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Final Fantasy VII-2

by Reeve

[Reviews - 3] |

      Back when it was first announced, Dirge of Cerberus was given the nickname "Vincent May Cry" by the gaming press, as the game seemed to share more than a few traits with Capcom's series Devil May Cry. Of course, the most obvious connection is that both are action games featured brooding gunmen protagonists clad in red and back. There are other, less significant similarities as well, but for the sake of this review, I'd like to tear away from the obvious and look at Dirge of Cerberus—at least in part—as compared to its most direct predecessor, Final Fantasy X-2.
      Yes, FFX-2, the first true sequel to a Final Fantasy game, and one that, incidentally, is said to share a connection with Final Fantasy VII (a topic which is certainly worthy of an article of its own). Although many dismissed FFX-2 due mainly to its lighthearted nature, I found it to be a fun game with an excellent job-based battle and customization system. For those who haven't played it, FFX-2 follows the adventures of the main heroine of FFX two years after the events of that game. It is far less linear and faster-paced than traditional FF games and features the ability to jump, among other things. Several of the characters and environments from FFX are present, as well as some new ones. There are also a number of mini-games, as well as the usual smattering of hidden and unlockable items and abilities.

Story, Visuals, and World
      As for Dirge of Cerberus (aka DC), not only is it the second game-based Final Fantasy sequel, but it is also the second sequel overall in the Compilation of FFVII, after the CG movie Advent Children. Like AC and the other Compilation projects, DC has a lot to live up to as a companion piece to the best-selling Playstation game (not to mention the best-selling Square game) of all time. Fortunately, great care has been taken with DC's story, which on the surface is merely about Vincent battling the Deepground Soldiers, but on a deeper level also concerns the mysteries in the ex-Turk's past, including the finer details of his relationships to Lucrecia and Hojo. As with FFX-2's story, it's not as gripping or as memorable as the one from the game it was derived from, but it's good nevertheless.
      Now let's analyze DC's look, as visuals have long been an important part of the Final Fantasy series. If I recall correctly, FFX-2's field, battle, and cutscene models were all largely consistent with each other, as in FFX. However, DC comes from a markedly different lineage, as FFVII's field and battle models were radically different from each other. DC continues this tradition, and not in a good way: the field models for Vincent and others are much flatter and generally worse in quality than the models that appear in cutscenes. These latter models are, quality-wise, on par with the general character models in FFX-2 (which were used for everything save FMVs); I'm guessing that the flatter mission models were made that way for a reason, but I can't think of what that would be. Although FFX-2 is not an action RPG, another Square Enix game that is—Kingdom Hearts—has no problems with using richly-rendered character models for both gameplay and cutscenes. Thus, the low-grade "mission" models in DC come off as a disappointment.
      Besides character models, there's also enemies and the world itself to account for. The Deepground enemies and various monsters are well done, for the most part, though there is some degree of repetition in the types of enemies that one encounters—one mission, for example, almost exclusively features Guard Hounds. The Deepground themselves come in different flavors, though they all wear silver and blue uniforms and don't vary much within missions. It's a sharp break from other Final Fantasy games where one would typically find a handful of different monster types within a single area. As for the environments, they are fairly flat and uninteresting. This is certainly comparable to the new areas within FFX-2, such as the Via Infinito and Cactuar Hollow, but I believe part of this flatness in DC has to do with the nature of the FFVII world itself. More than in any other Final Fantasy game (other than FFVIII), the FFVII world is a modern one, and its architecture, as a result, is decidedly modernist. However, although such repetition is forgivable in areas like Edge and the WRO headquarters, it becomes questionable in a more "traditional" environment such as Kalm or the Shinra Mansion.

Gameplay and Character Customization
      Getting away from the visual elements for a moment, it's time to examine what is the meat of any game: the gameplay itself. In FFX-2, the main character was given the ability to jump when on the field. Naturally, this seems like a welcome addition to the traditional RPG environment until you realize that this ability is restricted to certain places. As for DC, although Vincent can jump (and double-jump) just about anywhere at any time, the game has restrictions of its own that, for a player accustomed to the third- and/or first-person shooter genres, can be maddening.
      In a traditional shooter, especially a first-person shooter (or FPS), the areas where one can go is limited only by one's physical capabilities. "Restricted" areas, such as the boundaries of a map, are usually cordoned off in an obvious way, but besides that, any railing, staircase, or any other surface that can be reached by the player is fair game. Such freedom is a critical element of several shooters, not to mention a fair number of adventure games, platformers, and the better action RPGs. As DC is billed as an action game, and there are moves present such as crouching and jumping, one would naturally assume that the areas in which the game takes place sport the freedom of movement we're accustomed to. Unfortunately, such is not the case—invisible walls frequently prevent the player from pulling off even the simplest of non-linear moves, such as jumping off over the side of a staircase. This is perhaps DC's worst, most egregious flaw, and one that staunchly reminds the player of the game's humble RPG origins.
      Getting back to the first-person shooter comparisons for a moment, DC borrows several elements of that genre and applies it to third-person action, which doesn't always work. As in an FPS, the player is given complete control over the camera at all times. Such a responsibility can be frustrating when you're in a third-person mode as in DC, as you essentially have to keep both thumbs on both analog sticks most of the time. In addition, the camera slows down when the targeting is on, and it's damned near impossible to use Vincent's gun or materia on enemies that are in the foreground, requiring one to rotate the camera so that Vincent's back is to the player. A first-person mode can be enabled, and there are a few mandatory first-person battles, but for these, I highly recommend plugging a USB mouse and keyboard into your PS2, especially if you're as used to PC FPSes as I am.
      The targeting for Vincent's gun Cerberus leaves much to be desired—as stated before, the camera moves slower when targeting is on, and on top of that, the targeting crosshairs are always centered (again, an FPS element that doesn't necessarily translate well in the third person). However, the customization options available for Cerberus are decent. Cerberus is really three weapons in one (one for each of its three barrels), and each weapon can be customized with special barrels, accessories, and materia. Thus, Cerberus can be a shotgun, a sniper rifle, and a machine gun all at once, and each one with its own materia and/or support accessories equipped; switching between the different "weapons" can be done with a mere button press. There are also healing items, ammunition, and a special item called "Limit Breaker" which enables Vincent to temporarily become Galian Beast.

Conclusions
      Since its initial release in Japan, Dirge of Cerberus has been subjected to a number of reviews ranging from passable to horrible. Several changes were made for the North American version, but even so, glaring problems remained, which many journalists duly noted in their reviews. As I'm a big fan of the original FFVII, I'm not sure my comments will hold any weight; however, I've also been a semi-regular player of shooters—especially FPSes—for over ten years, and as such, DC's flaws stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Make no mistake, as a third-person shooter, DC would've been a passable game five years ago, but at the present it feels incomplete and dated. As an action RPG, it's got problems which makes one wonder how the same company that made this could've also produced a masterpiece like Kingdom Hearts. As a sequel to Final Fantasy VII, it's a competent addition to the original story that, in no way, shape, or form, surpasses it.
      I could go into much more detail regarding my thoughts on this game, but they would all be more minor concerns. Overall, Dirge of Cerberus is not bad, but it's not as good as what one expects from a game with "Final Fantasy" in the title. In a way, DC is an FFX-2 that has grand ambitions, but falls short on them in a number of crucial ways.