Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (ps2: 2006): Reviews

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Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII


7.8

based on 51 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 23 votes
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GAMES:

Final Fantasy VII

Official Website

The time has come to cleanse this world. Hunt down the unworthy...and show them no mercy. Three years have passed since the events of FINAL FANTASY VII. Buried alive following the Meteor disaster, a mysterious group known as the DG (Deepground) Soldiers emerges and begins raiding the city. The enigmatic Vincent Valentine is somehow connected to these attacks, and he may be the only one who can save this shattered world. When the world is engulfed in darkness, his gun will toll a dreadful dirge... Other characters from FINAL FANTASY VII join Vincent on his journey, and as the story unfolds, you will bear witness to shocking truths never revealed in the original game.

PUBLISHER:	Square Enix
DEVELOPER:	Square Enix
GENRE(S):	Action, Adventure
PLAYERS:	1
ESRB RATING:	T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE:	August 15, 2006

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

AceGamez

This game should not disappoint fans, it is different for sure, but it is also an excellent, very well executed shooter, which still retains the elements of FF we all love - the complex plot, upgrades, EXP, and even a chance to discuss chocobos if you just find the right girl to chat with!

Siliconera

It's a unique take on the FPS, RPG and action genres, but at the same time Dirge of Cerberus doesn’t execute either of these genres extremely well. If you’re willing to be patient with the game’s controls Dirge of Cerberus offers a new experience and more background on the Final Fantasy VII universe. [JPN Import]

GameBrink

Mediocre at best gameplay coupled with graphical bliss and a lengthy story guarantee huge sales, but you’d be much better off waiting a month and getting FF XII as this is no RPG and it’s no picnic. [JPN Import]

Play Magazine

Very beautiful. How disappointing, then, to learn that the entertainment factor is only mild. [Sept 2006, p.54]

RPG Fan

None of the bland gameplay is helped by the fact that the controls feel sluggish overall.

Worth Playing

Neither fantastic nor terrible, instead landing somewhere in between. Final Fantasy fans might find the addition of an action game to their favorite series to be odd, while shooter aficionados will wonder why it's so easy.

GameTrailers

The story is interesting and fairly epic, but told in such large chunks at a time, that sometimes the pacing is thrown off.

IGN

Is Dirge of Cerberus the best use of the Final Fantasy VII universe? Definitely not. Is it a decent game with a strong story and occasionally-engaging rifle blasting? Absolutely.

Boomtown

Those difficult extra missions unlocked one by one after finishing the main game are certainly going to keep me occupied at least until Final Fantasy XII appears in the UK.

Game Chronicles

There are some glaring mistakes in Dirge of Cerberus that even your most hardcore of fans cannot overlook.

Gamezilla!

Ultimately this game is easy to recommend to FF7 fans who want one more visit with their favorite characters. But for shooter fans that don’t quite care so much for FF7, there are far better shooters out there.

GameZone

An immensely repetitive shooter with the flavor of "Devil May Cry," "Dino Crisis," and "Parasite Eve II" baked right in. The finished dish isn’t as delish as the menu indicated, but it isn’t entirely bland.

Console Gameworld

It’s got a badass main character with an interesting back story, amazing presentation values, and all of the outer makings of a AAA title. Unfortunately underneath everything on the exterior lies uninspired level designs, repetitive combat, and mostly boring gameplay.

Game Informer

On the other hand, despite all the effort that clearly went into this game's visuals, story points, and even gun customization, making Dirge of Cerberus fun to play slipped to a disappointingly low priority somewhere along the way. [Sept. 2006, p.93]

Cheat Code Central

Somewhat underwhelming. It’s got all the ingredients of a great game but somebody just didn’t get the recipe right.

GameShark

The problem really is that most Final Fantasy Fans won't be interested in the game's core gameplay.

Deeko

For those not as blinded by fandom, this game proves to be just a ploy for money and a demonstration of slow degradation of the Final Fantasy series.

Digital Entertainment News

It all comes down to how much you liked Final Fantasy VII and how badly you want to see the story continue. Fans can easily overlook the flaws, non-fans can find more robust 3rd-person shooters out there.

PSX Extreme

Just a completely average game.

Games Master UK

An uninspiring action game that manages to tell a cracking story. [Christmas 2006, p.98]

PALGN

A severely outdated action game draped in the richest of modern presentation.

Total Video Games

Far from being an icon of the franchise to date, and is more of an anomaly that tries to expand the life of the Final Fantasy VII storyline years after it begun.

My Gamer

The only reason I completed this game was to soak in as much Final Fantasy VII mythos as I possibly could.

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

A competent FFVII spin-off with enough ties to the past to keep the disciples happy, but for everyone else it's a decent, if uninspired, shooter. [Dec 2006, p.100]

GameCritics

Manages to be engaging thanks to its rich storyline, and the typically luxurious cutscenes provided by Square Enix. I found it challenging enough for my level of twitch skills (or lack thereof) in the genre.

Games Radar

The average gameplay links the excellent storytelling together in a way that players of all skill levels can enjoy. It’s a great carrot-and-stick model for the millions of Final Fantasy VII donkeys out there.

Yahoo! Games

Cerberus doesn't come close to capturing the timeless appeal of FFVII, although if you're desperate for more insight into Vincent's background you'll probably struggle through it.

Gaming Target

I’ll say it again, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII is for the fans and even they may find this game unappealing.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

At its very best, Dirge of Cerberus is an average action game with RPG elements, nice ideas, and a decent fan service. [Sept 2006, p.80]

GameSpot

Dirge of Cerberus tells the interesting story of a memorable video game character, but beyond that it's nothing more than a very generic shooter.

GameSpy

It's lacking in originality and refinement, but Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII ends up as a playable and occasionally interesting experiment with traditional action gameplay packed with cutscenes, story and fan-pleasing cameos.

Ferrago

The gameplay is too simple, the levels uninteresting and the repetitive music, annoying. In a sentence it's all right for a quick blast, but nothing that holds any major draw.

Gamer 2.0

Dirge of Cerberus is an average action game with a bigger budget than it deserved. Maybe this experience will teach them not to milk franchises in ways they don’t belong.

Electric Playground

Ripping on Final Fantasy VII is nothing short of blasphemy to some, but this follow-up just doesn't impress.

PSM Magazine

While the cutscenes look amazing, in-game graphics and environments are subpar. It's just disappointing. [Oct 2006, p.84]

VGPub

Dirge of Cerberus only serves to illustrate that you can have too much of a good thing – even if it is the cherished and adored Final Fantasy VII.

PSM3 Magazine UK

Cerberus takes a loved franchise and sullies it with a deeply mediocre and uninspiring third-person shooter. [Dec 2006, p.95]

EuroGamer

For anyone who isn't desperately in love with FFVII; though - in other words, if you've never written erotic gay fanfiction about Cloud and Sephiroth, drawn fanart of Tifa engaged in a bestial act with Red XIII, or considered changing your name to Vincent Valentine - it's impossible to recommend Dirge of Cerberus as anything other than a curiosity.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

Naïve, dull and unexpectedly sloppy, Cerberus’ story is its one saving grace – but it’s a story tarnished by the meagre game beneath it.

eToychest

Sure, it tells an interesting tale of woe and bullets, but instead of building upon this story with equally engaging gameplay, Dirge of Cerebrus seems content to simply ride on the coattails of a nearly decade old role-playing game.

GamePro

Those intrigued by the esoteric nonsense of this year's DVD release, Final Fantasy: Advent Children, will likely relish the incoherent sci-fi narrative.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Ultimately, the game simply isn't that engaging: The unique FFVII setting feels totally wasted here, as you're often running through boring corridors looking for keycards. [Sept. 2006, p.103]

netjak

If you're a fan of Final Fantasy VII, do yourself a favor, pretend that this doesn't exist and hope that if a remake ever does happen, that it gets done under the care of someone else.

G4 TV

And this is one mythical, three-headed dog that could possibly have some bite in it, if only the damn thing would only, for one second, consider ceasing its infernal barking.

1UP

What's worse is that even if game design and locations fail to excite, then a good combat system could salvage the whole package. But again, Dirge fails to capitalize.

Edge Magazine

It’s a high-profile demonstration of the fact that those who created this much-loved universe have lost their understanding of what originally made it so engaging. [Apr 2006, p.91]

VideoGamer

If you enjoy all the exploration and stats building that the series is known for, then trust me, you're not going to find what you're after here. Similarly, if you're NOT a fan of the Final Fantasy series, then you don't want to touch this one either, not unless your idea of great gameplay is random button hammering broken up by really badly-acted cut-scenes.

PSM2 Magazine UK

Terrible. Oveblown, opportunistic nonsense. If you're a FFVII fan avoid Dirge of Cerebrus completely - it'll only sully your memories. [JPN Import; June 2006, p.68]

Gaming Age

The Final Fantasy VII branding is the only real incentive to play, and while a mindless shooter with pretty cinematics isn't the worst fate for a game, it also means there's no reason to bother with it outside of an interest in said cinematics.

Game Revolution

Square-Enix makes quality RPGs and pretty FMV, and I hope they’re content to bow gracefully out of genres they obviously have little reason to meddle in. Leave the emo-shooters to Dante and just peep Advent Children again if you need a fix.

games(TM)

Dirge is an ugly, cynical and tiresome videogame, the likes of which the next generation will hopefully eradicate. [June 2006, p.130]

The average user rating for this game is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 23 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jeff gave it a4:
Really a pathetic game. It's repetitive, cliched (exploding barrels got old about 5 years ago), and poorly controlled. What's really sad about this game is that it has a great story and fantastic graphics and music. A poor Devil May Cry clone at best.

Ben gave it a6:
I'd only recommend this game to the FF fan who wants to complete the FF7 story, as the game plays completely differently to any FF game they may be used to. If the idea of playing as Vincent Valentine is the reason you picked up this game, then unfortunately it will disapoint, and I think this is the games biggest problem. It's an inconsistency highlighted by the games own cutscenes; as with Advent Children, Vincent leaps around the environments, spanning massive gaps and dispatching enemy vehicles in a few shots. Cut to the game, and suddenly our hero seems to have lost all previous abilities and finds himself almost permanently glued to the ground level. A double jump is the most he can manage and even though he clearly peaks higher than most obstacles, invisible walls block progress, forcing players down a linear route through the levels. Also, in combat against the same vehicles featured in the videos, a few shots are far from enough to finish them off. Why the designers didn't make a control system and environments that played off the abilities of the main character I honestly don't know, but the final insult came during a brief switch of character during one of the later levels. Whilst playing this other character, the kind of restrictions on movement that Vincent suffers from seem to be removed almost entirely, causing much confusion and frustration when resuming the lead characters role. More inconsistencies came - annoyingly - in some of the level locations, some of which seem to contradict elements of the original game. I accept that they have to be enhanced and enlarged from the original layouts seen in the first game, but some levels take place in areas that shouldn't really exist, and stages that revist areas from the first game share little resembelence with the originals. At the end of the day, the game is a below average shooter that looks like it's trying to play like the original Devil May Cry, falling short, but not so much that it's unplayable. As a fan of Finaly Fantasy 7 I was able to tolerate all this for the almost brilliant story and beautiful cutscenes which give a satisfying conclusion to one of the games most interesting characters in the game universe. Going on style and story alone the game satisfies in truckloads. You simply have to endure some repetitive and badly thought out gameplay to reach these sections.

Daniel G. gave it a6:
As far as I can see this was just a very brave experiment, this would've been much better if it kept the original FFVII style of play. A few huge problems knock it down though; aside from Vincent (played by Steve Blum) the voice acting is terrible, especially Cait Sith (man am I glad I have the japanese version of FFVII: AC). As a musician and a composer I have to slate Masashi Hamauzu, I mean why the hell did they get rid of Nobuo Uematsu in the first place? The soundtrack is very blocky and boring and some of it even sounds like Uematsu's work re-hashed. The FMVs are absolutely fantastic, however those kinds of animation graphics are becoming easy to create these days so they aren't anything special. The in-game graphics however are a far cry from the FMVs, they're pretty dull, blocky and boring, not to mention the amount of blocky edges, they definitely should've developed this on the FFXII engine since that looks so much better. The gameplay appears as though Square Enix couldn't be bothered and to be honest i was used to this company giving 100% on their games, even FFIX didn't totally suck. In short I would recommend DoC to people wanting a complete FF collection and FF nerds like myself, Vincent Valentine fans may be sorely disappointed with this game though. Casual gamers may enjoy this but it's not one for the hardcore gamers like myself. A decent attempt but it would've been so much better in an RPG system.

Kevin M. gave it a6:
Its good, but not really. if there were more character usage, i.e- Cloud. It would be better. Very nice split scenes though.

Mark J. gave it a10:
A must have one of the best Final Fantasy games ever made.

Alex M. gave it a9:
Besides this game being like a total shooting gallery the story is easy to get into. My main problem is that you get stuck with Yuffie and Cait Sith while cloud is probably out doing somthing awesome. This game leaves Vincent Valentine for you to play appealing to many fans.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
the graphics and the story are amazing.i also liked very much the soundtracks, Redemtion and Longing, very much.