Dissidia is an addictive blast

by Brian Olesen

Fun factor: Fun

Worth to: Buy

A must buy for anyone who owns a PSP, regardless of whether you’re a Final Fantasy fan. Games like this are system sellers and for good reason.

Dissidia: Final Fantasy is one of those titles that is sure to be critic proof. No matter what is said about the game Final Fantasy fans will buy it. Most critic proof games hover somewhere in the mediocre range but Dissidia is the rare exception to that rule. There is a lot of quality here and whatever your taste, you are sure to find something that you’ll like. This is one game that every PSP owner should add to their collection.

Sure looks and sounds pretty

Dissidia is an arena style fighting game that pits a protagonist or an antagonist from the first ten Final Fantasy games against each other in an all-out battle royale. For those of you who have wondered who would win between Squall and Jecht or Sephiroth and Cecil, this is your chance to find out. While there will be some who insist that Square should have added this character or that one instead of the current roster, the list of playable characters is very well-rounded and will please most fans. There are also a couple unlockable characters from later games so you really have a wide range to choose from. All have their strengths and weaknesses. They all play differently so you never get that feeling of palette swapping as you might with Ken and Ryu from Street Fighter. For example, Cloud is a powerhouse with his buster sword while Zidane is a master at speedy aerial combat. With each character playing differently, everyone feels fresh and it’s hard to get bored.



As with most Square products, Dissidia looks especially nice. A lot of focus has been placed on the game’s presentation and it shows. Character models are outstanding and the menus are very pleasing to the eye. Background arenas are somewhat plain but they get the job done. Each one is based on one of the first ten Final Fantasy titles to match the character roster. The basic qualities of each level works in Dissidia’s favor because they don’t distract from the action, which is where the focus of the game should be anyway.

Some of the backgrounds can give you a little trouble with corners and camera angles but it’s not too big of a problem. This is mostly restricted to the enclosed levels. The open arenas are more plentiful and the camera does just fine keeping up. Within the rest of the game there are many touches that give a great sense of nostalgia. Original character profile pictures and art are speckled throughout instructional tips and menus to make you feel totally immersed in this Final Fantasy amalgam. Combined together, each visual touch makes Dissidia one of the best looking and most well presented games on the Sony’s handheld.

Sound too has been given the five star treatment. Final Fantasy tunes are recreated here in top form. Some music has been lifted directly its original game (Final Fantasy X’s metal song from the opening Blitz Ball scene) while much of it has been given the proper update from older titles. Square has always given dedication to music in its games and it continues here. As this is a tribute to Final Fantasy expect to hear your favorite music played out beautifully as you fight and build your characters.

Not your typical Final Fantasy or fighting game

Dissidia may be a fighting game but don’t come here expecting to play Street Fighter with Final Fantasy characters. It’s not even comparable to Ehrgeiz from the PS1, which also starred some favorites like Cloud and Sephiroth. The game is more along the lines of some of the recent Dragon Ball Z and Naruto games.



Controls are top notch and there are a wide variety of moves. You move your character with the analog stick and use the digital pad to control the camera by default. This can be switched in the options menu if you prefer. Pressing the circle button will unleash Bravery attacks. This does not do damage to your opponent’s hit points but it knocks out their Bravery Points and steals them for yourself. If you knock out all of your opponent’s Bravery Points then you can unleash attacks with the square button which cause physical harm. You do not need to wait until the opponent’s BP level is down to zero but it helps your chances of winning the match. There are rails in some levels that you can slide on or grind by pressing the triangle button. The same button is used to scale walls when appropriate. These maneuvers are great ways to avoid getting hit or to chase your opponent quickly. You can lock onto to your challenger with the L button and block in-coming attacks with the R button.

If all this seems overwhelming then there is another solution for you. Those looking for the more traditional RPG style combat can find that here too. This option is something that is unlocked after the first couple chapters of Story Mode but they are a welcome addition to the game. The computer controls your character and you scroll through traditional menus to select what kind of attack to use and when. It’s much easier than having full control over your character and it does take away from some of the fun but the option is nice as it can help with some of the more difficult fights. There are even more advanced moves but it would take too long to explain them all here as this game has the depth of a bottomless pit. Don’t be intimidated though. Playing a few matches will make the controls seem natural and easy to get into.

Modes galore!

There are several modes to choose from and all offer plenty of fun. The basic Arcade Mode gets things started right off the bat. You can choose from twenty characters and battle it out against the computer for five rounds and more in harder difficulty settings. The characters are “as is” and cannot be customized here.



Quick Battle ups the ante a little by allowing you to use your customized characters and only lets you play as the protagonists from the Final Fantasy games at first. You can earn gil and items, upgrade your armor (which doesn’t change the look of the character) and weapons, plus you can alter some of the moves that you earn with experience points in Story Mode. Once you complete the first Tutorial section in Story Mode, you can buy the bad guys to play in Quick Battle and customize them here too.

While Quick Battle is fun, Story Mode is where you earn the majority of this stuff and where you get the meat of the RPG aspects of the game. Here, you can only play as the protagonists and you are treated to a so-so storyline for each one. The story isn’t terribly great but come on, this is a fighting game. Everyone has his or her own path and difficulty setting. They can earn experience points and upgrade armor, items, weapons, etc. Playing here is where you make your characters grow. Even with the sub-par story, it’s still fun and makes a decent effort in trying to meld these characters into one game.

Great multiplayer but no online play

Communications Mode is fine but it only allows for ad hoc and not online fighting, which is a bummer. Here you get to take your customized character with all of his/her equipped items and weapons to play one on one with your buddies. While this mode is only ad hoc it is still a blast to play against friends and lag isn’t an issue.

There are a ton of extras to earn throughout Dissidia and each mode will provide you with something special. Special achievements can unlock a number of things to use in the game. Gil, experience points, and items are all unlocked as you play. The more you play, the more you discover. There is a Museum mode that becomes available that allows a trip down Final Fantasy memory lane. With all there is to find and do in the game Dissidia should put even the most dedicated fan to the test to unlock everything. It’s simply huge.



On the technical side, Dissidia offers a solution to the terrible load times that usually plague the PSP. You can choose to download a file to your memory stick that keeps data directly accessible so that load times can be minimized. There are three file sizes to choose from and the larger the file, the shorter the load time. I recommend having a larger memory stick and downloading the largest file that you can. The file in question a whopper at 512 MB but it really makes a difference. Loading the file to your memory stick will take some time but it’s definitely worth it. I hope this is a feature that future PSP games employ as it really solves the load time problem and makes for a much more enjoyable experience.

Summary

All things considered, this is a Final Fantasy fanboy’s dream come true. Gamers who are not into Final Fantasy shouldn’t feel alienated though. Dissidia can appeal to just about anyone on some level. It might even help someone who isn’t into Final Fantasy finally see what the attraction is. Dissidia: Final Fantasy is a phenomenal game that deserves to have a home in every PSP library. For Final Fantasy fans, this game is a no-brainer. It’s pure fan service at its best.