Oops, the Crisis Core remaster forgot about this watermarked stock image

Image for Oops, the Crisis Core remaster forgot about this watermarked stock image
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Oops, looks like someone at Square Enix forgot to fork out some image licensing fees. Either that or Getty Images is now officially part of Final Fantasy 7's lore. The Crisis Core remaster just released and, as noted by Kotaku, has left one pesky stock image in several locations.

A Shinra mansion in chapter 8 has numerous antique paintings dotted around, including the offending Gettyfied artwork. It's not too noticeable from a distance, but get up close and you can clearly see the watermark plastered across the middle of it. Kotaku notes at least three locations throughout the mansion where you can see the offending painting—an 1881 piece by John Crowther, depicting London's Ludgate Circus. The painting has been zoomed in and stretched to fit a horizontal frame and apparently, it wasn't possible to stretch it enough to get rid of a giant watermark. 

The question that remains unanswered is if this is a lingering hiccup from the original PSP version. No doubt it would've been much harder to spot a watermark on a four-inch screen than it is on one six or seven times bigger than that. It's also unknown if Square Enix was being a bit cheeky in trying to get away with paying for licensing—this image alone is around $450 USD—or if it was a placeholder that it forgot to get rid of before release.

In her Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion review, Kerry Brunskill had high praise for the remaster. She awarded it an 86, writing: "Crisis Core Reunion is an engrossing action-RPG with no patience for fluff or filler, and a game that escapes Final Fantasy 7's long shadow with ease," adding that "between the Pixel Remasters, Tactics Ogre, and now this, it's clear Square Enix's back catalogue is in safe hands."

Mollie Taylor
Features Producer

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.  

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