Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

It's a unique take on the FPS, RPG and action genres, but at the same time Dirge of Cerberus doesn’t execute either of these genres extremely well. If you’re willing to be patient with the game’s controls Dirge of Cerberus offers a new experience and more background on the Final Fantasy VII universe. [JPN Import]

Mediocre at best gameplay coupled with graphical bliss and a lengthy story guarantee huge sales, but you’d be much better off waiting a month and getting FF XII as this is no RPG and it’s no picnic. [JPN Import]

Very beautiful. How disappointing, then, to learn that the entertainment factor is only mild. [Sept 2006, p.54]

None of the bland gameplay is helped by the fact that the controls feel sluggish overall.

Neither fantastic nor terrible, instead landing somewhere in between. Final Fantasy fans might find the addition of an action game to their favorite series to be odd, while shooter aficionados will wonder why it's so easy.

The story is interesting and fairly epic, but told in such large chunks at a time, that sometimes the pacing is thrown off.

Is Dirge of Cerberus the best use of the Final Fantasy VII universe? Definitely not. Is it a decent game with a strong story and occasionally-engaging rifle blasting? Absolutely.

Ultimately this game is easy to recommend to FF7 fans who want one more visit with their favorite characters. But for shooter fans that don’t quite care so much for FF7, there are far better shooters out there.

There are some glaring mistakes in Dirge of Cerberus that even your most hardcore of fans cannot overlook.

Those difficult extra missions unlocked one by one after finishing the main game are certainly going to keep me occupied at least until Final Fantasy XII appears in the UK.

An immensely repetitive shooter with the flavor of "Devil May Cry," "Dino Crisis," and "Parasite Eve II" baked right in. The finished dish isn’t as delish as the menu indicated, but it isn’t entirely bland.

On the other hand, despite all the effort that clearly went into this game's visuals, story points, and even gun customization, making Dirge of Cerberus fun to play slipped to a disappointingly low priority somewhere along the way. [Sept. 2006, p.93]

Somewhat underwhelming. It’s got all the ingredients of a great game but somebody just didn’t get the recipe right.

It’s got a badass main character with an interesting back story, amazing presentation values, and all of the outer makings of a AAA title. Unfortunately underneath everything on the exterior lies uninspired level designs, repetitive combat, and mostly boring gameplay.

The problem really is that most Final Fantasy Fans won't be interested in the game's core gameplay.

For those not as blinded by fandom, this game proves to be just a ploy for money and a demonstration of slow degradation of the Final Fantasy series.

Just a completely average game.

It all comes down to how much you liked Final Fantasy VII and how badly you want to see the story continue. Fans can easily overlook the flaws, non-fans can find more robust 3rd-person shooters out there.

An uninspiring action game that manages to tell a cracking story. [Christmas 2006, p.98]

It's lacking in originality and refinement, but Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII ends up as a playable and occasionally interesting experiment with traditional action gameplay packed with cutscenes, story and fan-pleasing cameos.

Dirge of Cerberus tells the interesting story of a memorable video game character, but beyond that it's nothing more than a very generic shooter.

The average gameplay links the excellent storytelling together in a way that players of all skill levels can enjoy. It’s a great carrot-and-stick model for the millions of Final Fantasy VII donkeys out there.

Cerberus doesn't come close to capturing the timeless appeal of FFVII, although if you're desperate for more insight into Vincent's background you'll probably struggle through it.

I’ll say it again, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII is for the fans and even they may find this game unappealing.

At its very best, Dirge of Cerberus is an average action game with RPG elements, nice ideas, and a decent fan service. [Sept 2006, p.80]

Manages to be engaging thanks to its rich storyline, and the typically luxurious cutscenes provided by Square Enix. I found it challenging enough for my level of twitch skills (or lack thereof) in the genre.

The only reason I completed this game was to soak in as much Final Fantasy VII mythos as I possibly could.

A competent FFVII spin-off with enough ties to the past to keep the disciples happy, but for everyone else it's a decent, if uninspired, shooter. [Dec 2006, p.100]

Far from being an icon of the franchise to date, and is more of an anomaly that tries to expand the life of the Final Fantasy VII storyline years after it begun.

A severely outdated action game draped in the richest of modern presentation.

The gameplay is too simple, the levels uninteresting and the repetitive music, annoying. In a sentence it's all right for a quick blast, but nothing that holds any major draw.

Dirge of Cerberus is an average action game with a bigger budget than it deserved. Maybe this experience will teach them not to milk franchises in ways they don’t belong.

While the cutscenes look amazing, in-game graphics and environments are subpar. It's just disappointing. [Oct 2006, p.84]

Ripping on Final Fantasy VII is nothing short of blasphemy to some, but this follow-up just doesn't impress.

Cerberus takes a loved franchise and sullies it with a deeply mediocre and uninspiring third-person shooter. [Dec 2006, p.95]

Dirge of Cerberus only serves to illustrate that you can have too much of a good thing – even if it is the cherished and adored Final Fantasy VII.

Sure, it tells an interesting tale of woe and bullets, but instead of building upon this story with equally engaging gameplay, Dirge of Cerebrus seems content to simply ride on the coattails of a nearly decade old role-playing game.

Those intrigued by the esoteric nonsense of this year's DVD release, Final Fantasy: Advent Children, will likely relish the incoherent sci-fi narrative.

For anyone who isn't desperately in love with FFVII; though - in other words, if you've never written erotic gay fanfiction about Cloud and Sephiroth, drawn fanart of Tifa engaged in a bestial act with Red XIII, or considered changing your name to Vincent Valentine - it's impossible to recommend Dirge of Cerberus as anything other than a curiosity.

Naïve, dull and unexpectedly sloppy, Cerberus’ story is its one saving grace – but it’s a story tarnished by the meagre game beneath it.

Ultimately, the game simply isn't that engaging: The unique FFVII setting feels totally wasted here, as you're often running through boring corridors looking for keycards. [Sept. 2006, p.103]

If you're a fan of Final Fantasy VII, do yourself a favor, pretend that this doesn't exist and hope that if a remake ever does happen, that it gets done under the care of someone else.

It’s a high-profile demonstration of the fact that those who created this much-loved universe have lost their understanding of what originally made it so engaging. [Apr 2006, p.91]

What's worse is that even if game design and locations fail to excite, then a good combat system could salvage the whole package. But again, Dirge fails to capitalize.

And this is one mythical, three-headed dog that could possibly have some bite in it, if only the damn thing would only, for one second, consider ceasing its infernal barking.

If you enjoy all the exploration and stats building that the series is known for, then trust me, you're not going to find what you're after here. Similarly, if you're NOT a fan of the Final Fantasy series, then you don't want to touch this one either, not unless your idea of great gameplay is random button hammering broken up by really badly-acted cut-scenes.

Terrible. Oveblown, opportunistic nonsense. If you're a FFVII fan avoid Dirge of Cerebrus completely - it'll only sully your memories. [JPN Import; June 2006, p.68]

The Final Fantasy VII branding is the only real incentive to play, and while a mindless shooter with pretty cinematics isn't the worst fate for a game, it also means there's no reason to bother with it outside of an interest in said cinematics.

Square-Enix makes quality RPGs and pretty FMV, and I hope they’re content to bow gracefully out of genres they obviously have little reason to meddle in. Leave the emo-shooters to Dante and just peep Advent Children again if you need a fix.