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The Crystal Chronicles need a rewrite
posted by JCDenton (FREEDOM, NH) Dec 29, 2009
Member since Mar 2006
6 out of 7 gamers (86%) found this review helpful
After playing the last Crystal Chronicles game, I begged Square Enix to stop making titles for this series. For some odd reason, they manage to take the tedium and over-indulgent cutscenes from the regular Final Fantasy series, nerf the quality and take out any of the enjoyable elements you'd be expecting. So, the next statement is a bit of a mixed message: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is the best entry in the series (and has the most unnecessarily long title). It's still mediocre at best and mostly broken, but it's still better than the last two.
For example, it's better than the first because you don't have to carry a jar all over the place. It's far superior to the second because it doesn't look or sound like a Game Boy port. In fact, it looks respectable, although not spectacular. The fanfare and grandeur (at least some of it) you'd expect from Final Fantasy is seen in this title. However, the game does everything it can to distance itself from the seminal RPG series so it's accessible and (let's face it) simple.
Square wanted to make a game that everyone, even grandma, could play. Sure, because my grandmother can't wait to play a Final Fantasy game. And I'm sure that she'd love the light-gun sections, or the action sequences where you try to force throw bombs with faces. And she'd be super psyched to sit through endless cutscenes featuring futuristic manga rejects who need an acting coach.
And as for the game? Spend some time beating up generic enemies and close a nexus, jump around platforms collecting treasure, engage in some impromptu mini-games featuring the Wiimote controls, etc. It's not very enjoyable and not as fleshed out as you'd hope for.
Crystal Bearers at least has the productions value the other Crystal Chronicle games lacked. However, the gameplay, story and game world are just as disappointing. Here's hoping for a real Final Fantasy game on the Wii because this ain't it.
For example, it's better than the first because you don't have to carry a jar all over the place. It's far superior to the second because it doesn't look or sound like a Game Boy port. In fact, it looks respectable, although not spectacular. The fanfare and grandeur (at least some of it) you'd expect from Final Fantasy is seen in this title. However, the game does everything it can to distance itself from the seminal RPG series so it's accessible and (let's face it) simple.
Square wanted to make a game that everyone, even grandma, could play. Sure, because my grandmother can't wait to play a Final Fantasy game. And I'm sure that she'd love the light-gun sections, or the action sequences where you try to force throw bombs with faces. And she'd be super psyched to sit through endless cutscenes featuring futuristic manga rejects who need an acting coach.
And as for the game? Spend some time beating up generic enemies and close a nexus, jump around platforms collecting treasure, engage in some impromptu mini-games featuring the Wiimote controls, etc. It's not very enjoyable and not as fleshed out as you'd hope for.
Crystal Bearers at least has the productions value the other Crystal Chronicle games lacked. However, the gameplay, story and game world are just as disappointing. Here's hoping for a real Final Fantasy game on the Wii because this ain't it.
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