Quick Links
If you're new to Zack's legendary PSP adventure with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, you may be stunned to find out that leveling up doesn't seem to function as it does in most RPGs, including flagship title Final Fantasy 7 itself. But appearances, as they say, can be deceiving.
In truth, Crisis Core's leveling guidelines aren't totally divorced from the usual approach, but its oddly concealed nature does little to alleviate fears that the game is pretty much making things up as it goes along with this mechanic. We're going to shine a beaming Shinra helicopter light on the whole shebang for you — and, of course, tell you the fastest way to see that level number rise.
Experience Points Are Hidden
Large segments of Genesis' favorite play, 'Loveless', are lost to time or else cloaked in obscurity. We hazard a guess that part of what's missing reveals Zack Fair's total amount of Experience Points. Seriously, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion goes well out of its way to avoid ever revealing to players how much EXP you have in full, nor how much is required to reach the next level.
It's a peculiar design decision that has survived the game's transformation from PlayStation Portable to PC and modern consoles. Some fans had hoped the system would be tweaked, but it's clear the folks at Square Enix see nothing wrong with it, so them's the breaks.
Now, were things as simple as 'you can't see them', Crisis Core's leveling system wouldn't be odd — just strangely hush-hush. But there's more at play here, and it's precisely in what follows that makes the process seem more irritating than it actually is. To a point, anyway.
The DMW Dictates
7-7-7. The game itself tells you rather early on that in order for Zack to level up, the DMW reel must happen upon the 7-7-7 combination. And the way this information is presented makes it sound like it's this miracle-like thing that could happen dozens of times in a row, but you'll be better off hoping it happens once per play session. Yeah.
Thank goodness that's not quite the case. The DMW's likelihood for hitting 7-7-7 only triggers once the hidden number of EXP necessary for Zack to level up is reached; at which point, it becomes a relatively statistically likely thing within a span of, say, ten or so battles. That's not to say you'll always hit it by then. As it happens, multiple levels worth of EXP can be obtained and stocked up for the 7-7-7 if you're especially unlucky.
But while luck still has something to do with leveling, it's more exact than it first appears. The real randomness stems from when you'll strike 7-7-7 once Zack is ready for the next level, but it's hardly akin to winning the lottery. It's going to happen. If it doesn't happen within normal bounds, it's that much likelier to happen thereafter. It's no big deal. It's just weird.
How Can You Hasten The Leveling Process?
And so we come upon the core of this crisis. Is there any way to level up faster in Crisis Core Reunion? Yes. Sort of. You see, for all the murkiness surrounding when and where Zack levels up, the actual process of accumulating EXP is as rote as any traditional role-playing game's.
Experience gain varies dependent on the relative strength of your enemies. More EXP is earned from strong enemies than weaker ones. It's leveling 101, we know, but in a game that won't tell you how much experience you've accrued, it's also rather heartwarming to know that for all its silent treatment, Crisis Core doesn't break from the norm here.
Ergo, there's a good way to level up more swiftly, even if you're still relying on pure chance for the DMW to do your bidding after you've gotten enough points together. Spend time fighting foes in higher-tier missions. The cool thing about so many of Crisis Core's missions unlocking one after another in strings is that you have access to harder fare than is typically recommended at pretty much any point from Chapter Two forward.
If you dawdle around the simplest missions for long enough, sure, you'll level up. But it's much the same as running around in circles at Mako Reactor One in Final Fantasy 7. Do you want to spend hours there leveling past eight or nine? Probably not.
Go for the bigger fish, so to speak, up to however challenging you can cope with on a regular basis. Run through the stage a few times, and you should level up rather fast. We realize this isn't exactly the most revelatory practice, but again, there's comfort in knowing you can bludgeon enough baddies, and you are guaranteed to get more powerful for it.