Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Encyclopedia
is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...

 for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

 as part of the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...

series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department. The game is both a prequel and remake of Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...

, revealing what occurred before the events of its predecessor, and was released on March 22, 2011 in North America.

Gameplay

Gameplay is largely reminiscent of Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...

along with a few changes. The game consists primarily of one-on-one battles, taking place on what is known as a battle map where the two characters duel. Players are able to perform two types of attacks: a Bravery attack and an HP attack. Both characters start with a set amount of Bravery points, the number of Bravery points being equivalent to the amount of damage dealt by an HP attack. Thus, the player must perform several Bravery attacks to steal Bravery points from the opponent so as to increase the power of their HP attack, as Bravery attacks do not cause any damage.

Additional mechanics

The mechanics of the battle system include "EX Revenge" and "Assist." EX Mode functions exactly the same as the first game by collecting EX Cores around the battle map to fill up the EX gauge and transform the character into a more powerful state, which allows players to perform a powerful EX Burst attack should an HP attack land during EX Mode. The Assist system is a new element to the game which allows the player to summon an additional ally into battle to either assist in attacking the enemy or defend from an oncoming attack. It is performed using the Assist Gauge, which is built up by using Bravery Attacks. Both modes are supposed to balance each other, because when an EX Burst is executed, the opponent's Assist Gauge is reduced to zero.

The three main countering systems are Assist Breaks, EX Breaks and EX Revenge. An Assist Break is performed by attacking the opponent's Assist character while the player is in EX Mode, causing him/her to be unable to call out the Assist character for a brief period; this also passes the stage's Bravery points to the character. An EX Break is performed by stopping an opponent's EX Mode through the use of an Assist attack which forces the opponent out of EX Mode, additionally passing the stage's Bravery points to the player. Lastly, EX Revenge occurs when trying to activate EX Mode while being attacked. While in the first game it would simply halt the opponent's attack, it now slows down time allowing the player to pummel the opponent instead, though it sacrifices the player's ability to use an EX Burst as it uses up the entire EX Gauge.

Single-player mode

The biggest addition is within the single-player story mode of the game, taking place on a traditional-styled Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...

world map, with players being able to experience a story while exploring a world with scenarios and events taking place as the story progresses. Players traverse the 3D world map with parties consisting of up to five characters, with players being able to interact in conversations with the characters. When roaming the map, players will encounter enemies known as "Manikins"; when attacked by an enemy, players will be transported to a battle map where battles will take place. There are specially marked shops on the map. The story mode is also party based, similar to the story progression of Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...

. In certain scenarios, parties will be predetermined, but in most cases players are free to select their own party. Alongside the game's new story mode, the game also includes the first game
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...

's story, which has been remade with the 3D world map as well as additional elements added for the new storyline. Tetsuya Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...

, producer and character designer for the game, has said that both storylines played together would result in approximately 60 hours of gameplay.

Plot

The game's main story revolves around the twelfth cycle of the eternal conflict between the gods Cosmos and Chaos, who have both summoned several warriors from different worlds to fight for them. With the battle turning in favor of Chaos, Cosmos entrusts her warriors with the task of retrieving the crystals that will help them defeat Chaos.

The main focus of the story is a group of six warriors—Lightning
Lightning (Final Fantasy)
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the video game Final Fantasy XIII developed and published by Square Enix. She was created by Motomu Toriyama, the game's director and scenario writer, and designed by Tetsuya Nomura...

, Vaan
Vaan
is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy series, and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XII.-Concept and creation:Fellow Final Fantasy XII characters Balthier and then Basch were initially meant to be the main character of the story, but the focus was eventually shifted to Vaan when the...

, Laguna, Yuna
Yuna (Final Fantasy)
is a player character in the Final Fantasy series. She is the female protagonist of Final Fantasy X and the main protagonist of the sequel Final Fantasy X-2. She was designed by Tetsuya Nomura and voiced by Hedy Burress and Mayuko Aoki in the English and Japanese versions, respectively...

, Kain, and Tifa
Tifa Lockhart
is a player character in Square Enix's role playing game Final Fantasy VII. Created by character designer Tetsuya Nomura, she has since appeared in the fighting game Ehrgeiz and cameo appearances in other titles, as well as the CGI film sequel to Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children and related games...

—who must deal with an army of crystalline soldiers known as Manikins, which pose a threat due to their ability to negate the gods' power to revive the warriors after they are killed. Believing their defeat to be inevitable, Kain and the Warrior of Light defeat most of their own allies to protect them from the Manikins. Lightning opposes this plan and leads the other active warriors to stop the Manikins once and for all by sealing the portal from which they emerge. Though they succeed, Cosmos is reduced to a weakened state after using much of her power to diminish the Manikin army, while Lightning and her group succumb to the Manikins' power and fade away, setting the stage for the next cycle.

In addition to the main story is a set of "Reports," most of which follow the other warriors who participate in the thirteenth cycle, explaining their roles before and during that cycle. Prominent characters in these reports include warriors of Cosmos—Terra, Cloud
Cloud Strife
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Square's role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and several of its sequels and spin-offs. His original design was created by Final Fantasy VII character designer Tetsuya Nomura...

 and Tidus
Tidus
is a fictional character from the Final Fantasy series by Square Enix. He was first introduced as the protagonist from the console role-playing game Final Fantasy X in 2001. As the lead character, the player controls Tidus through the game, manipulating his actions through the unfolding storyline...

—who fight for the side of Chaos during the twelfth cycle, and Chaos' warrior Jecht, who appears on the side of Cosmos, with the reports detailing how these characters came to switch sides.

Characters

The game features the entire cast of the original Dissidia with new and tweaked abilities. The game also introduces nine new playable characters. Six of the new characters are available from the start of the game: Lightning, a former soldier and the protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...

; Vaan
Vaan
is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy series, and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XII.-Concept and creation:Fellow Final Fantasy XII characters Balthier and then Basch were initially meant to be the main character of the story, but the focus was eventually shifted to Vaan when the...

, a sky pirate and the protagonist of Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...

; Laguna Loire, the man who appears in Squall's dreams and the secondary protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...

; Yuna
Yuna (Final Fantasy)
is a player character in the Final Fantasy series. She is the female protagonist of Final Fantasy X and the main protagonist of the sequel Final Fantasy X-2. She was designed by Tetsuya Nomura and voiced by Hedy Burress and Mayuko Aoki in the English and Japanese versions, respectively...

, Tidus
Tidus
is a fictional character from the Final Fantasy series by Square Enix. He was first introduced as the protagonist from the console role-playing game Final Fantasy X in 2001. As the lead character, the player controls Tidus through the game, manipulating his actions through the unfolding storyline...

's love interest and female protagonist of Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...

; Kain Highwind, Cecil Harvey's childhood friend and rival from Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...

; and Tifa Lockhart
Tifa Lockhart
is a player character in Square Enix's role playing game Final Fantasy VII. Created by character designer Tetsuya Nomura, she has since appeared in the fighting game Ehrgeiz and cameo appearances in other titles, as well as the CGI film sequel to Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children and related games...

, Cloud Strife
Cloud Strife
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Square's role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and several of its sequels and spin-offs. His original design was created by Final Fantasy VII character designer Tetsuya Nomura...

's childhood friend from Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...

. The remaining three characters, which can be unlocked through various means of gameplay, are Prishe, a playable supporting character from Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...

; Gilgamesh, a recurring villain from Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...

; and Feral Chaos, an original character and alternate form of the game's main antagonist, Chaos. Final Fantasy VIIs Aerith Gainsborough
Aerith Gainsborough
— spelled Aeris Gainsborough in the English releases of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics — is a player character in Square's console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII...

 is available as an assist-only character (i.e. not fully playable in the game) through the purchase of Dissidia 012 Prologus Final Fantasy download on the PlayStation Network.

Character Original game Japanese Voice actor English Voice actor
Kain Highwind  Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...

Kōichi Yamadera
Koichi Yamadera
is a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...

 
Liam O'Brien
Liam O'Brien
Liam Christopher O'Brien is an American voice actor and voice director perhaps best known for his roles as Gaara of the Sand in Naruto, Captain Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach, War in the video game Darksiders, 'Vincent Law' in Ergo Proxy and 'Illidan Stormrage' in the 'Warcraft' game series...

Gilgamesh  Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...

Kazuya Nakai
Kazuya Nakai
is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Hyōgo-ku, Kobe. He is currently attached to Aoni Production.-Overview:Kazuya Nakai debuted in After War Gundam X as Witz Sou....

 
Keith Szarabajka
Keith Szarabajka
Keith Szarabajka is an American actor and voice artist.-Early life:Szarabajka was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Anne, a school teacher, and Edward Szarabajka, a savings and loan officer....

Tifa Lockhart
Tifa Lockhart
is a player character in Square Enix's role playing game Final Fantasy VII. Created by character designer Tetsuya Nomura, she has since appeared in the fighting game Ehrgeiz and cameo appearances in other titles, as well as the CGI film sequel to Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children and related games...

 
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...

Ayumi Ito
Ayumi Ito
Ayumi Itō is a Japanese actress who received her big break in 1996, when she was cast as the central character of Ageha in Shunji Iwai's hit movie, Swallowtail Butterfly. The following year, she won her first Japanese Academy Award for 'Rookie of the Year'...

 
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...

Aerith Gainsborough
Aerith Gainsborough
— spelled Aeris Gainsborough in the English releases of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics — is a player character in Square's console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII...

 (assist only with purchase of Prologus from PSN)
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...

Maaya Sakamoto
Maaya Sakamoto
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress, and voice actress. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime series Little Twins, but is more well known for her role as Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne...

 
Andrea Bowen
Andrea Bowen
Andrea Lauren Bowen is an American actress who is best known for playing Julie Mayer on Desperate Housewives . She has won two SAG Awards.-Biography:...

Laguna Loire  Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...

Hiroaki Hirata
Hiroaki Hirata
is a male seiyū from Tokyo. He stands at 175 centimeters , and is a member of Gekidan Subaru.He is most known for the roles of Sanji , Sha Gojyo , and the Narrator of Digimon Adventure...

 
A.V. Kennedy
Yuna
Yuna (Final Fantasy)
is a player character in the Final Fantasy series. She is the female protagonist of Final Fantasy X and the main protagonist of the sequel Final Fantasy X-2. She was designed by Tetsuya Nomura and voiced by Hedy Burress and Mayuko Aoki in the English and Japanese versions, respectively...

 
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...

Mayuko Aoki
Mayuko Aoki
is a Japanese voice actress who has worked on several anime and video game productions. Mayuko Aoki also sang the FINAL FANTASY X-2 VOCAL COLLECTION / YUNA * 4 tracks* .- Roles :Anime:* Aquarian Age - Sign for Revolution - Yoriko Sannou...

 
| Hedy Burress
Hedy Burress
-Early life:She was born Heather Elizabeth Burress in Edwardsville, Illinois, to teacher parents. She attended Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, before relocating to Los Angeles, California, in 1995.-Career:...

Prishe Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...

Aya Hirano
Aya Hirano
from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. She was contracted to Space Craft Produce, a branch of the Space Craft Group, for her voice acting career, and for her singing career,...

 
Julie Nathanson
Vaan
Vaan
is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy series, and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XII.-Concept and creation:Fellow Final Fantasy XII characters Balthier and then Basch were initially meant to be the main character of the story, but the focus was eventually shifted to Vaan when the...

 
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...

Kensho Ono
Kensho Ono
is a Japanese actor and seiyū, born on October 5, 1989 in Fukuoka Prefecture. He is represented by Gekidan Himawari. In Japan, he is most well known for voicing Harry Potter in the Japanese dubs of the Harry Potter film series, and has also appeared in numerous anime and Japanese television drama...

 
Bobby Edner
Bobby Edner
Robert Charles Edner is an American actor, singer, dancer, and rapper. He was a member of the boy band Varsity Fanclub.- Biography :Edner's first credit was in 1997, as "Chip" in a straight-to-video Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen release...

Lightning
Lightning (Final Fantasy)
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the video game Final Fantasy XIII developed and published by Square Enix. She was created by Motomu Toriyama, the game's director and scenario writer, and designed by Tetsuya Nomura...

 
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...

Maaya Sakamoto
Maaya Sakamoto
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress, and voice actress. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime series Little Twins, but is more well known for her role as Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne...

 
Ali Hillis
Ali Hillis
Alecia Deann "Ali" Hillis is an American film, television and voice actress.-Early life:At the age of six months, Hillis' moved with her family to Normal, Illinois and at age 3, to Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin and then to Charlotte, North Carolina when she was thirteen years old.Hillis performed in...

Feral Chaos Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy N/A N/A

Downloadable content

As of June 16, 2011, the PlayStation Network has featured downloadable content for Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, including character costumes, avatars, and BGM packs.

Reception

Dissidia 012 has received positive reception. Dissidia 012 was scored a 38/40 by Famitsu, composed of a 10, 9, 10, 9 score by the four reviewers, two points higher than the original. PSM3 Magazine UK gave the game a 8.2, calling it an "improvement on the original, with some great Final Fantasy fan service thrown in." IGN gave the game a 9.0 (one point higher than the original), praising the game's graphics and improved gameplay, but criticizing its story. GameInformer gave the game a 7, saying the game did not improve any of the battle system problems of the previous game, although the assist system was a good addition, saying it added an extra dimension to what was missing in the first game.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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