Sniping out enemy targets with an upgraded rifle, running through war zones shooting off heads and ducking behind any handy cover, and not a menu in sight. This is Final Fantasy, but not as we know it. Final Fantasy has always been about turn-based combat, epic missions across monster-infested lands, lengthy chats about chocobo breeding with natives and, of course, the love-it-or-hate-it random battles. However, with Dirge of Cerberus, Square-Enix have decided to scrap all that and go in for a fast-paced shooter; less chat, less complicated upgrades systems and plenty of enemies to gun down. In fact, it is easier to relate this FF instalment to games such as Resident Evil 4 or even Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater (though of course without the messy snake consumption) than it is to compare it to its predecessors.

But before hardcore FF fans turn away and go back to waiting for Final Fantasy XII, take a moment to read on - because Dirge of Cerberus really is great. The story picks up three years after meteorfall and the devastation of Midgar - the Shinra organisation is apparently finished, but beneath the rubble of Midgar the soldiers of Deepground lurk, waiting to unleash new terror on the innocent civilians who are rounded up and taken away for some unknown purpose.

You play as Vincent Valentine, the mysterious gunman from Final Fantasy VII. With his trusty Cerberus in hand, he is determined to make Deepground pay for what they have done and along the way he uncovers traumatic secrets from his past that begin to explain his powers. All the familiar faces from Final Fantasy VII make an appearance, although some are briefer than others, the beautiful CG cuts cenes giving the characters a glowing new dimension, bringing them to life like they never could have been in the original. Even the in-game graphics are superb, the closest we can currently get to in-game graphics that are almost as good as those in the cut scenes (at least until the PS3 finally arrives). The facial expressions as the characters talk are breathtaking - you completely understand the emotion on their faces, and the slight changes in their features to express joy, disappointment and fear are unbelievable; clearly a lot of time was spent working on this element alone.

However, graphics alone don't make a great game, and fortunately (as you would expect from a Final Fantasy title) plenty of time has been spent working on the gameplay. You're thrown in at the deep end nearly immediately, although there is a separate tutorial that can be played to familiarise you with the new controls. Vincent starts with only his Cerberus, but quickly acquires two other guns, along with various attachments to enhance them. These attachments are found just before you are going to need them, so when you are about to enter a street overrun with enemies you find the machine gun attachment in a nearby building. It is therefore fairly clear what the designers want you to do with the weapons - they expect you to have the powerful but slow Cerberus as your main weapon, the speedy machine gun at the ready for when you are attacked by hoards of enemies and the ever trusty rifle for making those tricky sniping shots. Each weapon is also capable of shooting off magic, which is good for taking out groups of enemies, although unfortunately it uses up your mako supplies (a type of magical energy) in seconds.

There are ways to modify the weapons; you can pick and choose which magic type the weapon fires, although most of the time you will be relying on good old-fashioned bullets. You can also purchase modifications, either at jukebox style vendors or at the end of each stage. The mods basically upgrade the power levels of the gun and make them even more deadly, but despite this you do feel that it is rather a token effort. Okay, you can upgrade the weapons, but there really isn't all that much choice other than upping a gun's strength and, while at first it seems like you could have some really interesting combination guns, you soon discover that the designers really only want you to have the three basic types. You can change barrel types and add or take off attachments, but you will quickly find that the gun types the game encourages you to create are usually the best for all situations.

Mind you, get those guns powered up and they are certainly satisfying to use; they feel heavy and the bullets thud nicely into enemies. In true Final Fantasy style, the hit points each shot takes off an enemy appears over their heads, and if the number appears in red you know you've made a critical shot. There is nothing more satisfying than taking out a troop of Deepground soldiers with critical headshots, each successful shot building up a killchain that makes the next bullet even more powerful. You also have melee attacks, so you can save bullets by going head to head with unarmed opponents, although unfortunately you can't up your stats for melee attacks like you can with guns. There are plenty of chances to practice your moves, the levels are swarming with enemies and there is barely a second in-game when you're not shooting something, whether it be giant beetles, armed soldiers or heavily armoured robots - in fact, Vincent has no qualms about taking on huge helicopters with his trusty Cerberus.

You spend the majority of the game running through ruined streets taking out the enemies that you encounter, while the storyline is played out in lengthy cut scenes that reveal Vincent's past and also what is currently happening in Midgar. There is very little chance to chat casually to people (admittedly this is the middle of a war zone, so chatting casually about the current state of the world is probably not top priority on everyone's list!) Unlike other FF games where every time you enter a new village you can pass the time of day with whoever you please, Dirge of Cerberus prefers to keep you moving - if there's something important you need to hear you'll be shown a cut scene rather than having to find the right person to talk with.

And that brings me to perhaps the biggest niggle of the game, and I say niggle, as really that is all it is in this otherwise excellent game. The problem is that while the developers have tried to give you opportunities to be free roaming - for instance you can jump and climb ladders - the route through a level is still very linear. Take the first level; the village is under attack and you are searching for survivors, and while on the map there appears to be plenty of routes around the houses, when you start to explore you soon find that a large number of the side roads are blocked with blazing piles of rubble. When you try to get close to see if you can squeeze past the flames, you run slap bang into an invisible wall. The same goes for other levels where you come across an interesting pile of crates - it looks like you could use them to sneak up to a higher level without the guards seeing you, but try and jump onto those crates and again the invisible wall raises its ugly head.

You have to go where the designers want you to go, no ifs or buts, which is quite annoying at times, but aside from its linear nature, Dirge of Cerberus is truly enjoyable. You barely have a moment to pause for breath as you race through the levels at breakneck speed, trying to take out as many enemies as possible. But don't forget to explore, because you get points for collecting all the mako in a level and for collecting other items - and these points prove very useful at the end of a stage when your points are calculated and the designers get really cunning. You have a choice - use the points to upgrade your stats or choose the exceedingly tempting option of converting that EXP into Gil and buying yourself some nice new mods in the shop. This is the point where you really can get creative and it can be a tough call at times.

Aesthetically Dirge of Cerberus is a lot about grey streets half destroyed by bombs, because you are in the middle of a combat zone, but it still has little touches to enliven the bleak environments, such as movie posters on walls. There are also times when you get to wander canyons (being attacked by guard dogs) and through the old Shinra Manor. The soundtrack is movie-quality, but then we have come to expect that of FF; it is uplifting, atmospheric and perfectly in-tune with Vincent as he runs around shooting off bullets. There can sometimes be clipping (when a bullet or object appears through a wall), which can be alarming when you think you are safe and then bullets appear through solid walls, but fortunately, this does not compromise your cover.

Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus is a world away from previous FF games. It is so different in places that it can sometimes be hard to compare it to its predecessors, yet the core fundamentals of the FF series are still there and as solid as ever. This game should not disappoint fans, it is different for sure, but it is also an excellent, very well executed shooter, which still retains the elements of FF we all love - the complex plot, upgrades, EXP, and even a chance to discuss chocobos if you just find the right girl to chat with! Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus may have broken the FF mould, but deep down it is still part of that RPG series we all love - and love it you will!

Reviewed by Sophie Jackson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).