Fighting games as a genre are typically easy to discuss when it comes to the basic gameplay mechanics and their usual formula. Games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat are great examples of the usual trend. Traditionally, you have a one-on-one match on a 2D playing field and there are buttons for punch and kick motions and combos for special moves. The genre tends to work like this even in team-based games, but Square Enix's Dissidia Final Fantasy NT spectacularly changed the fighting game formula.

Usually, in a fighting game, all the face buttons control some kind of attack, like in TekkenIn Dissidia NT, players only have two buttons for Bravery attacks and HP attacks, which each contribute in different ways. Bravery attacks reduce an opponent's Bravery number while raising yours, allowing for a more powerful strike when dealing HP damage. HP attacks are a special move that deals as much damage as the player's current Bravery is, which is why it's important to use both in concert. Most games in the genre ask you to use regular attacks and special moves together, but never like this, and that gives Square's fighter a leg up on the competition.

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Dissidia NT Terra

This, in turn, leads into one of the bigger differences in mechanics and gameplay that separate Dissidia NT from other fighters.  Though each fighter has many different moves they can perform, they use only two buttons.  The bravery attacks use one button and change when the player tilts up or down when acting, and this presents new moves in the air as well, so there's a lot to consider even for so simple a motion. HP attacks use a different face button but are a unique specimen compared to others in the genre. Unlike the other games, Leveling up grants players new HP attacks for characters to use, which can reinvent how they were previously used.

Gaining new attacks is a fantastic mechanic that adds a truly unique spice to differentiate from the pack. Characters start with only one HP attack each, leaving players to get familiar with character basics as they play, but once they level up enough, they will start the process of unlocking new HP Attacks. This can change how players approach a fight because they need to keep their abilities and what range is optimal in mind. Where traditional games have a core set of unchangeable moves that stay with each character, Square adds to that by giving characters changing options and making Dissidia NT a title where one tactic won't fit all.

Adding on to that is a gameplay mechanic that changes up a usual mechanic in a great way. There are 4 types of character classes to be found in the game: Marksman, Vanguard, Assassin or Specialists. The game has a rock-paper-scissors affair going on, with Vanguard beating out Assassin and Marksman beating Vanguard. Specialists pull away from that formula and give the character unique combat traits instead so that players really think about how best to use them.

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There's also the mechanic of Summons to contend with as well.  This mechanic sees players race towards cores that spawn on the map now and then, which grant summon energy when destroyed. Garnering enough will let players and their allies summon a familiar character from the series, such as Shiva or Ramuh, to provide some aid. While on the surface, this is similar sounding to assists in other team-based fighters, Dissidia NT leaps past the others by making the effects two-fold and having the summoned ally provide both a buff to the team and attack foes in large swaths.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT boasts a host of new mechanics not found in or completely reworked from other games. However, different doesn't mean bad, and these all come together to form one of the most unique and fun fighting games out there. Whether it's the game making players think on their feet with changing tactics or the rock-paper-scissors battles. Square Enix's latest offering of this series truly is a step above others when it comes to mechanics and design.

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