.
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