The tale begins with XIII’s Lightning, sometimes aloof, often cantankerous, and generally cock-sure to the point of annoyance. Series’ stalwarts such as Yuna, Vaan and Tifa all get a spot in the crystal-powered limelight, characters regularly returning throughout the chronicle, their abilities and progress available again to ramp up some more, the “playthings of the Gods” premise played out over an abundance of chapters and countless melées. Thankfully, some aspects of progress are shared when a new character becomes the main focus of attention so the underlying feeling of progress isn’t entirely lost.

Subtly hidden behind the facade of high-action manoeuvres and tactical engagements, however, lurks Duodecim’s statistical foundation. Characters level up in the traditional sense, gaining abilities and new moves, all the while hoarding powerful trinkets and varied apparel to help them along in their quest. It’s a system with purpose, however, as for all the tweaking and complimentary configurations, the fundamental goal here is to create an unstoppable band of bad-asses to unleash during the innumerable battle sequences.

During such confrontations characters either attack in an effort to deplete an enemy’s hit-points, or, alternatively, attempt to literally “beat the bravery out of them.” Cleverly, Bravery Points and Hit Points are integrally linked, the amount of Bravery on hand determining the extent of how much damage is delivered upon a subsequent main attack. Erode your opponent’s Bravery to nothing, and even if they do hit you, they won’t cause much – if any – damage. Bravery attacks are also absorbed into the antagonist’s own BP meter, resulting in some monumental beat-downs when the follow-up HP attack lands.

Fighting in Dissidia Duodecim isn’t simply an exercise in button-bashing, however, and running at your opponent and pressing everything at the same time will likely result in the all too familiar “Defeated” message. Similar to its predecessor, the game also presents an EX Mode, a hyper-charged culmination system that allows characters to build up shockingly devastating super-attacks. With Duodecim also offering EX Revenge, the added ability to slow time down and really administer a pasting, fighting is often a cagey, pensive affair.

To help in these heated, sometimes short-lived conflicts, Duodecim also introduces the Assist feature, the ability to call upon a fellow Final Fantasy legend to leap to your aid and lay a few sly digs into your opponent before sleeking off in a ball of light. It’s a welcome dynamic, adding a further element to an already intricate fighting system, especially considering an Assist character can snap an opponent out of their EX mode.

The preceding text barely scratches the surface of Square Enix’s latest mammoth time-sink, though. There’s so much more. RPG Mode, for example, does away with the full-on, frenetic, meticulously-timed blade-ballets, and converts the action into more of a turn-based affair. For the most part the new mode is surplus to requirements; perhaps added to pander to the more RPG-inclined stat-heads, a sect who are likely more than content with the trove of configuration schematics on offer behind Duodecim’s brash curtain without the added hat-tip to the series’ legacy.

For Dissidia Duodecim is a mathlete’s wet-dream, reams of statistics and figures, calculations and other stalwart role-playing traits never skimped on. Fans of the Final Fantasy games and RPGs in general will be in their element, shades of Tactics and Crisis Core manifested as a 3D fighter all majestically tied together with Square Enix’s signature high-quality cinematics and mystical mumbo-jumbo.

A thesis could be devoted to Dissidia Duodecim’s longevity, and, in short, justice to the game’s scope and scale can not be underplayed. It’s a monster in numerous ways. From the perpetual multiplayer and party system to its whole “Create” mode, though producer Tetsuya Nomura states it can be finished in about 60 hours, he’s literally only talking about the main core thread. Complete the Story Mode and the first game’s arc is unlocked, now playable with Duodecim’s bells and whistles. And the first game is also huge. It’s like an overflowing well that just keeps on adding more and more to the table.

This profusion of add-ons, costumes, prologues, and supporting cast suggests a game that almost never ends. That said, it’s so good, its fans will be quite content with such a daunting concept.

Pros:

• Deep, nuanced gameplay
• Strong narrative
• Looks beautiful
• Stupendous value for money

Cons:

• Esoteric; non-fans of the series may feel immediately alienated
• Lots to take in, at times the flurry of information is somewhat muddled
• Sucks away your life like a super massive black hole

Dissidia Duodecim is the gift that keeps on giving. Lush visuals, a strong tale of good versus evil, all pinned together with solid voice acting and some old grudge-matches settled once and, maybe, for all. Those just looking for a good beat ‘em up, however, will likely fall victim to Duodecim’s overpowering learning curve, complex machinery and pedestrian beginning. It’s not that it’s hard, it’s just daunting to absorb all it throws at its audience so eagerly.

[boxout]It’s still masterfully crafted, of course; the amount of options, flavours and variations on offer bordering on obsessive. OCD sufferers beware, as Dissidia Duodecim, with its plethora of characters, cornucopia of combinations, addictive levelling and collection of game modes – not to mention the abundance of items to find and suitably configure – is likely to send most completionists into a frenzy.

Square Enix has delivered a fitting follow-up to Dissidia, with a game that hones the first experience, addresses its shortcomings, adds some new features in numerous areas, and then unfolds the entire package like a Final Fantasy feast. A smörgåsbord of ingenuity and longevity, with a story that constantly engages, thrills and throws up more turns than a hyperactive ballerina, Dissidia Duodecim might be denser and more fantastical than a neutron star, but it shines just as bright.

Score: 8/10