Vincent Valentine
Encyclopedia
is an optional player character
in Square Enix
's console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII
. Designed by Tetsuya Nomura
, he also appears in various titles from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
, a series of prequels of and sequels of Final Fantasy VII, and is the protagonist
in the third-person shooter
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
and its mobile phone tie-in. The English voice actor of Vincent is Steven Blum
, while the Japanese voice actor is Shōgo Suzuki.
In the backstory of Final Fantasy VII, Vincent is a genetically modified human assigned to guard the scientist Lucrecia Crescent, who gave birth to the game's antagonist, Sephiroth, in one of Shinra Corporation's experiments involving the cells of an extraterrestrial life form called Jenova. Soon after, Vincent himself became subject to experiments performed by a Shinra-affiliated scientist named Hojo. If the player unlocks Vincent, he will join Cloud Strife
's group to stop Sephiroth, as well as to seek revenge on Hojo.
Due to time constraints, Vincent was originally not meant to be playable in Final Fantasy VII; however, he was ultimately made an optional character. However, Vincent's character is developed greatly in other installments of the Compilation. Critics and players have received Vincent positively, and his popularity as a character encouraged Square to make him the protagonist of Dirge of Cerberus.
commented that the staff thought of removing him along with Yuffie Kisaragi
(the other optional character from the game), as they did not have enough time to work them in. As a result, Vincent and Yuffie ended up appearing as optional characters. Director Yoshinori Kitase
was in charge of the making of Vincent's cutscene in which he becomes a playable character, while scenario writer Kazushige Nojima
wrote his backstory along with Lucrecia's. Game planner Hiroki Chiba crammed his scenes shortly before the game ended production. Nojima found troubles making Vincent's dialogues noting that despite his calm personality, he ends up having several lines. In the original script of the game, Vincent was introduced in a similar situation but with handsome, sarcastic personality. He joined Cloud's group after learning of Hojo, but having no knowledge of the results of the experiments in his body. Additionally, he was also meant to know more about Shinra's project regarding the creation of Sephiroth's clones, leading him to reveal it to Cloud after he explains that he was also experimented on by Hojo.
Vincent appears as a tall, lean young man with long black hair and a ragged red cloak and mantle over black clothes. He wears a metallic, golden gauntlet on his left forearm
. Vincent's cloak covers the lower half of his face and is held closed by a series of buckles. His eyes are naturally red. For Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
, Nomura redesigned Vincent's gun in the same way that Cloud's Buster Sword was redesigned in Advent Children to demonstrate he is the protagonist of the game. It was named Cerberus in references the multi-headed
hound
with the same name
from Greek
and Roman mythology
as Nomura found it suitable for Vincent. It was made with three barrels as Cerberus has three heads, and three revolvers were added to reduce the number of limited bullets. Nomura has explained that Vincent Valentine's character shifted from that of horror
researcher, to detective
, to chemist
, and finally arriving at the figure of a former member of the Shinra Company's Turks with a tragic past. It has been further explained that his crimson cloak was added to symbolize the idea of Vincent carrying a heavy weight—related to death—on his shoulders.
While other characters were given simple costumes in Advent Children, Vincent was given one more complex. Nomura felt that changing his design to something different would "conflict with his personality" and was given attire consisting of "various, complex parts." His cloak was also difficult to animate due to it being very organic
; the overall complexity of Vincent's design led to his scenes being "especially hard to create." Vincent's scenes were constantly being adjusted "to convey its elusive nature of seemingly having shape, but not." These adjustments continued until six months before the crews' deadline. Vincent was chosen as the protagonist of Dirge of Cerberus due to his strong connections to the setting of Final Fantasy VII and how his background could be expanded. Due to the staff's desire to make it a shooter game, Vincent was mainly chosen due to his weaponry and after it was decided to be title from Final Fantasy VII. Vincent's transformations into different type of beasts was also one of the things the staff worked to add it into the gameplay.
Vincent's Japanese voice actor, Shogo Suzuki, explained that he tries "to hold back as much emotion as possible when playing Vincent," noting that Vincent is "a bit of a loner" and "appears cold on the surface." Nomura wanted Cloud and Vincent's voices to contrast with each other due to their similarities. He felt Vincent was older and more mature than Cloud, and as a result he casted Suzuki due to his very low voice.
and his allies find Vincent sleeping in a coffin in the basement of a Shinra mansion. Cloud mentions his quest to stop the game's antagonist, Sephiroth, who Vincent recognizes as the son of a Shinra scientist named Lucrecia. Vincent joins Cloud's group when he learns that they may eventually meet up with Hojo, against whom Vincent has a vendetta. Later, Vincent finds Lucrecia inside a cave, and their back story is revealed through flashbacks. Vincent was a member of the Turks, an elite group of Shinra agents; while serving as Lucrecia's protector, she fell in love with him but ultimately decided to remain faithful to Hojo. When complaining about the experiment regarding Lucrecia and her son, Hojo shot and experimented on Vincent, which resulted in his current state of being. Not being able to protect Lucrecia, Vincent felt a strong guilt which led him to his isolation. In her pain and regret Lucrecia had sealed herself away in mako crystals, hearing the actions from her son. Reviving briefly, Lucrecia asks Vincent if Sephiroth is still alive, and is told that he is dead.
In Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
, Vincent is seen in his normal attire having a conversation with Verdot, leader of the Turks at that time, in the Shinra basement a year before the events of Final Fantasy VII. He helps Verdot obtain a Materia needed for a mission from the Turks. In the film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, set two years after Final Fantasy VII, Vincent first appears rescuing Cloud from Kadaj and his gang when the former was overpowered. He reveals to Cloud Kadaj's intentions to merge with the remaining Jenova cells to instigate Sephiroth's rebirth. He later helps his friends defeat a powerful creature, Bahamut SIN, summoned by Kadaj. In the novella
"Case of Nanaki", Vincent finds his former comrade Red XIII, who is growing afraid of becoming alone due to his lifespan being much longer than humans. Vincent explains that he is immortal and promises to meet with Red XIII every year to prevent his loneliness.
In Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
, occurring three years after the events of Final Fantasy VII, Vincent acts as the central character, working with Reeve and the World Regenesis Organization to eliminate an organization called Deepground. Deepground targets Vincent for he unknowingly carries the Protomateria inside his body, which Lucrecia placed in his body after reviving him with stagnated Mako containing the essence of Chaos. The Protomateria is eventually ripped from his body by the Deepground Tsviet Rosso the Crimson, becoming unable to control Chaos. Eventually he confronts the Deepground leader, Weiss, who is possessed by the digitalized mind of Hojo. Hojo reveals information on Vincent and his plans to awaken Omega, whose original purpose was to absorb the Lifestream and leave the planet when it was destroyed. After Omega's awakening, the renegade Deepground member, Shelke, gives Vincent the Protomateria and takes control of Chaos's true form. Vincent battles Omega, and is able to destroy it. In the ending, Vincent thanks Lucrecia in her cave, now understanding she was the reason he survived. The mobile game Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII also uses Vincent as the main player, and takes place during Dirge of Cerberus.
Vincent appears in the fighting game Ehrgeiz
as an unlockable fighting character, with his Turk uniform serving as an alternate costume. Like the other Final Fantasy VII characters included in the game, Vincent does not serve a role in the main storyline. Although he was meant to appear in Kingdom Hearts, his design was instead used to make Cloud's new one.
's "Final Fantasy VII: Top 10 Characters" list, written by Dave Smith, Vincent was listed as an "Honorable Mention." He received praise for his "striking character design," as well as how "FFVII's 3D engine made his shape-shifting Limit Breaks some surprisingly scary stuff." In GameSpot
's article "The History of Final Fantasy", Vincent was comically referred to as the Final Fantasy VII character whom female players found to be "the most alluring undead man they've ever met". 1UP.com
's Andrew Pfister regarded Vincent as "an optional, albeit cool, character in the original FFVII". Additionally, he has been comically labelled as a "vampire" due to his physical appearance and mannerisms, such as the fact that he "slept" in a coffin. Vincent has also been labelled to be a recurring character type being in the category "The Kickass Quiet Guy" by 1UP and "The Brooding Pretty Boy" by GamesRadar.
GameSpot writer Greg Mueller regarded Vincent as one of "the more interesting characters from Final Fantasy VII" and liked how Dirge of Cerberus is focused on him and explains his origins. His character design and abilities have been praised by GameSpy
's Justin Speer who added that with such traits he "capably steps into a leading role" of Dirge of Cerberus. IGN's Jeremy Dunham had a similar opinion noting that Vincent "is exposed pretty convincingly here". On the other hand, Vincent has been criticized as a not very familiar character to players, even to the ones from Final Fantasy VII by Eurogamer
's Rob Fahey who noted that his characterization in Dirge of Cerberus would not appeal to players. However, Fahey still recognized him as very popular character, commenting that he is one of the most common characters from Final Fantasy VII to be featured in fan-fictions and fanarts. Although RPGamer
's Michael "CactuarJoe" Beckett said that Vincent was one of the "less well-developed" characters from Final Fantasy VII, he found his development in Dirge of Cerberus to be satisfying. GamesRadar stated that Dirge of Cerberus focused in developing Vincent due to his lack of backstory in Final Fantasy VII and regarding its mobile phone spin-off as a "Vincent fanservice instead of FFVII canon."
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in 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...
's console role-playing game 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...
. Designed by 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...
, he also appears in various titles from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII is a series of games and animated features developed by Square Enix based in the world and continuity of Final Fantasy VII...
, a series of prequels of and sequels of Final Fantasy VII, and is the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
in the third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
and its mobile phone tie-in. The English voice actor of Vincent is Steven Blum
Steven Blum
Steven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
, while the Japanese voice actor is Shōgo Suzuki.
In the backstory of Final Fantasy VII, Vincent is a genetically modified human assigned to guard the scientist Lucrecia Crescent, who gave birth to the game's antagonist, Sephiroth, in one of Shinra Corporation's experiments involving the cells of an extraterrestrial life form called Jenova. Soon after, Vincent himself became subject to experiments performed by a Shinra-affiliated scientist named Hojo. If the player unlocks Vincent, he will join 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 group to stop Sephiroth, as well as to seek revenge on Hojo.
Due to time constraints, Vincent was originally not meant to be playable in Final Fantasy VII; however, he was ultimately made an optional character. However, Vincent's character is developed greatly in other installments of the Compilation. Critics and players have received Vincent positively, and his popularity as a character encouraged Square to make him the protagonist of Dirge of Cerberus.
Concept and creation
When Final Fantasy VII was still in development, character designer Tetsuya NomuraTetsuya 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...
commented that the staff thought of removing him along with Yuffie Kisaragi
Yuffie Kisaragi
is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy video game series. She was first introduced as a secret character in the role-playing video game Final Fantasy VII in 1997 and since then also made appearances in the CGI movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, the Final Fantasy VII spinoff games...
(the other optional character from the game), as they did not have enough time to work them in. As a result, Vincent and Yuffie ended up appearing as optional characters. Director Yoshinori Kitase
Yoshinori Kitase
is a Japanese game producer and former game director that has been working for Square Enix since April 1, 1990. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series Final Fantasy and is currently the manager of 1st Production Department....
was in charge of the making of Vincent's cutscene in which he becomes a playable character, while scenario writer Kazushige Nojima
Kazushige Nojima
is a Japanese game scenario writer and is the founder of Stellavista Ltd.. He is best known for writing parts of Square Enix's Final Fantasy video game series—namely Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2—and the Kingdom Hearts series...
wrote his backstory along with Lucrecia's. Game planner Hiroki Chiba crammed his scenes shortly before the game ended production. Nojima found troubles making Vincent's dialogues noting that despite his calm personality, he ends up having several lines. In the original script of the game, Vincent was introduced in a similar situation but with handsome, sarcastic personality. He joined Cloud's group after learning of Hojo, but having no knowledge of the results of the experiments in his body. Additionally, he was also meant to know more about Shinra's project regarding the creation of Sephiroth's clones, leading him to reveal it to Cloud after he explains that he was also experimented on by Hojo.
Vincent appears as a tall, lean young man with long black hair and a ragged red cloak and mantle over black clothes. He wears a metallic, golden gauntlet on his left forearm
Forearm
-See also:*Forearm flexors*Forearm muscles...
. Vincent's cloak covers the lower half of his face and is held closed by a series of buckles. His eyes are naturally red. For Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
, Nomura redesigned Vincent's gun in the same way that Cloud's Buster Sword was redesigned in Advent Children to demonstrate he is the protagonist of the game. It was named Cerberus in references the multi-headed
Polycephaly
Polycephaly is a condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems poly- meaning 'much' and kephali- meaning "head", and encompasses bicephaly and dicephaly . A variation is an animal born with two faces on a single head, a condition known as diprosopus...
hound
Hound
A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. It can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey, and with the retriever, which recovers shot quarry...
with the same name
Cerberus
Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
from Greek
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and Roman mythology
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
as Nomura found it suitable for Vincent. It was made with three barrels as Cerberus has three heads, and three revolvers were added to reduce the number of limited bullets. Nomura has explained that Vincent Valentine's character shifted from that of horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
researcher, to detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
, to chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, and finally arriving at the figure of a former member of the Shinra Company's Turks with a tragic past. It has been further explained that his crimson cloak was added to symbolize the idea of Vincent carrying a heavy weight—related to death—on his shoulders.
While other characters were given simple costumes in Advent Children, Vincent was given one more complex. Nomura felt that changing his design to something different would "conflict with his personality" and was given attire consisting of "various, complex parts." His cloak was also difficult to animate due to it being very organic
Organic (model)
Organic describes forms, methods and patterns found in living systems such as the organisation of cells, to populations, communities, and ecosystems.Typically organic models stress the interdependence of the component parts, as well as their differentiation...
; the overall complexity of Vincent's design led to his scenes being "especially hard to create." Vincent's scenes were constantly being adjusted "to convey its elusive nature of seemingly having shape, but not." These adjustments continued until six months before the crews' deadline. Vincent was chosen as the protagonist of Dirge of Cerberus due to his strong connections to the setting of Final Fantasy VII and how his background could be expanded. Due to the staff's desire to make it a shooter game, Vincent was mainly chosen due to his weaponry and after it was decided to be title from Final Fantasy VII. Vincent's transformations into different type of beasts was also one of the things the staff worked to add it into the gameplay.
Vincent's Japanese voice actor, Shogo Suzuki, explained that he tries "to hold back as much emotion as possible when playing Vincent," noting that Vincent is "a bit of a loner" and "appears cold on the surface." Nomura wanted Cloud and Vincent's voices to contrast with each other due to their similarities. He felt Vincent was older and more mature than Cloud, and as a result he casted Suzuki due to his very low voice.
Appearances
Players can unlock Vincent by the halfway point of Final Fantasy VII. In the story, Cloud StrifeCloud 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 his allies find Vincent sleeping in a coffin in the basement of a Shinra mansion. Cloud mentions his quest to stop the game's antagonist, Sephiroth, who Vincent recognizes as the son of a Shinra scientist named Lucrecia. Vincent joins Cloud's group when he learns that they may eventually meet up with Hojo, against whom Vincent has a vendetta. Later, Vincent finds Lucrecia inside a cave, and their back story is revealed through flashbacks. Vincent was a member of the Turks, an elite group of Shinra agents; while serving as Lucrecia's protector, she fell in love with him but ultimately decided to remain faithful to Hojo. When complaining about the experiment regarding Lucrecia and her son, Hojo shot and experimented on Vincent, which resulted in his current state of being. Not being able to protect Lucrecia, Vincent felt a strong guilt which led him to his isolation. In her pain and regret Lucrecia had sealed herself away in mako crystals, hearing the actions from her son. Reviving briefly, Lucrecia asks Vincent if Sephiroth is still alive, and is told that he is dead.
In Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
is a Japanese action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in 2004. It was the first original game to be produced by Square Enix exclusively for mobile phones, and was released on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA iMode line of phones on a monthly subscription basis...
, Vincent is seen in his normal attire having a conversation with Verdot, leader of the Turks at that time, in the Shinra basement a year before the events of Final Fantasy VII. He helps Verdot obtain a Materia needed for a mission from the Turks. In the film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, set two years after Final Fantasy VII, Vincent first appears rescuing Cloud from Kadaj and his gang when the former was overpowered. He reveals to Cloud Kadaj's intentions to merge with the remaining Jenova cells to instigate Sephiroth's rebirth. He later helps his friends defeat a powerful creature, Bahamut SIN, summoned by Kadaj. In the novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
"Case of Nanaki", Vincent finds his former comrade Red XIII, who is growing afraid of becoming alone due to his lifespan being much longer than humans. Vincent explains that he is immortal and promises to meet with Red XIII every year to prevent his loneliness.
In Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
, occurring three years after the events of Final Fantasy VII, Vincent acts as the central character, working with Reeve and the World Regenesis Organization to eliminate an organization called Deepground. Deepground targets Vincent for he unknowingly carries the Protomateria inside his body, which Lucrecia placed in his body after reviving him with stagnated Mako containing the essence of Chaos. The Protomateria is eventually ripped from his body by the Deepground Tsviet Rosso the Crimson, becoming unable to control Chaos. Eventually he confronts the Deepground leader, Weiss, who is possessed by the digitalized mind of Hojo. Hojo reveals information on Vincent and his plans to awaken Omega, whose original purpose was to absorb the Lifestream and leave the planet when it was destroyed. After Omega's awakening, the renegade Deepground member, Shelke, gives Vincent the Protomateria and takes control of Chaos's true form. Vincent battles Omega, and is able to destroy it. In the ending, Vincent thanks Lucrecia in her cave, now understanding she was the reason he survived. The mobile game Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII also uses Vincent as the main player, and takes place during Dirge of Cerberus.
Vincent appears in the fighting game Ehrgeiz
Ehrgeiz
, fully titled Ehrgeiz: God Bless The Ring, is a 3D fighting game developed by DreamFactory and published by Namco in 1998 for the arcade platform. It was first ported to the PlayStation and published by Square Co...
as an unlockable fighting character, with his Turk uniform serving as an alternate costume. Like the other Final Fantasy VII characters included in the game, Vincent does not serve a role in the main storyline. Although he was meant to appear in Kingdom Hearts, his design was instead used to make Cloud's new one.
Promotion and reception
Vincent's popularity has led to merchandise being created related to Dirge of Cerberus, games where he was the central character, as well as action figures being released. Vincent's character has received mixed reviews by video games publications. On IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's "Final Fantasy VII: Top 10 Characters" list, written by Dave Smith, Vincent was listed as an "Honorable Mention." He received praise for his "striking character design," as well as how "FFVII's 3D engine made his shape-shifting Limit Breaks some surprisingly scary stuff." In GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's article "The History of Final Fantasy", Vincent was comically referred to as the Final Fantasy VII character whom female players found to be "the most alluring undead man they've ever met". 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Andrew Pfister regarded Vincent as "an optional, albeit cool, character in the original FFVII". Additionally, he has been comically labelled as a "vampire" due to his physical appearance and mannerisms, such as the fact that he "slept" in a coffin. Vincent has also been labelled to be a recurring character type being in the category "The Kickass Quiet Guy" by 1UP and "The Brooding Pretty Boy" by GamesRadar.
GameSpot writer Greg Mueller regarded Vincent as one of "the more interesting characters from Final Fantasy VII" and liked how Dirge of Cerberus is focused on him and explains his origins. His character design and abilities have been praised by GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
's Justin Speer who added that with such traits he "capably steps into a leading role" of Dirge of Cerberus. IGN's Jeremy Dunham had a similar opinion noting that Vincent "is exposed pretty convincingly here". On the other hand, Vincent has been criticized as a not very familiar character to players, even to the ones from Final Fantasy VII by Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
's Rob Fahey who noted that his characterization in Dirge of Cerberus would not appeal to players. However, Fahey still recognized him as very popular character, commenting that he is one of the most common characters from Final Fantasy VII to be featured in fan-fictions and fanarts. Although RPGamer
RPGamer
RPGamer is a media and news website dedicated to covering computer and video game RPGs. Its coverage includes North American game news, European game news, Asian game news, gaming industry news, game reviews, game previews, hands-on game impressions, gaming conventions, game merchandise, release...
's Michael "CactuarJoe" Beckett said that Vincent was one of the "less well-developed" characters from Final Fantasy VII, he found his development in Dirge of Cerberus to be satisfying. GamesRadar stated that Dirge of Cerberus focused in developing Vincent due to his lack of backstory in Final Fantasy VII and regarding its mobile phone spin-off as a "Vincent fanservice instead of FFVII canon."
External links
- Vincent Valentine character profile at the official Square Enix Final Fantasy VII site
- Vincent Valentine at the Final Fantasy Wiki