Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII (Before Crisis ファイナルファンタジーVII, Bifoa Kuraishisu Fainaru Fantajī VII) is a Japaneseactionrole-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in 2004. It was the first original (i.e. not an enhanced remake) game to be produced by Square-Enix for mobile phones, and was released on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 900i line of phones on a monthly subscription basis. In their pre-E3, 2006 press conference, Square-Enix announced that an English version of the game will be released in the United States sometime during 2006.[1] There were no details on what phones it may be available on, however.
The last episode of the Japanese version of Before Crisis was released on April 1, 2006 — the series officially ending at a total of 25 episodes, including a special episode entitled "Tseng's Side Story", set prior to the events of Before Crisis and revealing parts of his past — with the promise of something special to follow in May.
Story
Before Crisis's story begins shortly after the ending of the war between the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company and the Wutai tribe, a conflict mentioned in passing during Final Fantasy VII. With Wutai defeated and the people of the world now dependent on their Mako Energy and materia, Shin-ra finds itself the dominant economic, military and political power in the world. But there are those who remain dedicated to the destruction of Shin-Ra, chief among them being the newly emerged insurgent movement known as "AVALANCHE". Before Crisis focuses on this conflict between Shin-Ra and the original AVALANCHE group, which began six years before the events portrayed in Final Fantasy VII, and lasted up to the time immediately preceding the events that took place in that game. In contrast to Final Fantasy VII, which was focused mainly on the viewpoint of the second incarnation of AVALANCHE, Before Crisis centers around the Shin-Ra Company's Turks, with AVALANCHE serving as the game's main enemies.
The game unfolds through a series of "episodes." Because of the subscription-based nature of the game, the game's story unfolded over a period of time.
The ruthless mega-corporation that controls the world through the people's dependency on Mako Energy and materia. What follows is a list of the executives of the company featured in Before Crisis:
Founder and president of the Shin-ra Electric Power Company, his method of controlling the world is to control its media and claim that he is doing all he can to help the people. In truth, he is very cruel and actually hurting the people much more than helping.
Son of President Shinra and vice president of the Shin-Ra company, Rufus has different views from his father on how to control the world: he puts much stock in Machiavellism and prefers to rule through power and fear. He does not have much influence over Shin-ra, however, and is often away on extended business trips. Rufus refers to President Shinra as his "Old man" (Oyaji in the original Japanese) and clearly has little respect for him and his ways.
Shin-ra's Minister for Housing and Urban Development when first seen in Before Crisis, though he is later shown in his present day Final Fantasy VII role as the head of the department. He was Midgar's architect, and also designed the mako reactors. Reeve is not a major character in Before Crisis, but has larger roles in Final Fantasy VII and Dirge of Cerberus. In Final Fantasy VII, Reeve remotely controlled Cait Sith, first as a Shinra spy and later as an ally.
A prototype of the robotic feline controlled by Reeve that serves as a playable character in Final Fantasy VII. This prototype appears to assist the Turks in one of the game's later episodes.
Shin-ra's Head of the Public Safety Maintenance Department and the chief of its military. Loud and brash, he is considered irritating by most of his coworkers. He believes strongly in brute force and strong-arming one's way to victory, and has no respect for Verdot and his Turks. He briefly takes over from command of the Turks at one point in the story, displaying no respect for their capabilities until Verdot manages to regain his position by bargaining with President Shinra.
The head of Shin-Ra's Science Research Department, and Professor Gast's successor. Despite his brilliance, he's considered inferior to Professor Gast, and takes a childlike delight in developing genetic anomalies, as well as experimenting on humans. It was Hojo who implanted the Materia in Felicia (or Elfé).
Scarlet:
The head of Shin-Ra's Weapons Development Department, Scarlet is rude and cold-hearted. She first appears in Before Crisis in one of its later episodes, attempting to carry out President Shinra's orders to execute the Turks for their betrayal of the company.
The Turks — an alias for the Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department of the Shin-Ra Company — perform covert operations on behalf of the company, including espionage, kidnappings and assassinations. They also scout for potential candidates for Shin-Ra's elite military unit, SOLDIER, and serve as bodyguards for the Shin-Ra executives. With Before Crisis, several members of the Turks not seen in Final Fantasy VII were introduced to continuity, and are included in this list:
(Note that all of the game's playable Turks' official names are composed of their weapon and gender, and have not been officially given any other proper names.)
During most of Before Crisis, Verdot is the leader of the Turks, a position held by Tseng during Final Fantasy VII. His official title is "the Head of the Department of Administrative Research." He is very particular on matters relating to succeeding in missions and very unforgiving when it comes to failure. Though many of his subordinates are intimidated by his severity, they all deeply respect him. When Heidegger usurps his position at one point during the story, Verdot blackmails President Shinra into returning it. Formerly a resident of the town of Kalm, he had a daughter and wife that he believed perished when the town was razed due to his own misinterpreted commands. In actuality, his daughter survived, and is eventually revealed to be the leader of AVALANCHE, Elfé. He cares very deeply for the Turks, and does not wish for them to suffer any events similar to what he has.
Field leader of the Turks under Verdot, despite his youth. He is calm and very polite toward his superiors and others, though he has problems controlling his temper. He has great admiration for Verdot and is extremely loyal to him, leading the Turks into insubordination when given an order to find and assassinate Verdot late in Before Crisis.
A young Turks member that is highly skilled, and who — despite his unprofessionalism and less-then-serious nature — takes great pride in his job as a Turk. He and Rude have been acquaintances for quite some time.
A young man with a powerful build, he is often very quiet and does not socialize much. However, he is very protective of his colleagues, particularly Reno. Despite his mild manner, he is a very fierce and powerful fighter. He and Reno have been acquaintances for quite some time, and officially become partners early in Before Crisis. Rude is always seen wearing sunglasses.
One of the playable male Turks. An ex-gang leader from Junon, he enjoyed fighting other gangs and stealing motorbikes. He is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, as well as in riding and fixing motorbikes. He was rather unfamiliar with failure, and — with his ever growing confidence — decided to sneak into Shin-Ra's parking garage to steal a bike from the company, but was arrested by Reno. Verdot realized his skills could be used to aid the Turks, and he was offered a place in the organization. Aside from his role in Before Crisis, he also appears in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII. He has been playable since the original beta version of the game, and uses a retractable metallic rod as his weapon, similar to Reno's.
One of the playable females. Her father was a teacher at the Shin-Ra military academy, where she attended. She graduated with outstanding performances, and her forte is marksmanship. Her excellent handling of firearms impressed the leader of the Turks, Tseng, and he recruited her to the force with great confidence in her abilities. She is a very serious person who rarely jokes around, and is often very strict. Like Rod (Male), she also appears in Last Order. Elena, a Turks member featured in Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, is Gun (Female)'s younger sister. The two are not on very good terms in Before Crisis, as — despite their mutual dedication to their work and their exceptional skills — their personalities often clash and Elena resents her sister for outdoing her. Gun (Female) has been playable since the original beta version of the game, and uses only guns as her weapons.
A former bodyguard of Don Corneo, his specialty is his ability to rapidly fire two guns at once with outstanding accuracy, much like Gun (Female). Spending most of his time in the slums, he became fed up with the politics that had overrun the underworld society and was offered a place in the Turks. He took up the role, knowing that it would put his skills to the test. His unorthodox "underground" style of conducting missions often results in him failing. He also appears in Last Order, and has been playable since the official release of Before Crisis. His weaponry is strictly dual firearms.
A female hunter from a wealthy family who likes to do things with flair. She has familiarized herself with the art of hunting since she was a child, and is, thus, an expert with her chosen weapon. She likes showing off and constantly tries to outdo herself, and, thus, immediately accepted the offer to become a Turks when it was presented. She also appears in Last Order, and has been playable since the official release of Before Crisis. She uses a range of shotguns as her only form of weaponry.
An ex-detective from Costa del Sol, where he solved some rather complicated cases. A passionate, hot blooded and courageous man, he puts his all into everything he does, a trait that manifests in his personal and professional lives. His tendency to rely on his emotions eventually got him in trouble with his previous occupation, and — seeing no other alternative — took the job offered to him by the Turks, who had been trying to recruit him for some time. Like several of the other Turks, he also appears in Last Order. He has been playable since Episode 7 of Before Crisis when Verdot decided that the Turks were still lacking the required manpower to deal with AVALANCHE. He uses his powerful fists as his only weapons.
A new recruit to the Turks in Episode 7, along with Martial Arts (Male). As a mercenary, she has seen a lot of battle and is accustomed to taking orders. As such, she adjusted to her newfound role in the Turks easier than some. A thoroughly businesslike woman during missions, she gets her work done with a minimum of fuss. She is level-headed, alert and perceptive, frequently able to assess a situation and take the most prudent course of action. She is a skilled martial artist who uses a style that involves a great deal of agility and kicking. Like many of the other Turks, she also appears in Last Order, but has no speaking role.
A swordsman who was born in Gongaga and has a soft spot for beauty. He tends not to stay in one place for very long. Those in his hometown fear his skill and strength for it is said that he killed an entire group to rescue a friend and was imprisoned as a result. Under the condition that he would join the Turks, he was given amnesty. He first appears in Episode 18 of Before Crisis, but has been a Turk for several years at that point. He uses a katana as his sole weapon.
A young woman whose place of birth is unknown, she uses a large throwing star (similar to those used by Yuffie Kisaragi in Final Fantasy VII) as her weapon of choice. She is warm-hearted and has a mothering side which can border on bossy, which often manifests in how she looks after her colleagues. While still in an orphanage at a young age, the Turks expressed an interest in recruiting her, and she was brought up under harsh training techniques. In the history of the Turks, she is the youngest member to join. Like Katana (Male), she first appears in Episode 18, though at that time had been a Turk for several years.
AVALANCHE is an eco-terrorist organization that seeks to topple Shin-Ra, whom they know to be slowly killing the Planet with their manufacture of Mako Energy. In Final Fantasy VII's continuity, there are two incarnations of AVALANCHE, the second of which is featured in Final Fantasy VII and it sequels; the original group, which was far more militant and ruthless, appears in Before Crisis.
Raised from a young age by AVALANCHE, she was chosen to be their leader after the founder died. She wields a katana, and her superb fighting capabilities have earned her much respect among the organization. Over the course of the story, she is revealed to be getting gradually weaker despite her superhuman strength, both of which came as a result of the presence of a mysterious summon materia — called "Zirconiade" — within her body and Fuhito's ambitions. This summon beast is drawn from her when Fuhito summons Zirconiade in an incomplete form. Elfé is somewhat quiet, decidedly taciturn, and surprisingly non-charismatic. She is eventually revealed to be Felicia, the daughter of Verdot, leader of the Turks. At one point, it was rumored among the fandom that she may be a descendant of the Cetra due to Aerith Gainsborough (a Cetra herself) saying that Elfé's voice sounded nostalgic. However, what Aerith was recognizing was the voice of the Cetra memories that were within the materia housed inside Elfé's body at that time, and Elfé is in no way related to the actual Ancients.
A powerful field leader of AVALANCHE and second strongest member of the organization in physical terms (second only to Elfé), he had excellent hand-to-hand combat skills and often took charge of executing operations and formulating battle strategies. He is completely devoted to Elfé and even once asks the player to defend her if he should die. He and Fuhito are decidedly unfond of one another, and at one point argue over how Fuhito speaks of Elfé.
The intellectual force behind AVALANCHE, Fuhito excels in creating battle plans. Highly knowledgeable in not just matters of science, but also in terms of tactical warfare, he is helpful with conceiving tactical solutions and providing support from a strategic vantage. However, he is very treacherous, planning to not only destroy Shin-ra, but he's also been using Elfé in a plot to summon a creature called "Zirconiade" to fulfill his true ambitions: killing all life on the Planet so as to remove all potential threats to it, while also revitalizing it. Fuhito creates the genetically enhanced AVALANCHE force known as "the Ravens," who serve as his personal attack squad, and he is shown to have no tolerance for failure, casually killing one of his subordinates for being beaten by the Turks. He is also shown to have no patience with Sears.
The Ravens:
A squad of AVALANCHE members who have undergone genetic modification by Fuhito to serve as his personal attack squad. Though they have developed increased combat capabilities, as well as the ability to completely recover from normally fatal wounds, they have lost their humanity. Despite their formidable regenerative capabilities, they can be killed when properly wounded. Named Ravens include Tierce, Kyneugh, and Kanos. SOLDIERs Essai and Sebastian were also put through the same modification.
A 1st Class SOLDIER — and prototype for Shin-Ra's SOLDIER program — augmented before birth by Professors Gast and Hojo during the Jenova Project. Sephiroth was often looked up to by his subordinates and was a role model for many young men who set off to Midgar in the hopes of joining SOLDIER. Sephiroth wielded a long, thin sword (nodachi) named the "Masamune."
A successful 1st Class SOLDIER. His strength, skill and confidence accelerated him to the top ranks of SOLDIER, and he and Sephiroth became close companions. He maintains a positive attitude in most every situation, and while at first glance he seems to have a carefree personality, he's considerate to his allies and has a strong sense of duty and friendship.
A young man from Nibelheim who aspired to become a 1st Class SOLDIER in order to prove himself as a man to himself and his hometown. He failed, however, becoming only a grunt in the Shin-Ra army. He's considerably shy, reluctant and withdrawn, and often walks in the shadow of Zack and Sephiroth on missions. The lower part of his face is often hidden by his uniform, or he wears a helmet. He develops a friendship with Zack, and is the main character of Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children.
The last of the Cetra, who were also known as "the Ancients." She is the daughter of Professor Gast and the last full-blooded Cetra, Ifalna. While Aerith was only 20 days old, Professor Hojo had Gast shot and killed, and Aerith and her mother apprehended. Seven years later, the two escaped from the Shin-Ra headquarters in Midgar, but Ifalna — exhausted and wounded — soon died. Before she died, however, she entrusted Aerith to a widow named "Elmyra Gainsborough," who then raised Aerith as her own daughter. In the time since, the Turks have been assigned to keep a lookout for her, and have tried to persuade her to return to the Shin-Ra headquarters many times. Rather than trying to kidnap her directly, they hope that she can be persuaded to return willingly. She appears in Episodes 12 and 24, and has a larger role in Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children.
A strong and skilled young girl who lives in Nibelheim, she and Cloud grew up next door to one another. She was taught martial arts by a martial arts expert named "Zangan and became a tour guide for visitors who came to Nibelheim and intended to go rock climbing in the mountains that loom over the town. She appears only in Episode 12, but has a larger role in Final Fantasy VII and its sequels.
A female ninja from Wutai, and the daughter of its leader, Godo. She hates AVALANCHE, but hates the Shin-Ra Company even more, blaming them for the decay of her people's country. She only appears in Episode 14, but has a larger role in Final Fantasy VII and its sequels.
A Shin-Ra pilot with dreams of being the first man in outer space. He appears in Episode 15 during the failed rocket launch event recalled in Final Fantasy VII. He has a much larger role in Final Fantasy VII and its sequels.
A resident of the town of Corel and an advocate of the use of Mako Energy, he appears in Episode 16. He has a much larger role in Final Fantasy VII and its sequels.
A lion-like creature that lives in Cosmo Canyon, he appears in Episode 18. He appears again with a larger role in Final Fantasy VII, and has minor roles in Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus.
In Final Fantasy VII, Elena is the newest member of the Turks, but in Before Crisis, she appears as a high school student wearing a slightly stylized seifuku. She is Gun (Female)'s younger sister, but despises her and the Turks, because her sister has outdone her.
She appears in Episode 21, and is seeking to recover her younger sister who was taken by Shin-Ra years earlier, as they wished for her to become a member of SOLDIER. She appears with a larger role in Dirge of Cerberus, as a scientist for Reeve's WRO.
Professor Rayleigh:
A scientist who works in Shin-Ra's science department, she appears in an early episode as a target of AVALANCHE, who is seeking the SOLDIER information she carries. The playable Turks character and Cloud Strife must work together to protect her during this scenario.
Bugenhagen:
The elder of Cosmo Canyon, and a leader in the philosophy known as "the Study of Planet Life." He appears in Before Crisis during Episode 18.
Azul:
He appears in Before Crisis during Episode 4, an individual selected by the Turks as a potential candidate for SOLDIER. He reappears in Dirge of Cerberus with a larger role, and as a member of the Deep Ground SOLDIERs.
Yishay and Sebastian:
Two SOLDIERs Zack is acquaitances with, they are later taken prisoner and experimented on by Fuhito. The player Turk later confronts them with aid from Zack, who — unable to free them from their soulless status as members of Fuhito's Raven squad — is forced to kill them.
