Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
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| Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles | |
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| Developer(s) | The Game Designers Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix Nintendo (North America) |
| Release date(s) | JPN August 8, 2003 NA February 9, 2004 EUR March 12, 2004 NZ March 19, 2004 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) PEGI: 7+ OFLC: G8+ |
| Platform(s) | GameCube |
| Media | 1 × GameCube Optical Disc |
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is a video game for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the first Final Fantasy game on a Nintendo console since Final Fantasy VI, as well as the first Square-produced game on a Nintendo platform since Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars in America (in Japan the last game was Treasure Hunter G). Square (now Square Enix) created The Game Designers Studio, a second party studio which included people who had worked on the Final Fantasy games for PlayStation to make Final Fantasy games for Nintendo consoles. This new Final Fantasy game features many new gameplay elements not previously seen in a Final Fantasy game, for example, real time fighting, as well as being the first RPG to incorporate GameCube-Game Boy Advance compatibility. It was scored by Kumi Tanioka.
A Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles sequel is in the works for the Nintendo DS and will be called Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates [1]. Another sequel is being produced for the Nintendo Wii, called Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers.
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[edit] Gameplay mechanics
The game can be broken down into three general things players can do: explore, interact and fight. Like many RPGs, these will constitute the bulk of the game.
[edit] Exploration
In Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, up to four players assume the role of various young adults who must venture out into the wilderness in a caravan. These caravans are towed by large, blue horse-hippo like creatures known as Papaopamus. They are forced to do so in order to protect their village from a poisonous gas cloud called "miasma" that engulfs the entire world. As a result, they seek to find magical trees, called "myrrh trees," out in the wilderness that produce one droplet of 'myrrh' (magical water) every two game years. These droplets ward off the miasma, and must be taken back to the village to recharge the town's central crystal, which also wards off miasma. The trees are, of course, guarded by a host of creatures bent on stopping the caravanners. The passage of time plays an important role in the game, for as the years progress, the challenges the players face grow increasingly stronger.
[edit] Interaction
Like the other games in the Final Fantasy series, the story involves a character or group of characters journeying great distances throughout the world to complete a central quest, although many smaller quests will arise along the way. In the process, they will meet dozens of people, fight off monsters, discover hidden treasure and unfold the storyline. In Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, movement in the game is similar to the third-person follow-cam mode found in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. This type of movement is where players will spend the majority of their time. However, with more than one player, the movement must be restricted to keep all the players on the screen at the same time. Because of this technical fact, an aura given off by the "crystal chalice," which carries myrrh, restricts characters to staying on-screen, otherwise the miasma rapidly damages the character.
For movement across large distances, the players go to the "world-map" view, which is a highly zoomed-out view of the world which players use to venture from town to town and other far-away locales.
[edit] Combat
Combat in Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is real-time and takes place in the regular movement mode, much like in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker or Secret of Mana. The button layout is relatively simple. Pressing the L and R buttons scrolls through a list of actions that are executed with the A button, and the B button is used for miscellaneous actions.
Magic plays a large role in the game, with classic Final Fantasy spells like "Fire," "Blizzard," and "Thunder" being used by the player. In Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, enemies drop stones called Magicite. Spells can also be combined to form new spells.
Some of these "fused" spells include "Fira" (Fire X2), "Firaga" (Fire X3), "Blizzara" (Blizzard X2), "Blizzaga" (Blizzard X3), "Thundara" (Thunder X2), and Thundaga (Thunder X3). The spells ending in -aga require special timing while used in multiplayer mode. Others involve fusing different spells like Thunder and Fire to cast Gravity. Some of these spells require special timing as well and so are only available in multiplayer mode. Adding more spells to a fused spell in multiplyer will also add to its effectiveness in some way, and often change its name.
Spells can also be "fused" with a weapon (or a charged "Focus Attack" from an ally in multiplayer) to form a magical strike with secondary effects and increased damage.
[edit] Role-playing elements
[edit] Character types
An important element of many role-playing games is selecting the type of character to play as. In this title, there are four races (character classes) that players can choose from, each with its own unique strengths. A well-balanced party will draw upon the strengths of each race, which makes the game ideal to play with four players. The races are:
- Clavat: Clavats are human-like creatures and wield swords. Clavats are traditionally farmers.
- Best defense
- 2nd best magic
- Very well-rounded
- Lilty: Lilties are short creatures that have slight resemblances to Oompa-Loompas or turnips and wield spears. Lilties are traditionally warriors.
- Best offense
- 2nd best defense
- Worst magic
- Yuke: Yukes are mysterious creatures that are bird like in shape and wield hammers. Yukes are traditionally scholars or magicians.
- Best magic
- Cast spells at 2x normal speed
- Worst offense
- Selkie: Selkies are human-like creatures that wield rackets. Selkies are traditionally thieves or merchants.
- Best agility
- Focus attacks at 2x normal speed
- 2nd best offense
[edit] Experience
At the end of each dungeon lies a myrrh tree and a selection of prizes. These prizes, called 'artifacts', permanently increase one stat (strength, defense, or magic) by a certain amount, permanently increase maximum health points or number of activity slots by one (pendants and pockets), or allow a character to cast a specific spell without magicite (magic rings). After defeating the boss in an area, you obtain 4 random artifacts. In addition, artifacts encountered inside the dungeon temporarily increase the stat the artifact controls until the player exits the dungeon. Notably, in this game, spells and skills are not learned- special items called magicite must be acquired once per level to cast specific spells. Rings containing the magicite can be acquired as permanent items and allow the player to cast spells.
The story unfolds as the players journey from territory to territory, talking with people and completing quests set before them. While traveling a caravan may encounter other travelers, which is displayed in cut-scenes. These movie-like breaks in the game further enhance the story and can be random or part of the storyline. Each encounter is recorded in the caravan's journal and is recorded as a memory. By piecing memories together the player learns the history of the world, the nature of the miasma, or subplots of the game, depending on what they have seen.
One interesting role-playing aspect of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is that the players can and should interact with their in-game parents. The players actually choose the occupation of their parents at the start of the game, and based upon this occupation the parents will aid the players in various ways. Blacksmith parents for example will forge new equipment for the players, merchant parents will sell rare items, alchemist parents can create designs for new equipment, and so on.
Additionally, players will have opportunities at the end of each dungeon to write home or send gifts to their parents. Players with good relationships with their parents are more likely to receive gifts from them in return, as well as gain discounts on their wares.
[edit] Main characters
- Sol Racht: The Lilty leader of the Alfitaria caravan. He is the first character players meet in the game and introduces them to the moogle who teaches them how to fight. Although he is a little obtuse he helps the caravan, often giving advice, food, or weapons. Later in the game, his child is born, and he retires to provide parental care.
- Amidatty: the rather eccentric leader of the Yuke caravan from Shella. At one point in the game he buys a loaf of bread from Gurdy believing it is a highly scientific model of the world though he reveals later that he knew it was bread the entire time.
- Gurdy: The rather untrustworthy Clavat makes his living out of cheating people out of their money. Players see him cheat both the Fields of Fum caravan and Amidatty. Possessing a great acting ability and silver tongue he seems to get away with it, though he often comes begging to players for help or money. Though one of the less pure characters he does help players a great deal in their quest with his poems. It later turns out that he has suffered from a loss of memories and barely knows who he is.
- Hurdy: A traveling priest who is apparently Gurdy's brother. However, near the end of the game, players will be given clues that suggest that Hurdy IS Gurdy, who thought his name was Gurdy after his memories were stolen by Raem, but this is not confirmed.
- The Black Knight: a mad Lilty knight clad from head to toe in black armor. He spends his time chasing a 'light' across the countryside claiming it stole his memories. Later he is mortally wounded by a child Lilty, Leon Esla, that believed the Black Knight killed his father. Before the Black Knight dies, he seemingly remembers who he was before he died. It turns out that Leon Esla was his son, born after he left with Hurdy to try and rid the world of miasma.
- De Nam: A rather peculiar Selkie who players meet in Shella. He is studying magic and wants to one day rid the world of miasma. He will send players letters if they talk to him in Shella saying he is drinking miasma filled water in Conall Curach to try and build up immunity to miasma. His final letter to players tells them to come to Conall Curach, where a random monster will give them his worn bandanna whne you kill it, it seems De Nam met a nasty end.
- Raem: An evil demon/monster who consumes people's memories.
- Mio: A similar character to Raem, though she does not benefit from miasma like him and wants only to live in harmony. She is known as 'the Queen of Memories'.
- Mog: In single player mode he carries the chalice for the player. He will also ask the player to paint him and trim his fur in the moogle holes. Depending on what color he is painted, he may add his power to the player's for spells (red=fire, blue=blizzard, green=thunder). If a GBA (Game Boy Advance) or SP is connected to socket two with a GBA GCN connector, the color will also change the type of radar it displays. (Normal or cut hair=Map, red=Enemy Radar, blue=Treasure Chest Radar, green=Monster Data)
- Andy: The main male member of the fields of Fum caravan. When players meet him on the road he will sometimes give them farming advice.
- Shaullo: The main female member of the fields of Fum caravan. At one point Gurdy cheats her. She will often offer players lunch if they meet her on the road.
- Hana Kohl: The female member of the Leuda caravan. She has the same character model as the female Selkie who plays tambourine in Tipa; just different colors. She and Dah Yis often argue because they are both too lazy to think about collecting myrrh.
- Dah Yis: The male member of the Leuda caravan.
- Princess Fiona: The half Lilty half Clavat princess of Alfitaria. She runs away from Alfitaria during the game because she is scared of her duties, but is eventually inspired by the caravan and decides to return home giving a large sum of money to the caravan.
- Rolf Wood: The leader of the hotheaded lilty caravan from Marr's Pass. He is often getting into fights with the 'posh city lilties' (mainly Sol Racht) though is always friendly towards players' caravan and often gives away weapons.
- The Scholar of Tipa: In year 2 onwards till around year 5 the village elder will stop characters on the bridge on their way out of Tipa to give them some information about a scholar from Tipa who wanted to rid the world of miasma and hired the Black Knight for protection when he traveled in search of a way to get rid of miasma. The scholar apparently dissapeared after sending a letter home to him from Mag Mel. He also claims that he recited certain poems which seemed to refer to the Lynara Desert. Gurdy will later recite these poems for players revealing that he could possibly have been the scholar before he lost his memories, however this is not confirmed.
[edit] Multiplayer and connectivity features
The most unique aspect of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is that up to four players can play at once utilizing a Game Boy Advance (GBA) connected to the GameCube via a Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. When more than one player wishes to play the game, each player is required to play using a GBA as their controller. Multi-player mode allows several things to happen:
- Players can cast larger spells by working together to join their magicite crystals in different combinations.
- Players use the GBA to switch between various attack commands, spells, items and equipment. This allows the game to proceed uninterrupted when one player wants to make an adjustment in the middle of a battle. However, this also means that monsters will continue attacking the defenseless player who is navigating the menus.
- When the players enter a dungeon or a cave (which happens quite often in Final Fantasy games), each player's GBA screen will show different information. A map will appear on one player’s GBA, and a radar showing monster locations will appear on another. When playing with three players, a radar showing the location of chests or a read-out detailing monster stats will appear on the third player's GBA. If four people are playing, the fourth player will be allocated the screen that the third player did not get. Players must therefore communicate the information to each other to venture safely through each dungeon, which adds a unique interactivity element to playing Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.
- Additionally, when entering a dungeon or cave, each player is awarded a secret goal (displayed on their GBA). The order in which prizes are selected at the end of a level is determined based on how well each player has satisfied his or her goal when compared to others.
- The GBA also has the added benefit of clearing away information clutter from the game screen itself, so that players can get a clear view of the game without obscuring the screen with excess information.
[edit] Reaction
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is one of the more criticized games to bear the name Final Fantasy, in particular from Nintendo fans awaiting the return of the long absent Final Fantasy series to their systems. Much of the criticism is based on the name; while some believe the game stands well on its own, others believe that including Final Fantasy in the title brings certain expectations that were not met.
The first criticism was the style of gameplay. Final Fantasy has traditionally been a turn-based RPG, and is the type of game Square is most famous for. Many were disappointed when Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles turned out to be an action-adventure game, more along the lines of a dungeon crawl. Others discount this, citing that Square had produced other types of games under the Final Fantasy name, giving them alternate names like Final Fantasy Tactics to differentiate them from the main series; the Crystal Chronicles title showed that this was not part of the main series. This criticism was especially loud amongst long time Nintendo fans who lament the lack of RPGs on Nintendo consoles since the days of the RPG-abundant SNES. The fans appeared to have wanted an RPG more along the lines of the main Final Fantasy series with a more emotional, coherent storyline and more traditional gameplay.
Second, the game used very little voice acting and full motion video (FMV). FMV had become a Final Fantasy staple since Final Fantasy VII, while voice acting was introduced with Final Fantasy X. However, these elements have been criticized for watering down the Final Fantasy series itself, and some liked the near absence of these expensive and uninteractive elements.
The major criticism not stemming from the Final Fantasy name targets the implementation of the multi-player aspect. Playing the game in multiplayer mode requires one Game Boy Advance (GBA) and link cable for each player, much like The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. GBAs outnumber Gamecubes by about 4 to 1, but actually getting four people with GBAs and cables together to play this game is difficult to coordinate, and relatively expensive. Further compounding this issue is the fact that the game is advertised as a multiplayer experience, not a primarily single-player game. Critics felt that Square should have put the menus on the main screen in a slightly obtrusive manner, which would make the game accessible to a wider audience and effectively less expensive.
Other criticisms are minor. Some think the game is too easy with the unlimited magic aspect, which allows one to heal party members (with Cure) as often as needed during breaks in the action. Others don't like the Crystal Chalice system: it forces one player to spend time doing nothing but carrying the protective Chalice in multiplayer, and it seems the device only exists to force the players to stay on the same screen. The experience and leveling system is also very non-traditional; players are allowed to choose from a semi-random set of bonuses at the end of each stage, but there is no guarantee that one will receive a different artifact than those already owned. This means players will sometimes finish a dungeon without a single lasting reward.
Despite the criticisms, the game still sold well, and has been critically acclaimed for its vibrant and beautiful graphics, the compelling music, and the fun multiplayer experience. This was enough to spawn two sequels for the Wii and Nintendo DS.
[edit] Manga
A manga series titled Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Hatenaki Sora no Mukou ni (ファイナルファンタジー・クリスタルクロニクル～はてなき空の向こうに～) ran in Monthly Shonen Gangan.
