What I Would Change in Final Fantasy: Dirge of Cerberus

                                                  Let the gunplay begin!!!

Taking a break from sports to write about something I don't often do, but something that has been taking up my free time: video games. Borrowing the game, Final Fantasy: Dirge of Cerberus from my fiancee, I recently completed it (haven't gotten all the items I've needed, so I have to go back and get them), but I wanted to take a few moments to offer some ideas of what I would change or add to the game. This blog is intended for those who have played the game, or those who know the storyline.

Addition of more chapters- I don't have many ideas for this, but a longer storyline, and perhaps more in-depth storyline would have added to the games playability. There are only 12 chapters (14 stages) and one of the chapters is purely a story chapter where Vincent interacts with everyone. Ideas for additions to storyline

Play level(s) as ground assault- Assist WRO on the ground. Three stages, one as each of the characters from FF7 (Tifa, Cloud, Barret).

Play a level as Yuffie Kisaragi before she meets up with Vincent before the Nero fight. If you can play as Cait Sith, you should be able to play as Yuffie.

Fight Azul with his shield intact- You destroy the shield in the cutscene (a mako-infused beast who stands over 9 feet tall needs a shield?), then proceed to run around and beat Azul with little to no difficulty (this time). I'd like to see a little more added difficulty and see you have to defeat him while he has his shield. It would force the player to melee and use materia.

Cutscenes respond to how you defeat bosses- If you beat a boss with a Limit Break, it should show a cutscene with Vincent in Galian Beast form, beating the boss, just would be cool.

Fighting through Omega- This is the final stages of the game where Vincent Valentine (in Chaos form) is within Omega and traveling through different locations to get to the eventual final battle. Omega is the plants ultimate weapon, the game (even on the easiest level) should make it challenging. Swarms of enemies would've been nice, the player can handle it. Vincent is wielding the Death Penalty, the strongest weapon in the game in regards to average damage per shot. The gun can kill multiple enemies at once, the player could handle an absolute swarm. Instead, very little resistance. Also, Vincent (in Chaos form) can handle a ton of damage and keep going. The player should have to fight tooth and nail to get to the final fight.

Omega vs Chaos- After you beat Omega Weiss, there are only cut scenes then left for the player to go through. I thought it would be awesome (as well as a challenge) to play the cutscene when Omega is stopped by Vincent in his Chaos Form. There should be a time limit on how long it takes to kill him. You are flying side by side with him, and have to fire off enough rounds or melee enough in the time limit to trigger the cut scene where Vincent would rise above, then slam into Omega.

Stuff to add to storyline- I'm a fan, so this is purely opinion, but I think a few hints towards a Vincent and Yuffie, or “Yuffentine” relationship would add to the storyline. Cid is married, Tifa is still waiting for Cloud, Cloud has openly shown his lagging feelings for the deceased Aerith (Aeris). Having a series of romantic situations seasoned in-between the flow of action and flashbacks into Vincent's past would bring out a rarely scene side of the character that is Vincent Valentine. It would work well at the end with a cutscene of Vincent and Yuffie preparing for a relaxing night alone or going out on a date. Seeing both of them in something other than their traditional wardrobes would be neat.

Square Enix has produced a ton of Final Fantasy games for various consoles. Most Final Fantasy fans have read the fanfiction Sink to The Bottom With You (if you haven't, do so because it is very well written and very entertaining, despite being unfinished). I think it would be fantastic if they would make Sink to The Bottom With You into a game. There would have to be a lot of things done to make this happen (like contacting the writer of the story which no one has seemed to be able to do), but I believe if Square Enix wanted to make the story into a game they would be able to get a hold of the author. The story is involved, interesting, and long. The player could play as any of the main character in the story, or Square Enix could make it alternating playability depending on if they followed the story a hundred percent (a few chapters focusing on Vincent and Yuffie, a chapter or two focusing on Cloud and Tifa and the others). There're strong enemies, a great plot, just too much stuff to pass up for it not to be a great game in the Final Fantasy saga. They could make it as part of an anniversary package or something of that order. Or at the very least, turn Sink to The Bottom With You into a movie like Advent Children.

Dirge was a good game, but could've been better as Final Fantasy's first ever first-person shooter. It was entertaining, but short, informative, but too many cutscenes. In all, rent Dirge, but don't buy it. You may not complete 100% of it in the weekend unless you are dedicated and are getting helped by a walkthrough, but you will complete the storyline and have fun doing it.


picture from http://www.dailyfreegames.com/