What is This Game?

[Masamune·1600]

Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, a concept meant to explore and expand on the world of FFVII. DC takes place one year after Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the movie sequel to the original game that itself takes place two years after VII. Other titles in the Compilation are Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII (a game on cellular, currently available only in Japan) and Crisis Core-Final Fantasy VII (an action RPG for the PSP, currently scheduled to be released sometime in 2006).

Dirge of Cerberus seems to be a massive departure from the original FFVII; the main character is not Cloud, but rather the enigmatic former Turk Vincent Valentine. While the genre is technically unknown at this point, many people believe it to be a third-person shooter, and incorporate a style similar to the Devil May Cry video games. It will be released for the PlayStation 2.

Not much is known about the plot of DC at this point. It seems a group known as the Deep Ground Soldiers, or DG Soldiers, is raiding local towns. These Deep Ground Soldiers were apparently driven underground by Meteor, or something to that effect. Vincent is connected with these events in some way, although details are extremely limited. The DG Soldiers seem likely to be Vincent's main antagonists at this point, although I personally wouldn't be surprised if something more complex were to develop (that's just speculation on my part, though).

Screens have been released showing both Cait Sith (without the giant moogle, interestingly) and apparently Reeve, neither of whom appears in Advent Children. I could be wrong on this score, however, since I've been avoiding spoilers regarding AC, and have only limited knowledge regarding the movie. It has been noted, in any case, that Vincent will be joined by other FFVII characters in DC, but whether that extends beyond Cait Sith/Reeve (who controlled Cait Sith in the original game), and what roles any and all characters may have, remains to be seen.

A number of screenshots, as well as a trailer, have been released. Two screens, one showing a being that looks, for lack of better words, like a Guado on steroids, and another, depicting a girl hooked up to some sort of equipment, have garnered particular attention. To the best of my knowledge, this pretty much sums up everything significant that is currently known about Dirge of Cerberus.