09/27/2010: "Dissidia Duodecim Developer Discussion"

Japanese fansite Final Fantasy Reunion has transcribed a Dengeki Games interview with Dissidia Duodecim's creative producer Tetsuya Nomura and director Mitsunori Takahashi, which has been summarized (in English) at Andriasang. Here are some highlights.

It seems Dissidia Duodecim might be a prequel to the original Dissidia (interestingly, Nomura calls it a "sequel"), and there's some meaning behind the "Duodecim 012" designation: In terms of positioning in the series, the first Dissidia depicted the thirteenth battle between Chaos and Cosmos. The sequel depicts the twelfth battle.

As far as new characters go: Explained Takahashi, the staff is looking at characters who are popular amongst Final Fantasy fans and characters who will show some uniqueness during battle. Takahashi faces a dilemma in deciding on which characters to include, as between the staff and the fans there are a large number of requests, and they can't include everyone.

Newcomers Kain and Lightning are both on the Cosmos side of the fight. So who will serve as their Chaos counterparts? This may not be a valid question anymore. Nomura said that this time rather than Chaos and Cosmos pairs, they're selecting characters from the series as a whole. This is why it's possible for Cecil and Kain, two Cosmos characters from Final Fantasy IV, to appear in the game.

Both new and returning characters will have secondary costumes, as before, but a new "3P" option will also be available: Nomura said the 3P costumes will have "impact" in their looks. In some cases, you may not immediately recognize the characters.

Downloadable bonus content currently includes an Aya Brea (Parasite Eve) costume for Lightning, and Cloud in his Kingdom Hearts getup. In Japan at least, special codes to access these outfits will be included with first print copies of The 3rd Birthday and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Final Mix. These costumes are in addition to the primary, secondary, and 3P outfits that Lightning and Cloud have in the game.

The full article is well worth a read for Dissidia fans who want to know more about Duodecim. Check it out!

Posted by Reeve at 12:38 PM EST