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Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus Review (continued)
More User Submitted Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus Reviews
Date: 2007-08-01
Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus
Bless square soft for gracing us with an impressive off spring to the Greatest RPG game of all time Final Fantasy 7 this game has a very compelling story and leaves you craving more time and time again a must have for all gamers.
Date: 2007-07-14
Good, but lacks polish.
Dirge of Cerberus is a good adition to the Final Fantasy series, but it lacks alot of polish. To start this out as methodically as possible, let's talk about the story... The truth is, that the story basically revolves around a side quest from Final Fantasy VII, and then builds on it, being set three years after the events of the game. The story obviously follows Vincent, who in my opinion, is the coolest character in the entire Final Fantasy series (just my opinion, again). Through the course of the game you'll learn more about Vincent's past, as well as the awesome power that he possesses. I'd rate the story in itself to be around four stars, since it is pretty great, especially if you're a fan of Final Fantasy VII, but it loses points for the fact that it feels way too much like an elaborate side quest, even when you inevitably have to save the world at the end of the game.
Next up, gameplay... This is the part that could really use the aformentioned polish. In theory, it's not really that bad, but in execution, it loses points for alot of the details of it. For starters, Cerberus (Vincent's pistol) is by and large the most useful weapon. You only need the machine gun for swarming enemies, and the rifle for enemies too far off to hit with a pistol shot. Now, I do believe that Vincent's pistol SHOULD be powerful, but still, not so much that it overshadows the other weapons. The auto-targeting might seem silly to fans of the FPS genre of games, but it actually works rather nicely here. You can't make called shots very well, but you usually don't need to. You can always toom in if you need a head shot. Enemies can be annoying in that they tend to be exceedingly good shots, especially snipers. Now this seems realistic, but it makes it very hard to get an S rank in the damage recieved stat for a level. A major flaw is the inability to move absolutely freely. This means that you can't jump over the railing; you must take the stairs. You will never fall off an endless cliff, and there are no platforming sequences. It can feel far to restricting at times. Also, Vincent doesn't really seem as agile as you might expect. The least they could have done was give him a wall jump or something. The ability to roll would have also been a good addition. At the very least, he's capable of shooting from any position, so that's one good thing. At the end of every level you have the option of gaining xp, or gil. Both have their own merits, and it's a great option to have. You can also buy items and ammo at the end of every level. Later on, you'll probably find yourself stocking up on potions, and ammo for your trusty Cerberus, or one of the other weapons if you prefer. Alot of where the game went wrong is with the extra missions. They tend to be rather difficult (to a flaw), making it much more satisfying to run through the regular game at an increased dificulty. The major problem is that you often run out of ammo for the weapon you're using. It would have been nice if the extra missions supplied you with an X amount of gil, and a chance to spend it on ammo or items of your choice. However, it doesn't, so as I said, the extra missions are exceedingly hard in some cases. Overall, I'd give the gameplay a 3 star rating. It could have been at least four, but there are too many slight problems to ignore.
Now there's the sound. I personally (though I know many don't agree with my sentiments on this) like the sound Vincent's gun makes. It's something of a light pop as opposed to a powerful bang. The musical score and other sound effects are also mostly good, but not spectacular. I'd give the sound a 4 star rating.
On to the graphics. Without saying too much, the CG movie scenes are nothing short of amazing, showing the best of what the PS2 can offer. The in-game graphics are good, but they seem like they could have been better; particularly the scenery and stages. They're good, but feel a little flat. On the other hand, one of my greatest pleasures with the game would be simply watching Vincent's tattered cape billow out behind him... (He's just so cool!) I want to give the graphics another 4 star rating. They were great, but just felt a little stiff in some areas. It's no real issue though.
Lastly, it's the replay value... After you complete the game, you can pump up the difficulty to try taking on the game with your weapons from before. You can also attempt the many extra missions available, though as I stated before, those can be annoyingly hard. Unless you really enjoyed the game like I did, there's probably not much joy to be had after the main story is complete, though I also like seeing the story again... and again... Replay value, I want to give a 2 star rating. I don't imagine most will enjoy the game as much as me, and the fact is, there isn't much new after completing the game, unless you want to tediously try to unlock all of the scenes, artwork, and other extras.
In the end, Dirge of Cerberus appeals to me as a could have been great game with a shaky foundation. I for one actually hope for them to release another game such as this, but while clearing up all the flaws of this game. If they can get it right on the second shot, it'll be a wonderful thing in my book.
Date: 2007-07-12
Not the FFVII you grew to love-but fun nevertheless
It's like going to a family reunion (less macabre than Jenova's reunion). You're happy to see everyone that you haven't seen in years, yet things are not quite the same as you remember them. That's because this game completely changes its focus. This is not about Cloud and his reistance gang with a story that is majestic beyond all proportions. It's about Vincent Valentine-an optional side character in the original FF-VII and his story (past and present).
But it works...
When you learn of Vincent's story in FF-VII-you know it goes off in a different direction-there were many possibilities. Now focusing on the actual gameplay...it's fun. I'm not a huge fan of shooters and knew my reason for buying this was to revisit some old friends at a family reunion. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the game is really fun. The cut scenes are beautiful, the gameplay is engaging, and the report card you get at the end of each section leaves you with the anticipation (or dread) you get when you actually get a report card.
Overall-it didn't leave me with the sense of satisfaction that most FF games do, but I knew that I would be replaying the game again soon. Another reason for the less than perfect rating is selfish...my favorite character (Red XIII) is pretty much completely absent from the story, although he has a cameo at the end. The recent reduction in price is also an attractive feature-this game does not take long to finish.
Happy hunting Vincent Valentine.
Date: 2007-06-15
Absolutely Beautiful
This is a beautiful game. Well done and the graphics are amazing. I love this because it is mainly CQC and you can fight with various weapons and such and so forth. If you love gune and CQC cames, you'll love this. Close Quarter Combat is the best!
Date: 2007-06-09
Great game .. It's Final Fantasy .. what else can be said
Excellent game, it's a shooting game adapted from the Final Fantasy VII Saga (The game, the movie, and this game).
The only thing I found disappointed was the fact that the game was too short, I can't remember how many hours did I spend playing but I remember that when I finished it I was like ... You must to be kidding ... I want to play more.
Overall it is an excellent game
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