For the record, I am a total Final Fantasy VII fan-boy.
Everything about the game fills me with rampant, nostalgic glee, and I'm quite certain it always will.
The unforgettable characters, the flawless soundtrack, and amazingly well-designed combat system,
all make for a truly unsurpassed Final Fantasy experience, and one that will be enjoyed by both long-time fans of Square Enix's flagship series and fresh-faced neonate players alike, for many years to come.
Between the original game, a full-length animated motion picture, and a plethora of spin-offs, Final Fantasy VII is not likely to be forgotten by the gaming world any time soon.
Today, I'll be looking at one spin-off in the series that, despite the worldwide popularity of the FFVII franchise, was never fully-embraced by most gamers as a worthy addition to the series.
Brace yourselves for the Dark Horse Review of “Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus”!
Released in the late summer of 2006, Dirge of Cerberus was met with a great deal of mixed reviews, with many critics applauding the magnificent quality of the game's numerous cut-scenes, while in the same breath criticizing the repetitive sterility of the level design, and outright damning the combat system entirely. Some critics felt that the PS2 action game market was already swamped enough as it was, with many game studios trying to follow the success of Sony's “God of War” series, and that introducing a title like Dirge of Cerberus into the mix, with its quirky Shooter/RPG hybrid game-style,
was basically akin to dropping an unfinished penny into the ocean.
If only they had seen the game for what it really was: a masterpiece of modern role-playing gaming, and the prototype for more recent works of excellence, such as “Final Fantasy XIII”, and “Star Ocean: The Last Hope”.
The story of Dirge of Cerberus revolves around Vincent Valentine, the second most popular male character in the Final Fantasy VII universe (after that rapscallion Don Corneo, of course). Now, while the opening video takes place during the climax of FFVII, the actual storyline takes off around three years after the Meteorfall incident, and the the subsequent fall of Midgar (involving a certain silver-haired destroyer-of-worlds).
We find our hero keeping it real in the city of Kalm, which, not surprisingly, immediately comes under attack by a mysterious force of ruthless techno-soldiers, wearing what appears to be the most advanced rollerblading gear in video game history (take that Jet Set Radio Future!).
Vincent blasts his way through the entire enemy battle force, saves the all helpless civilians, then proceeds to kick it like a boss on top of a crate while the city burns around him.
He does this because he is Vincent, and Vincent is cool.
After that, the story only gets more epic, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Yeah, you COULD read the story on Wikipedia, but why? Just play the game. Believe me, it's worth it.
I will say this: Expect a great many raging superhuman battles, cameo appearances by a whole gaggle of familiar faces from the FF7 universe, and new developments on all the fun things you can do with Protomateria.
Now it's time to move on to the one aspect of Dirge of Cerberus that has been criticized most heavily by players and critics alike: the graphics.
Many gamers accuse the game of having stale, repetitive level design, generic enemies, and uninspired combat graphics, which was a relatively common complaint for many PlayStation 2 role-playing games (“Tsugunai: Atonement” and “Grandia: Xtreme” come to mind).
Call me crazy, but it seemed to me that many of the BEST games of this era had this exact same issue, as it was almost a signature of that particular age of Gaming.
And, while it's true that level appearance may have been lacking at times, no criticism can be directed at the sheer grandeur and jaw-dropping perfection of Dirge's cut-scenes.
Square Enix has always been well-known for the outstanding quality of their animation, and they certainly did not hold anything back for this game, with graphics and intensity on par with the feature-length film “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children”.
“What about the Gunplay?”, cried the people!
Well, I personally found the combat in Dirge of Cerberus to be a whole barrel (or three) of fun, and I was especially fond of the sleek customization options for your small but fierce arsenal of primary weapons. Combat is by no means flawless, but it is definitely a welcome change for the series and, in my opinion, a successful experiment with new mechanics that would be perfected over the course of the next 5 years.
The music is another strong point of “DoC”, featuring strong showings by both composer Masashi Hamauzu and Japanese singer/actor sensation Gackt, who wrote and performed vocal tracks for the game's theme songs “Longing” and “Redemption.
Overall, Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus is one of those games that dared to try something new, and though many view it as a botched effort at innovation, it will always hold a special place in my game collection. For me, this game delivers everything a die-hard fan of the Final Fantasy VII series could ever want: Unforgettable storyline, superb music, and, of course, Mr. Vincent Valentine, the best thing to happen to Final Fantasy since Biggs met Wedge.
Stay tuned for more Dark Horse Reviews, where I give the under-dog games of bygone days a second chance at redemption.
Coming Soon: Rapid-Fire Reviews of “Metal Slug 3” and “Revolution X”!