Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy PSP
User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 66 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 66
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 66
  3. Negative: 8 out of 66

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  1. bs3311
    Mar 22, 2011
    10
    this game is excellent a very good update of the old game. And even better, you get access to the old game after you beat the main storyline with the upgraded game mechanics. New characters to play as and a better story. Get this game! ^_^
  2. Zzgashi
    Apr 3, 2011
    6
    The base gameplay has a lot of potential to be very fun, but it's hidden behind layers and layers of convoluted mechanics designed only to waste the players time.
  3. jordanc
    Mar 23, 2011
    10
    Fell in love with Dissidia when it first came out. I think I have spent more than 200 hours into the game obsessively trying to master all the characters. I was so happy when SE announced Dissidia prequel, Dissidia 012 duodecim. I even picked up the Japanese version of paid-demo, Dissidia prologus despite the fact that I don't know Japanese. Not surprisingly, I have spent more than 30 hours into this demo (money well-spent for sure!). Now, after nearly one-month wait after the Japanese release, I got my hand on this game at the first day of launch for the English version. Considering it is a masterpiece, and it certainly is after I have spent good 10 hours in the game, it costs merely 238 HKD (yes, I live in Hong Kong). The game play is deep yet fun (the learning curve is actually not that steep). The graphics is no doubt a top-notch for PSP small screen. The soundtrack is so wonderful that I have spent another 450 HKD to buy the soundtracks. Moreover, the RPG elements of the game certainly has made the action-packed game more than just slash and hit. OK, the storyline is a bit cliche, but who cares (at least I don't). I just enjoy the fact that I can see all my favorite protagonists and antagonists from the Final Fantasy series gather and fight! I love this game, and I already see myself spending even more hours in this game compared to the first one - considering this game also includes Dissidia! Get it!… Expand
  4. c0mmander
    Oct 9, 2011
    9
    Dissidia Duodecim is a true God send for both final fantasy fanatics and for fans of the action- RPG genre and Fighting games. This game stands out as one of the best games ever developed for the PSP. WHY?. It adds multiple additional features from it's predecessor Dissidia. With brand new fighting mechanics including assist characters and additional characters to the existing roster Duodecim builds onto an already amazingly well developed game. The sound is as to be expected fantastic with music being remixed or introduced from final fantasy 1 through to 13, the sound track is stunning. The gameplay mechanics themselves are very deep and you can tell Square Enix put a lot of thought into character balancing etc...
    Also the Longevity of this game is astounding with the main game consisting of around 8 new chapters along with the fact after beating the new twelfth cycle (which revolves around the story of the additional characters) you unlock the entire 13 chapter campaign from the original Dissidia. But that's not all they've also added a challenge chapter for once you've completed the main Dissidia campaign. The camera angles within the game could greatly be improved as within the stages they often cause a problem however minor it may be. Another downer is the no online fighting aspect which would have been awesome for this game in particular. With this game so packed with features it would take a while to explain all of them, what can be said is this game is a real treat. Graphics: 9
    Presentation: 9
    Story: 8
    Gameplay: 8
    Sound: 9
    Longevity: 10    … Expand
  5. IdolMaster
    Mar 30, 2011
    7
    Dissidia Duodecim 012 is only a lot of DLC characters of previous chapter. There are too few news for you to take it to the launch if you're not a hardcore fan of the series. The story mode is an adhesive to make you stupid fight with various characters of final fantasy saga. A good game but nothing more
  6. The_Mad_Fiddler
    Mar 23, 2011
    10
    I'm absolutely amazed. I'm not sure why this would deserve anything less than an incredible score. Dissidia has always been about it's characters and epic battle scenes, which it brings up to full scale with a new arsenal or combos using the new assist system and new characters. The PP, accomplishments, story modes and SO much more will keeping me playing this game for a VERY long time, and happily so. Square took what made the first Dissidia awesome and went all out! If you love Final Fantasy and call yourself a fan, this game is a MUST BUY.… Expand
  7. streetg850
    Mar 28, 2011
    8
    dissidia 012 really is dissidia with a few new characters, levels, skins, and moves. its the exact same game. dont get me wrong i loved dissidia (from the style to the way its done) but i was expected more from the next game in the series. if they could have added more modes or a different way to play, something else it would have made a huge difference. im still a huge fan of all final fantasy games, this goes for this game as well, i love the concept just wish for something new, if another sequal is to come out. maybe another style of attacking or finishers, something. still a great game, and time waster worth the money. the amount of chars are a plust though would be nice to have just a char select screen as well so you can level them indivualy for the reports section in the story mode.… Expand
  8. ImUnavailable
    Sep 16, 2011
    8
    Duodecim brings new depth to the fighting experience as well as expanding the story and the roster of characters. The new fighters are excellent additions and each are completely distinctive from other characters. Not much else has changed from Dissidia, which is very disappointing and irritating but giving players the story mode to the original was brilliant and adds dozens of hours of gameplay.
  9. nonnikchief
    Jun 21, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dissidia 012 is one of the best games this year! The world map and addition of gateways adds a ton of content and exploration! Thank god the world map isn't nearly as large or complicated as in past games, it's actually quite easy to navigate. No more destiny points=WIN! When you beat the game, you unlock the first dissidia, but it is inside dissidia 012, all the chapters have been upgraded with world map, and all of them have been put into order! (HALLA) The assists are absolutely amazing, though a little hard to aim, and EX Mode is very hard to do. (fewer EX cores, so little EX force) Kupo Points are a cool addition, and you can actually cancel a chain! Awesome, right? People say the story isn't very good, but i think it's really good. You know all those cut-scenes in the first dissidia that hinted at previous battles and had hidden meanings? After completing the twelfth cycle, those hidden meanings aren't so hidden anymore. Example: we finally find out HOW Jecht was on cosmos and then became chaos. The new characters are great, and they come in a package deal with new EX bursts, new exclusive equipment, new backstorys and new stages to fight on. You can either play one-on one in battle mode, or you can play in RPG mode, similar to other final fantasy games. There are a lot more swears in this game. (*Cough* Tidus 90% *Cough*) The shop is really cool, the Colosseum has been upgraded so there more to it than battle, get prize. The characters actually MOVE when they hop from space to space on the board, so they are no longer demented little chess pieces. The graphics are amazing, the game play is outstanding, and with data install there are NO load times. They retooled the first game, added a second game, gave it kick ass everything, and put it on the shelves. This is the game to get!… Expand
  10. spok22
    Apr 10, 2011
    9
    This is a review from someone who has played the first game but never bought it. I did however, buy doudecim, and i have to say that it is for sure money well spent. First off, let me say that the graphics are simply jaw dropping for a handheld game. I would have to say that it looks even better than ghost of sparta and definitely some titles on the ps2. The gameplay is also very very good. Executing moves isnt very difficult but the simplicity adds to the fast pace of the game. The depth of the fighting system comes in knowing when to use what move. Some are quick and close range and some take long to execute but have better range. Also, there is something called summons that can turn the tide in anyone's favor at any point in the battle. Not to mention, a new addition to the series called assists. Once you fill up the assist bar, you will be able to summon a friend, of your choice to help you out for a short while. You will always be unlocking new magic/physical attacks, summons and other perks for your character, as you level up so you dont need to worry about this part of the game becoming repetetive. Being a big monster hunter fan, i found the deep customization to be one of my favorite parts of the game. Now the story, isnt as phenomenal as the rest of the game but i still have to give them props for trying to cram one into a fighting game, where stories are usually not very good. I didnt think it was as horrible as everyone made it sound but a bit of progression throughout woudnt hurt. A big part of the storytelling, in my opinion is the people who are a part of it. This was the only big complaint i really had with the game. Many of the characters in the game were just too one dimensional for my liking. And the voice acting did not help at all. If squeenix ever decides to continue this series, and i hope they do, i think that the majority of the time should be spent on a more interesting story and more development of the characters. There is a lot more to the game than what is in my review but i think this review is long enough so ill have to leave it at this. GO BUY IT!… Expand
  11. Wayward_Demon
    May 7, 2011
    8
    This is a game with up and downs and if you like it depends on your perception of these traits. This is a game with nearly endless replay value, plenty of characters (31, I believe), tons of things to unlock, buy and discover on your own. I'm not much of a story person but i try to pay attention and its decent but not really an up or a down, but you now have the option of doing a story before the story of the origional Dissidia and then you can do the origional Dissidias story mode. The thing i dont like is how they made little changes to the origional story, besides the new way to travel around, all they added was a new cut scene before each final battle.

    The combat is great, especially if you take the time to figure out ways to chain attacks. The new assist characters can be quite useful at times but sometimes can be useless, but it depends on who you use and how you use them.

    Downs would be that the story is somewhat lacking, and the camera can sometimes get weird when you are close to a wall.

    Overall it's a very complete game with lots to do. I've already spent 80hrs on it. I would recommend it to anyone that would ask    … Collapse
  12. Acidosis
    Jun 19, 2011
    8
    When i started the game for the first time, i recall getting annoyed at the narrator because he could stop talking and sounded all dramatically sad. The game's cut scenes are nothing more than annoying and meaningless as the story behind the whole Dissidia world is just plain complicating and not worth remembering. In short, the narrating and story sucks (but no worries, skip cutscene command are allowed). However, moving on into its game-play, Dissidia 012 has actually improve. You can choose the two game modes which are either the action mode or the RPG mode. The action mode is the usual Dissidia hack & slash mode while the RPG mode involves more classic FF turn base battle which requires a lot of thinking and strategy to win your foes. Graphically the game and character design has improve and looks better than ever. New characters skills are fairly balance and would requires at least minutes to hours of master and create your own unique battling styles and strategy.

    Overall: This game is entertaining and looks great but its story and world map needs a revamp.    … Expand
  13. dz9
    Aug 1, 2011
    7
    The Goods: The game has fun fighting mechanics, fan service to the extreme, gorgeous graphics especially cutscenes, thousands upon thousands of hours for sidequests, a good roster, and good online. The Bad: Horrible tutorials, lackluster story, boring campaign. Wow!! The sequel to Final Fantasy's Super Smash Bros. It has simplistic yet complex fighting mechanics which will amaze the rpg fan. Although, they do in fact become very complex and a lot of the most fun features of the combat are buried upon layers of tactics, and the game never gives you enough guidance to even begin to understand them. If you've played the first, you know how horrible the story is, but this one expands it by giving the player a prequel, adding Vaan, Lightning, Tifa, Kain Highwind, Yuna, and Laguna into the mix. I know that no one is really playing this game to undergo a life changing story, but this game doesn't even surpass the low bar that it had to atleast get to. The story is confusing, vague, and uninteresting. On top of that, how you actually play through the story is even more boring and bland than the first. The open world is repetitive and linear, and after only scratching the surface of the story, I lost complete interest in the game. Not to fear though, this game still has killer cutscenes and graphics which one could assume a square enix game would have, an overall fantastic combat system (excluding rpg mode), tons of side quests, tons upon tons of fan service, and it even gives you the entire first game upon completion of Duodecim's story.… Expand
  14. blakfayt
    Apr 12, 2011
    5
    Ok, so I wrote a review of this a while back and it was a good game. Thing is it's been a while since it came out now, and I had moved on and decided to go back. What I found angered me. 012 is not the 7 I gave it, but a five as I'm giving now, the combat is basically unchanged, aside from the new assist gauge, which is used to trump the horridly broken EX gauge. Basically Square thought that the EX mode made Dissidia unfair, and made the assist gauge to counter that, unfortunately they also made the EX gauge impossible to fill in the process, so what you get is 5 minutes of frustration trying to get EX cores to use your super attacks, only to be completely counters seconds later by a cheap shot that destroys all you had worked for. They also kept the chase sequences, basically you get knocked up in the air, you then press X at the right time to dodge, and you can attack when it's your turn to attack (assuming you dodged) with either O to deal brave damage, or square to deal HP, the issue here is the Chase sequence SUCKS it always has, always will, and now it's super fast, and the HP attacks have some messed up random dodge time (dodging right after they move like the game says will not always save you, some people (Bartz) have to be dodged slightly afterwards) So that's two broken mechanics, add on the fact that the new Labyrinth mode is insanely hard if you don't start from the beginning every time, the story is basically a rehash of the first game, and despite SE saying they were tweaking characters, other than some new attacks, EVERYONE PLAYS BASICALLY THE SAME!

    So we have one broken new mechanic (the assist gauge) two mechanics that are old and broken (EX was fine in the first and leaving it alone would have made the assist gauge not broke, and they should have just tossed the chase sequence) a crappy rehash of the plot, 8 new characters, a crappy new mode, and randomly over powered characters that are so unbalanced that you'll be tempted to throw your PSP against the wall and sell the game to the highest bidder. Seriously, Square, next time, just make up all new plots and characters, don't just add to "what works" I'm sure this game only spent a year in development (in case you don't know, that's not a lot, that's about how much time they spend making the new CoD game) and I know you guys can do better. Overall this game feels like an over priced DLC package.    … Expand
  15. ourway
    Oct 12, 2011
    10
    ****
  16. BasilZero
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    Final Fantasy Dissidia 012 Duodecim is the prequel to FF Dissidia. Fans will get answered the many questions they have gotten from the first game as this game explains what happened before the events of the first game and to the characters who appear in this game on why they didnt appear in the first game. Pretty much the mechanics are the same, there are some new additions to the gameplay such as to affect the fighting field and etc. Players who have missed the first game will also have a chance to play the storyline from the first game in this game.… Expand
  17. TJ_Kragt
    Feb 20, 2012
    10
    This game was a great deal of fun to play. The story holds many of the characteristics of the first game, but with the addition of new characters it makes the plot a bit more interesting. The game play mechanics are a lot of fun especially with the new characters. If you are looking for a great Final Fantasy fighting game this is your pick!
  18. MegaR
    May 21, 2012
    7
    Like It! Its about Combat and does not have violence! its fun and has cool features!





    So this is Highly Recommended for people who want to play anything with combat but the parents do not want violence!!
  19. Notdavidbowie
    Jun 21, 2012
    7
    Dissidia 2012 is essentially a expansion to the original Dissidia game. Not long after buying the original I went and purchased this. The stages remain much the same with only a few extra and of course your additional characters. I paid full retail for this but felt it could not be a stand alone game. If you were going to buy one of the two games, just buy this one, absolutely nothing will yield from buying the previous as it's entirely the same. Overall it's a great game with Dragonball Z feel fighting with all our favourite Final Fantasy characters. Personally I was delighted to see Laguna from Final Fantasy 8 appear. For those who like Final Fantasy and fighting games in general, it for sure holds up as a great game with potential for much larger and interesting games in the future.… Expand
  20. DarkFlamesZM
    Feb 14, 2013
    10
    This game is great. I really like it, because they added a variety of characters, skills, equipment, costumes etc. I have not encountered any bugs yet, but i'm sure this game is not... bug-less. The only issue so far is, if i'm correct, that it only has local I have so far used around 300 hours of my life playing this game (also leaving it on idle, making it around 260) and i do not regret it. Get this game, do whatever it takes, because you won't regret it!… Expand
  21. Skywind
    Feb 26, 2013
    10
    I was a FF fan since... well, for years for now, played from IV to IX, nights without any sleep... good old days So when Dissidia came out, I was furious. What they did to the series was a crime itself, but hey, still rpg for you at least. Then an all-stars brawl with every hero and villain came into this world and I said "Aw Hell no!!" After that, I tried the game and something just didn't feel right... I enjoyed the game and only God knows why. The battle system is fluid, perfect in every way, the characters are extremely well balanced, fully customisable. The chessboard-style was a little strange at first, then I had to admit: it fits the game perfectly. The graphics are truly awesome, the early characters are redreamed flawlesly, Firion, Kefka, Golbez, every single one is perfect in design AND the voice actors... well... I'd like to say it is marvelous, but some characters are just not right. I was fully dissapointed in Cloud, he sounds just like a stoner friend of mine just before his munchies, just not as funny. Terra was irritating and Tifa sounded like a stupid bimbo (well, at least the design and the brawling with her made it all worthwhile). On the other hand all the other voices are in place: the maniac, nihilistic voice of Kefka, the gloomy, dark, wise Golbez, the narcissistic Emperor and boy they are giving me the chills, in the good way.
    The main plot is interesting, full of twists-turns and Hell, it's very long. The 2 cycles+labirynth are giving you lots and lots of hours battling. Oh and you want to level up your favorite characters? Well, be prepared young ones, because this grind-train is one helluva ride. But you'll love it     … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 52
  3. Negative: 1 out of 52
  1. Gamer Limit
    Jun 29, 2011
    70
    Dissidia 012 is technically an improvement on its predecessor. The stylish combat is still a blast and Final Fantasy fans will be as enamored as ever, but a number of the improvements seem half-realized.
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  2. Game Chronicles
    May 23, 2011
    90
    Dissidia 012[duodecim] FINAL Fantasy is a unique title has a lot to offer. The sheer amount of things to do, deep customization and fantastic character line-up make Dissidia 012[duodecim] FINAL Fantasy an absolute must for Final Fantasy fans and PSP owners.
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  3. Game Over Online
    May 9, 2011
    83
    Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy is a better game than the original with its refined gameplay mechanics and battle system. Though the story leaves much to be desired, Square has addressed many of the problems from the original game by giving fans more of what they want. A feeling of déjà vu still exists but Square has managed to keep things fresh with Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy, which is a worthy game for series' veterans and fans.
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