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Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy | HearLore
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
In the winter of 2011, a digital battlefield opened on the PlayStation Portable that would redefine how fans experienced the Final Fantasy universe, yet it began with a story of inevitable defeat. The twelfth cycle of the eternal war between the gods Chaos and Cosmos was turning decisively against the forces of light, creating a scenario where victory seemed impossible from the start. Cosmos, the goddess of order, summoned warriors from parallel worlds to World B, a mirror dimension, to retrieve crystals that could turn the tide. However, Chaos had prepared an unworldly army of crystalline soldiers known as Manikins, which possessed the terrifying ability to negate the gods' power to revive the warriors after they were killed. This new threat meant that death was no longer a temporary setback but a permanent end, forcing the warriors to confront the possibility of total annihilation. Kain Highwind, a childhood friend and rival of Cecil Harvey, and the Warrior of Light made the grim decision to defeat their own allies to stop them from fighting the Manikins and returning to the next cycle. Lightning, the former soldier from Final Fantasy XIII, opposed this plan and led a group including Vaan, Yuna, Laguna Loire, and Tifa Lockhart to seal the portal from which the Manikins emerged. Though they succeeded in stopping the Manikins, the cost was catastrophic. Cosmos was reduced to a weakened state after using much of her power to diminish the Manikin army when they attempted to kill her and the Warrior of Light, while Lightning and her group succumbed to the Manikins' power and faded away, setting the stage for a retelling of the original conflict.
A New Battle System Emerges
The core of the fighting experience was overhauled to address the community's feedback that the previous game's EX Mode was too powerful, introducing a system of checks and balances that changed the flow of combat. Players could now perform two types of attacks: a Bravery attack that stole points from the opponent to increase the power of their HP attack, and an HP attack that dealt actual damage. The new Assist system allowed players to summon an additional ally into battle to either attack the enemy or defend from an oncoming attack, performed using an Assist Gauge built up by using Bravery Attacks. This system was designed to counteract the EX Mode, which allowed players to transform into a more powerful state and perform a powerful EX Burst attack. Three main countering systems were introduced to create strategic depth: Assist Breaks, EX Breaks, and EX Revenge. An Assist Break was performed by attacking the opponent's Assist character while in EX Mode, causing him or her to be unable to call out the Assist character for a brief period and passing the stage's Bravery points to the character. An EX Break stopped an opponent's EX Mode through the use of an Assist attack, forcing the opponent out of EX Mode and passing the stage's Bravery points to the player. EX Revenge occurred when trying to activate EX Mode while being attacked; while in the first game it would simply halt the opponent's attack, it now slowed down time allowing the player to pummel the opponent instead, though it sacrificed the player's ability to use an EX Burst as it used up the entire EX Gauge. These mechanics ensured that no single strategy could dominate the battlefield, forcing players to adapt their tactics in real time.
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy was released in the winter of 2011. The game was developed starting in August 2009 and launched on the PlayStation Portable platform.
Who are the new playable characters in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy?
The game introduced nine new playable characters including Lightning, Vaan, Laguna Loire, Yuna, Kain Highwind, Cecil Harvey, Tifa Lockhart, Prishe, and Gilgamesh. These characters were added to the existing roster to bring the total number of playable fighters to thirty-one.
What is the main story arc of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy?
The main story follows the twelfth cycle of the eternal war between Chaos and Cosmos where death becomes permanent due to the Manikins. The narrative continues into the thirteenth cycle and concludes with the Confessions of the Creator arc involving Shinryu and Feral Chaos.
How many hours of gameplay does Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy offer?
Tetsuya Nomura stated that the combined storylines of the game would result in approximately 60 hours of gameplay. This duration represents a significant increase in content compared to the original Dissidia Final Fantasy.
When was the Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack released?
Square Enix released the Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack on the 3rd of March 2011. The soundtrack features three discs containing a total of 71 tracks composed by Takeharu Ishimoto.
How many units did Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy sell in its first week in Japan?
Dissidia 012 sold 286,117 units in Japan during its first week of release. This sales figure placed the game at the top of the Media Create charts but remained below the predecessor which sold close to 500,000 units in its first week on the 18th of December 2008.
For the first time in the series, the game abandoned the static battle maps of the original for a traditional-styled Final Fantasy world map, allowing players to traverse a 3D world with parties consisting of up to five characters. This new single-player story mode enabled players to experience a narrative while exploring a world with scenarios and events taking place as the story progressed, similar to the story progression of Final Fantasy VI. Players could interact in conversations with the characters and encounter enemies known as Manikins, which would transport them to a battle map when attacked. Specially marked shops on the map allowed for resource management, and the story mode was party based, with players free to select their own party in most cases, though certain scenarios had predetermined parties. Tetsuya Nomura, the producer and character designer for the game, stated that both storylines played together would result in approximately 60 hours of gameplay, a significant increase in content compared to the original. The game also included the first game's story, which had been remade with the 3D world map as well as additional elements added for the new storyline, effectively making the original game a prologue to this new narrative. This shift from a simple fighting game to an RPG-style adventure was a bold move that appealed to fans of the broader Final Fantasy franchise, blending the fast-paced combat with the exploration and storytelling elements that defined the series.
The Thirteenth Cycle Retold
After the events of the twelfth cycle, the game retold the events of Dissidia Final Fantasy where returning warriors for Cosmos participated in the thirteenth cycle that ended the conflict between the gods. Once completing the thirteenth cycle, the player gained access to the third and final arc known as Confessions of the Creator, in which Shinryu, a powerful entity that absorbed the warriors' memories and experiences following each cycle, trapped Cosmos's comrade, Cid of the Lufaine, in a nightmare world where the cycles never ended as punishment for saving Cosmos's warriors from the thirteenth cycle following Chaos's defeat. The player selected five characters to fight Feral Chaos, a stronger incarnation of Chaos, and save the imprisoned Cid from the nightmare world. In addition to the main story, a set of Reports followed the other warriors who participated in the thirteenth cycle, explaining their roles before and during that cycle. Prominent characters in these reports included warriors of Cosmos such as Terra, Cloud, and Tidus, who fought for the side of Chaos during the twelfth cycle, and Chaos's warrior Jecht, who appeared on the side of Cosmos, with the reports detailing how these characters came to switch sides. Furthermore, the Reports covered other events such as how the Warrior of Light entered the conflict and met Cosmos's previous warriors Prishe and Shantotto, along with Gilgamesh's misadventures upon stumbling into World B, adding layers of complexity to the narrative that connected the various Final Fantasy titles.
The New Warriors Arrive
The game introduced nine new playable characters for a total of thirty-one, with six of the new characters available from the start of the game and the remaining three unlocked through various means of gameplay. Lightning, a former soldier and the protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII, Vaan, a sky pirate and the protagonist of XII, Laguna Loire, the man who appears in Squall's dreams and the secondary protagonist of VIII, Yuna, Tidus's love interest and female protagonist of X, Kain Highwind, Cecil Harvey's childhood friend and rival from IV, and Tifa Lockhart, Cloud Strife's childhood friend from VII, formed the initial roster. The remaining three characters, which could be unlocked through various means of gameplay, were Prishe, a supporting character from Final Fantasy XI, Gilgamesh, a recurring villain from Final Fantasy V, and an alternate form of Chaos. Final Fantasy VII's Aerith Gainsborough was available as an assist-only character through the purchase of Dissidia 012 Prologus Final Fantasy on the PlayStation Network. Choosing new characters proved difficult as the staff chose them based on their popularity and fighting styles, and the amount of new characters was restricted due to memory limitations. Vaan's inclusion met several hardships since his Japanese voice actor, Kouhei Takeda, was busy at the time, leading the team to replace Takeda with Kenshō Ono as a result of fan response. Battle system director Takeo Kujiraoka made contact with Hiroyuki Ito regarding the character's design and moves based on his Final Fantasy XII appearances, which was well received by Ito. While designed by Tetsuya Nomura, various of the new alternative outfits the characters were given were based on artworks by Yoshitaka Amano, another designer from the Final Fantasy series.
Development and Design Choices
Development of the game started in August 2009 with the Square staff wishing to improve the gameplay from the first game to provide players with more entertaining features as well as balance several parts. Director Mitsunori Takahashi said that the team wanted the sequel to have more changes than just new characters, resulting in changes to gameplay features and the inclusion of new ones. The Assist feature was made to add more entertainment to the fights, as well as to act as a counterbalance to the EX Mode that was the strongest area from the first game. This was done in response to feedback commenting that the EX Mode was too powerful in the original game. The world map was created in order to appeal more to RPG fans, and returning characters had their movesets modified to provide the player with new strategies when fighting. One of the most revised ones was Firion due to feedback from players. Since the original Dissidia had a concrete conclusion, the staff decided to make its story a prequel and encourage players to revisit Dissidia once concluding it. Ideas for a sequel to Dissidia Final Fantasy were already conceived shortly after its release in Japan with creative producer Tetsuya Nomura wishing to feature Kain Highwind on it. Development of the game started in August 2009 shortly before the release of Dissidia Final Fantasy Universal Tuning, the international version from the predecessor. The team's goal was to create a game that felt like a true sequel while also serving as a prequel, a dual nature that required careful balancing of narrative and gameplay elements.
Music and Soundtrack
The music for Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy was composed by Takeharu Ishimoto and featured multiple rearrangements from previous Final Fantasy themes by other composers, creating a soundscape that honored the series' history while introducing new musical identities. The American band Kidneythieves also sang the second part of the Feral Chaos' boss theme song, God in Fire, with Ishimoto writing the song and requesting Kidneythieves' collaboration with them to which the band stated it was entertaining. Square Enix released the Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack on the 3rd of March 2011, featuring a total of three discs with the first one having 44, the second one 20, and the third one seven. The soundtrack served as a bridge between the past and present of the Final Fantasy series, incorporating familiar melodies into new arrangements that reflected the game's darker and more complex narrative. The music played a crucial role in setting the tone for the various arcs, from the desperate struggle of the twelfth cycle to the epic confrontation with Feral Chaos in the final arc. The collaboration with Kidneythieves added a unique rock element to the boss themes, distinguishing the game's musical identity from its predecessor and enhancing the emotional impact of the battles.
Reception and Legacy
Upon its first week of release, Dissidia 012 sold 286,117 units in Japan, topping the Media Create's charts by replacing Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, although it managed first place, Dissidia 012 performed far below its predecessor, which sold close to 500,000 units in its first week on the 18th of December 2008. It has sold 465,198 units in Japan as of January 2012, and has received positive reception overall. Dissidia 012 was scored a 38/40 by Famitsu, composed of a 10, 9, 10, 9 score by the four reviewers, two points higher than the original. PSM3 gave the game an 8.2, calling it an improvement on the original, with some great Final Fantasy fan service thrown in. IGN gave the game a 9.0, one point higher than the original, praising the game's graphics and improved gameplay, but criticizing its story. Game Informer gave the game a 7, saying the game did not improve any of the battle system problems of the previous game, although the assist system was a good addition, saying it added an extra dimension to what was missing in the first game. GamesRadar+ listed it as the ninth best PlayStation Portable game, commenting on how it uses elements from famous RPGs, while IGN listed it third with comments aimed towards its gameplay. Three other Square Enix games, Final Fantasy Trading Card Game, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, and The 3rd Birthday, gave players access to downloadable content in the form of alternate outfits for Vaan, Cloud Strife, and Lightning, respectively. As of June 2011, the PlayStation Network has featured downloadable content for Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, including character costumes, avatars, and BGM packs, extending the game's life and community engagement.