Competitions » FF:CC Competition

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is the end of one era, and the start of another. For many years Nintendo gamers had wished for a new game from the classic Final Fantasy series, setting up petition after petition, awaiting that announcement they all dreamed of. So, you can all imagine, and many of you were probably part of the sheer excitement that swept across the Final Fantasy community when Square announced their return to the company. First there was Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, on the Game Boy Advance, and then the announcement of Crystal Chronicles, which is the first Final Fantasy game on a major Nintendo console since Final Fantasy VI in 1994, which was only released in Japan and the US.

Crystal Chronicles isn't as plot heavy as other Final Fantasy games; the plot is in fact quite simple. You follow the adventures of the Crystal Caravan - a group of kids who travel the world to collect 'Mirula' from Mana Trees. These droplets of dew are needed to maintain the sparkle of the crystals, which is needed to keep the poisonous 'Miasma' air away. You will travel the world with only a simple storyline, which will fit the gameplay no matter what the situation or how many people are playing. The plot has to be constructed in such a way; simply because of the huge part multiplayer has in this game. It is designed so that a new player can join at any point in the game, and even bring their character from their own game into a friend's game at any point. It is not just the plot that has this fixation with making things as easy as they can be for people to join in at any point. It's reminiscent of an online RPG - it' a wonder that the game was not online in the first place. But instead, Square-Enix decided to take the game in a different direction, making use of the Gamecube-Gameboy Advance Connectivity better than any other game so far.

It is possible to play the game without a GBA plugged in - but on an RPG like FF:CC, accessibility to items mid-battle is important - and this is where the GBA comes into play. The second screen is invaluable as you shift through items with the L and R buttons, giving you much easier access to everything you need during a battle. In one player this doesn't make much difference - there's enough room on-screen to fit these interfaces on too, but with more than 1 player, it becomes a godsend. It certainly is the most successful and original usage of the GBA Connectivity so far - but making it compulsory for Multiplayer may have been a mistake. But this isn't enough to stop everyone from enjoying the gameplay. The GBA works well as a controller, and with fellow gaming fans it shouldn't be too difficult to get four together - but for light, fun gaming with a few friends, it might cause a problem.

Even more affected by the accessibility of the multiplayer features is the gameplay. Classic Final Fantasy levelling up is replaced by the simple earning of money, items, and spells as you battle your way to find the mana trees. This is in order to make sure those who join in late do not feel disjointed and less powerful than the other players. They can quickly become more powerful using this method. And, there's the biggest point, for those that didn't know: this isn't a turn based battle game. Expect Kingdom Hearts type hack & slash battling, with a nice new spell system. This involves multiple characters casting the same spell at the same target for a better effect. A character also needs to carry the 'Crystal Cage', which protects the party from that poisonous gas. In a one Player game a Moogle will carry it for you, but in multiplayer one of the characters has to do it.

Visually, the game looks superb. The graphics are advanced so much that you won't even miss the CG Movies which have become the staple of the series, as all the cutscenes are rendered normally along with the rest of the game. The character and world design itself is similar to Final Fantasy IX, with childish, medieval, anime characters with large heads, this look of 'Fantasy' which has been lost in the latest FF titles. Presumably, Square-Enix chose this graphic style so the game related to the quaint characters and worlds of Final Fantasy I-VI on the NES and SNES, just as FFIX did. The soundtrack is what you would expect from Final Fantasy, though not composed by the genius that is Uematsu, it is still as original and exciting as all the other games. Looking more so at the graphics, the magic spell effects are superbly designed and in battle when monsters, fighters and attack effects can all be filling the screen at once, slowdown is never a major problem.

The game isn't as long as other FF games, but is filled with Sidequests to keep you busy, as you'd expect from Final Fantasy. While the game ventures from what people would think of when you ask them to envision a "Final Fantasy" game, Crystal Chronicles is an excellent game in its own right. Some may argue this is not a rightful return to Nintendo for Final Fantasy, but to those who say that, I offer the following advice: We will get a 'normal' Final Fantasy game on Nintendo again, so do not put this game down because this is not it, because this game is as worth it as any other FF title. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is a Nintendo Gamecube Exclusive, and is available in all good videogame stores.