In the interest of full disclosure before I proceed with this review, there are two things I want to make known about myself. First, I am not a huge Final Fantasy fan. I’ve played most of them, and on the whole I’ve enjoyed the series, but am a casual fan at best. Second, I have not played the first Dissidia game. Hopefully this has given me a fresh untainted perspective when playing the sequel. So with that out of the way, lets dig in.
The concept behind Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy or DDFF is essentially the same as it’s predecessor. Gather up all your favorite heroes and villains from every numbered Final Fantasy game and pit them against each other in one on one combat. Have a disagreement with a friend about who would win in a fight between Cloud from FFVII and Cecil from FFIV, now you can settle it. Add to this basic idea, a story mode with a few different scenarios, a creation tool that lets you create and share your own scenarios, and a few little extras such as character customization and you have Dissidia 012.
Bam! Do it!!
Combat is the primary focus of DDFF, and it is therefore unfortunate that the battle system is the biggest hurdle new players will face when they begin play. Upon start a new game the player is asked to choose one of two battle styles, Action or RPG. The Action style is more like a traditional fighting game, were the players button presses are translate into character moves in real time. On the other hand the RPG style feels more like the player is issuing their character orders similarly to what you would find in several RPG games. It’s just too bad that both systems are complicated and confusing, especially for those unfamiliar with the first Dissidia game.
Um... I'm not really sure I have a choice.
Upon my first boot up of the game I decided to go with the action style battle system, and was greeted by a moogle who explained that there was a lot for me to learn, and he wasn’t kidding. A string of tutorials featuring Lightning from FFXIII attempted to teach me the basics of the game. I learned that I needed to begin combat using bravery attacks to steal my opponent’s bravery before I could use HP attacks to do real damage. The tutorial also taught me how to enter EX mode, which I could active once my EX gauge was filled for special abilities and advantages in battle. This all seemed really cool, there was just one problem, combat felt awkward and clumsy.
...or is it that he just can't figure out how not to be defeated.
Undeterred by my initial experience I was eager to get right down to the business of fighting, so after I was finished with the tutorials I jumped right into it with a 1-on-1 quick battle. I chose to play as Kain, one of my favorite FF characters, and for my very first opponent I picked Cloud. That big sword doesn’t scare me. My first battle in DDFF was also my first defeat. Now I’m not a fighting game aficionado, so the loss didn’t really bother me. What did bother me however was that fact that I had no idea why I lost. It also bothered me that when I finally did win, I didn’t really know how I did that either.
The confusion in battle also carried over to story mode. There were many fights that I really just didn’t have a clue how I won or lost. To make matters worse the button placement was difficult to get used to, and the game doesn’t allow you to remap. The unruly camera only adds insult to injury, and while it isn’t a game breaker it’s defiantly not great. I even tried switching to RPG style for a little bit, one of the moogles suggests this if you’re having trouble, but that only confused things more.
I think I got it... I think.
The issues that I was having with combat really made me want to throw in the towel. Even though I was frustrated, I persevered and I’m glad that I did. You see something amazing happened as I put more and more hours into DDFF, I actually began to enjoy myself. I was taken with the beautiful visuals appearing on my PSP screen. The story while a bit cliché was beginning to enthrall me. I was even kind of charmed by the English voice-overs, which I usually loath. More important than all of that though, was that I was actually enjoying and better yet understanding the battles that so confused me previously.
Gotta go, indeed
It turns out that after the combat is mastered, there’s really a lot to like about DDFF. There are a ton of cool features in this game. The character customization is very well done, the scenario creation tool is fun to play around with, and there are several cool unlockables. Not to mention the amazing graphics, excellent BGM, and charming cut scenes.
All in all Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy is a pretty decent game for hardcore players and major Final Fantasy fans. Those who are willing to devote a many hours to the game will be rewarded for their patience and commitment. For casual players, or those that just want a quick little bit of Final Fantasy fighting fun, stay away.
