Alongside Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy has been one of the longest-running and most successful Japanese RPG franchises in the videogame industry. While not one of the series’ canonized entries has ever been a direct sequel featuring the same characters and worlds, each game in the series has managed to offer some truly compelling storylines and timeless characters. Now, Square-Enix is capitalizing on these characters for their latest PSP game, DISSIDIA Final Fantasy.

Essentially a brawler with a focus on action-adventure style gameplay and some RPG elements, DISSIDIA Final Fantasy throws together heroes and villains from each game from the main Final Fantasy series in a battle royale for the fate of the universe. The game features accessible controls, gorgeous graphics and a nice storyline that helps tie the characters together. However, there are a few flaws here and there, including some overly frantic moments where it can be difficult to get a gauge on the combat. Still, this is a solid fighter with great visuals and a ton of depth that should keep PSP owners busy for a long time.

The storyline in DISSIDIA has the heroes fighting on the side of Cosmos against the villainous side of Chaos. Each faction has their own set of characters from a Final Fantasy game, with at least one character from each game up until the twelfth entry making an appearance (I through X feature a hero and a villain each, while XI and XII get a hero and a villain, respectively). Among the characters available are the Warrior of Light and Garland from Final Fantasy I, Cloud and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII, Cecil (who can change between his Dark Knight and Paladin forms on the fly) and Golbez from Final Fantasy IV and Terra and Kefka from Final Fantasy VI. Each one has been slightly retooled (a bit more if they originate in the 8 and 16-areas) with a more detailed aesthetic and design by longtime series designer Tetsuya Nomura.

On the surface, DISSIDIA might seem like a pretty straightforward brawler. You choose a character (either in the standard Arcade mode or in the Story mode), but once you get into the actual meat of the gameplay, you’ll discover that it is a surprisingly deep and complex action game. The game’s main story mode plays out in a series of Destiny Odysseys, each one gives you a piece of the story through the eyes of one of the hero characters as they attempt to collect their crystal piece in order to restore the balance. The Destiny Odysseys are divided into five chapters each, and require you to navigate a grid with a set amount of turns. On the grid, you’re able to battle with enemies, open treasure chests, and collect items, and take on bosses. You only have a certain amount of turns to complete each chapter, but completing them with turns to spare will net you some pretty cool bonus items.

The combat is aesthetically similar to games like Star Ocean: The Last Hope and action-RPGs of that ilk, as you fight in an enclosed area. You’re required to lock onto your enemy and attack them, as well as use the guard button to parry their attacks. You’re able to dodge and jump pretty high, as well as perform airborne moves. You have two basic attacks to utilize against your opponents, one that drains BP (Battle Points) and one that does HP damage. When you hit an opponent with a BP attack, they’ll lose Battle Points and you’ll in turn gain them. This will let your HP attacks have a lot more power behind them when you do perform them. Since BP cannot be neither created nor destroyed, only transferred (thank you, Einstein) you’ll be in a constant struggle against your opponent to steal back BP in order to pull off stronger attacks.

Another element in the hand-to-hand combat is the EX Mode. In order to enter EX Mode, you must first collect an EX Core or gain modest increases by performing combos on your opponents and collecting the EX Orbs that fall off of them. Once you’re EX gauge has filled up, you can then enter EX Mode and unleash some serious whoop-ass on your enemy. You get some pretty cool visual changes when you enter EX Mode as well. For example, when Sephiroth enters the mode, he enters his “One-Winged Angel” form, which is pretty cool to see.

As cool as the combat can be (and it is), there are a few frustrating factors that can make the game unnecessarily difficult to play. When you’re in the thick of it, the large-scale attacks and bright special moves can be somewhat overwhelming, making it difficult to tell just what is going on and where your character is in relation to your enemy. Additionally, jumping feels very floaty, as your character will glide a bit too slowly to the ground after jumping, leaving you open to attacks for too long.

However, that is a pretty minor gripe when you consider just how much depth there is on offer here. The game has some great customization features on the same level as many RPGs out there, allowing you to level up your warriors and outfit them with cool new items that will give them more assets in the fight, as well as unlockable characters that you can play as later. You’re also able to purchase new content with PP that you gain through the game, and even earn summons. Additionally, the game allows you to play against your friends with your souped up fighters through an ad-hoc mode, and even exchange ghosts to practice when they’re not around.

Graphically, the game rates as one of the best looking titles on the PSP. The aforementioned character designs look fantastic, especially on the older characters who’ve gotten the most drastic updates. The special moves also look fantastic and move at a great clip. The only problem is the camera, which can get out of control very easily in heated battles.

The music and sound is also done quite well. The game features some good voice acting and sound effects, and the score sounds great and in tow with the Final Fantasy series.

DISSIDIA Final Fantasy is a solid brawler that does a fine job of meshing together elements from a variety of genres. While there are a few minor issues with the pace and franticness of the combat, this is still solid brawler that fans of the series will want to check out.

Gameplay: 8.5
With a ton of depth and a great storyline, DISSIDIA is a great spin-off to the Final Fantasy series. While there are some issues with the combat, it plays very solidly over all.

Graphics: 9.0
With great character designs and excellent looking special attacks and summons, DISSIDIA is an excellent looking game that really takes advantage of what the PSP has to offer.

Sound: 8.5
The game’s score is great, and the voice work and sound effects are done well here.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.0
A game that does a fine job of seamlessly melding several genres together, DISSIDIA is as original and engaging as they come.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The game lets you take on friends via Ad-Hoc, as well as exchange character data for ghosts.

Overall: 8.7
Even though the combat has some minor issues, there is still a lot of depth and engaging gameplay to be experienced in DISSIDIA. The production values are as high as anything you’d find on a console, and the story elements do a great job of bringing together the roster of coveted characters in a compelling way. If you’re a Final Fantasy fan looking for something to pass the time before Final Fantasy XIII finally drops, then DISSIDIA is a great way to pass the time.