Gamertell

Title: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
Price: $49.99
System: Wii
Release Date: December 26, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Square Enix (Square Enix)
ESRB Rating: “Teen” for alcohol reference, crude humor, fantasy violence, mild language and suggestive themes.
Pros: Briskly paced story, excellent graphics, nicely integrated minigames and an ambitious approach to game presentation.
Cons: Meandering gameplay, short, odd and somewhat irrelevant shop system and too light to be fully satisfying.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb down; 78/100; C+; **1/2 out of 5

It’s quite possible I’m the perfect person to be reviewing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, as this is the first Final Fantasy game I’ve ever played. It’s true. Before this, the closest I’ve come to the franchise was seeing that movie from a decade ago.

It therefore wasn’t the name that piqued my interest in The Crystal Bearers, it was the trailer. It looked pretty wild, and quite gorgeous for a Wii game, so ignorance be damned, I decided to try it out. And I’m kind of glad I did. Kind of.

Leave It to Me

The Crystal Bearers focuses on Layle. He’s the kind of guy you’d likely want to punch in the mouth if you met him in real life but that makes him oddly entertaining in this game. He’s a “crystal bearer,” a member of a tribe of people imbued with the magical power of crystals who were once thought to be extinct. The world has turned to science, and the use of magic is forbidden. Does that stop Layle from using his powers in public? What do you you think?

I could lay out the whole plot here, but you already know the basics; peace threatened, boy chosen, battles fought, friends unite, world…saved? I won’t give it away. Suffice it to say the story is fine. It moves along at a decent clip, buoyed by decent acting and a script that never takes itself too seriously. It’s dark when it needs to be, but always with a gleam in its eye, like that our young hero.

Those Defeated in Battle Have No Rights.

There are two elements of The Crystal Bearers that will make or break it for gamers. The first are the controls. This game was built exclusively for the Wii and it certainly had the controls in mind. Combat isn’t a mess of button mashing, it’s about controlled WiiMote movements. Layle doesn’t punch or kick, he lifts and tosses. Almost all combat is handled by using his powers to lift and push/pull/throw/spin his opponents. I had no problem with this system, as the gestures weren’t so complex that they were difficult to pull off, and I never had to wave my arms in wide patterns to make them work. More importantly, they felt like an extension of the character. He does everything this way, right down to opening doors.

And yet, the combat does grow tedious, especially considering that monsters will constantly respawn after a set period, so you’ll fight them multiple times during your travels. In addition, there’s a sudden jump in difficulty level at one point that will really slow down your game if you’re not ready for it, and will prove exceptionally annoying if you haven’t mastered the gesture system.

Thankfully, the tediousness of the battles is broken up by the second make-it-or-break-it element, events that are essentially minigames. Some are quite fun, some, not so much, but they do a fantastic job of keeping The Crystal Bearers fresh throughout. Even better, they’re so tightly woven into the story that they never feel like a distraction. A couple times, I didn’t even know I was in a minigame until about halfway through.

You Really are Nothing but Trouble

Despite all of this, The Crystal Bearers was never as engrossing as it should have been. Is it because of the minigames? Maybe, I suppose, because although they do keep the game flowing, they also remind you that you’re playing on the Wii, and that apparently means your mother will want to sit down and play with you.

Is it because of the goofy shop system that has little impact on your character? Don’t suggest that to your little sister who’ll enjoy making new earrings and jacket patterns for Layle.

Is it because of the massive world you can explore and frequently get lost in because the game doesn’t have a map? Well, it doesn’t help. Exploring such a massive world is only fun when you have a basic idea of where you’re going. Too often I’d spend more time trying to figure out where to go than I did in actually going there, and that gets frustrating after a while. Even worse, I think that’s the point. The game seems to encourage you to wander around aimlessly, and that’s just not right.

I shall show you the crystal’s will, and its power

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers has a lot going for it. The graphics are fantastic, the story and characters are fun, and the action is varied and frantic…when you’re actually doing something. And yet, the game is never quite as enjoyable as it should be. It meanders and tends to get lost in its own ambition to appeal to the broad Wii audience. As a result, serious adventure gamers will find it too casual, while casual gamers will find it too adventurous.

If Square Enix had zeroed in on a specific demographic, I think The Crystal Bearers could’ve been one of the best titles available for the system. Instead, we get a “jack of all trades, master of none” sort of game. It’ll fill you up in the 10 to 15 hours of gameplay it provides, but won’t completely satisfy.

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