• Review: Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy

    by
    Jason Arriola
    Published on 07-01-2011 10:10 AM
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    Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy

    Developer: Square Enix
    Publisher: Square Enix
    Platform: PSP
    Genre: Fighting, RPG
    Rating: Teen
    Release Date: March 22, 2011

    The moments leading up to the events of the original Dissidia: Final Fantasy is revealed in Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy. The balance between the forces of good and evil are flaring and only one side can take the world’s fate as their prize. Will the world be saved and freedom ensured, or will it be conquered and bent towards evil’s will? The choice is yours.

    Presentation

    Set before the events of Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy tells the story of the ongoing conflict between the gods Cosmos and Chaos. The reason why the game is called 012 [duodecim] is because this is the twelfth cycle of battle between the gods. Both deities have called upon warriors to engage in battle with them. These warriors are comprised of the characters we have come to know from Final Fantasy through Final Fantasy XIII, both heroes and villains alike join for a mutual cause. At this point in the battle, Chaos has come close to winning, but Cosmos has instructed her heroes that there is still hope. She tells them to find crystals in order to defeat Chaos and his band of warriors.

    The main story of this prequel revolves around six characters that have made their first appearance to the Dissidia series- Lightning, Vaan, Laguna, Yuna, Kain, and Tifa. Cosmos calls upon their aid in the struggle against Chaos, and how the story progresses into the original game is for you to experience.

    Graphics

    Square Enix, and the Final Fantasy series, know how to impress gamers with graphics. The CGI cut scenes are as impressive as their latest work and the in-game mechanics flow together seamlessly. So it should come as no surprise that the game is going to look great on your PSP, making it one of the best looking games on the handheld system. Characters move gracefully in sharp displays of color as they attack, dodge, and unleash powerful summons. Environments in the game are borrowed from previous games in the franchise and they look fantastic, making this one of the game’s strongest features, some environments have been recreated for the current generation’s superior graphical output.

    Sound/Music

    The characters of the game is what drives the story forward, so you can expect to hear the new characters share their thoughts on the events of the game. As is custom with Final Fantasy games these days, you can choose to hear the game dubbed in your choice of English or Japanese (of course with English subtitles), it’s a feature that many consider and enjoy and Duodecim gives you this option.

    Another strong suit of the game, and Final Fantasy series, is the music. Duodecim, like Dissidia: Final Fantasy before it, opens with the iconic, memorable, and lovely theme of Final Fantasy. Duodecim features quite a large track list that spans across each of the Final Fantasy games, including music composed for the original Dissidia as well as an original score for Duodecim itself. Much is to be appreciated about the Final Fantasy series, but the game’s soundtrack is an audible treat for those who enjoy the music they heard from the games that came before.

    Gameplay

    Duodecim’s gameplay remains largely unchanged from the original game. First of all, if you’re unfamiliar with the Dissidia games, you should know that they are unlike your typical Final Fantasy games. This means turn-based combat takes a back seat and combat is mostly free-form fighting. However, you may choose to play similar to an RPG’s style of gameplay by changing the “Battle Style” to “RPG Mode”, which will allow you to use simple controls by issuing commands much like a normal Final Fantasy game, i.e.: attack, defend, summon, etc.

    Gameplay relies on a battle between to characters. When either your character or the enemy character’s HP reaches zero, the battle ends. There are two important methods of attack: bravery attacks and HP attacks. To inflict maximum damage to your opponent, it would be wise to begin by using bravery attacks, which will increase your attack power. The larger the number displayed on your bravery gauge, the more damage you will deal to your opponent. Therefore, once the bravery meter is high enough to your liking, you can use your HP attacks, which are responsible for reducing your opponent’s HP meter. Another useful tactic concerning bravery attacks is that each time you land a hit you will reduce your opponent’s bravery gauge, meaning you can lower the amount of damage dealt to yourself should you be attacked during a given fight. Should you completely drain your opponent’s bravery gauge you can achieve a bravery break status which will greatly increase your own bravery gauge.

    Within a stage of battle there will be what’s referred to as quickmove indicators, which allow you to traverse certain areas of the stage faster than a typical sprint would do. This is especially useful when you have to move around the stage to acquire an EX Core before your opponent does. Other moves that will come in handy are guarding, dodging, and chaining combos together. If you manage to knock your opponent into the air you can break into what’s called chasing, or follow up with an attack in mid-air. Beware though, your opponent can have the chance to break out of a chase and follow up with a counter attack of their own.

    Two major mechanics of the game include EX attacks and assists. Occasionally an EX Core will drop into the field of battle, which can be picked up by either player in battle to unleash a visually impressive and powerful attack. New to Duodecim is the ability to call in an assist character to battle. You can either use your assist character to take the offensive with an attack, or use them to help defend you from your opponent’s attacks. In order to use an assist character you must fill the Assist gauge, which is done by delivering bravery attacks to your opponent.

    Duodecim improves on the original Dissidia’s story mode (single player mode) by including an immersive 3D open world map. You have the ability to travel with as many as five characters in your party, including having the opportunity to speak with them during gameplay. Some segments of the game will feature predetermined character parties, but for the most part you will have control over which characters you wish to include in your party. As the player explores the world map they will come across enemies called “Manikins”, and, if attacked in the world map setting, will conduct the battle portion of gameplay on a battle field. Within the world map is shops, and by using the Final Fantasy currency “gil” you can purchase items, accessories, etc, as well as trade for these goods as well.

    Lasting Appeal

    Duodecim has loads of replay value, a surprising amount for a handheld game. First and foremost, the first game’s story has been included in Duodecim and now features the world map that was absent in Dissidia: Final Fantasy. What’s great is that gamers who own the first game have the ability to transfer their data over to Duodecim so that they don’t have to start from scratch again.

    Aside from the Story Mode, there are other modes and features available for you to explore such as Battle Mode, and Communications Mode. I’d also like to mention that although Duodecim introduces six new characters to the series, there is an additional three secret characters to be unlocked within the game as well.

    Battle Mode allows you customize a fight to your liking. This means you have control over the number of matches for a given fight, stage selection, and CPU strength. Under the Battle Mode Menu is Arcade Mode, a no holds barred fight with the CPU but you don’t earn EXP or AP from your battles. Quick Mode is a great and spontaneous way of jumping into a battle with all the settings of a fight (characters, stage, etc.) is random. Winning three fights in a row will unlock a prize. Another way to earn prizes is to use Standard Mode, however you can choose your own character but you’ll face five random opponents. Winning all five fights earns you a prize. Time Attack allows you to earn greater prizes by defeating ten opponents in the shortest time possible. By progressing through Story Mode you can unlock the Labyrinth, which is a dungeon that contains cards. Selecting these cards will earn you items, level up your characters, and fight opponents. However, no items from the Story Mode can be used and no items earned in the Labyrinth can be taken with you either.

    Communications Mode will allow you to battle other players or exchange player cards with one another, of which you can have 25 cards at a time. Online lobbies can allow you to test your skills with another human opponent in a one-on-one battle, or you can join a ten player lobby to battle the other nine players. The Artifacts option allows the player to view and/or sell artifacts to other players, but know that Artifacts can only be obtained within Communications Mode.

    As with the game’s predecessor, Duodecim gives you the freedom to customize your character. Everything from their appearance, abilities, equipment, accessories, summons, assists, and more, are available to change to your preference.

    A mini game within Duodecim is “Chocobo’s Journey”, think of this as your own virtual pet Chocobo. For each battle you win, your Chocobo will move forward along the path shown in the mini game. Numerous goods are available for your Chocobo to come across such as treasure chests. Some treasure chests will need a certain number of battles won before they can be yours, so visit the mini game every now and then to keep track of what you can win and how you can win it. Remember though, the Chocobo’s Journey is reset on a daily basis, leaving you with an urge to see what you can win as the days pass by.

    Conclusion

    Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy is a great improvement over the original Dissidia: Final Fantasy. The game is a visual treat, which is a given, and the same can be said for its sound and music. I really enjoyed the fact that the game is really two games in one, which means that you can get in over 50 hours of gameplay in this one title. There are dozens of characters to play as and each one of them comes with their own original move set, so it encourages you to master each one, or perhaps just your favorite characters from the franchise. There are numerous features including the game’s story mode for the player to experience. There’s so much to come back to. The PSP’s life span will be coming to a close soon, not to mention the UMD. If you have yourself a PSP and want to dust it off, then I would recommend picking up the game. You may be a fan of Final Fantasy, or you may not. Remember that the game plays similar to a fighter but has the backbone of an RPG game and I think it’s appealing from either way you see it.

    Score
    9/10

  • Review Scale

    Score 10- Flawless Victory: A score not handed out to every game. Games earning this rare score sit at the very pinnacle of excellence. These games act as the examples for which all others should be measured with. They are instant classics from the beginning. These games not only deliver what was expected of it, but also exceed the player’s expectations. The game’s features are innovative and original. No game is without its absolute flaws, but the finished product you bring home surpasses the anticipation the game has formed. A day one buy is a must. The game you hold in your hands with this score is a video game jackpot.

    Score 9 - 9.5- Outstanding: Games earning scores such as these absolutely must be played. Games that achieve this high ranking do so because they define the genres that they are in. Flaws are few and barely noticeable. Features seen in the game have been renovated to provide something new and fresh. The story, gameplay, graphics, and lasting appeal are all fantastic and is reason enough to bring the game home and to enjoy with family and friends. Every penny you spend on the game is so worth it.

    Score 8 - 8.5- Great: Any flaw the game may possess is overshadowed by its fun factor. These games would be great for gamers to play. These great games appeal to gamers more and more outside its normal player base because of what it brings to the table.

    Score 7 - 7.5- Good: Flaws do exist in these games, but the positive features of the game can counterbalance the flaws. Additionally, players who are predisposed to liking a game of a particular series or genre with this score should enjoy the game. These are in no way bad games, and much fun can be had with them. An overall good game is worth taking a look at, whether you are willing to buy the game or rent it first. That or you can also wait for the game to reach a good price.

    Score 6 - 6.5- Decent: Games falling into this category may suffer from numerous flaws (for example, graphics or gameplay), but are still worth playing. Granted, the player should be aware that a game with these scores may not guarantee them full satisfaction.

    Score 5 - 5.5- Average: An average game is one in which a game’s features are neither good nor completely terrible. Instead, the finished product is manageable. Little has been done to hold the player’s interest. If anything, rent this game before you consider buying it so that you can at least get a feel for the game’s overall experience.

    Score 4 - 4.5- Poor: Games falling into this category may only keep gamers entertained for a short while. While the game may seem enjoyable for moments at a time, it can quickly grow old and may never be revisited again. The game’s overall function is lacking in quality and may not hold the player’s attention for long. The game leaves little or nothing else to return back to.

    Score 3 - 3.5- Bad: If any positive qualities about a game in this category exist, it is not enough to redeem the game for its shortcomings. Sure you may find yourself playing it, but for how long? You will wind up not giving the game a second glance.

    Score 2 - 2.5- Horrible: Games such as these may not be totally unplayable, they nearly are. Additionally, they may lack, or greatly suffer in, the fundamental functionality of the software as a whole. The game simply does not come close to meeting industry standards at the time of its release.

    Score 1 - 1.5- Appalling: Gamers should avoid this game at all costs. The game was clearly not ready to make its way to store shelves in its status. Save your money and find something else. See it in the bargain bin? No! Stay away! Keep moving and look for something else.