This week featuring...
DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY
Publisher : Square Enix
Released : September 2009
Platform : PSP
Upon first hearing about Dissidia back in early 2008, I was thrilled with the concept, an RPG/Fighting game that featured every protagonist AND antagonist from Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy X, as the forces of good do battle with evil to protect their peaceful worlds.
This delight was furthered after learning that it would be released exclusively for the PSP, which handily, I had picked up a few months prior alongside Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. After keeping a keen ear out for it and nibbling on the limited screenshots, gameplay videos were finally released, and I grew more impatient.
When I finally got my hands on the game, I immediately dived into a quick match, and wildly pressed buttons hoping to re-enact some of the impressive combos I had seen in trailers. The visuals were pretty, with lots of detail incorporated into both the characters and battlegrounds, perhaps unnecessary for a handheld console, but appreciated nonetheless. I was impressed with how well the game flowed and how smooth it remained despite the often chaotic and dazzling encounters within the game.
After playing a few hours however, Dissidia began to get boring, with the gameplay beginning to become tiresome and repetitive. The story mode within the game was predominantly multiple encounters followed by a cutscene and was uninteresting and at times, predictable.
As expected with Final Fantasy titles, the game had a great soundtrack, incorporating famous classics and remixed fan favourites alongside new and catchy tracks that provided motivation for the battles and made Dissidia as a whole, more enjoyable.
Though the game cannot be played for more than a few hours at a time, I often find myself occasionally going back on it to play through the fantastic roster of characters and unleashing their always entertaining special moves (known as EX Bursts).
I have not yet played the sequel that was released earlier this year, but hopefully Square Enix has integrated more mechanics and game types that make it less strenuous to play than its predecessor.
Overall, Dissidia is dissapointing, as its presentation is promising and it has all the makings of a good consistent game, but unfortunately what you see, is exactly what you get.
A great looking game that sadly loses it's magic after a few hours. 5/10
TantalusTom
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