The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we shift our attention to downloadable PSP brawler Dissidia: Final Fantasy.
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Developer: Square Enix
Region(s) available: North America, Europe, Japan
Players: 1-2
One of the finest examples of fan service ever conceived, Dissidia: Final Fantasy crams in a host of iconic characters plucked from FF’s I-X in an all-out scrap of Good vs. Evil. Heroes and villains alike will duke it out in hopes of restoring the planet’s equilibrium, leading to battles such as as the obligatory Cloud vs. Sephiroth duel to the more unconventional punch-ups including Squall Leonhart facing off against Golbez. There are twenty characters in all, with an event split of good guys and bad-to-the-bone types.
The narrative-driven story modes are the main highlight on offer, with players embarking on a hero-centric quest to hunt down Cosmos-curing crystals. Eventually you’ll progress to the Shade Impulse mode, allowing you to pick any hero you want in an effort to unlock additional chapters and characters. The nucleus of Dissidia’s gameplay is very much frantic brawling mixed with whiff of RPG thrown into the mix. Story modes have you moving your character across a game grid where you’ll encounter treasure chests crammed with loot, while other grids feature enemy confrontations. Destiny points are utilized to navigate the grid, however, with each move eating up approximately one DP.
Grinding your way through each encounter will net you currency in the form of Final Fantasy’s ubiquitous Gil, as well as allowing your character to level-up. Gil can be used to fork out for extra equipment, as well as fresh moves, accessories and other bits and bobs. Combat itself is based around the concept of bravery points, whereby performing a daring attack will drain your adversary of points and add them to your tally. The higher your bravery, the more damage your attacks will inflict. Meanwhile, you’ll also have access to EX attacks – again government by a dedicated meter – which allows you to unleash a powerful burst attack punctuated by Quick Time Events that can influence the amount of damage you do.
Arenas themselves are pretty expansive, with each character sporting varying attacks depending on whether they are fully grounded or airborne. There’s a fair bunch of battlegrounds on offer too, including Pandaemonium, Lunar Submarine and the Order’s Sanctuary. Of course, it’s not all story-based brawling; Dissidia also packs an Arcade offering that branches off into multiple sub-modes. Duel Colosseum, for example, has you ploughing through numerous cards to gobble up new items and upgrades, as well as battling foes. You can also square up against solo AI opponents or other gamers if you fancy it.
In terms of multiplayer, Dissidia lacks an online component though does offer competitive battles via ad-hoc. Here, you can use your custom character or plump for the Arcade mode that lumbers you and your mate with an equal-levelled combatant. Ghosts are also available to do battle with if you are unable to find a suitable human adversary. Also fleshing out the experience is the ability to save and edit battle replays, export them as video files as well as receive crazy PMs from Moogles that contain points to invest in unlockables. All in all, there’s plenty on offer to keep you distracted for some time.
That’s your lot for this week. Tune in again Monday as we once again go gallivanting Inside PlayStation Network.