Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)

Unreleased

Dissidia -Final Fantasy- is an action game currently in development by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. It is unknown if the game will be released outside of Japan, although the trademark Dissidia was registered by Square Enix in North America on April 6, 2007, and in Europe on April 10, 2007.

Dissidia's genre has been described as "dramatic progressive action" and its graphics will be three dimensions with the ability to level up characters like in RPGs. The game will reunite characters from other installments of the Final Fantasy series. Chaos will make an appearance as the god of discord, while a new character, Cosmos, will appear as the goddess of harmony. Character designs will be handled by Tetsuya Nomura, but are based upon the original game art by Yoshitaka Amano.

Synopsis
This is a story long steeped in Final Fantasy, a history of conflicting opinions. Originally, the goddess of harmony, Cosmos, and the dark god Chaos were both equal in power.

However, the forces of evil have threatened that balance. The most infamous villains of the Final Fantasy series have united under Chaos to take control of the crystals. If they succeed, they will have the power to change their fates and plunge the Final Fantasy universe into eternal darkness.

To prevent this from happening, Cosmos has summoned ten warriors to protect the crystals. Each warrior must once again face their greatest foes in the ultimate showdown.

Now, a new battle begins...

Gameplay
Dissidia is an action-based fighting game mixed with RPG elements. The battles in Dissidia are divided into stages, each taking place on its own checkerboard-like map. Characters will be moved around like pawns on the board, able to pick up equipment and potions on the map and fight whenever they stop adjacent to an enemy pawn. Destiny Points, also known as DP, are needed to move around the board. Characters can collect more DP by fighting non-boss enemies on the board. The non-boss enemies are imitations of other characters in the game, while the bosses of each stage appear at the end of the map. The energy of characters is not refilled after battles with regular enemies, so grabbing items and equipment on the board is the key to winning a battle and being prepared for the next. Battles take place on full 3D fields with a destroyable environment. The battlefield features regenerate after some time, eventually building up to their original form. Destroying pillars and other objects builds up character's Brave meter. Characters can also run up walls by holding down the button and keep running up them until letting go. is for jumping, and can be combined with the R button's guard to block certain attacks. The L button can be used to turn target locking on and off. There are two attack buttons, each with a different purpose. is to damage the opponent's hit points while the button damages the opponent’s Brave points. Brave points are required to do more damage to an enemy. The more Brave points a character has, the more damage he can deal. There is also an EX-Gauge which fills up during battle from attacking or from acquiring the EX-Cores placed around the stages. Once filled, the character can enter EX-Mode which grants a character-specific bonus and gives access to an EX-Burst, a special move that deals massive damage to their opponent. These moves often reference the representative games, such as Squall using his Renzokuken. After the battle is over, characters are rewarded with Gil, EXP, and AP. Characters level up in the game, the max being level 100. The director stated that depending on the player skills, a level 20 character can defeat a level 90 one. Screenshots and demos have shown that characters on the same side can battle with one another, such as Squall vs. Tidus and Garland vs. Kuja. In a scene in the new gameplay trailer, Tidus is shown obtaining a full Ex-bar from an item. It should also be noted that there are two variations of Victory Fanfares used - one for the Heroes, and the another for the villains.

Characters


So far the plot revolves around a pairing of one hero and one villain from each of the Final Fantasy games up until the 10th installment. Although designed by Tetsuya Nomura, their clothing heavily references Yoshitaka Amano's original illustrations of both heroes and villains.

As the game's synopsis implies, the story revolves around the conflict that each of the paired characters has that makes them unique. The story will unfold both outside, and in the middle of battles, marking a unique style of story telling.

When asked by Famitsu about the possible inclusion of characters from Final Fantasy XI, Nomura cryptically stated, "I can't say anything yet."

Alternate costumes have been confirmed in the latest trailer. Revealed alts include Firion with a red cape (as in one of Amano's artwork) and Squall in Seed uniform, as well as Onion Knight with the appearance of Luneth from the DS remake of Final Fantasy III.

Final Fantasy

 * Warrior of Light: A warrior who excels at swordplay. He is also exceedingly talented at balancing his offense with the defensive use of his shield. On his world, after rescuing Princess Sara of the Kingdom of Cornelia, he set out on the journey to save a world covered in darkness. When in Ex-Mode, he can class-change to Knight. He was described as being an "all-round" fighter. He will be voiced by Toshihiko Seki.


 * Garland: He bears a great sword that he can transform into a highly destructive battle axe, both of which he wields with two hands as he fights in ever-changing patterns. On his world, he stood in opposition against the Warriors of Light. Although he used to be a famous knight, one day he suddenly kidnapped Princess Sara to demand the kingdom of Cornelia in exchange for her life. His Ex-Mode gives him a boost in both power and defense. His Ex-Burst, Soul of Chaos, charges up by rapidly tapping the circle button, and once full unleashes a string of critical attacks. He was described as being a "standard" fighter. Garland will be voiced by Kenji Utsumi.

The place where these two warriors fight seems to be the Chaos Shrine, where the final fight in Final Fantasy takes place. In each corner of the room is a portrait of each Elemental Fiend.

The conflict between Garland and Light Warrior is a heavy reference of the "Cycle" that the Four Fiends used to prolong their rule in the original Final Fantasy. Garland challenges Light Warrior to end the cycle of evil, claiming it is endless.

Final Fantasy II

 * Firion: The sword, the spear, the bow, the knife, the staff; only a sampling of the weapons this young man has mastered. He possesses a strong sense of justice, and an equally passionate soul. On his world, he hails from the kingdom of Fynn. When the kingdom was besieged by the Palamecian Empire, his adoptive parents were killed in the attack and he almost died as well. After he and his friends are saved by the Wild Rose Rebellion, they decide to dedicate themselves to the cause. He can change his weapons in the middle of battle. He was described as being a "weapon expert". Firion will be voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa.


 * Emperor: A man who wields terrible magic and manipulates powerful arcane forces. He has a cool-headed demeanor, fitting for one who believes the ends justify the means. On his world, he planned to conquer the world as the leader of the militaristic Palamecian Empire. He held the people of the world in fear of the powerful demon army he summoned from Hell itself. He can transform into the demonic Emperor of Hell in Ex-Mode. He was described as being a "trap-maker". The Emperor will be voiced by Kenyu Horiuchi.

Also, in some screen shots, it seems that the player fights in Pandaemonium.

The conflict between Emperor Mateus and Firion revolves around opposite ideals. Firion, seeking The Wild Rose, is a metaphor for seeking freedom from oppressive rule. The Emperor however claims that all must bow down to his law and order. They represent iconic values of Chaotic Good vs Lawful Evil, hallmarks of most role playing games.

Final Fantasy III

 * Onion Knight: A Light Warrior, chosen by the Crystals. He can transform into a Sage or a Ninja on Ex-Mode and his Ex-Bust consists of using either the Ninja's Throw ability, or the Sage's magic abilities. Both transformations are jobs received from the hidden land of Eureka in Final Fantasy III (The Earth Crystal in the DS Version). His design is based on the original Final Fantasy III Light Warrior in one of Amano's artwork, Koichi Ishii's Onion Knight artwork for Final Fantasy III, and the Onion Knight artwork from the DS remake. An alternate costume renders him loosely similar to Luneth, the main character from the the DS remake. He was described as being a "sword & magic" character. He will be voiced by Jun Yukuyama.


 * Cloud of Darkness: A mysterious entity whose sole purpose is to reduce everything to nothing. As with most other Dissidia characters, her design has been altered dramatically to resemble an original Amano sketch of her. Some of the notable differences from her in-game appearances are pale skin (instead of orange on NES and green on DS), silver hair, a blood red cape, and her arms seem to resemble that of Ultimecia's. Her Ex-Mode transformation is her green appearance from the previous games, and her Ex-Burst is the Particle Beam, her signature attack. She was described as being a "wave cannon master". Masako Ikeda will voice her.

The World of Darkness, the final dungeon in Final Fantasy III where the last battle in the game takes place, is the location representing their respective game.

The relationship between the Onion Knight and the Cloud of Darkness is the eternal battle between light and darkness, both in Final Fantasy III, and the shifting balance it has during the game.

Final Fantasy IV

 * Cecil Harvey: The Captain of the Red Wings. After being demoted from his charge, and sent to vanquish the summoner village of Mist, Cecil sides against his homeland, Baron, and the evil wizard whose shadow took over it. He can choose to become either a Paladin or a Dark Knight in the middle of the battle. Weekly Shonen Jump also gave information that Cecil's Paladin form has increased stats for quick aerial attacks and is a strong magic user, whilst his Dark Knight form is more powerful in brute ground attacks as well as strength. Shizuma Hodoshima will most likely voice Cecil.
 * Golbez: A powerful mage in a dark armor that took command of the Red Wings, using them and the Kingdom of Baron as a means to find the Crystals. His silhouette appeared in Square Enix's DKΣ3713 Private Party 2008 as one of the enemies in the trailer along with the rest of the villains, and he was further confirmed in Weekly Shonen Jump illustrating him in detail. His Ex-Mode seems to allow him to fuse with the Shadow Dragon which he summons in Final Fantasy IV. It also gave information that his is a powerful magic user, and, like Kuja, is more powerful from long-distances. Takeshi Kaga will most likely voice Golbez.

In screen shots, Cecil and Golbez seem to fight on the surface of the Red Moon, the location of Final Fantasy IV's climax. The Crystal Palace is visible in the background.

The nature of their conflict is unconfirmed; however, it probably has something to do with their relationship as brothers, or possibly their opposing alignments of light and darkness. It could also be that they represent two opposite interpretations of the Mysidian Legend, which refers to light and darkness "birthed from dragon's maw".

Final Fantasy V

 * Bartz: An adventurer from Lix that was chosen by the Crystals to fight Exdeath's campaign of destruction. While his color scheme is based on his in-game appearance, his clothes and facial features are based on the original artwork of Amano's. He will be voiced by Souichiro Hoshi.
 * Exdeath: An evil warlock who is the manifestation of all evil in the Great Forest of Moore, he seeks to destruction of the Crystals so as to obtain the power of the Void, and thus, bringing chaos to the world. His look in Dissidia is largely unchanged from his original artwork and his battle sprite. He will be voiced by Tarou Ishida.

The representative arena of Final Fantasy V is the Dimensional Castle, an area of the Interdimensional Rift.

Final Fantasy VI

 * Terra Branford: In the latest article by TGS News, Terra was confirmed. She will be voiced by Yukari Fukui.
 * Kefka Palazzo: A failed Magitek experiment turned into the psychotic and sadistic Court Mage of the Gestahlian Empire. His appearance is confirmed in the trailer shown during the first day of the Square Enix's DKΣ3713 Private Party 2008. He will be voiced by Shigeru Chiba.

Final Fantasy VII

 * Cloud Strife: In a trailer presented at the Tokyo Game Show 2008, Cloud has been seen in a video fighting Sephiroth, effectively confirming his place among the Dissidia cast as a playable character. His voice actor is confirmed to be Takahiro Sakurai.
 * Sephiroth: A once great SOLDIER, now driven mad. He fights using his nodachi, the Masamune. Minor changes have been made to his appearance to appear more like his Amano art, with a belt on the outside of his overcoat, and different shoulder guards. One of the trailers shows him saying the words "After all, you are a puppet" and "giving his opponent despair", lines which mirror various pieces of dialogue between him and Cloud, thus heavily referencing his appearance. His voice actor will most likely be Toshiyuki Morikawa.

The background shown in the single cutscene portrays what seems to be the Lifestream within the Northern Crater. It appears that Sephiroth is also standing on the platform where Jenova SYNTHESIS is fought.

Final Fantasy VIII

 * Squall Leonhart: A young man armed with a specially designed Gunblade. With his reticence and unsociable character, he is often apathetic towards other people. On his world, he attended the mercenary training academy Balamb Garden, as a member of the special SeeD unit. After he met with Resistance member Rinoa Heartilly, and became entangled with the Sorceresses, Squall's fate was forever changed. Slight alterations have been made to his outfit to resemble his Amano art, but his overall costume still remains similar to his in-game appearance. On his Ex-Mode, he transforms his Gunblade into the Lion Heart, and his Ex-Burst is his limit break, Renzokuken. He was described as being a "combo master". Hideo Ishikawa will voice Squall.


 * Ultimecia: A Sorceress said to have the power to manipulate time itself. She possesses powerful magic, able to be molded into mystic swords and axes for her to attack with. On her world, she was a Sorceress from the distant future who, through the use of time magic, planned to compress her time with that of Squall's so that her existence would be become constant. In the second trailer, she is able to halt time and screen shots reveal that her Ex-Mode transformation is her form when junctioned with Griever. She was described as being a "magic shooter". Atsuko Tanaka will voice her.

In trailers and screen shots, Squall and Ultimecia seem to be fighting in parts of Ultimecia Castle, where the last battle between the party and Ultimecia takes place in Final Fantasy VIII.

These two have a one sided conflict, or rather it is a rehash of Squall's past personality prior to the ending of Final Fantasy VIII. Ultimecia uses mind games and deception to try to crush what heroism and good values Squall may have buried under his no-nonsense personality. Squall for his part seems focused only on protecting the crystals.

Final Fantasy IX

 * Zidane Tribal: Possessing excellent drive and judgment, he is a 16-year-old boy with a deep sense of justice and a weakness for girls. On his world, he was a member of the Tantalus Theatre Troupe--a cover for a group of thieves. After a mission to kidnap the Princess Garnet, he decided to dedicate himself to her cause. While traveling, Zidane and the others become entangled in the conflict over the planet of Gaia on which they live. On his Ex-Mode, he transforms into Trance Zidane to use Dyne techniques. He was described as being an "air master". Romi Paku will voice Zidane.


 * Kuja: With his pale skin and long silver hair, he is certainly beautiful, but he possesses a cruel, violent personality and an undeniable narcissism. He also seems to be unusually jealous of Zidane. On his world, he taught Queen Brahne how to manufacture Black Mages from the mist, and planned to also use the power of the Eidolons to throw the world into chaos. He can transform into Trance Kuja on his Ex-Mode. He was described as being a "range-free" character. Kuja will be voiced by Akira Ishida.

Also, in some screen shots, it is revealed that the player fights in the Crystal World, where Trance Kuja is fought.

The exact nature of their Dissidia conflict is unknown. They banter in a poetic fashion; Kuja tells Zidane he will "play him his requiem", for example. It is assumed they are continuing the struggle of which brother has the right to exist at the cost of the other.

Final Fantasy X

 * Tidus: The ace player from the Blitzball team, The Zanarkand Abes. On his world, he arrived in Spira after his city was attacked by the beast Sin, after which he met the summoner Yuna and joined her guardians on her pilgrimage. His appearance has been heavily based from his Amano artwork more than his appearance in Final Fantasy X. He fights with the Brotherhood sword and a Blitzball. On his Ex-Mode, he changes his weapon into the Caladbolg which casts Hastaga to give him more speed for his attacks and dodging, and his Ex-Burst is his Blitz Ace overdrive. He was described as being a "dodge/attack" character. Tidus will be voiced by Masakazu Morita.


 * Jecht: Tidus' father who served as the star player on Zanarkand's Blitzball team. On his world, he lost his way during training when he accidentally came into contact with Sin and was sent to Spira, and in trying to return to Zanarkand he joined Yuna's father Braska on his pilgrimage. Soon, his fate is swallowed up within the curse of Sin. Famitsu magazine screen shots reveal that he is able to transform into his Aeon Form on his Ex-Mode. He was described as being a "ultimate infighter". Jecht will be voiced by Masuo Amada.

The location representing Final Fantasy X  is Jecht's private re-creation of Zanarkand within Sin, where Braska's Final Aeon is fought.

Their conflict revolves around their antagonism as father and son, somewhat, as well as Jecht's role as Braska's Final Aeon. In the trailer in which they battle, Tidus accuses Jecht of deceiving him, and claims "if you don't cross over, tomorrow will never come". Thus, their conflict could be seen as rooted in the need for Jecht to die in order for Sin to be destroyed.

Why these two characters would want to fight on opposite sides is very questionable. Throughout the course of Final Fantasy X, Tidus does show hatred for Jecht, but not vice versa. It is speculated that Jecht is still under the control of Yu Yevon, as evidenced by the fact that he can transform into the Final Aeon, but it seems unlikely. The creators themselves state that their relationship will be based on a "What If" situation, of how they would behave together prior to the ending of Final Fantasy X. During the trailer at DKS31713, Tidus questioned Jecht as to why he joined with the other side - therefor suggesting that it was Jecht's own free-will to join with the villains, but this doesn't tell us the reason he did so.

"The scenes with Tidus and Jecht should be quite an interesting expansion. In the main Final Fantasy X story the two only got a chance to talk together in the final scene. This time we're telling the parts of that story that couldn't be seen before. There will be quite a few. But what we're doing is fine tuning the original story details behind the characters' births, relationships, & interactions. Tidus has a connection with the heroes, while Jecht is tangled with the characters on the Chaos side." -Takeshi Arakawa (Game director)

Gods

 * Cosmos, the Goddess of Harmony that summoned the heroes into the Dissidia universe. She is so far the only original character introduced in the game. She will be voiced by Masumi Shimamoto.


 * Chaos, the antagonist from the original Final Fantasy, returns as the God of Discord. He summoned the villains into the Dissidia universe, including his previous alter-ego Garland, who appears here as a distinct character. He will be voiced by Norio Wakamoto.

The conflict between Cosmos and Chaos over arches the storyline of the game and represents the eternal conflict between the forces of order and chaos. They both are opposites to each other, not just as the titles that they hold, but their elements - Cosmos seems to be an aqua-like being from the skies, whilst Chaos appears to be a lava-like being from the ground. It is currently unknown whether Cosmos and/or Chaos will be playable characters in the game, but one or both will likely feature as a boss.

Development
First news of the game appeared when Square Enix filed for United States trademark registration of "DISSIDIA" and then with the opening of the Dissidia website with the games logo. It was fully unveiled at Square Enix Party 2007 with the first trailer featuring the Warrior of Light, Garland, Zidane, Kuja, and Sephiroth. It was announced as part of the Final Fantasy series 20th Anniversary (although the game wouldn't be released in time for the Final Fantasy series anniversary, and would not represent all numbered Final Fantasy games of the last 20 years, instead stopping at Final Fantasy X.) It was announced that the game would be directed by Yousuke Shiokawa, with music by Takeharu Ishimoto, and character designs handled by Tetsuya Nomura. The game would pit past Final Fantasy characters against each other in a 3D battle field. The game made its playable debut at Jump Fiesta 2008, December 22nd 2007 where another trailer was shown featuring Squall, Ultimecia, and Tidus. In an interview Nomura stated that the game was being developed by younger staff members within Square-Enix and although he was the character designer, he was pretty hands off the project and leaving it in the hands of the younger developers.

Director, Takeshi Arakawa, has said that there were difficulties in developing Dissidia using the UMD media in that they wanted to find a compromise between reading from the disc constantly (which drains battery) and longer loading times.

Dissidia Villain Artwork Poster
The Dissidia artwork poster featuring all the villains was completed by Yoshitaka Amano. It features Garland (below the logo), Golbez (behind the logo), Kuja (to the left of Cosmos), Emperor Mateus (above Kuja), Ultimecia (above Emperor), Sephiroth (in the center), Jecht (in between both Emperor Mateus and Sephiroth), Kefka (behind Chaos), Cloud of Darkness (above Kefka) and Exdeath (above Cloud of Darkness).

There is some evidence that suggests the villains arraignment on the poster may be related to the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, or more accurately its shadow, the Qliphoth (Tree of Death).

Merchandise
The Dissidia cast shall be made into Trading Arts Figures, posing in their positions as depicted in their Dissidia artwork. Dissidia will also include a purchasable bundle similar to that of Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-. It will include Dissidia, and the new PSP 3000, possibly with engravings, similar to the Crisis Core bundle.

Trivia

 * Dissidia's release date in Japan, December 18th, is the same date that the original Final Fantasy was first released.