The time is almost upon us to receive the latest installment in the 'compilation of Final Fantasy VII'; the PSP game Crisis Core. Amongst fans of Square Enix's world-renowned RPG franchise Final Fantasy, the seventh episode is arguably the most famous and well loved. Final Fantasy VII, released back in 1997, was the first Final Fantasy game to appear in 3D on any platform, and also the first to be readily available to western gamers. The game clocked up an average of 40+ hours game play, filled with love, laughter, tragedy and unforgettable characters. It is a testament to the game that even now, 11 years since first entering our lives, Final Fantasy VII is still going strong, with a string of sequel games, animated films and merchandise still hugely popular.

As mentioned, Final Fantasy VII is one of the few in the gaming series to have gone beyond a single game, birthing sequels in various media formats. Before Crisis is a mobile phone based game centering on The Turks, an organization featuring in the original game and who play a major part in the history of the Final Fantasy VII world. Dirge of Cerberus was a sequel game focusing on Vincent Valentine, a side character from the original. And now we have Crisis Core, the long awaited prequel game centering on Zack Fair, a character only witnessed through flashbacks in the first Final Fantasy VII.

I'm not here to review the game, as I haven't yet played it, but the hype is building and the reviews so far seem largely favorable. It would be easy to assume this game will rock the foundations of the gaming world simply for being a scion of the famous Final Fantasy VII, but that would be short-sighted. Square Enix learned this the hard way with the afore-mentioned Dirge of Cerberus game. On paper it sounded so good; Vincent Valentine, the dark, mysterious and downright awesome secret character from the original game getting his own spin-off title. The reality however, resulted in an infuriatingly repetitive and basic shooter, with our character running through uninspiring locales (the opportunity to bring back key locations from Final Fantasy VII was criminally underused) basically doing the same thing level in and level out. The story was involving, the cut-scenes were amazing, but the gameplay itself left much to be desired.

After the lukewarm reception to Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core was in danger of being viewed in the same light. However, Crisis Core being a prequel will speak to fans on a different level. Players will visit scenes and events hinted at in the original, experiencing the tragic story of Zack Fair first hand. Anyone having played the original will doubtless know the outcome of this game, and it promises to be a moving experience regardless of gameplay.

This all goes to represent the evolution of gaming on the whole. Video games are no longer solely about the immediate satisfaction through gameplay, rather they have branched into an intricate media in which to voice a compelling story. RPGs by definition are expected to contain a weaving and involving storyline, wherein the gameplay is a complement to the experience rather than governing it. The trick is to find the right balance; a dynamic story to follow is great, but if the gameplay lacks the player will feel cheated, plodding through hours of levels as a means to an end. Conversely brilliant gameplay can still be a curiously empty experience if there is no deeper involvement to merit your actions.

For all their hits and misses in the past, let's hope Square Enix find the right balance for Crisis Core. If ever a video game deserved such treatment, it's this one.

Rich writes for the pop culture or memorabilia site starstore.com and its blogs, covering the latest and greatest in film, TV, music and comics merchandise and collectibles.

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The Nintendo Wii is no doubt a powerful gaming experience. Not only in terms of graphics capabilities, but also in terms of the new level of user interaction with the system. Nintendo have really shown in the last 2 years that within the gaming community, exist a number of consumers interested in a much more casual and social gaming experience. Much of which the Nintendo Wii lends itself to.

In line with the growing popularity of the Wii, there now are appearing a new class of online services which allow consumers to download wii games online.

If you are a Wii owner, I am sure you are aware the ongoing cost of the keeping up with the latest Wii games far outweighs the cost of the console itself. Especially if you are like me and get tired of playing a game after only a few hours! This new breed of online services are focused on addressing exactly this issue.

I had previously searched online for "how to download wii games", and as you can see there are literally thousands of options. I actually tested (or tried to test) out a couple of traditional Wii games from various torrent sites. This has always been more of a hit and miss approach in my experience and I have generally always had problems with getting the game to work and removing the large number of viruses that seem to go hand in hand with many of these torrent download services.

My advice for those looking to download wii games from such sites or online services would be to really do your homework in the initial stages and source a reputable service (generally a site that offers a support line is a good indicator) that way this will help keep your computer virus free and also allow you to enjoy the Wii to its fullest potential. There are many services out there and available, the secret sauce is really selecting a reputable and professional one.

For a full review of the service I personally use to:
download wii games click here

For other console download services check out:
Maximum Game Downloads

E! Online - Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are looking to perfect their pas de deux.