Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Review: Esports Appeal and Gameplay Impressions

The name recognition that comes with Final Fantasy means making a splash in the fighting game market, which is a big mark in the win column for the new Dissidia Final Fantasy NT on PlayStation 4. 

The effort has another big win going for it right out of the gates as well: Koei Tecmo's Team Ninja's strategy-based brawler has been a hit on the arcade circuit since 2015. 

Where Dissidia will thrive or fail on the competitive scene rests in how well the game is ported over to a console experience. Three-versus-three combat is a significant change from other engaging Dissidia offerings on the PSP and elsewhere, but the roster is extensive and the high-skill ceiling of the gameplay hints at a long stay on the e-circuit scene.  

Graphics and Gameplay

Final Fantasy games have no trouble grabbing the eye and refusing to let go. 

Dissidia is no exception, though it might be even more impressive than other offerings because of the sheer chaos capable of unfolding on the screen without the wow factor of the graphics taking much of a hit. Things get even more impressive when massive summons start hitting the screen as well, without much slowdown to boot. 

The extensive roster is well represented in this regard, with various true-to-character costume unlocks making each one recognizable regardless of attire. A colorful offering, it certainly isn't realistic hair and fabric motions and variety of the environments making it sometimes difficult to keep up with the action. 

To put it lightly, the new emphasis on three-versus-three combat is chaotic. Traditional staples of the genre are here, from i-frames (invincibility) to juggling and canceling, but it can feel a bit bogged down and imprecise. 

Where Dissidia innovates is with the "bravery" system, which seems to take the place of traditional fighting-game nuances like memorizable combos. As fans of the arcade game know, characters start at 1000 bravery, and those bravery attacks damage an opponent's bravery, not HP. Once the bravery is gone, a character is vulnerable to a killing blow directly on their HP. 

There is a heavy MOBA influence here. An interesting element is the classifications of characters players can pick. Vanguards are tanks, and marksmen excel from range. It adds a layer of strategy that some would rightfully suggest takes the game out of a pure fighting category and places it in a strategy-fighting niche. 

The various classes over almost 30 characters (none play alike, by the way), summons and destructible environments can make for a chaotic affair. This isn't a bad thing, though there is a rather steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with the series. 

Roster, Story Mode and Everything Else

No fighter is complete without a strong roster, which is especially the case when we're talking a juggernaut like Final Fantasy.  

Major faces from Final Fantasy 1-10 are here, as are noteworthy characters from 11-15 and games like Tactics. The problem is the game's decision to mostly stick with leads and main baddies, which leaves out some fan favorites. You can't please everyone with a roster, but a page taken from another company-encompassing brawler could have worked. Nintendo sure knows how to get it right with Super Smash Bros., including heavyweights like Mario, Link and Samus but also weaving in favorites such as Ness, Wario and Ice Climbers. 

Granted, there is always the element of future downloadable content. If publisher Square Enix sees a thriving community develop and stick around, it'll provide more incentive for the most requested characters to appear on the roster at a later date. 

Dissidia's story is where much of the negative press mayl come into play. 

And this wouldn't be unreasonable. When one thinks of a story mode, even in a fighting game, it thinks of a cohesive plot a player works through while using and fighting against various characters. 

Here, players are greeted with a map of plot points they have to unlock with a currency of sorts called Memoria. But this isn't unlocked in story mode—instead, players get sent to online or modes against the computer and earn them as their profile levels up. The story mode itself is a long string of well-done cinematics, with a few interesting battles to boot. In a nutshell, it tells the story of why all these characters were summoned by a pair of gods to fight one another and should take players quite a long time to unlock. 

For some, tasking players with constant improvement to unlock the story will be a good thing. For others, it's a disservice to those who want to play solo that a story mode is gated. It's important to point out, though, this is a port of an arcade game, something it hasn't shied away from. 

That point comes up in a big way in the quality-of-life needs as well. 

Navigation and access to information are prominent examples of where this game needs improvement. For those who want to master frames, timing and more, it's hard to find the practice range at all (it's in the sparring section). Along those same lines, critical per-character information like EX skills and gimmicks are something players will have to look up online. 

Oh, and there's no local multiplayer. On one hand, splitting the screen in such a chaotic game could prove difficult. But as a game ported over from an arcade release of all things, it's a noteworthy omission. In-depth character backgrounds and an ability to switch the current song on the fly would be nice, too. 

For a game with little in the way of game modes and in-game explanations, the quality-of-life point is a big strike against it upon release. On the other side of the coin, the game's gigantic "treasure" section, featuring player icons, character costume unlocks and more, could've been plagued with microtransactions but isn't at all. 

Esports Appeal

Despite faults from a home-console standpoint, Dissidia has the ability to stand tall for a long time. 

Layers exist, making this an appealing esports option, perhaps enough to carve out its own niche. Proper team composition becomes something of a chess match before and during fights. It's maybe not as deeply relatable from a viewer's standpoint compared to something like Overwatch League, but, for example, the ability for an assassin to weaken an opponent before a marksman carries out the killing blow from afar is certainly a layer of depth the best players and teams in the world will exploit. 

Arcade-based pace should make matches quick and fun viewing experiences for onlookers, too. A global tournament of sorts isn't out of the question given the name-brand recognition here, especially considering Team Ninja is the crew behind the Dead or Alive series. 

The developers certainly haven't shied away from trying to make this game an esport eventually. Perhaps the biggest hurdle is how viewers will actually get to see the action. 

Case in point: A Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Fantasy Finals tournament in January had to broadcast multiple streams from each team's perspective due to the lack of an overhead camera overlooking the chaotic three-on-three action. And similarly, busy heads-up displays (HUDs) can clearly make it difficult for newcomers to hop right in and watch the action unless the commentators are constantly on point explaining things as the action unfolds. 

Still, an arena fighter with MOBA influences is a currently untapped corner of the market. Dissidia has the perfect franchise of recognizable characters behind it and the in-depth, team-based gameplay to seize control. It simply needs a little love in the esport-modernization territory to give it long-term staying power. 

Conclusion

Arcade-to-console ports don't work much anymore, which is blatantly obvious here in some respects. The user interface can be confusing and a struggle for newer players or viewers. After heading online to figure out the depths of each character, it would benefit from an update to make it more streamlined and less cluttered. In the arcade, folks could walk up to a machine and call out compositions and teamwork. There's a reason recent juggernaut releases such as Dragon Ball FighterZ aren't ports. 

That said, the at-home experience is nothing like what an esports scene would look like. 

Like the at-home experience, Dissidia needs some love in the form of updates to catch up with the rapidly evolving esports scene. But it's right on the cusp of something special, provided broadcasters get access to better angles and a handle on the depths of the action unfolding on the screen. 

With the right adjustments, Dissidia can go from a before-its-time offering in its exclusive lane to a modern powerhouse given the Final Fantasy name attached to it and the strong gameplay sure to see the best teams rise to the top. 

A port littered with fanservice to a legendary franchise and the upside of a juggernaut on the esports scene, it's up to Team Ninja where Dissidia Final Fantasy NT goes—but fans in both audiences, and especially those in the middle of the Venn diagram, will want to give it a look.