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esports
Evo 2017: An Arena for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
With Square-Enix's latest title, the famous RPG manufacturer looks to embark on an adventure into new territory: the realm of esports.
LAS VEGAS — Swords clash. The ground violently splits. Flames burst to life with magical energy. Final Fantasy has always been a series full of intrigue and battle, but it has never been as intense as in the Dissidia series. A fighting game spinoff, the Japanese-only arcade release is finally coming to home consoles — and it may be Square-Enix's first chance at stepping into esports.
Beginning battles
Originally launched on the PlayStation Portable, the original Dissidia Final Fantasy and its psuedo-sequel Dissidia 012 -duodecim- were arena brawler titles. Set in a world between worlds, the biggest heroes and villains from throughout the Final Fantasy series sprung into action-based battles against one another in single combat.
As a Final Fantasy game, it also was packed with various secrets, treasures, upgrades, and character progression systems, as well as a rich single player story mode. The only thing that was missing (mainly due to the game's age and chosen platform) was a robust online mode. Though the game was well-received, no mention of a follow-up was made throughout the next several years.
Arcade ascension
However, it wouldn't stay that way forever. In early 2015, a surprise announcement of a collaboration between Koei Tecmo's renowned action game developer Team Ninja and Square Enix materialized: a brand new Dissidia, hosting 3v3 team battles, new arenas, and more. In addition, it would be a Japan and arcade-exclusive title, much to the chagrin of Western Final Fantasy fans.
The game launched in arcades to moderate success later that year, and was updated continuously with new characters, arenas and modes. Players across the world wondered if the game was destined to stay overseas. Finally, a little over two years later, Square-Enix revealed that the definitive version of this hotly anticipated arcade title is finally coming home to PlayStation 4 worldwide as Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.
On the show floor
At this year's Evo, Square-Enix held a panel session to discuss the title's impending release with the fighting game community. The producer of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, Ichiro Hazama, took the stage to explain his thoughts behind bringing the game home.
"While this is the first time I am here as a representative of Square-Enix, this is not my first Evo," said Hazama. "I was actually here last year as well. [Evo is] an amazing place, it feels like a festival all the time."
As a developer, that festival was something he wanted to contribute to. "The energy from the players is absolutely incredible. I wanted to build a title that could play a part in that atmosphere as well." Hazama's comments were extremely well-received by the crowd — from fighting game fan to fighting game fan, his conviction rang true.
Be brave
Hazama then moved on to discuss the game's unique battle mechanics, which carry over from the PSP original. Dissidia Final Fantasy NT has a unique mechanic called the "Bravery Combat System" that is the core of the game. The system is strategic in nature, and focuses on the ebb-and-flow of character strength throughout a match of Dissidia. "Because this is a fighting game, at the end of the day, it's about depleting your opponents' HP," explained Hazama, "but in Dissidia, opponents can be weakened [in other ways]."
Hazama compared the Bravery System to a character's power level. What this means in the context of gameplay is that players can perform two types of attacks: HP attacks and Brave attacks. While HP attacks are self-explanatory, Brave aren't quite so simple.
HP and Brave attacks serve different purposes
© Square-Enix
The power of Brave attacks varies drastically based on how much Bravery the attacking character has accumulated (Bravery is shown on the game's UI as a separate stat from HP). Successfully performing a Brave attack will decrease the opponent's Bravery (and, thus, the power of their own Brave attacks) and increase the attacking player's Bravery by the damage dealt. Bravery attacks are important because the higher your Bravery stat rises, the more potent your HP attacks become.
This system, combined with the new 3v3 battles, add layers of strategy that weren't present in the original Dissidia. Players can (and do) gang up on each other in order to prevent a Bravery-hoarding opponent from becoming too lethal.
Options for growth
Characters now come in four distinct archetypes: the speedy Assassin, the hard-hitting-but-slow Vanguard, the spell-wielding Marksman and the wildcard Specialist. While the effectiveness of Specialist characters will vary drastically based on the situation, the other three classes have an extremely mild rock-paper-scissors relationship with Assassin being strong against Marksman, Marksman being strong against Vanguard, and Vanguard being strong against Assassin.
Dissidia has classes similar to other team games
© Square-Enix
Hazama was quick to point out that this relationship was extremely subtle and would not override skill and technique of individual players. Similarly, while characters will have the ability to level up in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, it will not necessarily make them stronger. "We didn't want to upset the balance of the game such that a character at a higher level would automatically win against a character at a lower level," said Hazama. "Leveling up will provide characters with a wider variety of skills that can be used to do damage to your opponents or avoid taking damage yourself. You'll have more options."
Visit from the boss
After showcasing a video of high-level play, Hazama had one more surprise for the crowd: Yosuke Matsuda, President and CEO of Square Enix, took the stage. "Like Hazama-san, this isn't my first Evo," Matsuda began, "I was here last year as well, but this time I'm here because I wanted to show [Dissidia] to everyone at this event."
As for esports and the potential for Dissidia to join the ranks of competitive gaming, both Matsuda and Hazama were cautiously optimistic. "We currently don't have a major goal in regards to esports, but we have come to understand that esports in general is far more community (rather than company) driven," said Hazama. "In Japan, esports is growing, and as a publisher we do feel it's important to play a part in that movement," added Matsuda. "Our goal is to finish Dissidia first, then see how the community evolves the title. I'm looking forward to seeing players play this game in a way we didn't imagine was possible."
While there's clearly still a ways to go before Square-Enix is fully invested in the possibilities of eSports, one thing is certain: If the reaction from Evo attendees is any indication of future success, it might only be a matter of time.
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