For most of us, we're stuck simply looking at pictures and videos of Crisis Core, dreaming of how it plays. However, those lucky enough to be in attendance at the Square Enix party in Japan have had the chance to play the game ... and it's good. Let's here a few excerpts from the critics:

IGN can't help but gush at the graphics: "This is the watershed game that genuinely demonstrates just how powerful the PSP is."

1UP seems to love the new real-time battle system: "Combat looks to ultimately be Crisis Core's defining element ... Battles erupt frequently while players are running around the environments, but simple controls make these melees fast and enjoyable. Zack even auto-targets and runs up to his nearest foe, meaning that you can quickly dispatch weaker enemies with little effort."

Finally, Games Radar seems to love the story and how it really does expand greatly upon the original Final Fantasy VII: "We're very impressed with just how good it looks and how well it plays - and we're really excited to dive into a story that seems to have much, much more to do with the core story of FFVII than any of the other spinoffs."

With such glowing praise, the wait for Crisis Core has become physically painful. Who's going to join us in importing the game when it comes out this September?