Dissidia: Final Fantasy

Partially Translated Story Mode Abilities

** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**

How to read the skills :
Player Skill - What it does

"I know I should state how to get them but I have already played through the game. I don't think I want to do story mode again just for this. You get these stuff as bonuses when completing the various story chapters. These translations are accurate, especially the names.

Heal/White Magic skills :
Aura (オーラ) - Player's EX Gauge increase by 50%
Cure (ケアル) - Heal Player's HP by 30%
Cura (ケアルラ) - Heal Player's HP by 50%
Curaga (ケアルガ) - Heal Player's HP by 100%
Regen (リジェネ) - Player's HP regenerates by 5% after defeating an opponent or opening chests.

Environment related skills:
Jump (ジャンプ) - Jump over a tile
Scan (みやぶる) - Scan tile for hidden item/enemies
Sight (サイトロ) - Unveil all hidden item/enemies
Blink (ブリンク) - Lifts Berserk state on an adjacent enemy.
Invisi/Invisible (インビジ) - Lifts Berserk state from all enemies.

Blue Magic
Laser Eye (メーザーアイ) - Deal 20% damage to enemy's HP adjacent to your tile.
Ray Bomb (レイ・ボム) - Deal 40% damage to enemy's HP adjacent to your tile.
Missile (ミサイル) - Deal 20~50% damage to enemy's HP adjacent to your tile.
Matra Magic (マトラマジック) - Damage all enemies adjacent to your tile by 10% HP
Earth Shake (アースシェイク) - Deal 10% HP damage to all enemies.

~Created by dby2k, and lots of figuring out where the hell Matra Magic came from (FFT).

..or
"The translations are a little off/crappy/incoherent/plain wrong but it doesn't matter."
- http://dissidia.wikia.com/wiki/Abilities

..or http://dissidia.wikia.com/wiki/Summons

Cosmos Characters


Chaos Characters
"Or just simply go to this"
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=939394&topic=47496113

Cosmos Characters Moveset List ("Complete, but inaccurate naming")

Chaos Characters Moveset List ("Complete, but inaccurate naming")

3k views special update(COMPLETED)
"I should be the first one to actually list Chaos moves out. Wow. And in English."

Chaos Movelist("Note most of his skills are in traditional Japanese, so I used Chinese to translate them too")

Brave Attacks:
Etching(Air/Ground) - 3 consecutive slashes towards the enemy. Easy to avoid. Recommend guarding to put him in stun.
Found in form 1 onwards.
Fireball(Air/Ground) - Shoots fireballs similar to Cloud's Firaga. Just that this time, it's really big, more of them and they can bounce.
Found in form 1 onwards.
Flame(Ground) - Shoots a straight line flame at you. I do not recommend guarding, dodge instead.
Found in form 1 onwards.
Flaming Revolt Kick(Air/Ground) - He jumps into the air and dives down, causing huge area damage. It's fast but still easy to avoid by jumping or dodging.
Found in form 1 onwards.
Triple Shock(Air) - He spins and does extremely large but linear AoE damage which pans up and down slightly. You can dodge by dropping when he initiates it.
Found in form 1 onwards.
Rising Flame Dragon(Air/Ground) - He teleports below you and rises from the ground up into the air, 3 times consecutively. Easy to dodge. Shifting camera angles makes it easy to spot. He is vulnerable after the last teleportation.
Found in form 2 onwards.
Etching of Fire(Air/Ground) - Same as etching but each slash now has fire in it, drastically increasing it's effectiveness and area of effect.
Found in form 3.
Teleport Triple Shock(Air) - Same as Triple Shock but this time, he can teleport near you and immediately unleash it.
Found in form 3.

HP Attacks:
Soul of Emptiness(絶無の魂) - Shoots a beam from his mouth. Long ranged and tracking. Easy to avoid by getting close or dodging at the right moment.
Found in form 1 onwards.
Divine Punishment(神罰) - Found in form 1 onwards. A hard to dodge out move. He summons pillars of fire around you. Then stabs you with a lot of swords/spears, then a large sword/spear pierces from vertically above you, then he piledrives you down at the end. Minimize the damage by getting as high as possible or use EX Mode guard. You must also dodge out several times to completely avoid it (up to 3 times). But according to revenantphoenix of GameFaqs, to anyone who finds this attack infuriating, STAND STILL! Wait for the fire pillar sounds to stop, then immediately dodge in place (R+X, no directional input). The second you see the swords appear and hear "SCHWING", immediately dodge to any side.
Demonic (Chaos) Dance(鬼神乱舞) - He teleports right in front of you and does various attacks. Easy to avoid by dropping and dodging left and right. When you hear his "Zing!" teleportation sound, dodge. He does it consecutively around 4 times.
Found in form 2 onwards.
Conviction/Guilty(断罪) - Creates a not very big circular area around himself which has suction after which he blasts anyone in it. Easy to avoid, just don't get near. Or just throw something at him.
Found in form 2 onwards.
Crimson (Lotus) Hellfire(紅蓮の業火) - First he raises both arms in the air and then the sides of the screen flash with explosion, after which he launches Lots and lots and lots and lots of big fireballs at you. After that, he launches one final even bigger fireball. I found it easy to dodge by gaining some height.
Found in form 2 onwards.
Ultimate Chaos(究極の混沌) - He jumps out of the screen, becomes his giant form, grabs a huge sword from the ground and starts pounding you with it. Easy to dodge.
Found in form 3.
End of Illusion/Fantasy(幻想の果て) - After some time when he's in Ultimate Chaos form, he pulls back and draws out 3 more big swords, then throws them at the arena. There will be 5 Large areas of damage which will occur simultaneously, where you must run to a safe spot. After that's all done, he returns to his seat in the arena.
Found in form 3.

Summon:
He also has a Summon called Dragon God(神竜) which he uses:
Summon skill : Chaotic Flood(無秩序の氾濫)
It has multiple possible effects based randomly.
-Reduces your BP by half every second
-Chaos' BP is cut in half and he gains 99 BP per second
-Cuts your BP in half everytime he successfully pulls of a HP attack
-and many more. It just keeps you guessing.

Dissidia Guru Comments:
"As you can see, Chaos isn't tough. He only has a few skills which are viable.
His only 2 good skills are Triple Shock and Divine Punishment. That's it.
If you actually have to complain about him, you're not cut out to play Dissidia.
Tips: The throne is there on the arena for a reason. By running on it, you can gain height faster and even dodge some attacks." ~Created by dby2k

"I'm a nice guy, so more bonus content from me."

Judge System(Completed)
Unlocked after finishing Story Mode(including Shade Impulse). You can buy Judge Cosmos and Judge Chaos in the PP catalog for 1000PP each. After which in quick battles, they will randomly appear based on circumstances.

How do they look like? When the battle stops then suddenly Flame or Light effects appears with Kanji on them. Cosmos' effect is blue-white while Chaos' effect is red-yellow.

Judge Cosmos
Hands of Mercy(慈悲の手)
Occurs when there is a huge gap in the remaining life points of both characters.
Effect : The weaker character gets his EX Gauge filled up to MAX.

Guidance for Counterattack(反撃への導き)
Guidance for Counterattack(反撃への導き)
Occurs when a character is about to be dealt a deathblow with a large gap in Brave Points difference. If the character gets broken, this advantage comes into play.
Effect : The character who gets broken by the deathblow has his Summon revived(able to use again).

Judge Chaos
Invitation to a Deathmatch(死闘へのいざない)
Occurs when the match goes on for a bit with no clear winner/loser.
Effect : Raises the critical chance and damage done to each character.

Sanctions of the Dead(勇なき者への制裁)
Occurs when a character continually tries to avoid combat.
Effect : The said character will get paralyzed on the spot, allowing the other character to approach and hit him. However, the paralyzed person can escape from the effect by using Ex Mode defence.

~Created by dby2k

How to get additional BGM (Music)
You purchase music from the PP Catalog under the ETC tab. You have to defeat Chaos the first time to unlock bonus music in the PP catalog. It includes 10 bonus tracks, one for each FF. Also, when you get Gabranth and Shantotto, 2 more songs will be unlocked for each. Chaos himself has 3 tracks but they are really 1 song split into 3 (awesome!). This brings your bonus tracks to 15.

How to do Onion Knight's Ex Burst?
If he enters EX Burst in Sage mode, you have to select the MAGIC skill list and select Holy.
If you enter EX Burst in Ninja mode, you need to select THROW skill list and choose Shuriken(icon of shuriken, simple enough).

So in Sage mode, you will end up with Holy -> Meteor [ホーリー(Holy) → メテオ(Meteor)]
In Ninja mode, you will end up with Shuriken Throw -> Backattack [しゅりけん(Shuriken) → バックアタックだ！(Backattack!)]

How to buy alternate costumes?
Go to the PP Catalog and under the Characters tab, scroll down till you see options where the description includes a Triangle button in it. Those are alternate costumes. Other than visual effect, only Cloud's alternate costume has any real purpose. To change your character into those costumes, enter your character's menu (like Sephiroth's menu, etc where you can see the chocobo) and press Triangle. You should see one part of the screen's kanji change. Correction. Sephiroth alternate serves a purpose by giving fangirls something nice to see.

How to use dash?
You need to learn it first, you won't get it at level 1. Once you learn it, equip it. The first basic dash you learn is Dash to target. This is done by press R + Triangle together. More diverse versions would be Free dashing, Reverse dashing and a more standardized General dashing(which makes you dash towards the direction of the target, but without panning just straight), which is useless since it wastes CP. Later on you will learn a skill to dash longer by holding down the Triangle button longer.

How to dodge?
You dodge by pressing R+X button together with the direction you wanna dodge in.

How to make videos?
To put videos onto your PC you can either use...remotejoy to record the screen and put it on your pc OR do the easier way, convert replays into AVI files. Once you saved a replay, go to the last option in the Museum (you need to unlock museum first, it's below PP catalog), then select the last option again and choose the replay file you wanna convert. After that it will show 3 options, each pertaining to different qualities of the video and will be highlighted accordingly to the available space on your memory stick. Then just convert, go back to XMB, plug in your USB, search your Video folder in your memory stick and take the converted avi file.

How do I save a replay?
When the battle has ended whether you win or lose, press the Square button to save the replay.
Only battles against Chaos (even in vs mode) cannot be saved. To record Chaos battles, you need remotejoy.

"If you have anymore questions, refer to these links and go find your answers..x']"
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=939394&topic=47990317
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/psp/qna/939394.html?type=-1&open=4
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/psp/qna/939394.html?type=-1&open=5

More Sources:

"Come for all your dissidia needs. "
- http://dissidia.gamerhandles.com

''Final Fantasy: Dissidia Translations + Ultimate Level Up Strategy + Guides"
- http://pinoypsp.com/index.php?topic=203204.0 (Yeeaahh! A "pinoy"(slang term for saying filipino) site..xD..Pinoy Pride 4 Life~..^^...LOL)

"An official Wiki site for Dissidia"
- http://dissidia.wikia.com (Not yet updated that much though...It's currently bein' updated~)


Extras:

"Misc. Information - Cameos, References, and Easter Eggs"
- http://community.livejournal.com/ffchaoticcosmos/41362.html#cutid3

"Dissidia Updates~"
- http://community.livejournal.com/ffchaoticcosmos/

"Dissidia : Final Fantasy's Official Website"
- http://na.square-enix.com/dissidia/

"The Band that Associated with Square-Enix JAPAN & gave them 3 Original songs.."
- http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-430404/Your-Favorite-Enemies.html

"NA Dissidia Character Ranking Tier List Discussion "
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=939394&topic=51173376

"How to Music Hack"
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=939394&topic=47327896

- Suggested Custom Soundtracks from SetsunaRvZ of Youtube & from LunarReplicator08:
Version 1 : http://www.mininova.org/tor/2169983
Version 2 : http://www.mininova.org/tor/2194756
FFX Battle Remix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW7hZKaKgiE

"Dissidia Images, Wallpapers(?), & FanArts" (Credits goes to dby2k for this & the site he took it from~)
-

This document is copyright 2008 by Crunchyroll. Dissidia: Final Fantasy is
copyright 2008 by Square-Enix. This document is not associated with or endorsed by Square-Enix or anyone else involved in the making of the game.

This document may NOT be reproduced, redistributed, sold (in any way,
shape, or form), published in a magazine, or put anywhere on the Internet
without permission and credits.

I & We DO NOT own the rights to some of the Images, Informations & Links posted on this topic. ("Exempting dby2k's Contributions since they are ORIGINALLY his works..>_<"). Images, Informations & Links belong to their respected Host Party/Copyright Owner. If anyone has a problem with "anything" posted on this topic and wishes for it to be removed, PM LunarReplicator or RpGJuNki3 and we'll be glad to do it. We only merely wish to share the Gorgeous franchise of Final Fantasy Dissidia and help the people who are needing these Links & Informations. Thank for your cooperation.

"Is Dissidia a real word?"

Dissidia: Final Fantasy is a fighting game made by Square Enix. You can play as characters from Final Fantasy 1-10 (A hero and villain from each game).

Game play: 9
The game play is unique. You choose a character and a cpu opponent (or a second player can play against you in ad hoc mode). You then choose a map and battle music. When the battle begins you can move in any direction. You have two types of attacks, "assist attacks" which steal your opponents brave points, and "hp attacks" that use your brave points to damage their hp. A hp attack does damage equal to your brave points. After the attack, your brave points are reduced to zero. Hp attacks are slow and I find it easiest to hit with one during a combo of assist attacks. The battles are similar to the fight scenes in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Gravity doesn't really affect the characters and they can kind of fly around. It's nowhere near realistic but it's Final Fantasy. The characters mostly fight differently and are obviously designed for different play styles. The only thing preventing this section from getting a perfect ten is that it can be kind of hard at first if you're not that great at fighting games.

Story: 8
To summarize the story without spoiling it, I'll quote a thread in the board for this game: "Two gods are at war, and the heroes and villains are in the middle of it." The story works for the game. It makes sense unlike most mash up games. I'm sure they could have made something better but the story does it's job perfectly.

Graphics: 10
I believe this game has the best graphics a PSP game can have. You can easily tell who each character is and they look great. I think the graphics are better than a lot of PS2 games. They're similar to the graphics in Kingdom Hearts. The opening video is beautiful. It has the same quality as Advent Children. The characters look almost real.

Sound: 10
The voice acting in this game is almost perfect. I think every voice fits the characters except for Zidane. It isn't bad, just odd. The music is mostly from the other Final Fantasy games. Most of them sound remixed. While the music may be recycled, it fits the game and makes sense for it to come from the other games. The music sounds great.

Replay: 8
Since I got this, I've been playing it almost nonstop. There are twelve characters to unlock and there's plenty of alternate costumes. You can get a lot of replay from trying to unlock stuff in the PP store. When you finish that, the game is still fun to play with friends, If you have friends that have it. Sadly, like most multiplayer PSP games, it only has ad hoc mode.

Buy or Rent?
I doubt you could rent it right now, since it's only available in Japan right now. You should buy it when it is released in your country. If you don't want to wait, import it. It's worth your money. Even if you're not a fan of Final Fantasy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/22/08

Game Release: Dissidia: Final Fantasy (JP, 12/18/08)

"This is Final Fantasy!"

What would you think if I told you there was a fighting game out there like Final Fantasy? Would you believe me? A collision of Final Fantasy heroes with the familiar role-playing elements! That's right; the ability is now within grasp with Dissidia: Final Fantasy! But is it for you? The player who adores the role-playing series, but can't stand fighting games? Or the player who enjoys fighting games and can't stand the role-playing genre? With Dissidia, the lines between fighting and role-playing blur combing both elements into one spectacular game!

Is is me? Or does this game give a nostalgia trip? Gliding through are memories of old return heroes in a full three-dimensional light. Filled with music, scenery, and characters from almost every mainstream game to date! If you've ever played a Final Fantasy, chances are a character from that game is in this.

...A Quick Note To Importers
Should you purchase this game? It depends how important is for you to have this game. I can't say you should purchase if you know nothing of the language. While being a fighting game, there are many sections that require a basic understanding. Skills or Abilities you must equip, or bonuses you have to acquire, and equipment are all written in Japanese. If, however, you're willing to learn, and memorize a few key words then you should do okay. Overall, it's a solid import.

Summary
Story: One of great conflict. You'll team with the Heroes from your favorite Final Fantasy to gather the Crystals. While the villains try to stop you. As you progress, you'll receive that familiar plot twist and follow that paths to it's fated end.

Gameplay: One of the ages, as the fighting and role-playing genres fuse into one. You'll have the ability to learn skills, gain levels, gain equipment, all for the sake of fighting your next opponent. It's far from your average fighter!

Graphic & Sounds: While not amazing, the graphics and sound in Dissidia match respective PS2 titles while dominating anything the Nintendo DS could muster. You'll be electrified by the games opening and compelled by the familiar scenery. Not to mention the nostalgic battle tunes.

Custom Features: With the ability to manipulate the camera angle, Data Install for faster loading times, and even switch your mode of battle with Command Menus, who doesn't love all the extra goodies?

Communications: Players will be able to combat each other via Ad-Hoc mode. Gathering Artifacts and exchanging Friend Cards along the way. Oh what fun!

Overall: A must-buy for importers, fans of the Final Fantasy, and fans of fighting/role-playing games alike!

Story
Like most modern Final Fantasy's, our story opens with a powerful movie. One that tells the tale of the two gods, Cosmos and Chaos, in eternal conflict. Here, we capture the Heroes in their CGI brilliance. Starting with Warrior of Light, representative of Cosmos. Firion, soldier of the Wild Rose. Onion Knight, child warrior. Cecil the Paladin and a Dark Knight. Bartz with the ability to mimic his allies attacks. Terra the maiden magic user. Cloud the former SOLDIER. Squall of SeeD. Zidane the bandit. And Tidus, the Blitzball player. Our heroes are back for an encore and taking names!

Further into the storyline. You see characters interact across generations. Friendships formed and values tested. Delving deeper and deeper into a character's story, shining a spotlight on their past. The plot thickens and you catch glimpses of the tension between villains. A veil of mystery cloaks the story as despair is not far behind as our heroes edge closer and closer to Chaos's trap. Who's to say finding the crystals will even solve anything? Is it all a lie? What is your reason for fighting? Only one way to find out!

Gameplay
The game-play is divided up into several modes of play, including Story, Quick-Play, and actual combat. Battles, scenery, equipment, items, stats, skills, fall under each of these. Squaring off, is the mode people are most likely to try first, Story Mode.

After the battle scene as epic as Final Fantasy; you're left in a tutorial. Receiving the background story of the entire mess. As you progress, you learn of your quest. To gather the crystals. Splitting up, your heroes will venture onto a chessboard-like map. Similar to the Sphere Grid/License system, you're character will move like a chess-piece across a board in order to reach his/her destination. What's the catch? You're given a certain amount of points, called Destiny Points, which are used for every move you make. At the start, you're given a certain amount of these points to move. And using them up affects your overall score. So how do we get them back? The very thing we earn Destiny Points with are the very things that block our paths. Throughout the board are denizens of Chaos, clone characters of either heroes or villains. These oddly colored creatures will prevent you from reaching your destination by any means. So, if you can't find a road, make one! By defeating these enemies you'll clear the path on the over-world map, aka the chessboard. However, by defeating those same enemies under the given requirements we can earn extra Destiny Points! This gives the player extra incentive to perform his or her best during battle.

What else is on this chessboard? Try treasure chests! Arr! It's true, booty can be found across the maps. Some even appear after defeating certain enemies! These range from minor trinkets to items exclusive to Story Mode! Eventually making it to the Chaos piece at the end of the map. From there a cut-scene occurs and perhaps even a fight. Once done, you're given another section to traverse with even more enemies. And until you fight the final boss, you're not going anywhere.

Now, along the way, you may level up. You may be wondering what it does. If you're familiar with the mechanics of Final Fantasy, the more you level the stronger you get. In this case, your stats get minor increases. What really increases stats are equipment which is available for purchase or dropped from enemies. At times, you'll have to search for materials to trade; often giving you better equipment then purchased ones. Then of course, you gain HP and Brave attacks.

What are HP and Brave attacks? Making the whole system of battle are these two interlinked moves. At the start of a battle your character gets a certain amount of points called Brave. These points are vital as they determine the exact output damage of your HP Attacks. In other words, the more Brave you have, the more damage you do! How do we get more Brave? Simple. By using Brave attacks on our enemy we can successfully steal Brave and fill up our own gauge! If you steal all the Brave from an enemy you could trigger “Break” status which renders the foes HP Attack power to zero, and giving you bonus Brave! With this system, it's entirely possible to One-Hit-KO a foe! Be aware, that performing HP Attacks are the only way to kill an enemy (with a few exceptions) and gain experience to level up! And by leveling up, we earn more attacks!

You're allowed a total of six Brave and six HP Attacks each, three for the air and three for the ground. Because of the styles of the characters, some profess in attacks that take place in the air or on the ground. Playing a character's strengths could be the difference between victory and defeat! That and understanding a character's abilities.

Abilities are divided up into three sections. The majority of them are Action Abilities, which allow your character to interact with his/her own environment. Some examples would be, grinding on railings, running up walls, and even dashing great distances. Other examples of Action Abilities include extra speed, extra jumps, even mid-air dashes! As for Support Abilities, these merely include the ability to lock onto your opponent or objects around you. And Extra Abilities, the smallest category, which offer skills like Turn EXP into HP.

Though mentioned before, keeping up with your character's equipment is vital. This is split up into four categories (five if you include accessories.) Your weapon, your gloves/armlet/bracer's, your helmet/hat, and your torso armor. So how do you upgrade your equipment? The Shop menu offers a variety of equipment for starting characters, including accessories. You'll notice though, that some items are grayed out. That is because you need certain materials in order to trade for advance equipment. This can be annoying at times, but if you've played a Final Fantasy you'll know what you're stepping into. Now, materials can be purchased, but some come from a special mode called Battle Rise.

At last we step into Quick Play Mode. What is Quick Play? It's as it sounds. A mode of play which allows you to fight characters without the fuss of a storyline. Virtually an arcade mode on it's own, you train against the character's in single epic bouts. By choosing your computer counter-part's level and behavior, you can create a worthy opponent. Sounds appealing? It does to this reviewer. There is a catch though, you have to unlock the villains via PP. What is PP? PP is like Gil (money for Shop) except instead of buying equipment or materials you buy characters and other enhancements. Say for example, you're a big fan of Sephiroth. In order to unlock him, you have to accumulate PP. How do you acquire it? If you've already played Story Mode, you should be aware of the massive PP bonuses at the end of each character's story segment. If you've played Story Mode already, unlocking the character's should be no problem. Oh darn, I've sidetracked.

Whoa, where was I? Oh yes, Battle Rise. When you're about to fight an foe, the “Battle Rise” screen appears which lists your opponents armor and items obtainable by completing certain requirements. These items have an icon which tells you how, like a sword icon with a Square symbol. This means you need to connect an HP Attack in order increase the chance of getting that item! In other words, the more you fulfill the requirements, the better the chance of receiving the item. These accessories can be traded as materials in order to gain better equipment.

Let's not forget about Mognet. When you first begin the game you're asked three things. Your name, your Play Plan, and your favorite day. Depending on what you choose, depends on what bonuses you receive. Play Plan is the game's way of asking how long you play. This is important for the game to know, as it determines how often you receive bonus items. It also determines the quality of said items. So if you put it on the shortest option, you'll receive lots of items of okay quality. If you put it on the longest option, you'll receive items of better quality, but take longer to get. How does Mognet factor? When setting your favorite day, Mognet determines what bonuses you'll receive on certain days. Like if you receive extra PP or AP. Overall, these things aide you combat.

We've come to actual battle. I've only since spoke of the game-play elements, rather then actual combat. I was holding off on this section because it takes a whole portion of the review to explain. I've already explained HP and Brave attacks. To refresh you, Brave attacks control how much Brave you have. And HP Attacks dish damage equal to your current Brave. So all we have to do gain lots of Brave then use an HP Attack, right? It sounds a lot easier then it actually is. You're opponent can use his or her own Brave attacks right back. Plus, once your HP Attack hits, your Brave resets to zero. Leaving you vulnerable to enemy Brave Attacks. Avoiding the enemy is key at this point. We do this by dashing or using the environment to put distance away from us.

What happens when your opponent attacks you? Well, you have two options, dodge or guard. Dodge allows you to dodge an enemy attack by either jumping over him/her or dashing to the side. The benefit of dodging is that if you time it right, the enemy can be susceptible to attack. Guarding is trickier, but it's benefits out-weigh simple dodging. When your enemy is about to execute a Brave attack, guarding deflects the attack and allows you to execute your own combo. It's even possible to knock your enemy into “Charge” combat.

“Charge” combat is a special mode activated when you've successfully performed a certain Brave attack. You'll know it right away as the “X” button appears, giving you the option to activate it. Here, you can execute either an HP Attack or a Brave attack. You're opponent has the chance to dodge the oncoming blow via “X” button. Should your foe dodge, the tables will turn and you'll be required to dodge. This can be passed back and forth for many turns. “Charge” combat ends when you've successfully hit your opponent into a wall or both players end up dodging both blows for a number of turns. Winning “Charge” combat is another key to victory. Of course EX-Cores factor into this too.

What is EX-Mode? It's a special mode character's can undergo during a fight. And during a fight, an item called an EX-Core will appear at a set location. Depending on how many wings are attached to it, determine how filled your EX-Gauge becomes. When your EX-Gauge is fully filled, you can execute EX-Mode. EX-Mode grants your character extra abilities, including stronger attacks, support abilities like being able to fly, even barriers that reflect attacks! Allowing under-achieving combatants to turn the table on their foes with ease. And should a character's HP Attack connect with his foe, an icon appears which allows you to execute an EX-Burst! If you're familiar with Final Fantasy, you may know what a Limit Break is. EX-Bursts are nearly identical to Limit Breaks, as they execute a powerful attack. In this mode, you'll be required to press, hold, or mash buttons in sequence. For example, Squall's “Renzokuken” requires you to press the R Trigger whenever a wave crosses over the bar. This is similar to his Limit Break in Final Fantasy VIII to a tee. These attacks steal Brave from your opponents building up for the final attack. When executed, it acts like an HP Attack. Overall, I'd say EX-Bursts have a huge part to do with victory.

So, now you know about the relationship between HP & Brave Attacks. About Dodging, Guarding, Charging, and EX-Bursts. What else could add to the strategy of combat? What else could the developers possibly pile onto combat? You're forgetting about terrain. Believe it or not, where you fight has a lot to do with how you fight. While most stages won't affect you so much, some stages have built in “gimmicks” that affect the way you play. These are the same stages you've played with before, only they've got traps. Adding yet another strategy to play.

Last but not least, are Summons. Yes, it's possible to stir up your favorite creatures to aide your cause. Whether they be automatically activated or manually (R + O) is determined by which one you've equipped. Be it Alexander which prevents you from losing Brave, or Leviathan which lowers your enemies own Brave. Summons are thrown at foes so that the player can gain the upper hand. Giving an uncertain feel to victories.

By now, you should be well-versed in the workings of battle and customization. But who exactly do you customize? One of each character from Final Fantasy's I – XII are included as playable. This includes both Hero and Villain with XI and XII as the exception. Each character is developed with a style of play different from any other. With their own set of Brave and HP Attacks, they follow a different pattern of attacks. Like the character Zidane from Final Fantasy IX specializes in aerial combat. Or like Cloud from Final Fantasy VII who knocks foes into walls. Each characters has a different way of moving, speed, and jump to them. These traits split them from the norm, allowing spectacular battles to take place. Some of which, can be captured forever.

Replay Mode allows you to save you and manipulate the camera angle of scenes. It then allows you to export the video into the root of your memory stick. This allows fans of the series to re-create their favorite fights from their favorite Final Fantasy titles! Saving digital proof of your awesomeness for years to come. Awesome huh?

Dissidia: Final Fantasy, has acquired a level of strategy that transcends modern role-playing and fighting genres. With a creative mix of fighting and role-playing, combat is transformed into a game of strategy unlike any other. Testing the boundaries of player capabilities. And how could I? The mere player, sum the words necessary to communicate the awesomeness of game-play? Must I scream it? Or should I tell you that the combat alone makes this game a must-buy! This is something that epic games of made of. Something that dominates titles! With real pulse-pounding action that draws fear, creates excitement, and elicits a cry from hard-earned victory! The gameplay is solid.

Graphics & Sound
If you're familiar with battles in Final Fantasy, then you're familiar with some of the music in this game. You'll hear re-done songs of old, including Final Fantasy VII's One Winged Angel. In Story Mode, the over-world map (chessboard) has a similar song playing on the original game's world map. Nostalgia anyone? In fact, this game is pumped with nostalgic features from nearly every mainstream Final Fantasy. Most of them being the villain's final dungeon.

The maps aren't bad, and neither are the character models. Certainly better then what you'd see even on the best Nintendo DS title. Sometimes, reminding you of PS2 title graphics. 'Cause here you'll see Cecil's snow-white hair and Cloud of Darkness's seductive clothing (or lack there of.) You'll also get a chance to switch between character's alternate costumes. Whether it be Ex-SOLDIER Cloud or Advent Children Cloud. Each character comes with his or her own alternate. Further bringing a level of customization throughout the game.

Overall? Solid. It's certainly no God of War, then again, this game doesn't have God of War's length or customization. Don't get me wrong, the opening movie was eye-candy. I guess the excess of movies in Crisis Core spoiled me. Darn.

Custom Features
As the player, you have the ability to set the background music for your next battle. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, how about the lengthy options concerning camera angle? Or the fact that you can switch between moving with the joystick or the d-pads? And if you're not fantastic with fighting, why not switch to Command Menu combat? If you're not sure what it is, it's a 'crutch' for players who aren't so hot with actual combat. If you need a reference point, it's similar to that of Kingdom Hearts. Of course, it requires you beat a character's story mode first. And if the loading times bog you down why not use Data Install?

Data Install downloads a portion of the of the game onto your memory card. Split into three different segments, doing this allows faster loading times. And who doesn't want that? When doing a Memory Stick Install, the game displays Final Fantasy V theme. It happened to be the developers favorite game.

Communications
Oh noes! This game lacks Infrastructure! How do you play now? Well, you have three options. The first, and most obvious, is to find a friend who owns the game. If you don't have that special buddy, it might be time to think about investing. For those who already have a PS3, you can host something called Ad-Hoc parties. This connects your PSP with your PS3 allowing player interconnectivity. If you don't have a PS3, because I don't know...they cost a lot. There is the third option.

In the big wide world, you'll take a look at your life and ask yourself. “Gee, do I really want to spend oodles of money on a PS3?” In so many words. If you simply can't, there is the third alternative. It's called Xlink Kai, and it allows you to connect to your computer (via WiFi Adapter.) The benefit of this is that you don't have to buy a PS3. What's the catch? Xlink Kai is hard to set-up. Overall, it's cheaper then a PS3.

There you are, your three options of play. With this, you can span the globe within the comfort of your living room. Talking trash to players who may not even understand English. Isn't life sweet? This is all accessible via Ad-Hoc mode!

What is Ad-Hoc mode? Not to be confused with Infrastructure (WiFi based) Ad-Hoc allows you to connect with nearby players. Here, you can battle an opponent, edit your friend card and sometimes win Artifacts! A friend card is kind of like the cards you exchange in Monster Hunter Freedom 2. Assuming you haven't played, these cards include classic icons from your favorite Final Fantasy. And of course, Artifacts are items dropped by human opponents acting like Trophies to the player. With so much player-on-player interaction the fun never ends!

Overall? It's what I'd expect to see in a fighting game. Brawling between a human player can be fun. Requiring players to change their combat skills in order to outwit their opponent. Once again another reason to keep playing!

The Good
+ Insane amount of customization.
+ Storyline creates a nostalgic experience for fans!
+ Unique and exciting battle system!
+ Pristine graphics.
+ Balanced, yet advantageous game-play.
+ Ad-Hoc allows players to fight against one another!
+ User-friendly interface.
+ Unlock-able characters Shantotto and Gabranth!

The Arguments
-- Finding certain items can become tedious.
-- Learning curve is steep for novice players.

Overall? It is a grand symphony twenty years in the making. Leading the brilliant chorus are the heroes of some of the greatest games of all time. A show made of courage, leading to a resounding but satisfying end that leaves players wanting more. This will be a game that none will forget for years to come. One that I can safely say, adds my list of must import. And by far the best fighting game on the PSP! Buy, never rent games as epic as these. The ones that come once in a lifetime, but stay with us forever! That my friend, is the effort of putting every creative fiber into what you're making. That is Final Fantasy!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/23/08

Game Release: Dissidia: Final Fantasy (JP, 12/18/08)