Dissidia: Final Fantasy descends mid-2009

Given that each major installment in the Final Fantasy franchise features its own self-contained universe, fans of the series haven't had many chances to see their favorites from different games interact. However, that's set to change next year. Square Enix announced today that its franchise-spanning fighting game Dissidia: Final Fantasy is set for a "midyear 2009" North American release.

Dissidia features more than 20 characters from the first dozen Final Fantasy games, all of whom are called into battle by warring gods. In addition to series protagonists such as Squall, Cloud, and Tidus, the roster includes more villainous entrants such as Sephiroth. Dissidia is a 3D fighter, but the game retains Final Fantasy conventions, including summon attacks and role-playing-game-style character development.

Although Dissidia stands out for the crossover of characters from different Final Fantasy games and placing the series' characters in a 3D fighting context, neither is a first. The Kingdom Hearts series has previously pulled together characters from multiple Final Fantasy installments, and the arcade and original PlayStation brawler Ehrgeiz featured a full retinue of Final Fantasy VII stars, including Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, Vincent, and Sephiroth.

For more on Dissidia: Final Fantasy, check out GameSpot's hands-on impressions.