Crisis Core: FF7 Reunion's watermark is its least surprising bug

Players have noticed that the watermark in Crisis Core - Reunion breaks the immersion. The bug should also remind Square Enix to revisit its priorities.

The remake of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Reunion showcased more graphical detail than the original Crisis Core on the PlayStation Portable, but some players who checked those details discovered an embarrassing bug that hurt the Immersive, and makes Square Enix look a bit phony. During a sequence that takes place at Shinra's mansion in Nibelheim, players can see paintings on the walls, some of which bear a Getty watermark, indicating that the image was used without a paid license. This sends an odd message from a company that claims it plans to include NFT products, but fans shouldn’t be surprised by the inconsistency.

The Nibelheim chapters of Crisis Core are important because they explain why Cloud hates Sephiroth in Final Fantasy 7. In the original FF7, these scenes came up multiple times, as Cloud's shattered and confused memories conflated his character with that of Crisis Core protagonist Zack. This makes Crisis Core the authority on what really happened in Nibelheim, but Guy The pedicle watermark detracts from the grandeur of the arc. As players watch Sephiroth's descent into madness from Zack's perspective, they may also encounter framed paintings with real-world Internet watermarks.

Zack Is Crisis Core's POV Character & Seeing A Getty Watermark Breaks Player Immersion

With Zack as the perspective character, the player is unable to rationalize that Getty's logo, first reported by Kotaku, is a manifestation of Cloud's trauma, while his Mako poisoning represents a deliberate attempt to break the fourth wall. This is just an oversight by the designers. However, the error highlighted a misjudgment by Square Enix as a company. By selling products that include NFTs, Square Enix is ​​establishing itself as Shinra, the fictional FF7 corporation that drains the planet's life energy to generate energy.

The blockchain process of generating NFTs is notoriously harmful to the environment, which means that, like Shinra, Square Enix puts profit above any concerns for the planet. The Getty watermark included in Crisis Core is a sarcastic reminder of the emptiness of NFTs. NFTs essentially generate a complex digital identity verification certificate that states that a file is functionally identical to all other copies, yet somehow unique and original. Square Enix seems eager to sell the concept of unique digital assets, but doesn't appear to be paying for digital image licensing for major game releases.

The end credits of any AAA video game rival today's blockbusters, publishers often say Multiple development studios and their employees, as well as licensed assets such as music, game engines, and graphics. There are several missing events in Crisis Core - Reunion, but it seems that some image licenses were left out during development as well. Sadly, this trend is widespread, as many companies will zealously protect their copyrights while recklessly using unlicensed images. Fans would be ill-advised to buy Square Enix NFTs by any means, but the company's inconsistent messaging around digital ownership has cemented that position.

The Crisis Core Watermark Blunder Shows Square Enix Should Stick To Games

For fans of the original PSP and those who never experienced the prequel story that set Cloud up for FF7, the remake of Crisis Core remains a quality experience. A bug that ruins immersion doesn't ruin the experience, and many players will never notice the Getty watermark in Shinra Tower. It does serve as a fitting reminder that Square Enix should continue to focus on making high-quality games, rather than investing in commercial NFT shipwrecks. The company has a number of exciting titles on the horizon, including Dragon Quest XII and an Octopath Traveler HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest 3.

Square Enix provides a nice balance New games like Valkyrie Elysium and Triangle Strategy, as well as remastered classics like Live-A-Live and Crisis Core - Reunion. Embarrassing issues like the Getty watermark are rare for companies, but continuing to push NFT sales would bring more obvious shame to the storied publisher, by choice rather than mistake. In this modern era of gaming, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Reunion will likely receive a patch that replaces the paintings with properly licensed images, but ideally it will also remind Square Enix to revisit its priorities .

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