Following my trend on playing FF7 related stuff after I finished Rebirth, I fired this one up for the first time, one I`ve been longing to play for a while now. It follows, after the success of the original FF7, the idea of expanding the lore and the universe of the game, now with a rather unique, but ultimately fun idea - a shooter game.
This game has a pretty noticeable Devil May Cry-esque to it, and Vincent Valentine, the mysterious vampire like hero from the main game, it`s a perfect pick for this kind of game. It has the visuals and the feels from Advent Children, but the tone is a little more grim and eerie, especially on the scenarios and the whole feel of the stages throughout the game.
Story-wise, the game follows the events at the end of the original FF7 and introduces a new group know as DeepGround, a secret military organization from Shinra that features genetically enhanced soldiers. Vincent learns that their ultimate goal is to call forth Omega and basically turn the planet into a crumbly rock - the story goes fine until almost till the end, when it becomes too much convaluted and unnecessary complex; it`s like they tried to do too much at the same time, and it doesn`t work that well. And also, I wished the original cast, Cloud and the crew, were a bit more important and present along the game, but I can see why they did it like this.
Talking about gameplay, this game functions as a third person shooter with a variety of weapons and materias at your disposal, but Vincent can still use his melee attacks. Although I wanted a few more weapons to be avaliable, I had a lot of fun playing with the guns you can pick from and meddle with the different combinations you can make with them. Even tho it can get a little repetitive sometimes, the levels are short so you don`t really feel bored.
I wonder if they ever gonna poke around this one, after remastering Crisis Core, and introduce it to the new FF7 universe - some of the characters introduced in this game are already present in some parts, especially in episode INTERmission. Honestly, I had a blast playing this, but this has to do with me being a huge fan of the original game, so if you`re not into the lore and all of the story, you probably not gonna like this one.
This game has a pretty noticeable Devil May Cry-esque to it, and Vincent Valentine, the mysterious vampire like hero from the main game, it`s a perfect pick for this kind of game. It has the visuals and the feels from Advent Children, but the tone is a little more grim and eerie, especially on the scenarios and the whole feel of the stages throughout the game.
Story-wise, the game follows the events at the end of the original FF7 and introduces a new group know as DeepGround, a secret military organization from Shinra that features genetically enhanced soldiers. Vincent learns that their ultimate goal is to call forth Omega and basically turn the planet into a crumbly rock - the story goes fine until almost till the end, when it becomes too much convaluted and unnecessary complex; it`s like they tried to do too much at the same time, and it doesn`t work that well. And also, I wished the original cast, Cloud and the crew, were a bit more important and present along the game, but I can see why they did it like this.
Talking about gameplay, this game functions as a third person shooter with a variety of weapons and materias at your disposal, but Vincent can still use his melee attacks. Although I wanted a few more weapons to be avaliable, I had a lot of fun playing with the guns you can pick from and meddle with the different combinations you can make with them. Even tho it can get a little repetitive sometimes, the levels are short so you don`t really feel bored.
I wonder if they ever gonna poke around this one, after remastering Crisis Core, and introduce it to the new FF7 universe - some of the characters introduced in this game are already present in some parts, especially in episode INTERmission. Honestly, I had a blast playing this, but this has to do with me being a huge fan of the original game, so if you`re not into the lore and all of the story, you probably not gonna like this one.
pretty great and campy arcade shooter for the PS2. you can play it with mouse and keyboard for Elite Gaming Action, too, though honestly the Dualshock controls are just fine.
For what is labeled the black sheep of FF7 I can see why it's a mixed bag. I overall enjoyed playing it and getting to know more about Vincent's past was nice and I already liked the character before so.
P.S. Hopefully it gets a remake one day cause since Crisis Core did Dirge deserves it just as much.
P.S. Hopefully it gets a remake one day cause since Crisis Core did Dirge deserves it just as much.
UN JUEGO SIN NADA
Te digo el motivo por el que este juego exista: Dinero, no hay más.
No hay nada de cariño puesto en él, no se esforzaron en lo más mínimo en que tuviera algo memorable y yo tampoco voy a esforzarme en hablar sobre él porque no merece mi tiempo.
Personajes insulsos.
Historia aburrida y llena de huecos argumentales.
Jugabilidad repetitiva y cansada.
Estereotipos edgy de inicios de los 2000.
Fanservice para pillar a los nostálgicos.
De lo peor que he jugado en mi vida, no tiene más.
Te digo el motivo por el que este juego exista: Dinero, no hay más.
No hay nada de cariño puesto en él, no se esforzaron en lo más mínimo en que tuviera algo memorable y yo tampoco voy a esforzarme en hablar sobre él porque no merece mi tiempo.
Personajes insulsos.
Historia aburrida y llena de huecos argumentales.
Jugabilidad repetitiva y cansada.
Estereotipos edgy de inicios de los 2000.
Fanservice para pillar a los nostálgicos.
De lo peor que he jugado en mi vida, no tiene más.
This is one of the worst video games I have ever played. I went into this knowing of it's reputation but by goly it surpased them. The story was so confussing and when it is not confussing it pulls stuff out of it's ass like the twist with the main villain. The gameplay is so fucking boring with you being able to just stand still and shoot. The voice acting is halariously bad. The only redeeming qualities of this game is that the soundtrack is good and the game is one of the best looking PS2 games. Best way to play this game is to start it and look at the opening, that is it. AVOID THIS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Surprisingly pretty good. It has the sauce. Didn't expect this much story.
going into this i dont really thought myself having a bad time with this exact entry but after finishing it,it was pretty average to say the least.
for better or worse the story slowly turning into something similar to kingdom hearts which i don't really know how to feel tbh and none of the new characters really grabbed me in any way they're just,okay at best,the returning characters from FF7 with advent children outfit looks really great on cutscenes though gotta give it props for that.
while i don't really think the gameplay is all that bad,but it didn't really offer a fun or cool experience playing as Vincent Valentine it's more so just plain and average which is an missed opportunity,also i don't know how many people liked this but i fw the style of this game heavy,like obviously this was made during those mid 2000s edgy phase that doesn't really please a lot of people nowadays but man from the UI and it's sounds shit was so cool i can't help but it became my favorite thing about the game itself,like i said Dirge Of Cerberus is not bad but just pretty mediocre overall though in some areas i would argue it's straight up ass.
for better or worse the story slowly turning into something similar to kingdom hearts which i don't really know how to feel tbh and none of the new characters really grabbed me in any way they're just,okay at best,the returning characters from FF7 with advent children outfit looks really great on cutscenes though gotta give it props for that.
while i don't really think the gameplay is all that bad,but it didn't really offer a fun or cool experience playing as Vincent Valentine it's more so just plain and average which is an missed opportunity,also i don't know how many people liked this but i fw the style of this game heavy,like obviously this was made during those mid 2000s edgy phase that doesn't really please a lot of people nowadays but man from the UI and it's sounds shit was so cool i can't help but it became my favorite thing about the game itself,like i said Dirge Of Cerberus is not bad but just pretty mediocre overall though in some areas i would argue it's straight up ass.
i thought he was so badass
This game is way better than anyone gives it credit for.
Getting to play a whole game as Vincent really makes him have a lot more presence in the compilation than when he was just an optional character in OG FFVII. And Yuffie is here a bit too so that’s more screen time for the other optional character.
The story is a bit silly but so is literally every other Final Fantasy including the one this game is a sequel to. If it’s funny and entertaining what’s the matter?
Gameplay wise it’s actually smooth for a PS2 game.
Honestly the only bad part is that we never got the sequel they clearly set up at the end.
Getting to play a whole game as Vincent really makes him have a lot more presence in the compilation than when he was just an optional character in OG FFVII. And Yuffie is here a bit too so that’s more screen time for the other optional character.
The story is a bit silly but so is literally every other Final Fantasy including the one this game is a sequel to. If it’s funny and entertaining what’s the matter?
Gameplay wise it’s actually smooth for a PS2 game.
Honestly the only bad part is that we never got the sequel they clearly set up at the end.
seriously square? trying to copy Ryū ga Gotoku OF THE END? lame
I wanted to give it a fair shot and y'know what, I kinda had fun in the first few hours.
That said this game is bad. Like EMBARRASSINGLY bad.
The movement is awkward, the level design is horrendous, the story makes NO sense, every character is either boring or straight up unlikable, the villains motive is incomprehensible, HELL EVERYONE'S MOTIVE IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE, the dialogue feel generated by an ai with the only prompt being "make it as edgy as possible", if this shit isn't the worst ff game then i dunno what is.
It has reeve though which elevates it from a 2 to a 3/10, love the little guy (he's a grown ass man but whatever)
That said this game is bad. Like EMBARRASSINGLY bad.
The movement is awkward, the level design is horrendous, the story makes NO sense, every character is either boring or straight up unlikable, the villains motive is incomprehensible, HELL EVERYONE'S MOTIVE IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE, the dialogue feel generated by an ai with the only prompt being "make it as edgy as possible", if this shit isn't the worst ff game then i dunno what is.
It has reeve though which elevates it from a 2 to a 3/10, love the little guy (he's a grown ass man but whatever)
Swagless Bullet Witch with Metal Gear Solid rejects for antagonists. Now, don't get me wrong: Vincent Valentine is the only boy in the whole world I would date. I love him. I would do anything for him. But his game is ass, and there's not enough here to make it a bad game that's actually kind of good somehow or whatever; it's just dry, crumbly, and overproduced. I was absolutely fucking ready to be this game's strongest warrior, but it's really a case of what you see is what you get, and I can't even really bring myself to watch the rest of the cutscenes on YouTube, even after getting over halfway through the game in a single sitting a couple weeks ago. I don't even really hate the game either, it's probably the least offensive entry in the 2000s era of the FF7 compilation, it's just playing this game and watching these characters say words in cutscenes makes my tummy hurt.
The logistics behind Cait Sith in this one are really funny though, like what the fuck is even going on with that.
The logistics behind Cait Sith in this one are really funny though, like what the fuck is even going on with that.
My Mom Thinks Vincent Is An Idiot For Putting Belts On His Neck
No, This Has Nothing To Do With My Opinion On The Game, I Just Thought It Was Funny
No, This Has Nothing To Do With My Opinion On The Game, I Just Thought It Was Funny
This review contains spoilers
This game agaisnt all my expectations, is actually kinda good
and I say this despite the fact that this game is bascially Shadow the Hedgehog with a FFVII skin.
I went into this game expecting it to be horrible and that I wouldn't be able to finish it, and initally I didn't really like the game I'll admit but then after beating INTERmission DLC for FF7R I decided that I gotta come back to this, and I really don't regret that descision. Honestly after Chapter 1 the game starts to be pretty fun, I don't know if thats because I just got better at the game or what but I found that after I was halfway through chapter 3 I was actually really enjoying myself, the actual gameplau is not really good but like after a while it's actualyl super fun honestly, not amazing or anything but I liked it, and the gun customization is super cool if not a bit stale after a while due to a lack of customizations, honestly if they did like a Final Mix version of this game it ccould actualyl be kinda really fun. It's clearly not a game that would get it, it's not a chracter action game or anything but like honestly with a few tweaks I could find myself really enjoying the gameplay.
Anyway, this game is basically Shadow the Hedgehog, black and red protag, focus on a side characters backstory that takes place many years in the past from the rest of the story, main character uses guns as a main weapon etc and finished off with a final level that has a vocal song playing (Sure not the final boss but close enough) either way this game is basically Shadow the Hedgehog in like so many ways. Also I won't lie having Gackt blast in the background during the final level bumped up the games score by half a star, I was praying for a "I am... All of Me" moment to happen and I was rewarded, so beatiful.
Something that really surprised me is that the music in this game is actually pretty good, not every song is amazing but a good majority is really good, and it has some nice range. Plus it has Gackt and I mean it's Gackt... what a guy. However Lucrecia's theme has the same first four notes of Kairis theme from KH and every time it played I got kinda annoyed it wasn't because like that is Kairis theme playing there but ehh.
Story is weirdest part of the game, I don't hate it, and I kinda like it in a way, but overall it's just all over the place, all the stuff in the past is neat to see, but like I said its all over the place, the timeline with all those past cutscenes honestly just don't make much sense to me, I mean I get most of it since I've played OG FF7 but the stuff with Vincents father felt outa left field. Also did they change Lucrecias and Hojos relationship because in the OG it's just kinda said they were together or something idk, but like here what the hell happened I get she stayed away from Vincent because she blamed herself for his fathers death? or something like that anyway but like she clearly hated Hojo here, so what was with all this cucking stuff, like it was in the OG but here what the hell is that like I do not get it at all, just strange and kinda uncomfortable. I gotta say Hojo is kinda super funny, especialyl in the ending, carried mostly by Paul Eidings performance but he's really good there. I won't say I understand why he's there with the NEO Reunion and stuff but neat I suppose..? Also woah they said Rebirth Dirge of Cerberus prediticed FF7R no way!
I gotta say Vincent is actually likeable here, they give him way more personaltiy that I thought they would, defintley more than a super edgyfied version (well more than in the OG) but I mean he even has his phone !!! Game went up a whole star when I saw Vincent got his phone back, massive payoff from Advent Children. Also speaking of phone, I like that thhe rest of t he OGff7 cast are here , like sometimes I just forgot this was a FF7 game and then boom Cloud or Yuffie or Cid and a surprising amount of Reeves. This game utilises alot of characters not seen as much in the OG and thats neat, I like how Yuffie is a big focus here because shes the other optional character and that Reeve is seen alot as well, just super neat. Though the stuff with Reeve and Cait Sith I don't get here, like I know Cait Sith is a robot and stuff but how does Reeve control him?? how does he do that stuff ? idk wont question it but like huh? Either way returning characters be cool, and also actualyl new characters be kinda cool. The hot scientist lady who gets instantly killed (but not really) is cool I liked her and cool she had the arm and eye but then shes just gone and replaced with her sister, who while I don't get why she's 10 forever I actualyl grew to like her, goes through some neat developemet and stuff. cool. every other new character is kinda hollow though, the villains are nothing and I don't care for them other than it's actually the funniest thing that they're back in INTERmission. So very slightly I'm kinda hoping that they get a cameo or something in the Remake Trilogy.
I will say at times this game does not feel like FF at all in any way, I still like i alot more than I should honestly, I do gotta say the game has some surpinsgly humurous moments, like near the end of the game with enemies hiding inside a fake shop is actually really good, and also them being in the boxes. Plus it has stuff like the Potoin which is pretty funny honestly, I really thought it was just mispelt but nope intential.
I do gotta say I actually like this game more than Crisis Core, honestly I do. I've given this game the highest rating I feel I can, I adore this game more than I should though. I feel 4 stars is way too high, and I had to give it that extra half star for the ending with Gackt, though the Vincent fake out death was kinda stupid, though it was indeed hilarious when everyones like "oh no... Vincent Dead!!" and then Gackt just starts playing, amazing game. I can't tell how much of the humour in this game is intential and what's not this game is a mystery and I love it. A game that I don't think its anything super special but a great time as well, a nice length too. I honestly think it's worth playing. Either way I've rambled way too much about this game somehow and if I talk any more I might perish.
(Also I finished it exactly a day before Rebirth came out, so that's nice. And I better see Weiss and Nero return everyones favourite characters, bring Deepground back in full have Weiss kill Aerith or something idk it'd be the funniest thing they could do I just really want to see DoC in there somewhere)
and I say this despite the fact that this game is bascially Shadow the Hedgehog with a FFVII skin.
I went into this game expecting it to be horrible and that I wouldn't be able to finish it, and initally I didn't really like the game I'll admit but then after beating INTERmission DLC for FF7R I decided that I gotta come back to this, and I really don't regret that descision. Honestly after Chapter 1 the game starts to be pretty fun, I don't know if thats because I just got better at the game or what but I found that after I was halfway through chapter 3 I was actually really enjoying myself, the actual gameplau is not really good but like after a while it's actualyl super fun honestly, not amazing or anything but I liked it, and the gun customization is super cool if not a bit stale after a while due to a lack of customizations, honestly if they did like a Final Mix version of this game it ccould actualyl be kinda really fun. It's clearly not a game that would get it, it's not a chracter action game or anything but like honestly with a few tweaks I could find myself really enjoying the gameplay.
Anyway, this game is basically Shadow the Hedgehog, black and red protag, focus on a side characters backstory that takes place many years in the past from the rest of the story, main character uses guns as a main weapon etc and finished off with a final level that has a vocal song playing (Sure not the final boss but close enough) either way this game is basically Shadow the Hedgehog in like so many ways. Also I won't lie having Gackt blast in the background during the final level bumped up the games score by half a star, I was praying for a "I am... All of Me" moment to happen and I was rewarded, so beatiful.
Something that really surprised me is that the music in this game is actually pretty good, not every song is amazing but a good majority is really good, and it has some nice range. Plus it has Gackt and I mean it's Gackt... what a guy. However Lucrecia's theme has the same first four notes of Kairis theme from KH and every time it played I got kinda annoyed it wasn't because like that is Kairis theme playing there but ehh.
Story is weirdest part of the game, I don't hate it, and I kinda like it in a way, but overall it's just all over the place, all the stuff in the past is neat to see, but like I said its all over the place, the timeline with all those past cutscenes honestly just don't make much sense to me, I mean I get most of it since I've played OG FF7 but the stuff with Vincents father felt outa left field. Also did they change Lucrecias and Hojos relationship because in the OG it's just kinda said they were together or something idk, but like here what the hell happened I get she stayed away from Vincent because she blamed herself for his fathers death? or something like that anyway but like she clearly hated Hojo here, so what was with all this cucking stuff, like it was in the OG but here what the hell is that like I do not get it at all, just strange and kinda uncomfortable. I gotta say Hojo is kinda super funny, especialyl in the ending, carried mostly by Paul Eidings performance but he's really good there. I won't say I understand why he's there with the NEO Reunion and stuff but neat I suppose..? Also woah they said Rebirth Dirge of Cerberus prediticed FF7R no way!
I gotta say Vincent is actually likeable here, they give him way more personaltiy that I thought they would, defintley more than a super edgyfied version (well more than in the OG) but I mean he even has his phone !!! Game went up a whole star when I saw Vincent got his phone back, massive payoff from Advent Children. Also speaking of phone, I like that thhe rest of t he OGff7 cast are here , like sometimes I just forgot this was a FF7 game and then boom Cloud or Yuffie or Cid and a surprising amount of Reeves. This game utilises alot of characters not seen as much in the OG and thats neat, I like how Yuffie is a big focus here because shes the other optional character and that Reeve is seen alot as well, just super neat. Though the stuff with Reeve and Cait Sith I don't get here, like I know Cait Sith is a robot and stuff but how does Reeve control him?? how does he do that stuff ? idk wont question it but like huh? Either way returning characters be cool, and also actualyl new characters be kinda cool. The hot scientist lady who gets instantly killed (but not really) is cool I liked her and cool she had the arm and eye but then shes just gone and replaced with her sister, who while I don't get why she's 10 forever I actualyl grew to like her, goes through some neat developemet and stuff. cool. every other new character is kinda hollow though, the villains are nothing and I don't care for them other than it's actually the funniest thing that they're back in INTERmission. So very slightly I'm kinda hoping that they get a cameo or something in the Remake Trilogy.
I will say at times this game does not feel like FF at all in any way, I still like i alot more than I should honestly, I do gotta say the game has some surpinsgly humurous moments, like near the end of the game with enemies hiding inside a fake shop is actually really good, and also them being in the boxes. Plus it has stuff like the Potoin which is pretty funny honestly, I really thought it was just mispelt but nope intential.
I do gotta say I actually like this game more than Crisis Core, honestly I do. I've given this game the highest rating I feel I can, I adore this game more than I should though. I feel 4 stars is way too high, and I had to give it that extra half star for the ending with Gackt, though the Vincent fake out death was kinda stupid, though it was indeed hilarious when everyones like "oh no... Vincent Dead!!" and then Gackt just starts playing, amazing game. I can't tell how much of the humour in this game is intential and what's not this game is a mystery and I love it. A game that I don't think its anything super special but a great time as well, a nice length too. I honestly think it's worth playing. Either way I've rambled way too much about this game somehow and if I talk any more I might perish.
(Also I finished it exactly a day before Rebirth came out, so that's nice. And I better see Weiss and Nero return everyones favourite characters, bring Deepground back in full have Weiss kill Aerith or something idk it'd be the funniest thing they could do I just really want to see DoC in there somewhere)
Gege Akutami presents Kingdom Hearts
vincent valentine... save me...
vincent valentine
save me vincent valentine
vincent valentine
save me vincent valentine
Ta wapo
Once again, My Final Fantasy 7 fandom has driven me to play yet another cash in title.
Unlike Crisis Core, I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. It's pretty simple and doesn't really evolve in terms of gameplay, but it tells a decent story and seeing the aftermath of the end events of Final Fantasy 7 is super interesting.
Oh, and it's got Vincent so that's pretty cool.
Unlike Crisis Core, I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. It's pretty simple and doesn't really evolve in terms of gameplay, but it tells a decent story and seeing the aftermath of the end events of Final Fantasy 7 is super interesting.
Oh, and it's got Vincent so that's pretty cool.
if you hate this game you will die and go to hell
honestly its got vibes. feels like xenosaga x metal gear. villains are lame but the character writing is a big step up from base ff7 and especially crisis core so i like it a lot. also lots of berserk references so it's filled with ff7 soul
You deserved so much better Vincent Valentine. You will get your moment in the sun I swear.
YES the third person shooting is kinda mid and YES the later levels get some pretty mean design choices that almost force you into grinding earlier levels for xp and gil and YES the first three-quarters of the game have very little meaningful or interesting story and YES everything with Omega and the Protomateria raises a lot of Big Lore questions about things going on in FF7.
BUT.
That last bit of the game! The last, like, three levels or something! It's all kinda sick as hell! The Rosso and Azul boss fights are just so damn cool. And basically everything once you get to the Weiss fight?? It's all anime bullshit and I love it. Vincent is great. What a cool guy. Yuffie is fun to have around sometimes! The little bit of Cloud/Tifa/Barret you get rules! Reeve sucks! And I guess Cid is there, too!
And I think the choice at the end of each level to convert your points into either XP or Gil is genuinely cool! And having your RPG stats to level up helps set this apart from the majority of shooters, which is neat!
I think I'm going to be rotating Rosso the Crimson in my mind for a long time.
If you don't like the edgy goth twink game then, I dunno, try letting joy into your heart or something.
BUT.
That last bit of the game! The last, like, three levels or something! It's all kinda sick as hell! The Rosso and Azul boss fights are just so damn cool. And basically everything once you get to the Weiss fight?? It's all anime bullshit and I love it. Vincent is great. What a cool guy. Yuffie is fun to have around sometimes! The little bit of Cloud/Tifa/Barret you get rules! Reeve sucks! And I guess Cid is there, too!
And I think the choice at the end of each level to convert your points into either XP or Gil is genuinely cool! And having your RPG stats to level up helps set this apart from the majority of shooters, which is neat!
I think I'm going to be rotating Rosso the Crimson in my mind for a long time.
If you don't like the edgy goth twink game then, I dunno, try letting joy into your heart or something.
what a weird game. sticks out like a sore thumb in the squenix lineup but it's not as bad as people said at the time.
Don't care what people say, I love this game and I always will.
So incredibly edgy. And horribly forgettable characters.
Holy fuck this was amazing, shame about that secret ending huh?
I get it
playing this will only have been worth it if Gackt shows up in rebirth nomura please i need my edgy 2000's loser rock music fix ;-;
I remember reading a review of this game, back when it first came out, in the Guardian newspaper, which thinking back to it is completely bizarre given they used to review like 3 games a month. Maybe that's just how big Final Fantasy was back then, I can't say I was the most plugged in kid to that stuff. Anyway the review was about three lines long and mostly complained that Vincent was a lot cooler in cutscenes than he was under the players control, that being all they had to say about the game.
And it's not hard to see why that is, Dirge of Cerberus is a game that slides directly off the brain in real time, I couldn't remember what had happened in any given cutscene about 5 seconds after it ended. At first the cutscene direction most reminded me of, of all things, 2001: A Space Odyssey, with it's almost ethereal silence and dreamlike quality, but it quickly becomes apparent that this feeling is largely spurred on by the fact that nothing of interest happens in most of the game's many cutscenes. There's some decent visual direction in parts but it ends up giving way to boredom eventually as soon as the plot properly kicks in, and I'm not really an easily bored person so take that as you will.
The villains are somehow both inscrutable and completely 1 dimensional at the same time, and come off as pound shop versions of a metal gear solid bad guy squad more than anything, none of them really get time to shine (although I did like the one cutscene of Rosso experiencing rain for the first time). In fact none of the characters really get time to shine, least of all Vincent himself who's arc is mostly a retread of his sidequest in FF7 but with a bunch of cruft. The other members of the party show up to do, uh... something off screen I guess but the game clearly just wants you to be psyched that they're here at all. A couple of the new characters have potential that isn't really explored, and I'd have loved to see more of Shalua personally (the scene where she holds the door open with her bionic arm was very striking).
The gameplay is not nearly as bad as I was expecting but overstays it's welcome and doesn't really do enough to mix things up once you've got all the guns about 3 missions in. And yes, Vincent feels very stiff in gameplay compared to the stuff he's doing in cutscenes but honestly I mostly found that pretty funny more than anything so I can forgive it. It felt to me like the game could have done with more sections like the one on Cid's airship where you get a chance to talk to all the characters before the next mission, since the cast doesn't really get room to breathe and grow on you.
That said though, after all the boredom I have to admit that in the final moments where the game goes full 2006 emo and the Gackt starts playing..... I was back on board again, haha. If the whole game had gone for that tone it would have been a genuinely enjoyable experience I think, even with the slightly bland gameplay.
All in all not nearly as bad as I'd been lead to expect, just a bit boring for most of it's 10 hour runtime. A game that is dumb in all the wrong ways right up until it becomes dumb in all the right way at the last possible moment.
And it's not hard to see why that is, Dirge of Cerberus is a game that slides directly off the brain in real time, I couldn't remember what had happened in any given cutscene about 5 seconds after it ended. At first the cutscene direction most reminded me of, of all things, 2001: A Space Odyssey, with it's almost ethereal silence and dreamlike quality, but it quickly becomes apparent that this feeling is largely spurred on by the fact that nothing of interest happens in most of the game's many cutscenes. There's some decent visual direction in parts but it ends up giving way to boredom eventually as soon as the plot properly kicks in, and I'm not really an easily bored person so take that as you will.
The villains are somehow both inscrutable and completely 1 dimensional at the same time, and come off as pound shop versions of a metal gear solid bad guy squad more than anything, none of them really get time to shine (although I did like the one cutscene of Rosso experiencing rain for the first time). In fact none of the characters really get time to shine, least of all Vincent himself who's arc is mostly a retread of his sidequest in FF7 but with a bunch of cruft. The other members of the party show up to do, uh... something off screen I guess but the game clearly just wants you to be psyched that they're here at all. A couple of the new characters have potential that isn't really explored, and I'd have loved to see more of Shalua personally (the scene where she holds the door open with her bionic arm was very striking).
The gameplay is not nearly as bad as I was expecting but overstays it's welcome and doesn't really do enough to mix things up once you've got all the guns about 3 missions in. And yes, Vincent feels very stiff in gameplay compared to the stuff he's doing in cutscenes but honestly I mostly found that pretty funny more than anything so I can forgive it. It felt to me like the game could have done with more sections like the one on Cid's airship where you get a chance to talk to all the characters before the next mission, since the cast doesn't really get room to breathe and grow on you.
That said though, after all the boredom I have to admit that in the final moments where the game goes full 2006 emo and the Gackt starts playing..... I was back on board again, haha. If the whole game had gone for that tone it would have been a genuinely enjoyable experience I think, even with the slightly bland gameplay.
All in all not nearly as bad as I'd been lead to expect, just a bit boring for most of it's 10 hour runtime. A game that is dumb in all the wrong ways right up until it becomes dumb in all the right way at the last possible moment.
Finally, a game for people with an Oedipus Complex (?????????????)