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Videos | Title | Views | Length | Date Added | | 27 | 2:07 | 9/18/2008 | | 32 | 0 | 9/18/2008 |
Reviews A functional but uninspired third-person shooter., January 22, 2007 Rating: 6.5/10 By zeroinitiate Final Fantasy VII was an RPG for the Playstation 1 that has become one of the greatest games of all time. And I'm not just saying that. You can browse the Internet for "Greatest Games" lists and you're bound to find one or two that includes FFVII. One of the great things that it did was that each of its characters was well thought-out. Unlike other games where party members were simply roster fillers, FFVII's supporting cast actually had background stories that were worth checking out. One of those supporting cast members is Vincent Valentine, who gets the lead role in this Final Fantasy spin-off, Dirge of Cerberus.
Dirge of Cerberus takes place a year after the events of the computer-animated film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. A group known as the Deepground Soldiers want to revive the Omega Weapon and they need Vincent to do it. As Vincent, your role is to aid the World Regenesis Organization in their effort to rebuild the world and to stop the Deepground Soldiers. The game will also reveal more about Vincent as he will be forced to relive his past and learn more about himself and his inner demons.
From a gameplay standpoint, Dirge of Cerberus is a third-person shooter. You'll take control of Vincent as he runs, jumps and shoots his way around locales previously-established in Final Fantasy VII. The running and jumping work the same way as they do in platform games: you run from one end of a level to another and you jump or double-jump your way past obstacles, opening a few doors here and there. When foes appear, you can shoot them or engage them in melee combat. Later on, you'll also learn how to use a little magic during a fight. You move and strafe with the left analog stick while you aim with the right. You can turn on the auto-aim system so that all you have to do is get your foes within your reticule and the game will take care of the rest. It's a pretty reliable targeting system that makes things easier for those who don't want to bother with precision aiming. Melee combat lets you perform a standard combo that comes in handy when your foes take you by surprise, like when those annoying dogs jump out of nowhere and don't give you time to aim properly.
For the most part, the running, jumping and shooting work well. It's just that it seems so uninspired that's the problem. Each level of the game looks different, but the structure and layout of the corridors, streets and hallways all feel the same. It's like running along the wooden path you saw earlier, although this time it's been re-skinned to look metallic. Another thing about the game's level design is that it's almost claustrophobic because everything feels so boxed in. Vincent's double jump is pretty high, so he should be able to get on that ledge that's perfectly within reach. Unfortunately, he'll only end up bumping against an invisible wall. There's a level in this game that resembles a shopping mall: three to four floors with walkways running along the edges while a wide open space occupies the middle. You should be able to jump off the walkways, past the rails and land on the ground floor. But you can't. You'll only bump against that invisible wall again, which only adds to the game's linearity. As for the shooting part, it works pretty well in open areas. When you're in a corridor or any tight space, the camera can become an issue. While it's easy enough to compensate for the lack of room to aim, it can get annoying.
Dirge of Cerberus incorporates a few RPG elements like gaining experience and leveling up. You also have an inventory of items that you can use like a potion or two. The game has an elaborate gun management system that lets you customize your weapons to your liking. You can change the barrel, attach a scope, modify the frame, etc. to suit your needs. Changes in the gun's weight, power, speed and range are monitored in real-time so you can see what will happen to your gun should you implement the modifications. The result is a balancing act that you can choose to ignore. For example, adding a component that will give you more power might give you additional weight as well, which in turn will cause you to move slower. You can change swap to a machine gun frame, which will increase your rate of fire at the cost of range and power. It's perfect for narrow hallways though. You can create up to three gun customizations so you can switch weapon configurations on the fly. It's a great system that lets you create guns for specific scenarios. Unfortunately, the scenarios don't vary too much as you find yourself in the same firefights over and over again. Your foes don't move or dodge a lot, making them easy targets. They will outnumber you most of the time but they'll remain stationary until you shoot them. You then move on to the next area where more foes await and you'll just repeat the process.
The game's graphics are average. Like I mentioned earlier, you'll see a lot of different environments but they all seem bland and uninspired. Character designs are nice though. Vincent in particular looks good and his torn cape moves fluidly enough to be impressive. The menu screens are pretty flashy, which made quite an impression at first but only led to more disappointment because it contradicts how repetitive the game can be. The audio is there, but it's nothing spectacular. Neither the music nor the sound effects will give you reason to turn up the volume. The voice acting is decent though. It's a good thing there's a fair amount of it in the game to keep things interesting.
In the end, you'll want to play Dirge of Cerberus for two things: because you love Final Fantasy VII and/or you like Vincent Valentine. There are better shooters and action games out there so you should play those instead. For the most part, the game functions as a shooter, so the controls and the gameplay work. It's just that it's nothing to be excited about. If you're looking for a functioning third-person shooter, then you might want to consider this title. Other than that, you're probably better off with something else.
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