Games Happy

Reminiscences of flying round phases as Cecil Harvey and slamming into the likes of Gardland and Cloud, sending them flying into the far-off wall are what come to my thoughts once I hear the identify “Dissidia” talked about. The 2 preliminary entries had been a few of my most performed on my beloved PSP, and I’ve been ready for therefore lengthy for an additional entry that manages to seize those self same monolithic clashes. Sinking a while right into a latest Closed Beta Check for subsequent yr’s free-to-play DISSIDIA DUELLUM FINAL FANTASY, I get the sensation that I’ll nonetheless be ready.

DISSIDIA DUELLUM FINAL FANTASY is a brand new team-based cellular boss fighter coming to iOS and Android, the place two groups of three shall be racing to slay monsters and sluggish the opposite crew down in an effort to stage up and be the primary ones to conquer the boss of the stage. Not fairly the Dissidia expertise I keep in mind. After booting up the sport, I used to be handled to lavish visuals, choosing my beginning gacha character (opted for my boy, Cloud), and getting a fast primer on why Ultimate Fantasy characters are combating in modern-day Tokyo, I used to be off to work by the standard cellular sport tutorials. 

Earlier than I get to the gameplay facet of issues, I’ve to say that I actually benefit from the artstyle that Duellum has gone with. Choosing real looking proportions, the entire characters have a delicate anime contact to them, with a light-weight, nearly watercolor, look to them. Aesthetically, the choice to position the sport within the modern-day with these basic characters carrying hip fashionable clothes doesn’t land for me as a lot. It jogs my memory of that bizarre time that Lightning had an actual partnership with Lois Vuitton and gave me flashbacks to the Kingdom Hearts IV reveal trailer. Purists shall be happy to know, although, that everybody may also choose to put on their fantasy apparel.

With regards to how the sport performs, outdoors of the apparent change of being centered on a boss battler somewhat than strictly a PVP sport, different collection staples like Bravery Assaults are lacking, although Bravery as a useful resource stays. To be able to really harm the boss monster, you’ll need to assemble 9,999 Bravery, which is able to assist you to set off a Burst assault, rendering the foe weak to wreck. This useful resource is gained by taking out smaller critters round crystals, purifying them within the course of, and attacking the opposing crew. The interface works nicely sufficient, with Sq. Enix touting it may be performed one-handed, and from what I may inform, they appear to be proper.

With this shift to a boss battler, characters are actually labeled into varied roles, together with Ranged, Melee, Help, and Agile with Terra (FF6), Cloud (FF7), Hero of Gentle (FF1), and Lightning (FF13) filling these spots respectively. Between the roles and the kind of map format within the nook of the sport display screen gave me much more of a MOBA-lite feeling to Duodellum than I used to be anticipating. Actually, the idea of a Ultimate Fantasy MOBA may very well be fairly neat, and I may definitely really feel that style’s tendrils all through the sport like they had been Ultros’ tentacles. The bosses Behemoth and Iron Big jogged my memory of attempting to fell Atakhan in League of Legends. 

Admittedly, my time with DISSIDIA DUELLUM FINAL FANTASY has been temporary, however I may by no means escape the sensation that this launch looks like the results of a monkey paw want. Principally, you get what you ask for (on this case, a brand new Dissidia sport), however the outcome, whereas technically fulfilling the want, isn’t what you really needed. Positive, Duellum is a Dissidia sport, permitting you to run round and dish out the harm with a few of your favourite Ultimate Fantasy characters, however what I performed feels so indifferent and completely different that I discover myself questioning if the Dissidia moniker has been connected for identify recognition greater than the rest. 

I’ve performed sufficient of DISSIDIA DUELLUM FINAL FANTASY to be intrigued sufficient to wish to strive extra when it releases subsequent yr, but in addition sufficient to want that this sport dropped the “DISSIDIA” from the title. In truth, even “Duellum” is a little bit of an odd alternative too, with the frequent Latin translation referring to “fight between two contenders, or a duel,” and this can be a 3v3 boss battler, however I digress. As somebody who’s extra at dwelling with a controller or mouse + keyboard, I hope that this ultimately will get a PC port announcement as nicely. Sadly, nonetheless, for these like me who’re ready patiently for a return of a basic Dissidia fighter, I’m sorry to say that it seems our watch hasn’t but ended.

Dissidia Duellum Ultimate Fantasy launches on iOS and Android subsequent yr.