Square Enix’s popularity has wavered in recent years, despite its legendary status as a JRPG leader in the video game industry in the 90s and early 2000s. However, with the upcoming 2027 releases of Final Fantasy 14: Evercold, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the final part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the future of the company seems bright.
However, it has officially been 20 years since Square Enix released one of the most notorious spin-off Final Fantasy titles in history, and its still an incredibly divisive game all these years later.
Today, August 15, 2026, marks the 20th anniversary of the North American release of Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7 on the PlayStation 2. The game put fan-favorite Vincent Valentine in the starring role, and pivoted gameplay from Active Time Turn-Based combat to a full-blown third-person shooter with some RPG elements.
Dirge of Cerberus takes place during and after the ending events of Final Fantasy 7. Vincent and Yuffie, who were both optional party members in the original game, help Midgar citizens escape while Sephiroth is trying to bring Meteor down to crush the planet. The game then jumps three years forward and revolves around Vincent fighting an organization called Deepground, which seeks to create super-soldiers.
The gameplay is focused primarily on third-person shooting mechanics, emphasizing Vincent’s skills with guns. The game is played from an over-the-shoulder perspective and does retain some RPG elements, like health, magic, and experience points.
According to Metacritic, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7 is sitting at a poor 57 metascore. Critics widely panned the game’s combat mechanics, camera system, art style, and narrative. Some critics found enjoyment in the game’s implementation of RPG mechanics into the shooter action.
Since its release, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7 has been widely forgotten by many fans, but at the time of its release, the game surprised many Final Fantasy 7 fans with both its generally poor quality and its insistence on providing action set pieces over tactical Final Fantasy gameplay that the series was known for at the time.
Vincent Valentine will finally be playable once again in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, which releases in spring 2027.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/uA35v0r
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