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Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus Review (continued)
More User Submitted Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus Reviews
Date: 2007-06-07
Hm...
You basically run around with a gun and shoot some enemies, instead of being the angsty, dark character that Vincent was, he is turned into some kind of super-hero.
The game felt really too simple, you run, you shoot, you jump... that's about it.
I guess this game wanted to tell Vincent's story, but couldn't they just have made a movie instead?
Date: 2007-05-05
Unparalled Power At Every Level!
OK, I've read all the reviews of the game saying things like "too much story", "clunky engine", or "not exciting enough". Well, I've played this game and all those reviews are wrong.
The game is incredibly fast-paced with a riveting storyline, on-par with games like "Half-Life". The fluidity of character motions are astonishing, with very realistically detailed 3D graphics. It was ECSTASY to take charge as the Galian Beast, use Materia shots, or sit in gun turrets for unlimited ammo. The switch from third-person to first-person perspective on the fly was nicely done, and I felt amazed at the secret ending shown after the credits.
In all, this game really has EVERYTHING that FPS fans want and EVERYTHING Final Fantasy fans want, so I don't understand why people are complaining.
Date: 2007-03-22
DOC Fan
I will never get tired of the game. DOC is my favorite game. Its sweet because i get to use my favorite character from FF7. The graphics is cool and modifying my own weapons is sweet. If you are a FF7 fan you will like it.
Date: 2007-03-02
Jack of all trades, master of none.
Though you can argue (and have done so) that the game is overly punctuated by too many loading screens and cutscenes, I have to say that the cutscenes did a lot for the plot. Actually, it was refreshing to play a Playstation 2 shooter with a passable (and then some) plot. And though the level designs and gameplay were a little simplistic, the game engine itself seemed to be very well executed. For some reason, (production value? coding expertise?) the hit detection, graphical finesse/performance, collision fields, and flexibility of the game mechanic was far above the previous shooters of the system. For instance, Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood was fantastic, but looked worse, had extreme graphical slowdown during action, and technically could hardly decipher a headshot from a mere graze. The main flaw of this game is the substandard analog sticks and now dated performance of the Playstation 2 system. But if I had to choose, I'd rather continue to play well-executed, well-animated, well-musically-scored, and well-styled Playstation 2 games than spend 400-600 dollars to play next-gen games which still have the training wheels still on.
Like Vincent, who brawls and shoots but doesn't particular dominate in either regard, this game delivers in RPG and shooter respects but doesn't really impress. In it's own way, again, this was refreshing. Having beaten most shooters and RPGs for the last... oh, seven consoles or so, it was a nice change to get to enjoy both without chugging through 4 discs worth of random encounters. The gameplay isn't really stressful... there is no real feeling of missed something or messing something up, and you can always die on purpose if you want more money or experience. It's nice to come home and sit down to something enjoyable between the demands of adult life.
Though there is certainly room for improvement, I think Dirge is a solid contribution to the almost non-existent genre of RPG-shooter. I'd like to see where these ideas can be taken to, especially in the online gaming environment. I hope Square doesn't become scared by the apparent lack of consumer support for this one. It's walking a fine line: if you're a big FFVII fan, you'll probably hate it. If you're luke-warm, you'll probably like it. And if you just like shooters, or maybe even Parasite Eve, you'll probably be somewhere in between. Still, every time this developer steps out of line from their cash-cow franchises (though making a spin-off FF game can only in all fairness be said to be a "baby step"), I firmly believe they still have the capacity to deliver unusual and worthwhile game experiences, just like with Einhander, Bushido Blade, and maybe even the Brave Fencer Musashi "series".
Date: 2007-02-02
Mostly for the Enthusiast
Dirge of Cerberus is a third person shooter that picks up several Final Fantasy VII threads and weaves them together into an interesting side trip down Final Fantasy's memory lane. The story follows Vincent Valentine as he gets drawn into a mystery filled with surprise attacks and the disappearance of whole cities that occurs a short while after the events of Advent Children. It is full of references to (and characters from) FF VII, and many mysteries about Jenova and Omega will be revealed. Vincent's task is to discover something important about who he is and, of course, save Midgard's world.
I bought this because, well, I'm a Final Fantasy geek. Even though I'm not a third person shooter geek. There are only a few such games on my shelves - Jak, Prince of Persia, Bloodrayne, etc., - games that got a lot of critical notice. So take my opinions with a grain of salt.
The story is interesting and the artwork good. Gameplay isn't particularly complex - you build weapons as you gain cash and, for the most part you point and you shoot. You can also use physical combat and dodge and run, but again, don't expect any complicated moves. For some reason the game's play reminded me a lot of Castlevania. That isn't bad, but it's lacking in terms of the state of the art that I expect from the Final Fantasy series. It just doesn't really push the envelope.
My third person skills are pretty rudimentary, but it only took me about 10 hours to run the game the first time through. There a about a billion little side quests you can also play, plus all kinds of goodies you can unlock, but this is definitely a less than 20 hour experience, which means that you are spending a lot for a small game with limited variability. So the best reason for buying Dirge of Cerberus is that you, like me, are a fan and would want to have it for the context as well as the game..
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