09/10/2009: "Dissidia's Western Version Was Made Easier"

Back in the day, Japanese companies would make the US and/or European versions of their games easier; in the case of Square, this was most notoriously done with Final Fantasy IV. This trend has lessened, but hasn't completely disappeared, and it seems Dissidia Final Fantasy may be the latest bit of evidence that it's still around.

In the Forums' Dissidia is OUT! thread (note: contains spoilers), Ex-SOLDIER, who had been playing the Japanese version of the game for months, began to notice gameplay differences between it and the English-language version. In addition to changes made to one of Cloud's attacks, he found certain things which ostensibly make the game easier than the Japanese original (some gameplay spoilers ahead).

Ex-SOLDIER posted:

Having played a bit more, I realise that the English release of Dissidia is very much "Easy Mode". You have only to complete 1 characters story to get Shade Impulse (In the japanese, its EVERY characters story), You're given quite a few moves ridiculously early, you can buy an accessory that levels you up, and you need only to complete normal Arcade Mode. Don't get me wrong, it's still really really enjoyable. I just find I'm breezing through it way too fast, partially because well, I've been playing the game for the past 9 months, so I know my way around it, but also because Square made the game generally easier.

"Easy" is probably the wrong word, as they have indeed changed some of the characters AI, and some of them have been giving me a lot of grief, English Dissidia is more like "Quick Mode"

Posted by Reeve at 08:28 AM EST

on Thursday, September 10th, me said

disturbing. not all that surprising.

on Thursday, September 10th, fxsrt10 said

Ya i noticed these changes also when i went from jap to english

on Friday, September 11th, Marion517 said

Personally, I didn't like the final story after one story, but only because the cutscene at the end of each story is a bit annoying.

I like the overall easy-to-obtain things difficulty level. The mass of new attacks early on means that it isn't hard for my little boys to pick up and when I'm not playing.

It gives me the ability to kit moves out whenever I want, but darling can pick up initiate a quick battle without having to configure any attacks, even on new characters.

on Saturday, September 12th, kostas said

i think that gaining moves from early levels is good because u get bored doing the same move in order to finish off an opponent.so variety is good.I would of course like to first finish all odduseys and then play the next part because watching the same cutscene in every oddysey's end is annoying .thanks god there is the skipping.i personnaly ended all the oddyseys and then moved on to the next level.it may has become easier but the gaming time is long and thats nice thinking of other games you play only 2 days and then there is nothing to do

on Sunday, September 13th, Jimma said

Haha, I wonder if we westerners are impatient players, or if Square-Enix received complaints about the original difficulty.

on Wednesday, September 30th, soldier1stclassco said

i have been playing the japanese one for quite a long time now i haven't played the english one though but if it is easy mode then that makes it easier to level up to level 100!