Review - Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle: The Crystal Bearers

System: Wii
MSRP: $50.00
Release Date: December 26th, 2009

Is Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (FFCC:TCB) a unique addition to the never ending Final Fantasy/Crystal Chronicles series or is it a one-trick pony?

Graphics

FFCC:TCB is a beautiful game! It would be extremely difficult to find a Wii exclusive that looks just as good, if not better, than this game. The towns and characters are drawn very well and the somewhat lively environments are detailed nicely, too. After playing the game for awhile, you will probably forget that you are playing a Wii game.

- 19/20

Sound

All of the voice actors were excellent, with the exception of one character, Belle. She has a very whiny, high-pitched, piercing voice of a 12 year old girl. However, besides that one character, the other voice actors were excellent.

Additionally, like in all the other Final Fantasy games, FFCC:TCB has an excellent sound track that melds very well with the game. There could be a few more upbeat tracks, but overall, the soundtrack is great.

- 18/20

Story

The story in FFCC:TCB centers around Layle, a crystal bearer (someone with magical abilities) with telekinesis, who is also a mercenary/odd job for hire. In the opening, he's hired to protect an airship, which ends up being attacked by monsters and loses control. Also, for those of you following the story line from the other Crystal Chronicle's titles, a member of the "extinct" Yuke tribe appears on the airship. Layle thinks this mysterious person is the reason for the attack and he proceeds to track her down, which leads to him uncovering a lot more than he expected.

The story is pretty good and has a few twists that add more depth to it. If you haven't played any of the other Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles games, don't worry. You won't really miss anything in The Crystal Bearers and the game covers the important events that happened in the previous games to keep the story moving.

- 17/20

Gameplay

You can do just about anything in the world, like going Grand Theft Auto and picking up elderly people and tossing them around a town to see if they have any gil (money) for you to pick up. Everything is done in real time. There are no load screens when you are exploring the world and run into enemies. You instantly start fighting them. This is where the problems start. All you can do is use Layle's telekinetic powers to pick up and throw enemies and objects. You can change things up a little, like throwing two beetles into one another, creating a ball that you can toss around the area to take out other enemies, but sadly that is about it. Just toss enemies and objects around until everything is dead. The fighting is by far, the worst thing about FFCC:TCB. Additionally, Layle doesn't level up or gain any experience. Instead, he acquires materials that can be used to create wards, rings and earrings that will boost his stats.

Besides fighting, there are other things you can do, and believe me; you'll want to do anything else in this game besides fight. You could actually beat the game by avoiding most of the battles you encounter. The towns and cities are fairly unique and you can explore them a little. Each area has little easter eggs and hidden areas to explore, too. There are various mini-games that you will encounter throughout the entire game. All of them incorporate the Wiimote and nunchuk very well. I wish there were more mini-games in place of the battles.

One more thing to note, you will constantly readjust the camera, which quickly becomes tiresome and annoying.

- 13/20

Replayablity

FFCC:TCB is full of side-quests and mini-games. Yes there is a lot to do besides fighting, but after awhile, even they can become tiresome. Most people will probably complete FFCC:TCB in 12 – 20 hours, depending on how much you explore and do. For those of you that are just dying to play this game a second time, yes, there is a New Game +. Also, for the obsessive compulsive, there are numerous in-game "accomplishments" that you can try to attain.

- 13/20

Conclusion

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is not a bad game, but it is an "acquired" taste. It has a boring combat system, annoying camera and is a very short game. This is more of a Zelda game than it is a Final Fantasy game. However, there are different things to do and explore as you progress through the game. As a Wii exclusive, FFCC:TCB is probably the most graphically pleasing title out today for the Wii. If you're looking for a unique Action-RPG for the Wii, you might want to give this game a shot.

- 80/100

Justin Hubbell
January 19, 2009