Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy

Dissidia 2 is the marriage of a fighting game with a ridiculously detailed RPG. So unless you're looking for a shooter or a racing game, this may very well be the last PSP game you ever need.

It's damn fun once you get into the combat, and realize how to properly dodge, and when to follow up with attacks.

Dissidia 012 is basically the original game with a good 20 to 30 hours of additional gameplay heaped on top; Square Enix was even nice enough to include a New Game + feature for returning veterans.

Dissidia 012[duodecim] FINAL Fantasy is a unique title has a lot to offer. The sheer amount of things to do, deep customization and fantastic character line-up make Dissidia 012[duodecim] FINAL Fantasy an absolute must for Final Fantasy fans and PSP owners.

It is without a doubt fan service to the extreme, but being a fan of the series I can do nothing else but eat it up! A ridiculous amount of modes makes sure there's always something to do, and the game is rewarding you for playing every chance it gets.

This is one of those few games that justify Sony's portable console's existence. If you own a PSP you absolutely cannot miss it.

Duodecim is hugely rewarding and could be one of the best additions to your PSP library.

A solid sequel that both fans and fighting aficionados will enjoy. [May 2011, p.88]

Fans of Dissidia: Final Fantasy will love this sequel. Duodecim could be one of the last additions to your great PSP library.

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy is not just a simple cut and paste of the past iteration, but it's the ultimate edition of the game, the perfect fan service. Maybe there's too much sense of deja-vu, but the quality of the game is past dispute.

The sequel of Dissidia: Final Fantasy is also a great game. The soundtrack is awesome, the time you need to complete the game is huge and it looks graphically great. But it's kind of strange the game doesn't offer to play with the original voice-acting, the English voice-acting isn't really great and the story could have been a bit better.

With a 20+ hour long story mode, a lengthy game+ mode, plenty of extras, and unlockable content, you won't be able to put Duodecim down any time soon.

Probably one on the best beat 'em up that we've seen on PSP so far. There're a couple of new elements that slightly changes the battle system, but that's enough to improve what Dissidia offered back in 2009. It's very much the same, but better.

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy is a better game than the original with its refined gameplay mechanics and battle system. Though the story leaves much to be desired, Square has addressed many of the problems from the original game by giving fans more of what they want. A feeling of déjà vu still exists but Square has managed to keep things fresh with Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy, which is a worthy game for series' veterans and fans.

It's a technical tour de force for portable productions, the cast of characters is satisfying, the combat can be mega-satisfying once you've wrapped your head around all the systems and mechanics, and there's a boatload of content.

Duodecim is a worthy prequel to FF:D. It improves on FF:D and still keeps rewarding Final Fantasy fans allowing them to reenter the Final Fantasy universe once more. Even though the story itself is still manufactured, it is an improvement upon the original. The depth of the game allows gamers to get lost within, but it is questionable if the story will keep them motivated.

Fans of Dissidia: Final Fantasy will love the pretty good sequel. The sounds, graphics and animations connect well to the characters, plus you're able to customize every bit of your heroes.

An improvement on the original, with some great Final Fantasy fan service thrown in. [Apr 2011, p.78]

More a data disc than a whole new game, Dissidia Duodecim delivers the same, solid and entertaining experience of the previous game, but it fails to impress as its predecessor did.

It's a fighting game that successfully infuses RPG elements to provide depth and variety. It doesn't quite strike a perfect balance, and the lack of true online functionality hurts, but Duodecim delivers on the thrill factor with its cinematic battles.

Fans of the series will absorb all vividly minute details that only they will understand.

Some games are larger than the sum of their parts, but in this instance the individual parts are greater than the sum. If you can disregard the lowly story mode told in a painful and often embarrasing manner, this is a rather good arena-based rpg/fighting game hybrid that requires a good mixture of reflexes and tactics. Also, the music and character selection is a love letter to fans of the Final Fantasy series.

Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy does everything a sequel is supposed to do: build on the original system while adding features to keep things fresh. Solid gameplay, great aesthetics, and a improved story mode make this a very enjoyable game.

Trying to fill the expectations of the fans, Duodecim charms and offers even more features than the previous one. Some new things aren't that exceptional, though, and overall, we'd have hoped for more impactful innovations, but in the end, it's still a refreshing combat game, without any challenger in its style of play, gathering all the star characters of Final Fantasy in a visually stunning sequel.

Dissidia Duodecim is one of the final memorable twitches of the PSP. It's a great fighting game with an impressive amount of Final Fantasy characters. That makes it all the more painful that the camera doesn't work in your favour and the different campaigns are relatively meaningless.

A comprehensive Who's Who of Final Fantasy, DDFF manages to transpose the core elements of Square Enix's long running franchise into a highly polished fighter with depth.

It's not a brand new game, but it's a cool enough spin on the old one to merit reasonable interest.

The sequel improves on almost everything about the first game. [Apr 2011, p.113]

For every improvement there's an unnecessary change, for every addition there's a prohibitive linchpin unaltered and the biggest changes lie firmly on the spine established in 2009. But it is greater than its predecessor, attune to the legacy of the franchise, less abusive to fandom than Smash Bros. and will reward as much effort as you put in.

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy is going to be a delicious, never-ending pit of treats for anyone who owns Advent Children, listens to the Black Mages on their iPods, or knows what Materia is. For anyone else, all I can recommend is giving the game a try if you're simply curious about seeing some awesome graphics and a unique battle system.

Regardless of whether we're fully controlling our hero or using simplified, RPG-style battle commands mapped to the PSP's face buttons, duodecim earns its keep by challenging us to use our brains as well as our flying fingers of fury. [April 2011, p.81]

This sequel is slow to show off its best features, but once it does, you won't want to stop playing.

Uncompromising, impenetrable and intimidating at the outset, perseverance will reveal a rich experience for long-standing fans. [Issue#203, p.91]

I can't really fault Duodecim for being what it is: a title that's meant to be played by longtime Final Fantasy fans who really just want to see all their favorite characters together. However, it's undeniable that the game is broken in many ways – incredibly uneven difficulty, obtuse systems, and control issues both in and outside of battle.

Without trying anything really new and innovative, the new Dissidia delivers some great stylish fights and memorable Final Fantasy moments.

This title falls flat because it could have been something better. There's really no reason for a prequel... or a sequel for that matter. Square Enix should have taken this concept and went in a new direciton. Not the Final Fantasy direction.

Those hoping that issues regarding the combat and the camera had been solved will be sorely disappointed. However, if you were content with how Dissidia played out and were craving more, then Dissidia 012: Duodecim: Final Fantasy gives you more of the same.

Ultimately I can only recommend Dissidia 012 if you really liked the first Dissidia. If that's the case then you should think about selling or trading in the original game, since Dissidia 012 is essentially the same game, only with a new story mode and a character assist mechanic thrown in.

That said, both Dissidia and Dissidia 02 are meh fighting games with truly amazing casts of characters. The zippier fighting will seem ok at first, but once cheap, tougher enemies lead to insane button mashing you'll probably get bored. I did.

Dissidia 012 is technically an improvement on its predecessor. The stylish combat is still a blast and Final Fantasy fans will be as enamored as ever, but a number of the improvements seem half-realized.

This game is mainly for Final Fantasy fans who don't mind something different from their titles or for fans who love the character roster and its crossover possibilities. However, people looking for a deep, rewarding fighting game should most definitely look elsewhere.

DDFF is an interesting take on a lot of well-worn ideas - never exceptional, though usually a lot of fun.

Quotation forthcoming.

It's preaching only to the converted but if you can stomach both the story and learning curve this remains a rewarding and innovative fighter.

For a franchise usually so keen on reinventing itself, this plays it very safe. [Issue#107, p.116]

Square Enix's minimal attempts to address the first game's issues won't win any new fans, but the company knows how to pander to an audience. That's one area where Dissidia 012 is firing on all cylinders. [Apr 2011, p.95]

There's a great deal of technical power and content in this little disc and fans of the original will love it, but the true potential of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy remains untapped.

Not particularly great. There's fun to be had with its flashy battles and who's-who roster of familiar faces, but if you're looking for depth or longevity, you'll want to start kicking up dirt elsewhere. Make no mistake: this is the best Dissidia's ever been. Problem is, it could still be much better.

Dissidia 012 is a frustrating game. The fundamental parts are quite solid, the graphics and music showcase Square Enix's usual excellent craftsmanship, and the fighting system remains fairly unique even if the game isn't exactly innovative compared to its predecessor. It bungles a lot of the ancillary features though, and some of the flaws seep back into the core of the gameplay.

If the ridiculous title doesn't turn you off to this game, perhaps the weak story or monotonous gameplay will.