E3 06: Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus Preshow Report

When you think of Final Fantasy VII, you probably don't think action adventure or shooter over materia and chocobos, but that classic world is about to get shaken up a little bit. Arriving on the heels of the CG movie Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII will follow ex-Turk Vincent Valentine through a brand-new, bullet-packed adventure set in the tumultuous world produced after the end of the original game. This will mark the first time fans have been able to return to the Final Fantasy VII universe in game form (aside from that crazy mobile snowboarding game), and while the gameplay is all new, there'll be many familiar faces along the way.

This time around, Vincent and friends are up against a mysterious organization known as the Deepground soldiers, which is intent on pursuing Mr. Valentine and kicking off a whole bunch of intense gunfights. While this is an action title, there will still be plenty of story exposition between scenes that will delve into Vincent's past and his connection to both Deepground and the events that are shaping the planet. The first-person-shooter view in Dirge of Cerberus can easily be swapped out for third-person action, and the import game supports both gamepad and keyboard-and-mouse controls, for those players particular about their setups. The Japanese version of the game also supports online multiplayer through Square Enix's PlayOnline service, though it remains to be seen if this feature will carry through to the domestic release.

If you just can't get enough of Dirge of Cerberus, hit up our import impressions for an overview of what's on offer, and keep watching this gamespace for more news. The game is currently listed for release on the PlayStation 2 in Q3 2006, so keep your trigger fingers limber.