Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered is a disappointingly clunky game that retains all the confusing issues from its original release. The visuals and music are charming, and some of the gameplay ideas are novel, but the obtuse multiplayer and dull combat keep it from reaching the heights of the series it spun-off of.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered
Developer: Square Enix
Price: $30
Platform: PS4, Switch, iOS and Android
MonsterVine was supplied with a PS4 code for review
The Final Fantasy series has created plenty of spin-offs over the years, but arguably none have lasted as long as Crystal Chronicles. Though it went on to have entries across the Nintendo DS and Wii, the original Gamecube game is a nostalgic favorite for many Final Fantasy fans. Now that it’s been re-released in a remastered form, it seems fair to say that the game’s nostalgia doesn’t quite hold up.
The story of Crystal Chronicles is simple but surprisingly dark. The world is covered in a life-draining essence called the Miasma, which is warded off by Crystals that are fueled by a liquid called Myrrh. You play as a young character who is part of a caravan, a group of individuals that travel the world in search of Myrrh trees to keep their hometown’s Crystal alive. At one point, you visit the desolate ruins of a town that never got its shipment of Myrrh, which is genuinely unsettling and sets the stakes for the main character’s quest quite effectively. It’s the kind of story that serves its purpose, which works well in Crystal Chronicles.
It’s Crystal Chronicles’s gameplay that brings the experience down, as it is needlessly complicated and far too repetitive. Battles are played in real-time using melee attacks and magic. Pressing the attack button in a certain (off-putting) rhythm lets you perform combos, while magic requires you to stand in one spot to charge it for a couple of seconds. While I like how magic works in this system, doing the same melee attacks ad nauseam gets old very quickly. The differences between the various playable races provide some variety to the gameplay, but since only the character you play as gets stat boosts, the game doesn’t encourage swapping between races.
“Since there’s unfortunately no local multiplayer or in-game voice chat, it’s hard to play with both friends and strangers.“
Progression is done in a unique way, as you have to collect relics throughout dungeons in order to get stronger. Each relic has a different stat boost, from additional strength, magic, or health to extra command menu slots. You only get to choose one boost at the end of each dungeon, and if you play with others, the player who was the most successful in the dungeon gets to pick first. This adds some fun customization to your character and a bit of competition to multiplayer. Since there’s unfortunately no local multiplayer or in-game voice chat, it’s hard to play with both friends and strangers. Even if you hook up with friends, only the host of the session progresses in the game, which is disappointing.
The atmosphere of Crystal Chronicles is charming and whimsical in both its visuals and music. The designs of the various races are creative and distinct, and the levels are all distinct enough to be memorable. The updated visuals are well-done and sharper than before, without removing the appeal of the original game’s style.
The Final Word
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered is an overall disappointing re-release that keeps both the original game’s charm and faults intact. The clunkiness of multiplayer combined with the stale gameplay overwhelms the charming aesthetic, making this one a tough sell for any but the most nostalgic Crystal Chronicles fans.
MonsterVine Rating: 2.5 out of 5 – Mediocre
