Arcade Mode As a bonus content feature exclusive to the North American , European , and Australian localized releases of the first " Dissidia Final Fantasy " , and later implemented into the " Universal Tuning " international re - release in Japan , and subsequently implemented into " Dissidia 012 " , the Arcade Mode is a gameplay mode that converts the game into a typical free - flowing action - based arcade - style fighting game . Designed for " pick - up - and - play " game players who prefer to get into the action immediately , this new gameplay mode removes all RPG gameplay elements and aspects , and all of the characters ' abilities are stripped down to the basics to evenly balance the playing field ; characters " cannot " level up in this gameplay mode , and customization is limited only to switching between normal and alternate costumes ( if alternate costumes are available ) . Original " Dissidia " . All 20 main characters in the game , including the villains , are playable at start in Arcade Mode ( they must still be unlocked for access in all other gameplay modes ) , although the two extra secret characters , Shantotto and Gabranth , must still be unlocked before they can be used in Arcade Mode . The Arcade Mode consists of three sub - modes : Normal , Hard , and Time Attack . Beating any version of the Arcade Mode will reward the player with PP and special items that can be used at the shops in other gameplay modes ; since characters cannot level up or be customized ( other than switching between costumes ) , the player cannot earn AP , EXP , or Gil , although any accomplishments achieved in battle are still recorded and archived . Only the Normal Mode is available from the beginning ; Hard Mode and Time Attack Mode must be unlocked in the PP Catalog ; Hard Mode is available for purchase at start , but the Time Attack Mode can only be unlocked after clearing Shade Impulse Chapter 4 . Note that there is no penalty for losing a battle in either Normal Mode or Hard Mode , but losing a battle in Time Attack Mode will force the player to continue at the time that they lost if they choose to retry , which can downgrade the item rewards received at the end of the gameplay course . Nonetheless , in all cases , players can retry as often as they like should they lose a battle . Every match begins with a full HP gauge and an empty EX gauge . " Dissidia 012 " . The Arcade Mode returns in a modified form in " Dissidia 012 " . As with the original " Dissidia " , all 26 main characters , including newcomer heroes , returning heroes , and returning villains , are playable at start , but Shantotto , Gabranth , Prishe , Gilgamesh and Feral Chaos must still be unlocked before they can be used in Arcade Mode . The Arcade Mode in this game consists of three sub - modes : Quick , Normal , and Time Attack . Quick battle selects everything randomly for the player , including the player ' s chosen character . Normal and Time Attack sub - modes now have options for fighting with either custom or preset characters , and adjustable difficulty levels . When fighting with custom characters , the player ' s chosen character can be customized , but cannot level up . Preset characters come in three tiers : level 20 , level 50 , and level 100 , and difficulty levels also come in three tiers : easy , medium , and hard . Beating any version of Arcade Mode will still reward the player with special items , but will no longer reward PP . Instead , players will now earn AP , as well as Gil , with each battle , but still cannot earn EXP , because characters cannot level up . Arcade mode rewards :