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Console: Nintendo DS
Developer: Square Enix
No. of Players: 1- 4 (Multi-player Wireless Connection)
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Release Date: March 21, 2008 (Europe), March 11, 2008 (U.S.), August 23, 2007 (Japan)
Rating: E/+10 – Fantasy Violence

Story

In a small quaint village of the Veo Lu Highlands lived various members of tribes in harmony. A bird-like yuke, a sweetly childish alchemist of Lilty and a devoted father of two twins named Yuri and Chelinka. Together, the twins wielded an mysterious and binding power that their father taught them to harness. One dreadful night, when the moon rose a blood red, their serene lifestyle was torn a part. The story truly begins here as the brave young twins venture out to seek answers and justice.

Presentation – 8/10

I would love to say that the story was genuinely fulfulling but my palette was left with dull colours by the time I reached the end of the game. One could argue and say the need for ‘more’ meant that it was presented well but I think my need for ‘more’ was mostly on the notion that I had been spoiled by previous Final Fantasy games in sense of quantity and an in depth story line. I was stunned by the 3D CG but there weren’t as many villages or other places to visit as I would’ve liked.

Sound – 9.5/10

Close your eyes and think of the adjective ethereous. The opening main screen theme was magical and midst playing the sound and music set the mood. It was very well done and I honestly haven’t anything bad to say about it. There wasn’t a recognizable song or theme to tell you ‘this is Final Fantasy – Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates’. It was more like the subtle fluidity of Final Fantasy’s origins. Back in those days, the franchise didn’t need a pre-eminent song due to its masterful gameplay.

Control – 7/10

While adventuring, you have the advantage of toogling from one party member to the next depending on the obstacle or boss difficulty. While most of the time this could be seen as a good thing, it became increasingly frustrating when my other AI party members were unresponsive during battle or when I would try to reach a hard to get treasure chest. Other than that, the control options were smooth and easy to pick up.

Gameplay – 8/10

There are two modes to choose from – Story Mode and Multiplay Mode. Story Mode is only for single playing. You can toggle from one character to the next as you fight your way onto the next adventure. In Multiplay Mode you and up to four other people are able to create your own character. There are many different ways to play in this mode. There is also a side mode called Moogles, where you can receive Moogle Stamps, paint your own Moogle and trade moogles between friends. The gameplay is also much like FFX-2 where it becomes a hack’em ‘n slash’em thing. For those who enjoy that type of RPG play instead of the strategical turn waiting, it meets nearly all your expectations.

Graphics – 8.5/10

The CG is absolutely staggering. Over the years, Final Fantasy has dabbled with several different artistic representations of their games. Crystal Chronicles likens itself most to FFIX in the sense of an almost childlike/cartoony approach. The cutscenes are short and for the sake of the story I would have enjoyed more of them.

Final Score – 8.2

Crystal Chronicles was fun and hard to put down once I got into the game. There were a few things that upset me but even with those frustrations I would still say it’s a game to look into. I still have yet to enjoy it’s said vast wonders of Multiplayer.