Dirge of Cerberus Final Fantasy VII

🎮 PlayStation 2 ⏳ 15 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Dark FFVII Experiment #

Set three years after the events of the original game PlayStation 1 game, it explores darker themes and expands the FFVII universe with a cinematic narrative. The game blends third-person shooting with RPG elements, including customizable weapons and character progression, which was one of the things I liked the most out of it, even though it is a somewhat limited implementation. While its story and atmospheric soundtrack were praised, the gameplay received mixed reviews at the time, especially when it comes to the expectations of how a Final Fantasy game was made.

Flawed Shooter RPG #

Critics cited clunky controls, repetitive combat, and poor AI as major drawbacks, visually, it was strong for its time, but the shift from traditional JRPG gameplay to shooter mechanics felt jarring to many longtime fans, it is an intriguing but flawed experiment that adds lore to the FFVII world, best appreciated by devoted fans rather than action game enthusiasts. Particularly I didn’t really cared at the time for most of the things that FF fans cared for, so I managed to enjoy the hell out of this one, I even replayed it quite a bit, experimenting with new tactics, specially when it comes to the boss fights, which can be very tough if you don’t are not prepared for them.

Fans-Only Experience #

There are also some unique sections where you play as Cait Sith, with very different gameplay mechanics than the regular MC. I highly recommend this for FFVII fans, this is not a good title if you are not into this particular FF entry, even though Vincent is one of the coolest characters of the franchise. I don’t recommend this for any other person, so shooter fans, FF fans in general and alike, this is a game made specifically for FFVII fans alone, and this is why I enjoyed it very much.