Is Before Crisis Canon in the Final Fantasy VII Timeline?
As a long-time FF7 expert and passionate gamer, I can definitively say Before Crisis is 100% official canon in the timeline and backstory leading up to the epic events of Final Fantasy 7.
What is Before Crisis and Why Does it Matter?
Before Crisis was an episode-based mobile game released in 2004 covering the 6 years prior to FF7. It focuses on the Turks, Shinra‘s covert black ops unit that handles dirty deeds behind the scenes.
While never released outside Japan, Before Crisis contains pivotal canon events that any true FF7 fan should know! It establishes foundations for:
- The Shinra company‘s rise to power
- The origins of Mako energy and Materia
- The creation of SOLDIER and genesis of legendary heroes and villains
So Before Crisis isn‘t just a prequel – it grounds the political intrigue and volatile history leading up to FF7.
It‘s connecting tissue that enriches backstories for key characters like Tseng, Rufus, Veld, Yuffie, Vincent, Zack and more! Their cameos and expanded stories in Before Crisis resonate stronger playing FF7 afterwards.
Expanding Upon Core FF7 Story Elements
One analogy could be – if FF7 is Star Wars Episode 4, then Before Crisis gives us the prequel trilogy equivalent to understand the world and characters better.
For example, Before Crisis shows how Aerith escaped Shinra captivity in Midgar sector 8. This makes her situation in FF7 feel more significant.
We also witness the Turks suppressing awakened AVALANCHE cells in their infancy stages after the first Wutai war. This establishes why the FF7 version of AVALANCHE hated Shinra with such a vengeance.
Various story arcs deal with Shinra scientists like Hojo conducting experiments related to SOLDIER and researching the Ancients. These ultimately produce Sephiroth himself being crafted as the perfect Mako hybrid.
Seeing such vital narrative seeds planted in Before Crisis gives deeper meaning to FF7‘s epic story.
Timeline Placement in FF7 Continuity
In the official Final Fantasy VII timeline, Before Crisis takes place over 6 years leading directly into the start of the original game:
| Year | FF7 Era Event |
|---|---|
| -6 | Before Crisis storyline with Turks |
| -7 | Crisis Core story centered on Zack Fair |
| 0 | Beginning of Final Fantasy VII on Playstation |
Square Enix considers Before Crisis integral to FF7‘s expanded universe. The FF7 Remake demo even confirms certain events like Aerith‘s parents deaths still occurred proving canonicity.
Connections Between Before Crisis, Crisis Core, and Final Fantasy 7
Beyond a shared timeline, there are some direct gameplay and story representations connecting Before Crisis to Crisis Core and FF7:
- Player Turk characters in Before Crisis appear during Crisis Core‘s Nibelheim flashback
- Summonable Materia abilities learned by Turks later used in FF7 battles
- Character abilities like Yuffie‘s Doom of the Living limit break originates from Before Crisis design
So you can consider Before Crisis a "direct prequel" to FF7, with Crisis Core bridging another gap 7 years prior.
Seeing Final Fantasy 7‘s themes established so early makes witnessing their full culmination even more incredible!
Chronological Timeline View Connecting Before Crisis to Final Fantasy 7
Image source: FinalFantasy.Wikia.com
Studying this expanded universe timeline as a whole shows just how important Before Crisis truly is among prequels enriching FF7‘s lore!
My Analysis as a Gaming Content Creator & FF7 Expert
As a long-time gamer who analyzes gaming content for fans, I believe Before Crisis holds huge untapped potential. Sadly it never reached Western audiences officially.
But based on researching Before Crisis story details and connections across Crisis Core/FF7, I know it contains amazing narrative depth.
Honestly I wish SquareEnix would remake Before Crisis next into a modern console game! That would bring well-deserved spotlight onto such an underplayed yet crucial FF7 canon work.
Can you imagine playing through those 6 formative years bridging right into Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2? It would reframe everything in an awe-inspiring light!
Alas, until my dreams come true, I‘ll be relishing Before Crisis vicariously through wiki summaries and my imagination.
Any true FF7 fan owes it to themselves to research Before Crisis though!
Don‘t miss out on recognizing call-forwards, reminiscing moments, or gasping connections across the compilation made richer by appreciating Before Crisis‘s canon lore contributions. Thank you for reading!
