The combat system of Final Fantasy’s series has taken its twist and turns over the years of its existence. The traditional style of combat that the mainline series focuses on has been revamped and revised countless times through the release of spin-offs that introduce a modern style of combat. Although the mainline series of Final Fantasy is relatively great, I have to admit that the recent spin-off in the name of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is quite impressive. The spin-off version took everything that the mainline series had and rewrote it in a catchy manner. I am talking about the most exciting combat system in its entire existence.
If you are a fan of this game, then you know how confusing and overwhelming the story can be at the beginning. If you are to play this game for the first time, then prepare yourself so that you don’t get your brain paralysed. Just because you have got the keys to a Formula One race car does not mean you are ready to take it to Grand Prix. Take a chill pill and do not try to understand everything at a go as it is simply impossible since the game provides a lot of information that needs to be processed. With a lot of micro-systems at play, it will save your ass from getting burnt to take things slowly. Initially, it all looks like a load of bullsh*t with button inputs and digits thrown up your screen. However, with everything looking so strange, you just have to take it one step at a time, comprehend the functionality of each element. As time goes by, things will start to fall into space and everything will happen like an abracadabra.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT presents 3D arena fights. Unlike the Final Fantasy games, this spin-off is a 3-vs-3 fighter game. It merges its mainline series elements with other classic combat game systems. Despite some of this game features sounding familiar to Super Smash Bros, Street Fighter or Tekken, it is nothing like either. With the game scheduled for release on the 30th of January, 2018, gamers should be excited about the character list. Dissidia Final Fantasy NT will have some interesting personae from Final Fantasy topped by the addition of notorious Type-0, as well as Tactics. Despite most of the characters having familiar features, it is the fight and their capabilities that make everything complicated, at least at the beginning.
Characters are grouped into three main categories (Vanguard, Assassin, as well as Marksman) with the exception of a Specialist class that I have chosen to omit for transience sake. These categories define the style of combat the character is best at. For example, Vanguard personae are best for mid-range fights while Assassin characters are regarded for close-up combat with Marksman taking the role of an archer by using far-range fighting skills. This feature highlights the importance of carefully selecting the characters you are going to use as they are presented in a rock-paper-scissor formality where one can be stronger against the other at the same time being weak to the other. The 3-on-3 combat allows you to fight with two other gamers. However, in the absence of other human controllers, other characters can be computer-controlled. The amusement doesn’t stop there. Since you exist in a 3D environment, players are graced with incredible abilities such as dashing through thin air for a short period of time, as well as vertically running up the walls.
Playing with your local colleagues across 6 pads is a wonderful experience. You have got ample time to decide which characters when combined will bring out a strong line-up. However, the online mode is kind of tricky. First of all, it’s like touch is a move type of selection. Once you pick a character, there is no way of cancelling your choice. This is frustrating in the sense that the risk of coming up with a line-up that lack proportion is high. This is a feature that I would really appreciate the game developers to revisit as it has got a huge effect in online fights.
Now, when it comes to fighting, there are two concepts that you need to master. Before I get to that concept, you need to understand that this is a “chase me, I chase you, I dodge your catch and then I catch you” type of game. Confusing right? The button X is used for the attack yet it does not deal damage. This can be freaking confusing at first but once you learn that although it does not deal damage, it actually builds your Bravery in the form of numbers. So, the game is basically about two fundamental layers that are connected. The first layer consists of building your Bravery while the second one is dealing damage using the built Bravery. Once you have obtained a high number which will show by reflecting your Bravery number in purple, you need to time your attack and press square. This time, it will inflict damage and you will see your opponent’s health deteriorating. Also to be noted is that receiving a hit from an X attack from your opponents will not decrease your health but it lowers your Bravery. So, it’s like your opponent is stealing your Bravery to build theirs. To win, your team has to be the first to get 3 kills.
With that said, I have to admit that Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is amazing on all fronts. The experience of playing a 3D fighter that is more succinct compared to Xenoverse is a thrill. It is more cogent and it’s a pie on the eye. It presents a beautifully designed atmosphere that is enhanced by a well-thought mix of colours. This is exciting and with 2017 having been a good year in terms of games, I am not surprised that the quarter of 2018 has begun with a bang and boom!
The Anxious Gamer 