Average Customer Review: ( 90 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

To distinguish itself from the numbered series that now prosper on the Sony consoles, Crystal Chronicles mark a huge diversion in terms of game play and design. Musch emphasis was placed on the multiplayer module that allow up to 4 players to play at the same time with their GBA connected to the GameCube. The most stunning aspect of this multiplayer mode was there is no split screen but all characters are limited in movement by the crytal cage that protects everybody from the poisonous mist in the world.

The single player mode which was less mentioned in fact offers the same degree of satisfaction for players. Instead of having friends carrying the crystal cage, a moogle (an FF icon) carries it for you (but from time to time will tell you it is tired and you have carry for it to maintain a good relationship with the moogle). Battles are in real time action similar to Kingdom Hearts but you have more strategy involved rather than hack and slash. You can power up your attack with a target ring, but you need to predict the moves of your enemies to score your hit. This is the same for magic used in Crystal Chronicles.

Magic are obtained through magical orbs dropped by enemies or found in chests, but they can't be kept in your possession after your left the area. This might cause a bit of nuisance to traditional FF players but since they are so readily available, you won't be missing out too much. However, the annoying part will be you have reassign the command slots that you need to scroll with your L/R button in every area you enter to your advantage for battles. Nonetheless, the game will remind you to do so before you enter the area. If you want to keep the magic, you have to find the magic rings and equip them to your characters. Certain magic like Gravity are resulted from orb combination, but the game will tell you when you assign them side by side in the command slots.

In terms of levelling up, it is done through acquiring different type of antiques in the Crystal Chronicles world. There are heaps to collect and they are dropped by enemies or found in chests. However, you can only keep one of the antiques after you clear the area, so if you want the whole collection for a lot of levelling up, then you will need to visit and clear a particular area again and again until you get them all. This could cause a bit of nuisance for some people. Nonetheless, you can always eat different kinds of food to boost your magic, strength and defence temporarily.

Each character has a family business which in return will be a necessity for different forms of levelling up. Different families provide different unique services to you such as food, weapons and armours that you can use to level up your character. Any family that are not assigned to a character yet, their house hold will be occupied by a moogle instead until you "inhabit" every single one of them.

In terms of control and game play, it offers more handy experience to players when compared to Kingdom Hearts but as mentioned, the reassignment of command slots can cause a bit of nuisance. Nonetheless, if you assign a Phoenix Down to one of the slots, it could revive your character immediately when it is killed, which could be handy for difficult boss fights.

The graphics is stunningly detailed and designed. It was afraid that the return to the style similar to FF 9, which is not that successful, would hinder the game a bit, but it turns out it works really well with the environment and the world of Crystal Chronicles. A lot of details have been attended to landscape, water effects and light effects - you can see the defracted image of your character from the crystal cage when the miru water is filled to a certain level.

Storywise, it is unfolded during different encounters on the road and during the initial description of the areas your first visited. So the more encounter you made, the more you would know about the story.

In all, Crystal Chronicles is a very promising return of the franchise to the Nintendo platform and surely it will provide you a whole new experience in the Final Fantasy series.

24 of 27 found the following review helpful:

Unlike any before it... and still definitely Final Fantasy.Feb 23, 2004
By Timothy Read
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is, like many have pointed out, not part of the main Final Fantasy ("numbered") series. In Final Fantasy terms, it's almost the exact opposite of Final Fantasy Tactics. Instead of a deep, twisting plot that almost required cliffs notes, and long battles that could last 30 minutes, FF:CC is a much faster game.

That is not to say that it's brainless, or just hack-and-slash. FF:CC definitely has a plot, but it unravels slowly -- in letters from home or friends, musings of moogles, and in the various encounters you will have during your travels. Talking to people multiple times reveals more information that they didn't reveal when you first talked to them. You'll soon see an interesting undercurrent about the loss of memories. FF:CC has a very slow development of plot, and yet, it doesn't seem out of place to the game.

And despite the slower plot speed, the game moves along at a fast clip. In terms of gameplay, this game almost has more in common with recent Legend of Zelda games (or, for Final Fantasy fans, it's most like Final Fantasy Adventure). FF:CC focuses on exploration and combat more than other games in the series. Combat is usually fairly short, but boss battles in single-player mode can take a while.

What's almost most interesting is the atmosphere this game evokes. Instead of the mysterious world being understood by a main character with an enigmatic past, a lot of the story- and character-development cards are on the table early. The main world seems rural and quiet -- and the dungeons are unbelievable. The music (save the Wonka-esque Daemon's Court tune) is haunting but enthralling. Monsters have their own unique behavior. Orcs are easily confused and outflanked, stopping frequently to raise their swords and taunt you with a laugh. Ahrimans float overhead and threateningly attack unless grounded... and so on.

Water effects are unbelievable, and I have found myself many times stopping in the game just to soak in the atmosphere of an area.... the distant water of a mine, dimly lit by pinpoints of lantern light... the quiet meadow near the Jegon River... and so on.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is unlike any other game in the series, but still distinctly a Final Fantasy. The themes evolve slowly -- and if you're expecting grand developments in the tradition of 6 or 7, you're in for some serious disappointment. If you are just expecting a grand adventure, Crystal Chronicles is your game.

I personally haven't been this interested in a game since Ultima 9, several years ago. Unfortunately, that game's fascinating atmosphere was soured by the fact that it crashed several times and required an unbelievable system at the time. I keep seeing and experiencing things in this game that make me think of my old adventures in the Ultima series... or moments when I was saving Hyrule from certain doom in the Zelda series.

FF:CC is primarily designed for multiplayer play, but it is possible (though difficult) to complete in single-player mode. And despite what some reviews may say, I think the single-player mode holds up very well. Just remember when you set out on your journey: in Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, getting there is half the fun.

7 of 8 found the following review helpful:

It's Final fantasy but something differentDec 13, 2005
By Beren Erchamion
I hated this game when I bought it; expecting a awesome comeback for Final Fantasy to Nintendo. I was dissapointed to say the least. Yet I loved the music and graphics...the graphics were absolutely stunning.

Well - I just picked it up again after a long time and started playing it. I must say I am enjoying it - despite the fact it is VERY different. The graphics are still great even after a long time since it's been released. I also decided to purchase the soundtrack to this series. The only thing I wish was different that it would be alot easier to play the multiplayer mode. I am the only person I know who owns this game so I can't really play multiplayer.

Overall, a good series and much different then usual Final Fantasy games but with the complex multiplayer as well as lack of storyline, it doesn't measure up to the more popular and well-known FF games.

8 of 10 found the following review helpful:

Doesn't Measure up to the Final Fantasy StandardMar 10, 2004

If you're looking for a Final Fantasy game like those in the more well-known series (IX, X, X-2 etc) then you're in for a disappointment. The only things it has in common is the name and some of the monsters, bosses and spells. Oh yeah, and the moogles.

I've come to expect excellence from Final Fantasy games and find that the GameCube installment falls far short. While the graphics, art and sound are still incredibly well-done, the story is nowhere near as deep and engaging and character development is next to non-existent. Quite frankly, the biggest thing this game lacks is, well...heart.

I confess I haven't finished the game. I've gotten to the point where I've collected myrrh from all levels except the very final one (where you have to use the 'mystery' element to cross the miasma stream). I'm now at the stage where I'm revisting dungeons I've already completed to level up, collect more items to build weapons etc before continuing to the final dungeon. I'm seriously considering not even bothering to complete the game. There is nothing about the plot development in the story that has made me care enough about the characters or what happens to their world to mindlessly repeat identical levels just to get to the ending.

Yes, the real time action-based battles are an interesting twist. The problem is that it doesn't vary much and while others may say that there's strategy involved, I've seen better. Even in single player mode, boss battles, though long haven't been difficult.

I've heard that the multiplayer mode is much more fun. However, given that each player would then require a Gameboy Advance of his/her own as well as a connection cable to play, it's just not likely to happen in my house.

While I appreciate the amount of effort that goes into game design, artificially lengthening a game by making the player revisit levels sometimes 2 or more times after it's first cleared is cheap and definitely not up to the standard set up by SquareSoft in their previous games. Heck, even the narrated introduction of each level is identical each time you revisit it. Nothing changes.

I bought this game and I'm sorry I did. I really believe this game to be substandard, period. It doesn't matter if it had a different title and didn't have the Final Fantasy legacy to live up to. The gameplay is mediocre, the storyline is weak and the character(s) are one-dimensional. Not what I'd expect from any game that has a lasting place in my video game library.

My advice? Rent it first. If you like it that much, you can then buy it. If you don't then you haven't wasted the money like I did.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

Great fun for playing with friends or yourself.Jan 20, 2005
By JRJathome
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicals is the first FF game I have ever played, and I have to say that I enjoy it. It has stunning graphics and sounds, small, yet challenging levels, and has many interactions between your character and Non-Playable Characters (NPCs).

One reason that I like FF:CC is because you can play cooperatively with other players. Granted, the GBA is a liability, especially if you are low on batteries, but it helps to remove clutter from the TV screen.

Along with the coop play, I also like the speed of the game. For every game year, you have to collect three drops of Myrrh. When you first start a new game, you could potentially advance two or three years in about an hour if you get the hang of it. The story goes a bit slow, but that is to be expected when you consider that you might want to get your character's stats up as high as you can before taking on the final boss.

I also like the interactions that happen along the road. As you go about your adventure, you will meet the caravans from the other cities, who are also trying to collect Myrrh. Some encounters, such as with the caravaners from Leuda and the Striped Brigands, a trio of thieves, are humorous. Some encounters reveal more of the plot, and some can even help you on your quest.

Now to focus on some bad things. As you progress through the game, the levels you started at get more difficult, with the presence of stronger monsters. Even the bosses at the end of each level gain Hit Points (HP) and stronger spells to use. This can mean trouble if someone creates a character on the 5th year, for example, because, while the character that has been used most often has been strengthened, any characters that aren't used as often will be a hinderance in multiplayer mode.

Another problem is the limit of difficulty in levels. Each level has three cycles of enemies. Once you beat the third cycle, the difficulty never increases, leading to a level that isn't a challenge anymore.

Overall, I think that anyone who likes RPG's with real-time fighting will love FF:CC. The storyline seems simple and boring at first, but as you progress through the game, more mysteries are revealed.

My scores:

Concept: 4 out of 5

Graphics: 5 out of 5

Sound: 5 out of 5

Playability: 4 out of 5

Entertainment: 3 out of 5

Replay: 3 out of 5

Overall: 4 out of 5

See all 90 customer reviews on Amazon.com