As some of you may be aware, a new Final Fantasy fighting game has been recently catching on to western shores upon its official announcement on PS4 during this year's E3, and more recently at Evo 2017 with the announcement of a closed online beta, which is now in progress.
Developed by Team Ninja (the masterminds behind Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden, and more recently, the critically-acclaimed Nioh), that title was aptly named "Dissidia Final Fantasy NT" (the abbreviations coined by Square themselves as "New Tale"). This game is an upcoming enhanced console port of "Dissidia Final Fantasy Arcade", which launched exclusively in Japan for at least one year on November 2015, which was met with lots of updates and continuous balancing ever since release. Helming this ambitious project are producers Ichiro Hazawa and Team Ninja's very own Yosuke Hayashi, with Takeo Kujiraoka reprising his role as the game's director.
For those not familiar with Dissidia, this game is essentially Square Enix's own take on Super Smash Bros., conveniently taking all the popular characters from the mainline series and having them lay the smack down on each other. Ever wanted Kefka and Sephiroth to fight for supremacy among popular villains? Ever wondered who would win in a gunblade duel between Lightning and Squall? Ever wanted to beat up Vaan for being an unimportant character in his own game that somehow making the cut in the playable roster over Ashe, Balthier, and Fran? It's all possible here!
Dissidia is quite different and unique from other fighting games. The game's setting is based upon a 3D arena from a third-person view (similar to games such as Dragonball Xenoverse, Armored Core, etc.), with each stage paying homage to some of the most iconic scenery in the mainline Final Fantasy games, such as Midgar from Final Fantasy 7, Narshe from Final Fantasy 6, Alexandria from Final Fantasy 8, and more recently, the Floating Continent from Final Fantasy 3 and the Lunar Subterrane from Final Fantasy 4. As for the gameplay itself, it has its own unique spin on how to strategically overcome the opponent. You don't simply strike down the opponent until they die... no. There's a unique layer of strategy to it.
In Dissidia, there are two main gauges to worry about: The HP gauge (which represents the opponent's actual health) and the Bravery gauge (which represents the value of your HP attack should you land it on the opponent). The objective is to build as much bravery points as possible in order to deplete the opponent's HP to zero. This is done by attacking opponents with Bravery Attacks, which are generally faster strikes, and more effective in sapping your opponent's bravery points to build your own. In contrast, HP attacks are slower and sap less of the opponent's bravery points on contact at the expense of directly dealing HP, the damage that truly matters in order to achieve victory.
If you completely deplete an opponent's Bravery gauge, they will enter Bravery Break status. In this state, they are unable to gain Bravery Points nor sap an opponent's Bravery gauge for a short period of time, and you are granted an additional bonus on the Bravery gauge based on the value given on the Bravery Bonus bank. The only way the opponent can quickly recover from Break status is to land an HP attack, but doing so will mean the opponent will take no damage to their HP. This is Dissidia's gameplay at its basic core.
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But before we get into the latest installment of the series, we should take a look back 9 years, as this would not mark the first time the characters of the mainline Final Fantasy series slugged it out in a dream match. In 2008 - as part of a 20th anniversary celebration of the Final Fantasy series - Dissidia saw its original debut on the now-defunct Playstation Portable, developed in-house by Square Enix themselves. In this game - as well as its major update "Dissidia Final Fantasy Duocecim (012)", released a few years later - it was a one-on-one arena fighting game that was heavily influenced with RPG elements which greatly changed how the character played (much like the Gear system in Injustice 2) and had its own share of mechanics unique to those games:
- The Chase mechanic. Using certain moves allowed you to launch an opponent and pursue them, activating a back-and-forth guessing game of dodging a fast Bravery attack or a delayed HP attack.
- The Assist meter. Introduced in Dissidia 012, this allowed another playable character to assist the point character manually by using one of two types of attacks depending on the stocks used.
- The EX Gauge. This was the game's commonly known super meter often associated with most modern fighting games, which allowed each character to temporarily become enhanced versions of themselves (called EX Mode), activate a cinematic super with unique quick-time events (called EX Bursts), and in Dissidia 012, even act as a combo breaker (called EX Revenge).
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In Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, the gameplay is quite different. Gone are the potentially gamebreaking RPG elements and the heavily luck-based chase mechanic that would've brought its competitive potential into question. Also gone are the branching attacks, and (sadly) the flashy EX Bursts. The game is now a three-on-three simultaneous competitive arena fighting game where the focus is more on team synergy, character classes, and a greater emphasis on temporary buffs and debuffs to keep both parties adapting quickly.
Here, all characters have a shared HP value of 3500 points, whereas the base Bravery gauge is 1000 points (with the Bravery bonus also being a fixed value of 1000 points when depleting an opponent's Bravery gauge to zero). In addition, each character had 6 Bravery attacks that could not be changed or altered, but you can customize your one and only HP attack (with the only exception being Vaan, who can equip two). There are new gameplay elements specifically for this new installment:
1) Dash Meter: As opposed to the PSP Dissidia games where you could dash infinitely in a straight path without fatigue, Dissidia NT levels the playing field of 3v3 combat by not only allowing the player to dash freely in any direction, but also limiting its use to allow for other means of offense to be better utilized. To dash, press R1. Climbing walls can also be done by pressing R1 and the Circle button simultaneously.
2) Defense Shield: Similar to Smash Bros. Dissidia NT opts for a bubble shield mechanic encircling the player to defend against Bravery Attacks as opposed to a short parry window that deflects them on contact in the previous games. However, the shield does wear off in time, and if it's destroyed, the player is unable to take action for a short period of time. Furthermore, HP attacks are still unblockable like in the original PSP games. To defend with a shield, press L1. You can also sidestep using the same button while tilting left or right on the left control stick.
3) Quick Chat: Believe it or not, this new and welcome addition is very useful in a team-based game such as Dissidia NT. With this feature, it is much easier for other team members to act on specific strategies, such as helping an opponent that's in trouble, keeping a specific opponent at bay, and especially summoning. Holding down a direction on the D-Pad while pressing any of the four face buttons on the right corresponds to a different quote. Familiarize yourself with them to give your team a cooperative edge, even without a mic.
4) Summons: Replacing the EX Bursts - more or less - is the Summon Gauge, which corresponds with the iconic Summon Monster you selected before the game begins. Each Summon aids you in battle through a specific pattern of attacks, but they serve another purpose: Giving both passive buffs to the party at the start of the battle and additional post-summon buffs to the party. How effective they are totally depends on how your team plays and utilizes them, so experiment and discover which one's best for you! To summon, hold the center button on the PS4. If all three teammates act in unison, the summoning becomes instant!
5) EX Skills: EX Skills are sub-meters that fill up by themselves over the passage of time, unaffected by the actions taken in the flow of battle. Each character has a unique EX skill of their own followed by the option to choose two other EX skills shared by the entire cast, such as "Regenga", which gradually recovers HP. To activate an EX Skill when it's ready to be used, simply press the button and direction on the left control stick corresponding to each EX Skill (Triangle Button + direction on the left stick). Be careful though, each EX skill has limited duration, and once used, they will take a fixed amount of time to recharge again.
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Here is an official tutorial video that visually demonstrates the basics of the game as well as most of what's been covered.
For further information on Dissidia NT's competitive nuances as well as character specifics, I highly recommend visiting the YouTube channels of Leif 3GHP, Jaghancement, and especially Trueblade Seeker. All three are especially well-versed at the layers of depth what this game offers.
On one final note, the formal registration for the online beta is over as of this time. However, if you missed out on your chance to register for the online beta on Square Enix's website, there are various places on the internet which may still be giving away free beta codes. Don't give up yet. The week is still young!
The online beta for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is scheduled to be playable until September 3, 2017 at 9PM PDT (September 4, 2017 at 12AM EST).
The full game of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is scheduled to be released exclusively on Playstation 4 on January 11, 2018 in Japan, and worldwide on January 30, 2018.
Developed by Team Ninja (the masterminds behind Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden, and more recently, the critically-acclaimed Nioh), that title was aptly named "Dissidia Final Fantasy NT" (the abbreviations coined by Square themselves as "New Tale"). This game is an upcoming enhanced console port of "Dissidia Final Fantasy Arcade", which launched exclusively in Japan for at least one year on November 2015, which was met with lots of updates and continuous balancing ever since release. Helming this ambitious project are producers Ichiro Hazawa and Team Ninja's very own Yosuke Hayashi, with Takeo Kujiraoka reprising his role as the game's director.
For those not familiar with Dissidia, this game is essentially Square Enix's own take on Super Smash Bros., conveniently taking all the popular characters from the mainline series and having them lay the smack down on each other. Ever wanted Kefka and Sephiroth to fight for supremacy among popular villains? Ever wondered who would win in a gunblade duel between Lightning and Squall? Ever wanted to beat up Vaan for being an unimportant character in his own game that somehow making the cut in the playable roster over Ashe, Balthier, and Fran? It's all possible here!
Dissidia is quite different and unique from other fighting games. The game's setting is based upon a 3D arena from a third-person view (similar to games such as Dragonball Xenoverse, Armored Core, etc.), with each stage paying homage to some of the most iconic scenery in the mainline Final Fantasy games, such as Midgar from Final Fantasy 7, Narshe from Final Fantasy 6, Alexandria from Final Fantasy 8, and more recently, the Floating Continent from Final Fantasy 3 and the Lunar Subterrane from Final Fantasy 4. As for the gameplay itself, it has its own unique spin on how to strategically overcome the opponent. You don't simply strike down the opponent until they die... no. There's a unique layer of strategy to it.
In Dissidia, there are two main gauges to worry about: The HP gauge (which represents the opponent's actual health) and the Bravery gauge (which represents the value of your HP attack should you land it on the opponent). The objective is to build as much bravery points as possible in order to deplete the opponent's HP to zero. This is done by attacking opponents with Bravery Attacks, which are generally faster strikes, and more effective in sapping your opponent's bravery points to build your own. In contrast, HP attacks are slower and sap less of the opponent's bravery points on contact at the expense of directly dealing HP, the damage that truly matters in order to achieve victory.
If you completely deplete an opponent's Bravery gauge, they will enter Bravery Break status. In this state, they are unable to gain Bravery Points nor sap an opponent's Bravery gauge for a short period of time, and you are granted an additional bonus on the Bravery gauge based on the value given on the Bravery Bonus bank. The only way the opponent can quickly recover from Break status is to land an HP attack, but doing so will mean the opponent will take no damage to their HP. This is Dissidia's gameplay at its basic core.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But before we get into the latest installment of the series, we should take a look back 9 years, as this would not mark the first time the characters of the mainline Final Fantasy series slugged it out in a dream match. In 2008 - as part of a 20th anniversary celebration of the Final Fantasy series - Dissidia saw its original debut on the now-defunct Playstation Portable, developed in-house by Square Enix themselves. In this game - as well as its major update "Dissidia Final Fantasy Duocecim (012)", released a few years later - it was a one-on-one arena fighting game that was heavily influenced with RPG elements which greatly changed how the character played (much like the Gear system in Injustice 2) and had its own share of mechanics unique to those games:
- The Chase mechanic. Using certain moves allowed you to launch an opponent and pursue them, activating a back-and-forth guessing game of dodging a fast Bravery attack or a delayed HP attack.
- The Assist meter. Introduced in Dissidia 012, this allowed another playable character to assist the point character manually by using one of two types of attacks depending on the stocks used.
- The EX Gauge. This was the game's commonly known super meter often associated with most modern fighting games, which allowed each character to temporarily become enhanced versions of themselves (called EX Mode), activate a cinematic super with unique quick-time events (called EX Bursts), and in Dissidia 012, even act as a combo breaker (called EX Revenge).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, the gameplay is quite different. Gone are the potentially gamebreaking RPG elements and the heavily luck-based chase mechanic that would've brought its competitive potential into question. Also gone are the branching attacks, and (sadly) the flashy EX Bursts. The game is now a three-on-three simultaneous competitive arena fighting game where the focus is more on team synergy, character classes, and a greater emphasis on temporary buffs and debuffs to keep both parties adapting quickly.
Here, all characters have a shared HP value of 3500 points, whereas the base Bravery gauge is 1000 points (with the Bravery bonus also being a fixed value of 1000 points when depleting an opponent's Bravery gauge to zero). In addition, each character had 6 Bravery attacks that could not be changed or altered, but you can customize your one and only HP attack (with the only exception being Vaan, who can equip two). There are new gameplay elements specifically for this new installment:
1) Dash Meter: As opposed to the PSP Dissidia games where you could dash infinitely in a straight path without fatigue, Dissidia NT levels the playing field of 3v3 combat by not only allowing the player to dash freely in any direction, but also limiting its use to allow for other means of offense to be better utilized. To dash, press R1. Climbing walls can also be done by pressing R1 and the Circle button simultaneously.
2) Defense Shield: Similar to Smash Bros. Dissidia NT opts for a bubble shield mechanic encircling the player to defend against Bravery Attacks as opposed to a short parry window that deflects them on contact in the previous games. However, the shield does wear off in time, and if it's destroyed, the player is unable to take action for a short period of time. Furthermore, HP attacks are still unblockable like in the original PSP games. To defend with a shield, press L1. You can also sidestep using the same button while tilting left or right on the left control stick.
3) Quick Chat: Believe it or not, this new and welcome addition is very useful in a team-based game such as Dissidia NT. With this feature, it is much easier for other team members to act on specific strategies, such as helping an opponent that's in trouble, keeping a specific opponent at bay, and especially summoning. Holding down a direction on the D-Pad while pressing any of the four face buttons on the right corresponds to a different quote. Familiarize yourself with them to give your team a cooperative edge, even without a mic.
4) Summons: Replacing the EX Bursts - more or less - is the Summon Gauge, which corresponds with the iconic Summon Monster you selected before the game begins. Each Summon aids you in battle through a specific pattern of attacks, but they serve another purpose: Giving both passive buffs to the party at the start of the battle and additional post-summon buffs to the party. How effective they are totally depends on how your team plays and utilizes them, so experiment and discover which one's best for you! To summon, hold the center button on the PS4. If all three teammates act in unison, the summoning becomes instant!
5) EX Skills: EX Skills are sub-meters that fill up by themselves over the passage of time, unaffected by the actions taken in the flow of battle. Each character has a unique EX skill of their own followed by the option to choose two other EX skills shared by the entire cast, such as "Regenga", which gradually recovers HP. To activate an EX Skill when it's ready to be used, simply press the button and direction on the left control stick corresponding to each EX Skill (Triangle Button + direction on the left stick). Be careful though, each EX skill has limited duration, and once used, they will take a fixed amount of time to recharge again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is an official tutorial video that visually demonstrates the basics of the game as well as most of what's been covered.
For further information on Dissidia NT's competitive nuances as well as character specifics, I highly recommend visiting the YouTube channels of Leif 3GHP, Jaghancement, and especially Trueblade Seeker. All three are especially well-versed at the layers of depth what this game offers.
On one final note, the formal registration for the online beta is over as of this time. However, if you missed out on your chance to register for the online beta on Square Enix's website, there are various places on the internet which may still be giving away free beta codes. Don't give up yet. The week is still young!
The online beta for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is scheduled to be playable until September 3, 2017 at 9PM PDT (September 4, 2017 at 12AM EST).
The full game of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is scheduled to be released exclusively on Playstation 4 on January 11, 2018 in Japan, and worldwide on January 30, 2018.
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