There are many stellar games across the Final Fantasy franchise, with the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Revelation building excitement to the conclusion of the FF7 remake trilogy. However, that remake series has also brought back elements of arguably the worst game in Final Fantasy‘s history, reviving something that should have stay buried longer than the two decades it has been since its initial release. The saving grace with the remake’s finale is that this past game has a chance of being forgotten forever as content for FF7 ceases.
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With leaks for other Final Fantasy remakes and ports of other classic games in the series going to other devices, the series has a spotlight on it now more than ever. With some rumors about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth getting DLC too, players are either happy to get additional content, or starting to get tired of the remake series. With fatigue beginning to settle it around FF7, it’s important to remember what games truly made players want to move on from the PS1 icon.
Dirge Of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7 Released In 2006 To Upset Almost Every Fan Of The JRPG Classic
Back in 2006, Final Fantasy 7: Dirge of Cerberus was released almost nine years after the original JRPG came out, adopting a new story set in the same world. This game followed a new story with FF7 party member Vincent Valentine, following up on plot threads established in the main Final Fantasy game and expanding upon them. However, this game not only failed to capture the tone and atmosphere that made the original FF7 great, but it also complicated the tight story of the first game so profoundly that it tarnished the world building of the title players loved fiercely.
The problems of Dirge of Cerberus are almost too many to name, but many players call out the game’s plot as the biggest negative point. The story of this game is convoluted at best, and downright incomprehensible at worst. To top it all of, the edgy feel Dirge of Cerberus goes for diminishes the character of Vincent Valentine, turning a beloved character from the original FF7 into a series of tropes rather than someone with actual agency. In some ways, the game goes out of its way to portray other iconic FF7 figures poorly too.
The emotional moments from the first game are often turned into needless soap opera drama you’d find on cheap television, further frustrating players of Dirge of Cerberus. Unlike some other underrated titles that shine in gameplay despite bad stories, Dirge of Cereberus‘ mechanics aren’t worth praising by a long shot. This game is structured into multiple levels of third-person shooting, but the clunky aiming and tedious, repetitive mission designs turn the pacing into an agonizing crawl you just want to end fast.
Despite Its Negative Reception, Dirge Of Cerberus Content Has Been Featured In FF7 Remake & Rebirth
The bad gameplay and story of Dirge of Cerberus has always made it a title fans have discarded over time, in contrast to the similarly controversial FF7: Crisis Core. Despite also having poorly written characters, the gameplay and emotional moments of Crisis Core have allowed it to get a remake and have its main character, Zack, have a larger role in the FF7 Remake story. Granted, Zack had a big part to play in the original FF7 too, but not to the same degree the remake series is going.
There are elements of the Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children movie in the remake trilogy too, despite its story also drawing fan criticisms. This is all to say that Dirge of Cerberus is another reference point from the larger Final Fantasy 7 mythos has been using to flesh out a bigger story. For example, the Intergrade DLC for FF7 Remake introduces players to the secret division of Shinra that were the main antagonists of Dirge of Cerberus. Characters from the 2006 title also saw a return, including Weiss the Immaculate and Nero the Sable as challenging boss fights.
That INTERmission story episode from FF7 Remake wasn’t the end of the Dirge of Cerberus references, though, as FF7 Rebirth proved. The second game in the remake series saw the introduction of Vincent Valentine, closely following the original JRPG’s story line. However, players can notice subtle nods to Dirge of Cerberus in their encounter with Vincent, including the symbols on his coffin and comments on Shinra’s underbelly division from Intergrade. Some fans believe that the Dirge of Cerberus references will continue in FF7 Revelation, much to their disappointment.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Could See The Conclusion Or Retcon Of Dirge Of Cerberus Forever
Admittedly, the integration of Dirge of Cerberus content into the FF7 Remake series has been pretty well done, fitting the game’s tone and being largely self-contained. This is a far cry from the Advent Children and Crisis Core content, which is front and center at important parts of the remake series’ narrative. Yet, regardless of whether you like the Dirge of Cerberus references in FF7 Remake or Rebirth, Revelation‘s finality means that it will be the last time players ever have to endure remembering the worst game in Final Fantasy 7‘s history.
Unfortunately, there are more plans to bring back characters from Dirge of Cerberus in Revelations, but fans are hoping they are improved vastly from their first appearance. Since FF7 Revelation has to include the story of Vincent Valentine that was present in the original, it’s likely that there will be expanded characters, events, or Easter Eggs tied to Vincent’s past, for better or worse. The best players can expect is a good retcon of any part of Dirge of Cerberus that makes it into Revelation, before the upcoming game’s ending puts the past Final Fantasy failure to rest.
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