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Dissidia: Final Fantasy
In what other world can Cloud fight Kefka?
September 3, 2009 | 9:41 AM PSTKombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Dissidia: Final Fantasy is a mash-up of first 10 heroes to save their respective worlds and the first 10 villains that wanted to stop them. From the Hero of Light to Tidus, you'll get to fight for the side of light in a unique fighting game that incorporates heavy RPG elements. It is easy to tell that with all the main characters from most of the Final Fantasy games contained in one disc that this is going to go well with the fanboys and fangirls, but the nice thing is that there is plenty of good execution that helps along the way.
What's Hot
The fighting genre doesn't see much standard deviation from a core list of elements likes punches, combos, special moves, counters and blocks. The fighters themselves have a stock list of moves they can perform and gamers leave the task of balancing the fighting styles and stances up to the game developers behind the game. Dissidia throws that notion out the window and brings in a heavy RPG element that allows for deep customization of every fighter in the roster. You won't see changes reflected on the character, but before the match, you'll see a screen of information that will be helpful when you go into battle.
The battles themselves are arranged uniquely, especially for the main mode that tells the story of why all the heroes and villains are fighting an eternal war. You move around a simple board game-like playing field and you pick your fights accordingly. Once you are in the thick of action, you are placed in full real-time control of your fighter of choice. Then, it feels like a more strategic game of Power Stone as you rocket around the stage beating the HP out of the other guy. Before you get to the HP, Dissidia implements another meter called Bravery. Bravery is a system on how much defense and attack power you have to win the battle. It is in constant flux and you need to be mindful of your number versus your opponent's because it is key in determining if a comeback or a win can occur. The gameplay river runs even deeper than that with skilled timing and Limit Breaks that act as super moves. All of this is accomplished with relatively few buttons and it all makes sense when you are in the heat of a battle.
That just scratches the surface of what Dissidia is all about. Sure there are the battles and the RPG elements, but that is just the beginning. In addition to the main mode, there are a ton of offshoot modes and options to explore and dive into. One of the highlights is the card mode, which is unexpected in a game like this but lends to more replay value.
What's Not
Story is usually a huge driving factor in Final Fantasy games. Dissidia drops the ball with a story told from 10 different points of view and some terrible voice acting. It's not up to snuff with the history of the franchise or the mind blowing opening cut-scene. Beyond that, the story falls flat in all the flash and spectacle of the actual battles. Even most of the battle environments aren't up to the high standards that Final Fantasy sets. Overall, the presentation is lacking and not what gamers have come to expect from a game bearing the title of Final Fantasy.
The battles are fun and unique with the system set forth but like a true RPG, there is a grind. To increase your level or amount of Gil in the bank, you have to fight until you get to your goal. Normally, this isn't a problem with fighting games since they involve the same gameplay structure, but once an experience bar was slapped on for Dissida, it changed the dynamic since your character's strengths are dependent on your repetition. Basically, it shifts the focus from the fighting mechanics to the RPG mechanics.
Final Word
Dissida is a unique take on the fighting genre. Its RPG heavy perspective makes for some interesting battles with the obvious benefit of having the most memorable FF characters duke it out in an epic war. Even though there is some major fan service happening, the underlying mechanics are solid and interesting enough that it broadens the appeal of Dissida to warrant a look.
What the Game's About
Dissidia: Final Fantasy is a mash-up of first 10 heroes to save their respective worlds and the first 10 villains that wanted to stop them. From the Hero of Light to Tidus, you'll get to fight for the side of light in a unique fighting game that incorporates heavy RPG elements. It is easy to tell that with all the main characters from most of the Final Fantasy games contained in one disc that this is going to go well with the fanboys and fangirls, but the nice thing is that there is plenty of good execution that helps along the way.
What's Hot
The fighting genre doesn't see much standard deviation from a core list of elements likes punches, combos, special moves, counters and blocks. The fighters themselves have a stock list of moves they can perform and gamers leave the task of balancing the fighting styles and stances up to the game developers behind the game. Dissidia throws that notion out the window and brings in a heavy RPG element that allows for deep customization of every fighter in the roster. You won't see changes reflected on the character, but before the match, you'll see a screen of information that will be helpful when you go into battle.
The battles themselves are arranged uniquely, especially for the main mode that tells the story of why all the heroes and villains are fighting an eternal war. You move around a simple board game-like playing field and you pick your fights accordingly. Once you are in the thick of action, you are placed in full real-time control of your fighter of choice. Then, it feels like a more strategic game of Power Stone as you rocket around the stage beating the HP out of the other guy. Before you get to the HP, Dissidia implements another meter called Bravery. Bravery is a system on how much defense and attack power you have to win the battle. It is in constant flux and you need to be mindful of your number versus your opponent's because it is key in determining if a comeback or a win can occur. The gameplay river runs even deeper than that with skilled timing and Limit Breaks that act as super moves. All of this is accomplished with relatively few buttons and it all makes sense when you are in the heat of a battle.
That just scratches the surface of what Dissidia is all about. Sure there are the battles and the RPG elements, but that is just the beginning. In addition to the main mode, there are a ton of offshoot modes and options to explore and dive into. One of the highlights is the card mode, which is unexpected in a game like this but lends to more replay value.
What's Not
Story is usually a huge driving factor in Final Fantasy games. Dissidia drops the ball with a story told from 10 different points of view and some terrible voice acting. It's not up to snuff with the history of the franchise or the mind blowing opening cut-scene. Beyond that, the story falls flat in all the flash and spectacle of the actual battles. Even most of the battle environments aren't up to the high standards that Final Fantasy sets. Overall, the presentation is lacking and not what gamers have come to expect from a game bearing the title of Final Fantasy.
The battles are fun and unique with the system set forth but like a true RPG, there is a grind. To increase your level or amount of Gil in the bank, you have to fight until you get to your goal. Normally, this isn't a problem with fighting games since they involve the same gameplay structure, but once an experience bar was slapped on for Dissida, it changed the dynamic since your character's strengths are dependent on your repetition. Basically, it shifts the focus from the fighting mechanics to the RPG mechanics.
Final Word
Dissida is a unique take on the fighting genre. Its RPG heavy perspective makes for some interesting battles with the obvious benefit of having the most memorable FF characters duke it out in an epic war. Even though there is some major fan service happening, the underlying mechanics are solid and interesting enough that it broadens the appeal of Dissida to warrant a look.
February 8, 2010
