Dissidia 012 : Final Fantasy (PSP) User Review

Final Fantasy Dissidia: Duodecim 012

The follow up game from Final Fantasy Dissidia, Final Fantasy Duodecim 012 is a fighting platform with the roster being filled with the protagonists and antagonists from the popular Final Fantasy franchise. There are characters from Final Fantasy 1-13 with a couple of additions certain titles as roster boosters. This game is essentially the same game as it's predecessor however it now has new items, story lines and characters.

Story - 14/25, This game is very minimal in terms of extra content as it's essentially like a DLC pack, but it still holds it' own in terms of originality and enjoyment. The cycle has reached it's 12th round, with the conflict of the gods, Cosmos the Goddess of Harmony and Chaos the God of Discord Shinryu has now intervened and gathered more warriors to fight for the cause of Harmony. The new fighters awake in a strange world and quickly discover the gravity of the situation and set out to end the cycle of battle and return ending the tyrany of Chaos and returning themselves to their homelands. The New Warriors comprise of Kain Highwind (FFV), Tifa Lockheart (FFVII), Laguna Loire (FFVIII), Lady Yuna (FFX), Vaan (FFXII) and Claire Farron A.K.A Lightning (FFXIII). Each new fighter has their own unique storyline, cutscenes and incredible fighting style!

Graphics - 23/25, This game has over 20 fighters each with their own costumes, attack animations, home arena and jaw dropping CGI scenes. There's so much variation in every single scenario that it will keep you discovering little touches in every fight you enter! The CGI models are breath taking and each

Music - 24/25, With 99% of it's sound track being your favourite songs from all the past Final Fantasy games there's something for everyone! The game features it's own menu theme and all of the classic Final Fantasy sounds, from the "Kupo" of a moogle to the "beep" of menu selection. True classics like the Final Fantasy theme and Victory Fanfare are still kicking around and with plenty of unlockable extra songs, voice theatre and full spoken dialogue cutscenes there's an amazing sense of detail that can be felt in the sounds of this game. The only downside to this is that there are some favoured tunes that don't make an appearence in the game and I feel there should be a couple more tunes from all the titles so that they cover all bases but all in all probably one of the best parts of the game.

Longevity - 18/25 with the addition of a new story chapter and the labyrinth mode theres plenty to keep you going. This game is a bit of an insult as the original game is featured in it's entirety in this title however there are plenty of new features to keep you happy. The addition of more than 4 new characters, each with their own story, all new Labyrinth mode, scenario builder and the 000 untold tale story to plough through it makes up for the pre-existing content. With characters able to reach level 100 that can certainly amount to a large amount of time just to clear that mile stone, along with 1000's of items and equipment, challenges and unlockables this game will challenge even the best of you out there!

Finally the best part of this game is if you own a PS3 and a broadband connection you can download an AD-HOC application and fight worldwide!

Total - 79/100, This game, for the hardcore fans, will be an absolute treat but for those who are new to the series it will definately confuse them as it's a completely different direction for the game but it's a true work of art turning a turn based RPG into a fighting game that can see you twisting and turning all of the games rules to have that little bit of an edge over your opponent!

I will end with this... give it time, push through the initial start game and then once you're comfortable with the game take another thought on the game as it is what you put into it. Pour your heart and soul in and you'll become one of the best fighters around, but plough through it with no passion and it will be a less than rewarding experience. A good buy if you have time and effort to spare, a very rewarding game!

THIS REVIEW IS 100% BASED ON MY PERSONAL OPINION AND AT NO POINT IS IT THE GOSPEL TRUTH. PLEASE USE THIS AS ONLY PART OF ANY DECISION YOU MAKE IN WHETHER TO PURCHASE OR LEAVE THIS TITLE