Dissidia: Final Fantasy Review [PSP]

09 Sep 2009 at 17:10:31 by Tim McDonald
Systems used to review this title: (PSP)

Dissidia: Final Fantasy is fan-service. Not in the vaguely sexual definition of the slang term – at least, not for the majority of people out there, which is probably a good thing – but rather in the sense that it is very clearly made for the fans. Service for the fans, you might say. Fan-service.

It's also an unusual departure for the series. Final Fantasy characters have strayed into fighting game territory before with the slightly underwhelming Ehrgeiz, but never before has there been an undertaking like this: one hero and one villain chosen from each Final Fantasy game from I through X, battling it out one-on-one.

Surprisingly, plot isn't the game's strong point. It's solid enough, certainly, and it cleverly interweaves bits of each character's backstory while keeping them true to form, but when you have that many characters – each of whom is a primary protagonist or antagonist in their own right, with nothing much in the way of supporting cast – almost every single line ends up being delivered with over-the-top gravitas, which led to me rolling my eyes so often that people nearby thought I was having a seizure. There are also lines like the only-slightly-paraphrased “We can't let him destroy the world. That's going too far!” which I can only hope was meant to be hilarious. The presence of a supporting cast would likely have alleviated some of these issues, and there are certainly a few exchanges which sparkle, but a constant stream of pithy, portentous, grandiose remarks and quotations mean that they lose their edge very quickly rather than being saved for only the most important moments.

The other problem with ten protagonists is that they can't really all have equal screen time, but this is dealt with fairly well. Each character has their own mini-adventure – the quest for their particular crystal – and once these are completed you can take the character of your choice onto the main quest itself. This is a nice touch, and the joint scenes here are the first instance of something that's going to give more than a few Final Fantasy fans a glowing feeling. Seeing Kefka dismiss Sephiroth with the remark that he's nothing but a sadist with a god complex, or seeing the Onion Knight cheering up Terra, or watching Zidane save Squall from Garland – it's enough to make a fan's heart burst, particularly when you experience the other side of it through the other quests of the other characters. Well, at least when the characters are portrayed as you remember them, which doesn't always happen. I'm sure Ultimecia used to have a speech impediment and that Bartz was a little more manly, but...

No, despite the prospect of seeing the characters interact, it's the gameplay that shines brightly here. The main thrust of the game is an RPG mode which goes through the story with regular cutscenes. Experience is dished out and as your character levels up they'll build up their stats and their available attacks and abilities, of which only a few can be assigned at a time. Gil, the Final Fantasy currency, is won from fights or found in chests on the chessboard-like arenas which may also contain equipment. It's a neat mechanic, with further rewards available for completing a board quickly, and extra “turns” on the board available through completing mini-quests in certain fights. Can you beat a level 5 Zidane within ten seconds? Can you win against a level 38 Ultimecia without losing any HP? How about facing off with a character who only has 1 HP but who can kill you in one hit?

The other modes are what you'd expect. While a few are saved until you've finished the game, and those will remain unspoiled, there's an arcade mode (added for the Western release), the obligatory multiplayer, and a quick battle mode letting you set up single matches exactly how you like them. In a nice touch, all of these will generate the same experience and treasure you'd get in the story mode.

All ...

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