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PS2 Final Fantasy 7 Spinoff

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the games-people-play dept.

Bagels writes "Square Enix is finally answering the prayers of thousands of FF7 fans with a side-story PS2 game called "Dirge of Cereberus: Final Fantasy VII." Not much is known yet - the game focuses on the character Vincent, it's set one year after the upcoming movie, Advent Children, and it's early in development as of now - but this is sure to be a hot topic amongst fans and critics of the series alike."

18 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Should be good... by justkarl · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I used to hate final fantasy. But FFX changed my mind about final fantasy...as long as it follows suit in gameplay and style, I'm in.

    1. Re:Should be good... by The+Desert+Palooka · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I had the opposite reaction to X. I've been playing the FF series since the first one (with my favorite being VI) and I actually stopped liking FF when it came out... I couldn't stand the game.

      So from the opposite side of the spectrum, if it follows the format of X, I'm out.

      *shrug*

      If it's more like IX, or VI, or perhaps even VII or VIII, count me in, I'll even consider buying a PS2.

    2. Re:Should be good... by Techguy666 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Final Fantasy X is actually in my PS2 right now. I like the story but the game play is a little annoying.

      When I first started playing, I was ticked-off that there were so many cut-scenes breaking the pace of my game play. I'm 3/4 through FFX now and I find myself getting ticked-off that the game play is interrupting my animated movie...

      I would have liked FFX's gameplay more tied-in with the story such as NeverWinter Nights or Splinter Cell, to cut down on the extreme use of cut-scenes - or less emphasis on the constant need to power-up so we could spend more time exploring, like Myst or Syberia, and enjoying the pretty scenery and cool music.

    3. Re:Should be good... by hc00jw · · Score: 2, Interesting
      [A] main character with unusual parentage, supporting characters with the obligatory "tragic pasts", a villain with a prediliction for gloating speeches, a third-act plot twist that turns the game's world upside down.

      There you go, that's your story! It doesn't get any deeper than that... There's no inner turmoil or human issues that are dealt with in other FF's. This is intentional, because the characters are faceless so they can change to different jobs (this was done much better in Tactics, where you had main-character-specific jobs, which meant that they achieved an individualism). There's no explanation of why the villain came to be so bad. And, that's my next point, the villain is the faceless Ex-death, who's evil, m'kay? But why is he evil? He's just evil, m'kay?

      At the end of the game, I felt no apathy towards the characters I was playing as, and I didn't really care for defeating Ex-death. Sure, tactically I was on fire, but the fun was in levelling up and gaining new skills. So, by the final battle, where I had all the skills I wanted, it was boring, because it was the same as every other faceless boss fight. And the start of the game was also boring, because the skills weren't very interesting (until later level ups).

      Sure, for it's time, it was revolutionary. But like Quake, it was a technical game which has now been superseded by technically better games (V by Tactics, and Quake by Quake III, both of the recent games do what the original done, just better). Games like FFIV don't get superseded, because it was about the story and atmosphere, and you can't 'upgrade' that experience without remaking the original game.

  2. What's going on with Square? by kmak · · Score: 4, Interesting

    First FFX-2, now this.. are they running of ideas? Or are they just more adversive to taking risks?

    --

    I'm not the devil.. just his advocate.
  3. final fantasy ports by Speare · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My last two gaming system purchases were driven by "whatever platform the next Final Fantasy" would be delivered. And the game platform companies know this, which is why they hotly compete for Square's business.

    I wish more of the older FFs were ported to newer platforms. (Heck, a generic SNES-on-PS2 emulator would be very cool.) I've never played FF7 but hear a lot about it. This could open a lot of past-their-prime games to a wider audience, much like the Atari classics movement.

    --
    [ .sig file not found ]
  4. Times Have Changed by Kobold+Curry+Chef · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Since the original FF designer (I believe his last name is Sakaguchi) left Square a couple years ago, things have definitely changed in the FF world. Now we're getting sequels (FF-X, this new one), MMORPG versions, cell phone games...all things that never happened with the original designer running things. Was he holding back the franchise, or was he being smart by not letting things go hog wild?

    1. Re:Times Have Changed by Kobold+Curry+Chef · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Nope, Sakaguchi is off in a new startup now:

      http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3133577&di d=1

      The designer for FF XII is the same one as for FF Tactics Advance. In fact, the two games are both set in Ivalice, the world of FFTA.

  5. Release date by StevenHenderson · · Score: 4, Interesting
    From TFA:

    While Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII is slated for release on the PlayStation 2 in 2005, Square Enix lists the game's genre as "undetermined," which suggests that the game is still in the early stages of development.

    If it is early in development, NO WAY it will see a release in 2005. FFXII is has been delayed until 2005 in Japan and even later here, so I doubt they will overlap the releases, and I have a tough time believing they will have the resources to devote to the game to get it out by then. They royally screwed up the sequel to FFX, so let's hope they get this one right...

  6. Hrm interesting by qazew82 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm not complaining about another FF game, but I'm starting to wonder something -- tell me what you think.

    They talked about Advent Children coming out as a movie instead of a game, but now they have a game starting development. You think they decided to start the game development up because of the positive response from Advent Children? Or do you think that they are really just being that cool and pleasing us.

    eor

  7. This is good news by Tom+Courtenay · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm glad Square is finally listening to its fans! Last year they gave us an innovative sequel to one of the series best games (in X-2), and they're giving us more story for VII in the Advent Children project. Kudos!
    I'm sure that most of use would prefer an RPG follow-up to it, but at least they're learning to capitalize on established characters (not just franchises). A game based around this very unique character could work out well. Sort of an updated Altered Beast type of thing? (for those that don't know, Vincent was a character who had the ability to change into various monsters during a battle). Of course, it could suck....kind of like Altered Beast :)

    Squeenix games get a lot of flack from people, but it's mostly due to the raging fanboys that the games attract. If you can get past the fact that you're feeding the Squeenix monster, you'll often find a rewarding experience that can entertain those beyond the 14 year olds.

    --
    If you could be anything you want, I'll bet you'd be disappointed.
  8. Re:Isn't it Ironic (Don'tcha think) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting
    The series' name comes from Square's brush with bankruptcy, and is an excellent example of gallows humor. Head designer Hironobu Sakaguchi decided to make the company's last project a fantasy role-playing game, as the name of Final Fantasy implies. The game's success brought the company to profitability, and the Final Fantasy video game franchise was born. Since then the Final Fantasy franchise has been considered Square Enix's most important asset. Figuratively, the name of Final Fantasy can also refer to any successful last chance to escape bankruptcy or any successful last chance to escape death or halt personal loss, based on this business situation.

    Final Fantasy

  9. SquareEnix, the Radical Company? by MMaestro · · Score: 2, Interesting
    In the case of at least FFXI, the idea to make the game a MMORPG was decided before Squaresoft merged with Enix.

    As for the experimenting with new designs, Square/Enix doesn't really have a record of 'experimenting' and more like 'maverick designer ideas'. Parasite Eve was some-what turn-based but the whole guns, move while fighting, 1 character, sorta thing was totally different from the FF games. Same with Vagrant Story. Targeting different parts of the body? Weapons/Armor that change weaknesses/strengths to certain enemies? No more level system? Thats a pretty radical jump from the FF standard 'you attack, I attack' system.

    Not that Enix is innocent either. Their Dragon Quest/Warrior series is still using the old menu system founded with DQ/DW game.

  10. Stop Knocking on Square by ChronoSphere · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think its a good thing that they are finally extending the story from one of their more popular games. The ending to FFVII was so ambiguous, that its practically crying for another story to tie up the loose ends. Now, if Square tried to make a sequel outta something like FFVIII, then I might disagree, but this is probably the best thing they could have done for the story of FFVII.

  11. Re:Definately the best one. by CashCarSTAR · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not me.

    I've played them all since #1. I can honestly say that my favorite is X by far. Best fighting engine+somewhat fun level up system+great story.

  12. You cant have a true sequel with FF7 by sweede · · Score: 2, Interesting

    unlike Final Fantasy X, where the story continued after Sin was destroyed (As it always has for 10 years, but this time possibly longer?, but i'm sure there is more too it than FFX2), the ending of FF7 was the END OF the 'Human' existance!

    For those that completed the game, when Cloud released Holy to destroy Meteor (after killin sepiroth with that kickass limitbreaker that did more damage than anything else in the game) , it was said elsewhere in the story that when Holy is unleashed, it will erradicate ANY AND ALL threats to the life force of the planet.

    After the totally kickass CGI of holy doing its dirty, it goes black for a few seconds and then shows a world overgrown by nature 500 years into the future. If you look at it good enough, you'll see that the area that is overgrown is the old Shinra headquarters and that floating city that crashed to the ground. Mankind did not survive the fate of Holy, thus making a real sequel to this story not possible (or horribly fake).

    If anything, i'd like to imagine that this isnt the story after the holy was unleashed and the meteor stopped and earth saved, but instead a whole other story that is going on at the same time with various characters, or even a backstory for Vincent.

    --
    I follow the SDK and GDN principles.. Spelling Dont Kount, Grammer Dont Neither
    1. Re:You cant have a true sequel with FF7 by Nazmun · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Thats just not true... I remember them saying it ws too late for midgar (the floating city)... not all of mankind. Also you see Aris through lifestream easing that process too if i remember correctly (it's been a while!) to reduce casualties.

      --
      Hmmm... Pie...
  13. Enix Influence by faust2097 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Enix is well known for whoring out many, many spin-offs, side stories and the like. Right now there are multiple games available where you play as a slime or merchant from Dragon Warrior. Even within established series Square never did a true sequel until the merger with Enix. I guess this is the end result of the failure of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.