The remastered Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 – Reunion showcases far more graphical detail than the PlayStation Portable original release of Crisis Core, but some players who examined those details noticed an embarrassing gaff that harms immersion, and makes Square Enix look more than a little hypocritical. During the sequences taking place at the Shinra mansion in Nibelheim, players can view paintings on the walls and some of those bear a Getty watermark, indicating the image is being used without paid licensing. This sends a bizarre message from a company whose stated plans include NFT products, but fans should not 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 those scenes were shown multiple times, as Cloud’s fractured and confused memories conflated his role with that of Zack, the Crisis Core protagonist. This makes Crisis Core the definitive take on what really happened at Nibelheim, but the Getty watermarked paintings harm the gravitas of the arc. As players see Sephiroth’s descent into madness play out from Zack’s perspective, they may also encounter framed paintings bearing a real-world internet watermark.
Zack Is Crisis Core's POV Character & Seeing A Getty Watermark Breaks Player Immersion
With Zack as the point-of-view character, players cannot rationalize the Getty logo, first reported by NFTs, Square Enix cast itself as Shinra, the fictitious FF7 corporation that drained the life energy of the planet to produce power.
It is well-known that the blockchain process that generates NFTs is harmful to the environment, meaning like Shinra, Square Enix is putting profit above any concerns for the planet. The Getty watermark inclusion in Crisis Core is an ironic reminder of the emptiness of NFTs. An NFT essentially generates a complex digital certificate of authentication that declares one file, otherwise identical to all other copies functionally, is somehow unique and original. Square Enix seems eager to sell the concept of unique digital assets, but seemingly didn't pay to license digital images for a major game release.
The ending credits for any AAA video game rival those of blockbuster movies today, as the publisher often credits multiple development studios and their staff alongside licensed assets like music, game engines and images. There are several missable events in Crisis Core – Reunion, but it seems some image licensing was also missed during the development process. This trend is sadly common, as many companies will zealously protect their own copyrights while recklessly making use of unlicensed images. It would have been unwise for fans to purchase Square Enix NFTs, regardless, but the company’s inconsistent messaging on digital ownership cements that position.
The Crisis Core Watermark Blunder Shows Square Enix Should Stick To Games
The remastered Crisis Core remains a quality experience overall for fans of the PSP original and those who never experienced the prequel story that sets up Cloud for FF7. One immersion-breaking mistake does not ruin the experience, and many players never would have noticed the Getty watermark in Shinra mansion. It does serve as an appropriate reminder that Square Enix should keep its focus on producing quality games instead of investing in the sinking ship of commercial NFTs. There is a lot of exciting game releases on the horizon from the company, including Dragon Quest 12 and Dragon Quest 3’s remake in the HD-2D style of Octopath Traveler.
Square Enix has provided a good balance of new titles, like Valkyrie Elysium and Triangle Strategy, along with remastered classics like Live-A-Live and Crisis Core – Reunion. Embarrassing issues like the Getty watermark are rare for the company but continuing to push NFT sales would bring more visible shame to the storied publisher by choice rather than in error. In this modern era of gaming, it is likely Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 – Reunion could receive a patch to replace the paintings with properly licensed images, but ideally it will also serve as a reminder for Square Enix to reexamine its priorities.
Sources: Kotaku, Final Fantasy/YouTube