Alongside Dragon Quest, Final
Fantasy has been one of the longest-running and most successful Japanese RPG
franchises in the videogame industry. While not one of the series’ canonized
entries has ever been a direct sequel featuring the same characters and worlds,
each game in the series has managed to offer some truly compelling storylines
and timeless characters. Now, Square-Enix is capitalizing on these characters
for their latest PSP game, DISSIDIA Final Fantasy.
Essentially a brawler with a focus
on action-adventure style gameplay and some RPG elements, DISSIDIA Final Fantasy
throws together heroes and villains from each game from the main Final Fantasy
series in a battle royale for the fate of the universe. The game features
accessible controls, gorgeous graphics and a nice storyline that helps tie the
characters together. However, there are a few flaws here and there, including
some overly frantic moments where it can be difficult to get a gauge on the
combat. Still, this is a solid fighter with great visuals and a ton of depth
that should keep PSP owners busy for a long time.
The storyline in DISSIDIA has the
heroes fighting on the side of Cosmos against the villainous side of Chaos. Each
faction has their own set of characters from a Final Fantasy game, with at least
one character from each game up until the twelfth entry making an appearance (I
through X feature a hero and a villain each, while XI and XII get a hero and a
villain, respectively). Among the characters available are the Warrior of Light
and Garland from Final Fantasy I, Cloud and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII,
Cecil (who can change between his Dark Knight and Paladin forms on the fly) and
Golbez from Final Fantasy IV and Terra and Kefka from Final Fantasy VI. Each one
has been slightly retooled (a bit more if they originate in the 8 and 16-areas)
with a more detailed aesthetic and design by longtime series designer Tetsuya
Nomura.
On the surface, DISSIDIA might seem
like a pretty straightforward brawler. You choose a character (either in the
standard Arcade mode or in the Story mode), but once you get into the actual
meat of the gameplay, you’ll discover that it is a surprisingly deep and complex
action game. The game’s main story mode plays out in a series of Destiny
Odysseys, each one gives you a piece of the story through the eyes of one of the
hero characters as they attempt to collect their crystal piece in order to
restore the balance. The Destiny Odysseys are divided into five chapters each,
and require you to navigate a grid with a set amount of turns. On the grid,
you’re able to battle with enemies, open treasure chests, and collect items, and
take on bosses. You only have a certain amount of turns to complete each
chapter, but completing them with turns to spare will net you some pretty cool
bonus items.
The combat is aesthetically similar
to games like Star Ocean: The Last Hope and action-RPGs of that ilk, as you
fight in an enclosed area. You’re required to lock onto your enemy and attack
them, as well as use the guard button to parry their attacks. You’re able to
dodge and jump pretty high, as well as perform airborne moves. You have two
basic attacks to utilize against your opponents, one that drains BP (Battle
Points) and one that does HP damage. When you hit an opponent with a BP attack,
they’ll lose Battle Points and you’ll in turn gain them. This will let your HP
attacks have a lot more power behind them when you do perform them. Since BP
cannot be neither created nor destroyed, only transferred (thank you, Einstein)
you’ll be in a constant struggle against your opponent to steal back BP in order
to pull off stronger attacks.
Another element in the hand-to-hand
combat is the EX Mode. In order to enter EX Mode, you must first collect an EX
Core or gain modest increases by performing combos on your opponents and
collecting the EX Orbs that fall off of them. Once you’re EX gauge has filled
up, you can then enter EX Mode and unleash some serious whoop-ass on your enemy.
You get some pretty cool visual changes when you enter EX Mode as well. For
example, when Sephiroth enters the mode, he enters his “One-Winged Angel” form,
which is pretty cool to see.
As cool as the combat can be (and it
is), there are a few frustrating factors that can make the game unnecessarily
difficult to play. When you’re in the thick of it, the large-scale attacks and
bright special moves can be somewhat overwhelming, making it difficult to tell
just what is going on and where your character is in relation to your enemy.
Additionally, jumping feels very floaty, as your character will glide a bit too
slowly to the ground after jumping, leaving you open to attacks for too long.
However, that is a pretty minor
gripe when you consider just how much depth there is on offer here. The game has
some great customization features on the same level as many RPGs out there,
allowing you to level up your warriors and outfit them with cool new items that
will give them more assets in the fight, as well as unlockable characters that
you can play as later. You’re also able to purchase new content with PP that you
gain through the game, and even earn summons. Additionally, the game allows you
to play against your friends with your souped up fighters through an ad-hoc
mode, and even exchange ghosts to practice when they’re not around.
Graphically, the game rates as one
of the best looking titles on the PSP. The aforementioned character designs look
fantastic, especially on the older characters who’ve gotten the most drastic
updates. The special moves also look fantastic and move at a great clip. The
only problem is the camera, which can get out of control very easily in heated
battles.
The music and sound is also done
quite well. The game features some good voice acting and sound effects, and the
score sounds great and in tow with the Final Fantasy series.
DISSIDIA Final Fantasy is a solid
brawler that does a fine job of meshing together elements from a variety of
genres. While there are a few minor issues with the pace and franticness of the
combat, this is still solid brawler that fans of the series will want to check
out.
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Gameplay: 8.5
With a ton of depth and a great storyline, DISSIDIA is a great spin-off to
the Final Fantasy series. While there are some issues with the combat, it plays
very solidly over all.
Graphics: 9.0
With great character designs and excellent looking special attacks and
summons, DISSIDIA is an excellent looking game that really takes advantage of
what the PSP has to offer.
Sound: 8.5
The game’s score is great, and the voice work and sound effects are done
well here.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 9.0
A game that does a fine job of seamlessly melding several genres together,
DISSIDIA is as original and engaging as they come.
Multiplayer: 8.5
The game lets you take on friends via Ad-Hoc, as well as exchange character
data for ghosts.
Overall: 8.7
Even though the combat has some minor issues, there is still a lot of depth
and engaging gameplay to be experienced in DISSIDIA. The production values are
as high as anything you’d find on a console, and the story elements do a great
job of bringing together the roster of coveted characters in a compelling way.
If you’re a Final Fantasy fan looking for something to pass the time before
Final Fantasy XIII finally drops, then DISSIDIA is a great way to pass the time.
