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Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion was released today and is a solid remaster/remake of a beloved PSP title. But at least one painting in the new game contains something extra: a Getty Images watermark, implying that the in-game painting was created using a preview of the image taken directly from website of that service.
In our review posted today, we noticed that the new remake is a faithful adaptation of the original PSP game, complete with flaws that come with being overly dedicated to being a perfect prequel. And like the original, while the first half of the game is solid, the ending is a “disappointing conclusion”. Still, it’s a damn good remake. However, we have noticed that the new graphics have a new bug, in the form of a watermark left on at least three instances of a painting within the game.
During chapter eight of the game, you will enter a Shinra mansion. In this very beautiful and opulent house you will find many imaginative paintings hanging on the walls. Look closely and you will find that these are actual paintings. Look a little closer and you’ll clearly see where Square Enix got the art from.
Yep, there’s a big old Getty Images watermark right in the middle. I was able to track down the exact painting Square Enix took using our Getty account. It is a piece by artist John Crowther depicting Ludgate Circus in London in 1881.
Kotaku contacted Square Enix but received no response prior to publication.
Read more: Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion: The Kotaku Revision
It appears that whoever took this image from Getty – and perhaps didn’t pay to license it, as the watermark is still there – stretched it and cropped most of the top to fit the frame. And this is not a one-time mistake. The resulting painting appears at least three times in this area of the Getty watermark full play. Oops!
This isn’t the first time a major RPG from Square Enix has shipped with an incorrect watermark included. Kingdom HeartsIII it also included a watermark during a cutscene. However, that was a “blink and you’ll miss the moment” and not an easy-to-find painting that appears multiple times and can be clearly seen by anyone who pays attention. If you want to see this bug yourself I’d go to the mansion sometime as I imagine Square Enix will fix it shortly.
