This Final Fantasy VII cash-in is hardly a fantasy without interesting characters, plot, or decent RPG elements.
Some years later, the Final Fantasy VII legacy lives on through merchandising and various cash-ins. Things such as character cameos in other video games like Kingdom Hearts, a completely CG full-length film titled Advent Children, products and toys, and most recently another video game continue to add on to the already saturated universe of Final Fantasy VII.
The game in question is titled Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, and the very first thing hardcore fans of the series will realize is that they will not be playing as their beloved hero and icon of the original Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children film, Cloud Strife. This time around, players will assume the identity of the enigmatic and troubled Vincent Valentine. But fear not fans; he has more than enough angst to share with the biggest of Cloud Strife fans.
The story takes place three years after the events of the original Final Fantasy VII (one year after the events of Advent Children) and is essentially both an origin story of how Vincent became the way he is and how he faces the new danger that threatens the world. After gamers absorb that bit of information while playing, they will soon discover that none of the rest of the story is interesting enough to follow or care about.
One of the biggest strikes against the game is the lousy attempt at a remotely solid story that should keep players interested about what is happening. However, the game becomes so completely bogged down by continually introducing dull characters and tedious plot events that gamers will be repeatedly tapping their buttons to skip the next overly long cutscene in a game that is about forty percent story cutscenes.
The next bombshell that may be in store for fans of the series is the change in gameplay. Despite the title “Final Fantasy” being synonymous with the role-playing genre, Dirge of Cerberus switches it up and has players running and gunning as Vincent in a third-person shooter similar to SOCOM: Navy Seals. This concept is most certainly not a bad idea in theory, especially for a guy that carries a massive handgun, but the way that the game controls is the next biggest strike against the game.
For a character that is supposed to be as agile as a fox, moving Vincent from location to location just feels sluggish and uncomfortable. If moving wasn’t troubling enough, aiming to actually shoot enemies is annoyingly awkward, even when zoomed in and using crosshairs. Playing around with the aiming sensitivities in the options menu may help a bit, but overall aiming and shooting feels broken.
Other gameplay killers include laughable enemy AI, horrendous level design, and overall just a recurring sense of “been there, done that” around hour three of a more than ten hour game. With this in mind, Dirge of Cerberus isn’t a complete a waste of video store shelf space. Believe it or not, the game manages to have some redeeming elements throughout the monotony. Some levels have their surprise fun spots and being able to customize Vincent’s handgun with a variety of discovered or bought parts is a nice RPG element that keeps the action somewhat interesting. Being able to buy and add barrel, stock, or accessory types to any of the three guns available to match the situation is a genuinely fun experience. It is just a shame that the game couldn’t be filled with more of this fun customization experience.
In the end, the most hardcore of Final Fantasy VII fans may be able to overlook the many flaws that Dirge of Cerberus possesses and find it a enjoyable game, while others may simply rejoice in the fact that their favorite characters are back once again to fight the forces of evil, however the gamers out there that are expecting a typically solid Square Enix experience will be sorely disappointed by the lack of any kind of innovation or fun.