Filed under: Final Fantasy

Since the beginning of cinematic gaming, there has always been this struggle between balancing the experiences of both narrative and gameplay. For some games, there's too much traditional story-telling which detracts from this core gameplay fun factor (take PS3's Metal Gear Solid 4 for example) and other titles get a bad rap for having paper-thin plots. So how do these two seemingly opposed forces integrate smoothly? Christian Nutt has an interesting opinion piece about this on GameSetWatch which takes a look at Crisis Core's DMW system as an excellent solution to this "narrative-gameplay divide."

Nutt points out that the Digital Mind Wave (DMW) system revolves around the story-driven emotional state of Zack (protagonist), which in turn results in affecting his chances for bonuses and his overall performance in battle. Furthermore, the DMW's slots reflect important characters in Zack's life which, when aligned, often play cut scene memories in the heat of a fight. What this does, according to Nutt, creates a reminder of how important the story is to the actions Zack carries out. This style of integrating stories, focusing on memories and short bursts, while maximizing both emotional impact and interactivity is revolutionary in Nutt's eyes.

A lot of his points make a whole lot of sense and we agree, though perhaps not as fervently. But what about you? Do you agree, disagree? Perhaps before you make that decision, best read up on the entire Crisis Core redefines narrative/gameplay article.

Dissidia has graced Japan and it won't be long until the rest of the world will be able to join in. As expected, the CG intro to the Final Fantasy mash-up is epic -- perhaps more so than we could have possibly imagined. Watch all the heroes and villains battle in one super-battle will make any fanboy or girl squeal. Fanfic writers, this is the stuff of legends.

Check it out, after the break.

Who didn't see this coming? Dissidia, Square Enix's PSP-exclusive Final Fantasy brawler, sold 350,000 units in its first day in Japan, according to Sinobi. 40k of the total went to sales of the 20th Anniversary Limited Pack, which includes a special limited PSP-3000 system. This means Dissidia's launch is equal to that of Crisis Core -- but it still can't touch the incredible sales of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, which sold 670,000 units when it debuted.

A US release is scheduled for release in mid-2009. However, for those curious about the controls, an English manual can be read here.

[Via PSPHyper]

Dissidia had one last trailer to show before its highly anticipated release in Japan this Thursday. The trailer which debuted on Japanese television this Tuesday morning featured a lot of what we've already seen before, but also had five seconds of something all new. Those last five seconds revealed one more character to join the Dissidia gang and that would be none other than FFXII's Judge Gabranth.

IGN points out that the trailer didn't show off any battle footage and it's not certain whether Gabranth will be playable. The other late reveal, FFXI's Shantotto is confirmed to be playable and this leads us to believe Gabranth will be to. We guess we'll find out this Thursday, won't we?

It's a Square Enix media explosion! A few days ago, trailers for PS3's Final Fantasy XIII and Versus XIII made their way into the loving arms of the internet. Now, it's the PSP's turn. Check out trailers for these two upcoming PSP-exclusive games: Final Fantasy Agito XIII and The 3rd Birthday, after the break.

Another year, another Final Fantasy, another Potion. That's how things work. Square Enix seems to love making branded beverages with partner Suntory, assaulting gamer tastebuds across all of Japan. This year's collection is obviously Dissidia-themed. There are 16 cans to choose from, 8 that represent "Chaos" and 8 that represent "Cosmos." According to 1UP, the "Chaos" side is dark muscat grape-flavored, while the "Cosmos" side is astringent grapefruit-flavored. Yum?

There are a number of pictures for you to click through over at Neocrisis. We're wondering how long it'll take for these drinks to end up on eBay.

The latest issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu has just come out, and things are looking good for Square Enix's PSP-exclusive fighter, Dissidia. While Famitsu is known for inflating some of its scores for anticipated games, we're hoping this initial good review is the sign of things to come. Dissidia received a 36/40 -- a full point higher than Square Enix's other big Final Fantasy game -- Crisis Core.

PSPHyper's translation of the issue suggests the story mode will take 40 hours to complete. To collect all the items, however, will take upwards of a hundred. It's going to take a lot of trips on the subway to get through the amazing amount of content Dissidia seemingly promises.

Did you like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children? Well, Square Enix is giving you a chance to summon the inner film director in you in their upcoming fighting game, Dissidia. Your fights can be dramatically choreographed and then edited through the in-game replay editor. Watch this example video of Cloud and Sephiroth doing what they do best -- beating each other to a pulp -- to see the editor in action.

It's Cloud versus Sephiroth. What do we need to say? Fans of the Final Fantasy series have seen these two clash blades so many times it's not even funny. Yet, you just can't get enough can you? Well watching them fight isn't enough anymore ... it'll soon be time to take control and put these warriors' fates and their destined battles in your hands. Dissidia: Final Fantasy is less than three weeks away from release in Japan, are you ready?

It's not completely new, you've seen Sephiroth in Dissidia trailers before and we've told you at TGS that Cloud would be in the game. If you had any doubt, then this scan from Shonen Jump magazine should finally cast off that inkling. Because really, print makes everything official.

While the in-game image isn't the clearest image ever, it still shows off the final Dissidia roster member, Cloud. With all characters revealed and a release in just over a month, all that's left to do now is wait to play. December 18 makes (Japanese) fanboy and fangirl's dreams come true.

[via PSPHyper]

Let's talk about the good sales of a PSP game that isn't called Monster Hunter for one second, if you don't mind. The PSP-exclusive prequel to Final Fantasy VII has made quite a bit of dough for Square Enix, as the company revealed updated sales numbers for the game. Since its release, it has seen nearly 2 million units sold across the world, with Japan buying the largest amount: 820k units. North America resulted in 610k sales, and Europe is responsible for 460k.

The strong figures for Crisis Core may be why Square Enix has such a strong lineup of games planned for PSP. Compared to their DS games (Final Fantasy IV) and Wii games (Dragon Quest Swords), Crisis Core has easily resonated the most with its audience.

[Via NeoGAF]

PSP is increasingly resembling its big brother, PS3. Dissidia, PSP's upcoming Final Fantasy-themed fighter from Square Enix, will feature "Data Install," an optional feature that will allow players to shorten load times by installing some key information onto the Memory Stick. Reading data off the flash drive is much faster than the UMD, and for those that can afford to sacrifice some space, this feature will be helpful. (Another game to take advantage of this feature: Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G)

Players can choose three different installs, to take as little as 245MB to as much as 528MB of data. Of course, for the shortlest load times possible, players in Japan will undoubtedly want to buy the game off the PlayStation Store and have the entire game on their Memory Stick.

One didn't think that Kefka, the insane clown-like villain with the distinctive laugh from Final Fantasy VI, could get any creepier. But he just totally did in the latest Dissida art of him, as revealed by Shonen Jump -- look at the way he's ogling at poor Terra/Tina. She ain't no damsel in distress though; her EX mode named "Trance" is looking pretty powerful. Take a look at the full scan over at PSPHyper.