Game Informer Review
As renowned as the Final Fantasy series has become over the years, the release of Crystal Chronicles brings with it an air of unfamiliarity. Although many of its elements tie into the greater Final Fantasy universe, this is but a faint echo of what you have come to know and love.
While it can be argued that this is a new direction for the series, and therefore shouldn't be put on the same level as the other games, fans have come to expect the best from Final Fantasy, and with each passing release, Square has delivered. Crystal Chronicles may break new ground, but it lacks the creativity and passion of its role-playing brethren.
As stylish as the character designs may be, they are completely void of personality. The story is just as ambiguous. Never once did I feel attached to my character, nor did I care what twists or turns the plot would make. The Final Fantasy games are renowned for storytelling, but it seems like an afterthought in Crystal Chronicles. Cinematic flair is also noticeably absent.
The gameplay is just as careless and jagged. While the quest can be played single-player, it's meant to be tackled by a group of people (preferably four). Since each player utilizes menu screens often, Square and Game Designer's Studio decided that you could only play multiplayer with a Game Boy Advance attached to the GameCube. Hence, all menu management is done on the GBA screen, and the action on the TV is unaffected. In theory, this is a just solution. As it turns out, though, I found it to be more detrimental to the quest than anything.
