The latest installment in Square Enix's fighting game spin-off series Dissidia Final Fantasy has been released. well. Sort of. Some teaser images have emerged, and we'll get our first full look on October 14th, but as a leading scholar in the “Final Fantasy fandom who's also a video game journalist” niche, I had to write about it ahead of time.
Are you surprised to learn that it will be released exclusively for mobile platforms? Are you surprised that Square has the courage, conviction, and audacity to ditch consoles and PC in favor of an iOS/Android strategy?
Pictlogica: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade, Mobius Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, and literally other Does the company behind end-of-service wonders like Dissidia games know something about the brilliance of mobile-only plans that only a few of us idiots have access to?
I think it's a really lovely looking restaurant.
What's immediately noticeable about what Square is now coyly calling 'NEW DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY' is that the backgrounds found on the game's Japanese teaser site are all identical. surprisingly modern. There's nothing here that screams Final Fantasy to me in any way. And yes, I know. Final Fantasy's identity is intentionally mutable. What “looks like Final Fantasy” to one fan may make no sense at all to another.
But look at these. It's a strikingly modern city with no hint of magic about the place. It's a delightful little cafe with no Queen's Blood fanatics among its customers. A cute little park with no chocobos in sight. What's going on here. It's probably designed to leave our collective fandom scratching their heads until October 14th's debut trailer provides some much-needed context.
And what happened to this character silhouette? Wait, never mind. It actually feels like Final Fantasy people, right? This is Rinoa in a decidedly vintage finger-up pose. The rest are more puzzling, but you can make a reasonable guess. Is this Cloud's spiky hair? Is that Irvine's cowboy hat? Is Clive coming for another fighting game? Is the game better suited to his origins this time around?
As of this writing, here's a YouTube link where you can join hundreds of FF enthusiasts waiting for the release. There are 43 hours left until the reveal. I think we should all keep an open mind. Opera Omnia surprisingly Okay, but since Square is calling this a “Team Boss Battle Arena,” I’m guessing this won’t be just another turn-based affair. I can't say why they couldn't make a new console entry more similar to the less beloved Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy than Dissidia NT. But c'est la Vivi.
