The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII is an ongoing meta series that covers the games, anime, books, and general storyline that began with the 1997 classic. It was officially announced in 2003 and conceived by series executive producer Yoshinori Kitase and main character designer Tetsuya Nomura.
Note that there are two separate continuities due to the story changes introduced in Final Fantasy VII Remake. This guide lists both.
Original Continuity
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
Initial release: 2004
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII was a Japanese-exclusive action role-playing game developed by Square Enix that served as a prequel to the original Final Fantasy VII. It was produced for mobile phones, specifically the NTT DoCoMo FOMA 900i line.
The plot, which was told across 25 episodes, takes place six years prior to the events of the original game and continues on until the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII covered the story of the Turks and their struggle against the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE, which, during this time, was a larger and far more sinister organization than the small band of heroes seen in the original game.
The game was ported to EZ web and Yahoo! Keitai as part of the Rebirth of Compilation. Although you can no longer access the official version of Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, there was a fan remake made with RPG Maker and released in February 2019.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Initial release: 2005
Fans were teased with a potential remake of Final Fantasy VII at E3 2005 with a technical demo of the opening cutscene running on PlayStation 3. Instead of a game, a feature-length CGI film called Advent Children was released as part of the Compilation.
Serving as a sequel to the original game, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children takes place two years later, and follows Cloud Strife in his efforts to atone for his past failures and recover his happiness with friends and family. In addition, Cloud and his party members fight three mysterious individuals with ties to Sephiroth, along with a new disease called the Geostigma.
An extended edition, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, was released in 2009 with close to 30 minutes of additional footage as part of the Rebirth of Compilation. Director Tetsuya Nomura said that “it’s not meant to be just an update to the original, but rather a replacement.”
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Initial release: 2006
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII is a third-person action role-playing shooter game set three years after the original game and one year after Advent Children. It was released exclusively for the PlayStation 2, developed by Square Enix and Monolith Soft.
The plot is told across 12 chapters with various stages, starring Vincent Valentine and his quest to defeat Shinra’s secret Deepground organization with ties to his past. Through a series of flashbacks, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII elaborates on Vincent’s relationship with Professor Hojo and Lucrecia Crescent.
Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII was a mobile game that tied into the events of the base release as part of the Rebirth of Compilation. In addition, the International release of Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII saw alterations to the original game with the Multiplayer mode removed.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Initial release: 2007
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and released exclusively for the PlayStation Portable.
It serves as a prequel to the original game and covers the story of Zack Fair, a member of SOLDIER, and the origins of Shinra’s secret military program. It follows the war between Shinra and the people of Wutai, including the events in Nibelheim, leading up to the start of Final Fantasy VII.
A remaster for modern audiences, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, was released worldwide in 2022 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile
Initial release: 2005
Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile is a collection of short stories written by Kazushige Nojima that take place between the original game and Advent Children.
These stories were released in seven chapters from the time of the film’s release but the collection came out in book format simultaneously with Advent Children Complete. They include Episode: Denzel, Episode: Tifa, Episode: Barret, Episode: Nanaki, Episode: Yuffie, Episode: Shinra, Lifestream: Black and Lifestream: White.
Final Fantasy VII The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story
Initial release: 2011
Final Fantasy VII The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story is a novel written by Kazushige Nojima that takes place shortly before Advent Children. It follows a private detective named Evan Townshend who lives in Edge, as he interacts with the Turks and eventually confronts Kadaj.
Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis
Initial release: 2023
For new and returning fans, Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is the game designed to encapsulate the Compilation in one package. It is a role-playing gacha game developed by Applibot and Square Enix and initially released for iOS and Android devices.
While some fans were disappointed at the story changes made with the release of Remake, Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis provides a cliff-notes synopsis of all major events in the original game without any revisions. Furthermore, it includes the stories of Crisis Core and expands the narrative introduced by the now-canceled battle royale game Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier. For the first time in history, fans also get to experience the early days of young Sephiroth.
This game has been receiving ongoing updates since its release and Square Enix has confirmed that new story chapters will be released on a monthly basis.
Remake Continuity
Because of the major story changes introduced in Remake, Square Enix has now essentially created a new continuity that is closely related to the Compilation. That continuity is called the Final Fantasy VII remake project. It covers most of the major releases for Final Fantasy VII since then.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Initial release: 2020
Final Fantasy VII Remake is the official modern remake of the 1997 classic, may perhaps be the most anticipated release in the history of Square Enix, and a project that fans had waited more than two decades for. It is an action role-playing game initially released for PlayStation 4. An enhanced version with additional content, entitled Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, was released for PlayStation 5 and PC.
It is the first installment of the overarching remake project, and covers the events of the first disc of the original game, taking place exclusively in Midgar. However, it revises the story and although it still embraces the Active Time Battle (ATB) system of the classic, it offers action-oriented combat over turn-based combat. Still, fans have the option to select difficulties that focus on the use of commands rather than attacking.
Characters that were previously pushed to the side, including Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, and even Yuffie are more deeply developed. Side Quests expand the narrative and offer meaningful rewards. With a fresh coat of paint, a remastered soundtrack, brand-new dubbing/localization, and refined combat, Final Fantasy VII Remake has set the bar high for the industry.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Picturing the Past
Initial release: 2020
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Picturing the Past is a short story written by Kazushige Nojima and included in the English translation of its successor, Trace of Two Pasts, as Episode 2 Coda.
Picturing the Past is narrated by an unnamed military trooper of Shinra who knew Aerith as a child, and covers a personal investigation into the events of the past.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Trace of Two Pasts
Initial release: 2021
Final Fantasy VII Remake Trace of Two Pasts is a novel written by Kazushige Nojima and focuses on the childhood stories of Aerith and Tifa. Episode 2 Coda covers the content introduced in the preceding short story known as Picturing the Past.
Tifa describes her upbringing in Nibelheim and her arrival in Midgar. Aerith covers her childhood while growing up with her foster mother, Elmyra.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Initial release: 2024
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second installment in what will be the trilogy of Final Fantasy VII’s remake. It covers the events of the second disc of the original game and is confirmed to take the narrative up until the Forgotten Capital (The City of the Ancients).
Removed Installments
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
Initial release: 2005
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII is an original video animation (OVA) directed by Morio Asaka and produced by Madhouse. It offers an alternate rendition of two flashbacks that take place during the original Final Fantasy VII. While not considered an actual installment in the Compilation because of how much it differs from the source material, it has been mentioned in official guidebooks.
The plot covers two events before the original game. One includes Sephiroth on a rampage to destroy a village, while the other follows Cloud and Zack escaping Shinra. Both flashbacks are narrated by Tseng, the leader of the Turks. Last Order is designed to reflect Tseng on how he really feels about Shinra and his position within the company.
Final Fantasy VII is a role-playing game developed by Square Enix and initially released in 1997 for PlayStation 1.
