Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers – Review

Casting our mind way back in time to launch of the Wii itself in s005, one of the titles that stood out for RPG-loving freaks like us was this one. Odd then that it appears to have taken a whopping four and a bit years to get from initial announcement to the shelves of the gaming world. Sometimes this can be a bad thing, as fudged ideas are rejected and new ones bolted on, but we’re happy to say that in the case of this new Final Fantasy game, the wait has indeed been worth it.

Ignoring the crusty plot (as we like to do) and getting straight into the meat of this gaming pie, it’s clear from the start that one of the major things that Square-Enix have changed since that first tentative announcements is, well, everything. Gone are the role-playing game aspects we originally saw, to be replaced with a game that’s far more of an action-adventure (with, admittedly, the odd RPG-type element in place). This isn’t a genre that Square-Enix have always been comfortable with, but we have to say that they’ve obviously learnt wisely from their previous mistakes.

Crystal Bearers is very much a sandbox game, so you have a large map to explore and plenty of characters to meet (with symbols hovering above their heads, giving you a clear indication of their mood).

Combat is, as you’d expect, an important part of the game. There are no turn-based battles to deal with here, so if you want to attack something then all you have to do is run up and hit it. Control is mostly through waves of the Remote, and there’s a distinct pleasure to be had from picking up an object and lobbing it at your foe with a slash of your controller.

The inclusion of mini-games also does a lot to add weight to the adventure-style gameplay. These vary wildly (from Chocobo racing to building up a garden) and are well designed and were always welcome inclusions when we stumbled upon them.

Graphically, it’s the usual Square story, and it’s fair to say that rarely has a game on the Wii looked better. The world your character (who’s called Layle, by the way) inhabits may be set 100 years on from the one in the original GameCube Crystal Chronicles game, but it’s still very recognizable as part of the Final Fantasy universe. And thankfully, that familiarity extends to all parts of the game, as despite the fact that you’re not playing a role-playing game heavyweight (like the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII), there’s no denying that you’re playing something that clearly has the quality and attention to detail that Square-Enix games have.