cardinalphoenix reviewed Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation 2...

...and gave it a 9.0!

It's true, this Final Fantasy spin-off probably isn't as poignant an addition to the library as Crisis Core or Advent Children, but the tale of one of the lesser known characters in the FF7 universe was a great addition.

Especially as many of the more popular main characters tend to use bladed weapons (whether it be a Buster Sword, Gun Blade, or that water knife thing that Tidus carries around), Vincent's weapon of choice is his gun(s). And rpgs that feature guns as the main weapons seem to be in short supply. Sharpshooters get better at sharpshooting by pulling the trigger more and more, same exact way as swordsmen get better wielding a blade by swinging it around a whole lot. The only problem with this comes with the fact that even though you gain experience for shooting bad guys, the player doesn't really see the fruits of their labor until the stage they're playing is over. And since the game tends to be rather linear...occasional optional paths are available for those who want to explore, but can't be revisited later...the ability to relive your past experiences and practice your skills and build up cash and ability is taken away. This would be a big help, too, since the aiming is a bit touchy. Maybe it's just the odd experience of playing a Final Fantasy game like a third person shooter, but this game still proves to be a fun and powerful adventure, one that should be taken, even if it's blown through quite quickly.

Get the full article at GameSpot

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