It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the Dissidia Final Fantasy series. Square Enix tried to turn this unique fighting game into an eSports title and failed miserably, even with Tifa as DLC. Fans have since wondered when the spinoff series would return and if Square would do something different.
While Square Enix could make HD versions of the first two PSP games, we think the series would benefit significantly if it became a Warriors title. Hear us out.
The Warriors/Musou games from Koei Tecmo are simplistic brawling games that have players killing thousands of enemies with ease. Despite the criticism associated with the series’ button-mashing mechanics, the games sell well and continue to this day, with Dynasty Warriors: Origins recently coming out.
Because of this simplistic formula of killing thousands of enemies, licensed Warriors spinoffs from different companies have become very popular.
Animes like Mobile Suit Gundam and One Piece saw great success with this formula, the latter getting a port for current-gen systems. Other game franchises have joined the fun, with Hyrule Warriors, Fire Emblem Warriors, and Dragon Quest Heroes using the formula to give gamers gratifying fanservice.
As fans can see, Dissidia Final Fantasy would be a great Warriors game based on previous successes.
Much like Hyrule and Fire Emblem Warriors, fans would love it if they could kill thousands of enemies such as Cloud Strife or Lightning. Swiping away Bombs or Cactuars as your favorite Final Fantasy character sounds like a ton of fun. The Dissidia branding also gives this series a reason to incorporate all of these characters, so fans won’t have to think too much about the story.
Dissidia Final Fantasy was already fan service, as it let fans pit their favorite heroes against each other. Cloud could fight Squall, Sephiroth, and Kefka could duke it out, and the fanservice was front and center. Putting these same characters in an environment where they can kill thousands of foes sounds like a recipe for success.
It doesn’t have to be too simplistic, as recent Warriors games have tried adding more RPG mechanics to balance things out. The aforementioned Dragon Quest Heroes games experimented with tower defense and traditional RPG mechanics. Pirate Warriors 4 added air combos and destructible environments to freshen the combat. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity used Breath of the Wild’s Runes for combat purposes, which felt great.
To be honest, we’re more surprised that a Dissidia Final Fantasy Warriors game hasn’t happened yet. Maybe Square Enix doesn’t have faith in the series, or they’re planning to bring back the old PSP games, but letting the potential rot feels like a waste.
Here’s hoping that we get a Final Fantasy Warriors game soon.