My play through of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles was done in the summer of 2011. Although a year old, the videos provide a walk through for the game. It can be watched by clicking here.
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is a game released to North America in 2004 for the GCN. It is not apart of the main Final Fantasy series, and was considered a spin-off. It features a real time combat system, and multi player with up to four characters when connecting to a Gameboy Advance system. This alone sets it apart from others with the same name. It was the first game to be released in the "Crystal Chronicle" series, and five games in the series later followed.
-----
Synopsis:
The world you live in is surrounded by a powerful and evil force - miasma. Miasma is like a plague that threatens humanity. It is responsible for the presence of monsters, and is extremely toxic and dangerous to humans. The player must travel across the world searching for myrrh - the only force powerful enough to oppose the threat of miasma. In each town throughout the world, there is a crystal, filled with the power of myrrh, to drive away miasma's affect on humans. It is the player's responsibility to collect the myrrh for their town's crystal. If myrrh is not collected, the town's crystal will lose it's brightness, and it will fade, allowing miasma to engulf the town.
-----
Pros:
1. You're able to customize your main character, and are able to keep up to 8 save files.
Unlike the main Final Fantasy series, you are able to choose, customize and change your main character. With 32 different character models divided into four different clans, there's a great range of choice that will cater to each player's specific preferences for aesthetic value and skills. Although each clan has specific strengths/weaknesses, they are not limited. When you pick a "class" (such as a mage), you are generally hindered in physical strength, but excel in magic. If you pick a clan that has higher base stats in Crystal Chronicles, you are not limited by that throughout the course of the game. The player is given many opportunities to increase any stats that they choose throughout the course of the game, allowing you to create a fully balanced character, or one that heavily excels in one skill.
The game allows you to have 8 characters, which gives the game replay value, allows multiple players to use the same system/memory card, and creates choice when playing in multi player mode. Each file has it's own save file attached to it, so you can have up to 8 characters that can be in 8 different places in the story. Additionally, each character that you create will have a changeable name and family profession. Each clan has their own individual crest and weapon set, making each clan unique in their own ways.
2. Exploration and the "open world" aspect that the game is based upon.
To successfully advance on in the game's story, the player must complete three levels per year in order to return home and fill their chalice with myrrh. The player has more and more choice on what levels they would like to complete and where in the world they would like to travel as the game progresses. Because the game is technically "never ending" (if the player chooses), this gives a world of choices, and allows the player to replay levels they favor and to avoid ones that they dislike. This also allows the player to "grind" for stat boosts, items, and weapons without the game play getting stale. This also optimizes single and multi player mode, as some levels are difficult without a partner.
The possibilities are endless, and it really makes you as the player feel like you are in complete control. Crystal Chronicles features many unique levels, towns, and an over world that is great to explore over and over again. It's a great feeling knowing that you are able to explore every nook and cranny of that world without somebody nagging at you to get back on track. Keep in mind of course that this is not always true, as there are obstacles to complete and requirements to be met to reach certain worlds when the game begins. But, I personally found it very rewarding to have a lot of "down time" in between when I was done with the main story and when it was that I wanted to fight the final boss. I had choice in when I wanted to fight the boss, and until then, I was able to take my time to prepare, and I had a lot of choice in where and how I was going to do so.
Additionally, while on the road, the game had a series of cut scenes, events and side quests that will randomly happen while travelling. Some side quests and events progress as time goes on, and it gives more insight to the world around you. You also keep a diary with worlds that you've visited, people you've met and important details.
Additionally, while on the road, the game had a series of cut scenes, events and side quests that will randomly happen while travelling. Some side quests and events progress as time goes on, and it gives more insight to the world around you. You also keep a diary with worlds that you've visited, people you've met and important details.
3. The game's unique battle system.
Final Fantasy is better known for a turn based battle system, but because Crystal Chronicles is a spin off, they tried a different battle system with the game that turned out to be one of the most interactive and exciting battle system type that I've played to date. I will admit that the system is a bit clunky at first, but when you get used to the controls, it's easy to handle.
- You are able to toggle between items, spells, and attack/defend commands in mere seconds, which is great with the fast active time system. This eliminates having to go through menus to find an item/spell, and allows for easy switching quickly. Additionally, you can store life restoring items which is extremely useful if your character has been downed in battle.
- There is a barrier created by the chalice that the player carries. You are unable to travel outside of this circle or you will be exposed to miasma and will get damaged. This creates environmental threat, and it is one more thing that the player must take into consideration when playing. In multi player, it forces the players to work together as a team and to take time carrying the chalice. In single player, your moogle will carry it for you, which leaves you at his mercy if he slows down or becomes stuck.
- There is a battle condition that is randomized in each level when you enter. In the right circumstances, you can generate points at the end of the level for meeting the condition, which allows the player to get rare artifacts. This also works in reverse if the conditions were not met.
- There are other benefits to the battle system, such as creating powerful spells with a partner (called spell fusion). Spell fusion allows you to take down difficult foes with a partner, or by finding multiple magical orbs. Spell fusion also allows you to unlock chests and other special things in certain levels.
-----
Cons:
1. The game is optimized for multi-player.
Back before the days of wifi, playing with friends was somewhat of an inconvenience. For those of us without working equipment, multi player was a non-existent feature. Being that Crystal Chronicles wasn't a common game back in the day and nobody I knew had it, I was stuck saving the world on my own. While the game is fantastic and still fun to play on your own, the game itself was optimized to be played with two or more people.
There are certain levels with puzzles that are nearly impossible in single mode, but simple and easy with two or more people. A computerized moogle that only listens half of the time and has half of the abilities of a human player is much harder to deal with then just having some good ol' fashioned team work. Additionally, some skills are only available in multi-player, such as spell fusion, which by the way, is one of the most useful skills to have in the game. In single player, you need to combine different magic (which you might not even find in a level), or get your moogle to help you (and he'll only do certain spells if he's painted a certain way). Frustrating. I never minded playing in single player much until I played multi player later in my life as a group of three. I then felt like my experience of the game wasn't full for all the years I played it, and I felt a bit robbed. It would have been nice if the game creators weren't so biased for those who didn't have the privilege of being able to play in multi-player.
2. The lack of weapons and armor.
For a game with so much customization in character design, character skills and a diverse map with many chests in each world, there was a serious lack of different weapons and armor for each class. There was only a handful of weapons/armor for each clan, and the strongest weapons were always difficult (at least for me) to craft. Items and crafting materials were supposed to change with each year, but being that items were completely random, there wasn't a strong chance that you'd be able to fully optimize a character.
Additionally, a lot of equipment went to waste if you so happened to pick up something that was created for another clan. The game programmed it this way so you could give it to a partner in multi-player, but even then, what if you were all the same clan? It always seemed like a waste to me, especially in single player. That being said, you could always use artifacts to improve strength or defense, but that makes the amount of time you have to play longer. Not a huge flaw overall, but I love having a variety with weapons and armor, as it gives more choice and makes the game more fun. It would have been nice to have an opportunity to mix weapons and armor as well, and not keep them clan specific, but that's just my personal opinion.
3. The game may feel repetitive after a few years.
After 5 or 6 years in game, you should have done the "main" story part of the game. At this point, no new worlds will come into play, and you'll have your pick of where you want to go, but each area will be somewhere that you've already visited. Each world gets more difficult in each cycle, and enemies and chests change each year, but the maps themselves and bosses don't change. Some people may find this boring and be discouraged to quit. If you're not a dungeon crawling grinding type, then it may be hard to see the game all the way through. For me it's not necessarily a con, but for others I can see it being a problem.
-----
With more pros than cons, I encourage others to really give this game a shot if you haven't already. With multiple choices, a game that changes each coming year, a great multi-player system and the non-linear game play, Crystal Chronicles caters to many players. Spin off games are not necessarily a terrible thing, and this game is one of the many exceptions, and is, in my opinion a very successful spin off (even if others don't think so!)
