It’s not often that as a gamer you get to have two of your favorite characters from a certain franchise or developer duke it out for supremacy. With Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series, we were able to pit Nintendo’s darlings against one another for all-out warfare. Half the fun was boasting to friends and challenging them to duels. It’s fair to say, generally speaking, crossover fighting games are pretty awesome.

So a couple of years ago, in May ’08, when I heard of Dissidia: Final Fantasy – I was perplexed. The idea of a fighting game starring characters from each numbered portion of the franchise had me intrigued but worried. Part of me was excited, yet an even bigger part of me was fearful of a failure that could have had devastating consequences (at least in terms of nostalgia) on a gaming franchise I held so dear for so long. But upon its summer 2009 release, Dissidia: Final Fantasy not only came to impress critics, but provided some intense Final Fantasy fanfare in the guise of its expertly created fighting mechanics. Not without flaw, but indeed a successful experiment.

With that kind of success, a sequel was imminent, and in 2010, Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy had become a reality. Fortunately, we can now ponder the implications of its release and the progress Square Enix’s own development studio made on a game which had already been considered superb. The good news? Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy is a worthwhile game. The bad news? It still suffers some of the same issues.

- The story is not the star of the show, but it ties ends together -

Dissidia 012 (pronounced “Dissidia Duodecim”) still relates a half-baked story about an ongoing clash between Cosmos and Chaos – who enlist warriors for battle in their endless cause. Yes, it ties the ends together, but it sacrifices a much more promising and coherent storyline. Given that this is a Final Fantasy title, a good story should be one of its main foci. But regardless of the weak narrative implementations, Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy is a hell of a lot of fun!

Players assume the role as one of a choice list of heroes from the Final Fantasy franchise, throwing themselves into the thick of battle against “Manikins” (evil doppelgangers), bosses, or each other. They have a variety of moves at their disposal – falling into the category of either “Bravery” attacks or “HP” attacks. “HP” attacks are exactly as they sound: they take away from your opponent’s health points. However, in order to execute powerful “HP” attacks you must also build your character’s “Bravery” by utilizing “Bravery” attacks. It’s a system that may seem confusing at first because of some intricacies, but it works seamlessly when integrated into the action-packed combat. Players also have “EX Mode” and (the new) “Assist” at their disposal – using their most powerful attacks and calling in the help of other heroes, respectively.

All of the original 22 characters return, along with 9 new recruits which herald the likes of Final Fantasy XIII’s Lightning, Final Fantasy XII’s Vaan, and even Final Fantasy VII's favorite, Tifa. Each of the characters has a unique set of moves, usually following a style (e.g. long-range gunfire, close-range sword combat). Through its two engaging modes, 012 will have your hands full.

In “Story Mode” you will be acquainted with all the characters and the basic background story. It should be noted that this game is a prequel to the previous Dissidia. This time around, however, you’ll get to experience the world in a more engaging fashion than its predecessor. While a FF Tactics-like board still exists for stage progression, Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy also has sequences you can explore in which a character can run around and collect power-ups, items, etc. It’s not revolutionary gameplay, but it employs a sense of nostalgia, since Final Fantasy titles usually have you exploring the same way.

- Fighting with your FF favorites is a blast -

There’s also a “Battle Mode” where you can test your skills as whichever character and against whomever you choose. What’s really neat is that leveling in the Battle Mode is transferred over to the “Story Mode.” Finally, there’s a “Communications Mode,” giving you a multitude of options when it comes to playing friends. Also included is the PP catalog where you can spend PP points you earn from battling to buy new characters, new outfits, and several other goodies.

What makes Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy so good is how it caters to the Final Fantasy audience. It really is an FF-geek’s dream. The experience is highly customizable, even providing you with choices for the soundtrack. It may well be the best game on the platform since Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Go ahead and safely buy this one, especially if you are a Final Fantasy fan; you will not regret it.

GameDynamo's Score for Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy (PSP)

	Score	Description
Graphics	95	They’re some of the best you’ll get to see on the platform. Some minute slowdown issues still exist, however.
Sound	98	You get to pick your soundtrack from an array of Final Fantasy music. That’s just super awesome.
Gameplay	86	It’s one of those things you have to pick up on, and once you learn the whole system, you won’t want to put your PSP down.
Play Value	92	An addictive battle system will have you playing too much for your own good. Likewise, Final Fantasy fan service is incredible; it’s the little things that matter, and you’ll see a whole lot of them here.
Final Score	93	If you’re even remotely interested in the game, it will hook you in. I would love to see where they can take it from here.

[View Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy images / screenshots +]
[Watch Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy videos / trailers +]
[View more Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy articles (news, previews, reviews) +]
[View Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy cheats / guides +]

Stories from around the web