Personally, I really liked Dirge of Cerberus. People were expecting too much out of it, and when that happens, it tends to disappoint. People were expecting an RPG, and it is
not an RPG. People were expecting it to have a deep, rich storyline on the same level with FF7, and it indeed does not, nor was that the intent. DOC's goal was to expand upon the character of Vincent Valentine, and I think they did that well. It doesn't
have to be the next blockbuster Final Fantasy game, and I think people are missing the point when they think it does.
As for it somehow
ruining the storyline of FF7, people need to realise that this is
not a sequel. It is not FF7-2. Before Crisis, Crisis Core, Last Order, Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, and all Compilation titles are
spinoffs. They are an expanded universe of a sort. You can accept their level of canonicity on really any level you wish. The only way FF7 will have a sequel is if they make another game, and that game is an RPG. (And preferably titled FF7-2 for continuity's sake, since the last sequel was X-2; even though I try to pretend that game never existed, I still like consistency.) And it should be completely and entirely independent from the other Compilation titles, only vaguely alluding to the events therein so as to explain all that has happened in between the time of the two RPGs. However, they should not be dependent on that information, and it
should make complete sense when you conclude FF7 and pop in FF7-2, without ever having played the EU material.
Though, this is just the wishes of one dreamer.
