Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7 released for the PS2 20 years ago today, if you can believe it.
The action shooter, which is a sequel to one of the most beloved RPGs ever made, is widely regarded as one of the worst Final Fantasy titles in the entire franchise.
So why are we bothering to highlight its anniversary? Well, it's mostly because we just think Dirge of Cerberus makes for a fascinating case study into Square Enix's previously doomed obsession with Final Fantasy 7 (and obsession that, some would argue, has been rekindled in recent years).
Japanese publishers were no strangers to branching out back in the PS2 era; so many established properties spawned misguided spin-offs, and Dirge of Cerberus was certainly one of them.
Playing as the eternally moody Vincent Valentine, the game took place after the events of Final Fantasy 7, as the caped protagonist went up against Deepground — an especially edgy organisation seeking to once again cripple the planet that Cloud and the gang had worked so hard to save.
This was Kingdom Hearts-era Square Enix, and it showed in the laughably melodramatic characters and writing.
But unlike its keyblade-wielding sibling, Dirge of Cerberus' biggest issue was its gameplay — a convoluted mess of unresponsive third-person shooting, poorly implemented RPG systems, and a torturous camera.
Now look, you might be sitting there, drowning in teenage nostalgia, thinking "hold on, Dirge of Cerberus wasn't that bad" — but don't just take our word for it.
The game was panned by critics back in 2006, and right now, it's got the third lowest score on our list of Best Final Fantasy Games, which is wholly based on user ratings.
It sits at a 5.6/10, with only the botched Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles PS4 remaster and the dismal Dissidia Final Fantasy NT behind it.
Still, Square Enix itself is celebrating the anniversary, which is how we found out about it in the first place:
We should point out that there are quite a few people in the replies calling for a remaster or a remake — which, let's face it, isn't impossible given the current Final Fantasy 7 Remake situation — but man, Dirge of Cerberus would need a serious rework for either of those options to be worth it.
But what do you think? Does Dirge of Cerberus deserve the hate all these years later? Don't kid yourself in the comments section below.