Dirge of Cerberus Changes

[Dave]

Quite a large number of changes have been announced for Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, that are going to take place for it's release in the US. All these changes are going to focus on the gameplay of DoC.

DoC Gameplay Changes:

- Vincent will run 1.2 times faster.
- Not as much slowdown when you have your weapon in aiming mode.
- A new double jump move.
- Able to perform shooting attacks and melee combos in mid-air.
- Vincent's dive-roll dodge move has been supplanted with a dash move, which gets you out of the way just as well, but now let's you get back into an attack position faster.
- Limit break special attack no longer detracts from the magic bar, single-use limit break items
will be needed to invoke this special power.
- There will be no more easy difficulty mode.
- Finishing in normal or hard difficulty mode will open an extra hard mode.
- Extra hard mode contains 40 special missions, that are unlocked as you go, and new modded weapons.
- By playing through these missions, a character model viewer, artwork and sound galleries will be available.

Another change for this release outside Japan, is that unfortunately the online multi-player mode will not be included. Square Enix reps said the reason for this is mainly due to the relative unpopularity of the company's PlayOnline service in America. And also, the game's online mode which required the PS2 hard drive, has a very small installed base in America. They also said that they wanted to offer a more tightly focused single-player game instead.

Most of the 40 special missions, mentioned above, are apparently adapted from the previous multi-player mode.

Also, confirmation has been made that Gackt's contributions to Dirge of Cerberus, the theme songs and his character, will remain intact for the title's release outside of Japan.

Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII is due to be released in the US on the 22nd of August 2006.