Dissidia: Final Fantasy - 9/10
Dissidia: Final Fantasy Review
written by jimmiq
As MyPSP has been pretty unactive and we aren't getting any featured reviews I thought I'd write one, especially for a major release like this. Not sure if this applies for reviewer of the month badge thing that's been going on other mymedia sites but mypsp deserved a review on this brilliant game. Over the pass few months there has been a general lack of quality games coming to the psp, but Final Fantasy: Dissidia is one of those big titles that has been eagerly anticipated. Just clearing things up, Dissidia is not really a RPG like other final fantasy's but is a fighting game.
tidus - ingame battle
Gameplay: 10/10
Dissidia is a 3D fighter. The gameplay is rather straight forward, you use the analog stick to move, and the buttons to attack dodge etc. There are two kinds of attacks, bravery attacks and HP attacks. Basically you build up your bravery attacks which accumulates in the corner of the screen and a HP attack would deal this damage to your opponent resetting your bravery to a set value determined by your level, equipment etc. The combat works well and is very smooth. Dissidia is very easy to play and you'll find yourself dodging and climbing in no time after the initial tutorial. While in battle there is an EX Bell which fills up a side gauge which if full allows you to basicly go into a Super State called EX Mode and lets you pull off your ultimate attack. The combat works more on the flow of combo attacks rather then the mashing of buttons. There is a Great cast of characters of over 20 characters, both heroes and villians from final fantasy's I-XI with amazing customization possibilities although I'd liked if other certain characters *cough*Zack Fair*cough* were included. Overall the gameplay is amazing and more importantly a lot of fun.
There are various modes other than the story mode. In story mode you move a chess type board and encounter enemies where you showdown in a battle clearing various stages. However there are also other modes such as quick battle and arcade mode making dissidia more of a general fighter for those quick battles on the go. Obviously a fighter is no fun without ad-hoc mode for playing against a friends, and once again dissida delivers. There is generally no lag in ad-hoc and also load times are quite short. You can also choose to install a part of the game to your psp from the UMD to make the game run better.
The chess like stage in story mode
Story: 8/10
With so many final fantasy characters coming together, its a surprise that the story would work. The overall story is typical but suits the game.In dissidia, there are two gods, The Goddess of Harmony (Cosmos) and the the God of Discord (Chaos). There is an imbalance between the two sides, where after many battles the balance has shifted to favour Chaos. A few surviving heroes are chosen and set off to restore harmony and fight Chaos and his minions. You can play through the stories for each character in their journey to collect the crystals. All there stories are interconnected, however some stories may seem repetitive compared to stories of other characters.
Final Fantasy VIII's Ultimecia
Graphics: 9/10
The first thing you would notice about this game is that it looks great. The game has great graphics, amazing cut scenes, especially the first introductory cutscene. The game however generally features ingame cut scenes which are also well done however don't compare to the CG cutscenes. The stages are quite bland however you can smash down certain pillars, climb up walls, glide down set grinding rails etc. The layout of the game feels good, very nice menu which is nice to look at.
Zidane vs Kuja from Final Fantasy IX
Sound 8.5/10
Dissidia features a great soundtrack sure to bring back those final fantasy memories as well as introduce you to some new peices. The background music suits the battles and sets the mood well. It is easily manageable so players can choose what music they would like in certain quick battles etc. The voices sometimes don't match the mouths of the characters as it was changed from Japanese to English. The game unfortunately does not feature Japanese voices however the english voice cast is not quite that bad. There are a few characters which sound a bit stupid, such as squall, zidane and tidus however overall it is pretty well done. Cloud sounds as emo as ever but I would say that the voices do not ruin the overall experience of the game. The battle sounds of swords clashing and spells being casts are clear and crisp.
Onion Knight - Final Fantasy III
Replay Value: 10/10
The replay value of this game is insane. This game will surely give you at least 50 hrs of gameplay and more. As you begin the game you are asked what type of gamer you are (hardcore, casual etc) and also the day you play the most(bonus day). On this day you will receive bonus xp and based on the gamer type you have chosen, a chocobo walks its path and find you certain items. The longer the path it walks the better the item but the longer you must play the game. In the PP Shop (where PP is gained through battles) you can purchase other characters, alternate costumes, power ups etc. With the stories of all the different characters as well as the deep customization and bonus content in conjunction with moogle mail for the incentive to play, dissidia delivers alot and will keep you playing a for a long time.
Squall (FFVIII) and Firion (FFII)
Conclusion
Final Fantasy Dissidia is unlike previous final fantasy's in that it is a brawler of final fantasy characters, and a terrific one at that. It has amazing graphics, a great story and alot of content. This game alone will keep you playing your psp for a long time and is a definitely must have amongst psp owners. If you are a final fantasy fan you must have this game, however this game should also appeal to those who are not fans of the final fantasy games but are into brawlers or action rpgs. The price however is a bit steep so if you are unsure about this game just wait till the price drops, or there's a good deal around.
Summary
Gameplay:
10/10
The combat is smooth, works well and most of all, it's a lot of fun. Great cast of characters with amazing customization possibilities.
Story:
8/10
With so many final fantasy characters coming together, its a surprise that the story would work. The overall story is typical but suits the game. There are stories for each character and they are all interconnected, however some stories may seem repetitive compared to stories of other characters.
Graphics:
9/10
Great graphics, amazing cut scenes, especially the first one. Some ingame cut scenes are also well done. The stages and overall layout of the game feels good and is nice to look at.
Sound:
8.5/10
Clear and crisp sounds with a great musical soundtrack, however some voiceover's aren't so great compared to others.
Replay Value:
10/10
The replay value is massive, this game will surely give you at least over 50 hrs of gameplay and more. With the stories of all the different characters as well as the deep customization and bonus content in conjunction with moogle mail for the incentive to play, dissidia delivers alot.
Overall Score 9/10
A Brilliant Game - Definite Must have
Thanks for reading/looking at my review, Hope you liked it, please give me some feedback =]
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jimmiq
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Submitted by jimmiq
07/09/2009
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Dissidia: Final Fantasy
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