"A mixed bag."
Dirge is a simple game it's shoot, get the keycard. Disable the gate continue. The level design isn't special ether at times it is very liner. It's good to play the game in short bursts of 2-3 missions at a time. It will keep the game fresh and suprisingly even a little addictive. Though the game is so simple at times, there are items on the ground that are sometimes in shiny cases and sometimes not. You buy things from the jukebox, and kill enemys. There isn't a major differance in the enemys ether, not like in 7 whare almost every enemy had a unique characteristic.
Whare DIrge really shines is it's FMV's they are almost on par with Advent Children. The sound effects are passable but the music is great. Every piece fits the environment. It ranges from intense to ambient, dark to suttle. The cameos and story will keep the die hard fans playing though the game. Of corse if there is one thing they can't screw up it's the story and of corse the story is top notch. Gun customization is also very cool, there are alot of attachments and modifications to the 3 core gun options. Although it would be nice to see something other than the rifle,pistol,machinegun as they are your base weapons. The limit breaks are also a good break from the sometimes repetitive gunplay.
Unfortunally for dirge, the US as politically divided as it is, is also becoming video game divided. It seems as though G4 has become the Fox news for Microsoft. IGN is continually reporting that the ps3 will fail and games on the 360 will not make an apperance on sonys ps3. This is of corse not 100% true at times. So whatever you have heard about dirge from the biased haters whom probably never even rented the game let alone bought it should be disregarded. Game media is not always right nor is it always wrong. There is some true and solid complaints about this game that are warrented. But do not fall victim to the bias against sony that seems to be lurking around today. Because of it's shortfalls which wouldn't really seem that bad if it didn't have ff7 straped on the box. Dirge has become an easy targe for bashing at the gem that is ff7.
P.S: i bet Ninety Nine Nights will sell more in the US then in asia.