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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fun Little Dungeon Crawler, March 13, 2008
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Ring of Fates is a great dungeon crawler with superb graphics. With local friends, it's the best multiplayer game around, but it's worth picking up for the single-player as well. You can play through the obligatory quest, controlling 4 characters at once if you feel like it. I found far more fun in creating my own character and playing the multiplayer "free mode" by myself - no cutscenes or story, but all of the same towns and dungeons. The controls are sufficient when you are controlling just one character, but when you're babysitting up to four, they occasionally get convoluted and cumbersome. The selling factors on this game are the graphics and the loot. Your avatar changes appearance with each item you equip - a surprising and rewarding bonus to finding rare helmets or synthesizing a new cloak, etc.
The game is fun, and should be a must-buy if you enjoyed the GC version, or like action/RPGs at all (Diablo, Champions of Norrath, Sword of Mana, "Tales of" series, etc.)
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A satisfying, but not superior, dungeon crawler, March 15, 2008
This followup to Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles takes the mechanics developed in the first game, polishes them, and wraps them up in a new story and game for the DS. The overall effect is something that would be excellent from any other publisher, but is merely good from SE.
The main complaint from the first game (the annoying bucket), is gone. Whether in one player or multiplayer modes, your characters will all have a chance to play the game. The new one-player mode gives you a party of 4 characters, only one of which you control directly at one time. Changing controlled characters and spells are now just a touch of the lower screen rather than the convoluted menu system of the first game. Overall, controls have improved, though in the single player it's hard to juggle all of the players.
In multiplayer, every player (up to 4, everyone needs a card) controls one character of any of the 4 races. Each race has its own particular strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities that make them useful at some point in every dungeon. Although the game slows down significantly in this mode, it's the way the game is at its best, as all the characters can act intelligently, and the cooperative abilities start to shine.
The graphics of this game make full use of the DS's capabilities, and are the best I've seen on the system, a step up even from the acclaimed Final Fantasy III. Environments are well-defined, special effects are wonderful, and on the whole the game shows a good level of polish. The soundtrack is similarly excellent, but the voices get annoying very quickly.
Difficulty tends to ramp up at a reasonable rate, and never does the game get frustrating, which is amazing considering the variety of challenges in the dungeons. Dungeons are well-designed, and contain a variety of items to acquire and create for your characters, whose look changes depending on what they wear.
This offering from Square Enix is worth a purchase, especially with friends around to join in your game. Although it fits a fairly standard Final Fantasy formula, the game entertains just like its bigger brothers.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
FF:Crystal Chronicles - Portable Entertainment!, March 25, 2008
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates is a sequel in spirit to its GameCube Predecessor, though much improved in function. While I have a few complaints about the game in general, it is, on the whole, a great title and a must have for DS owners.
The game itself is set after the conclusion of the original Crystal Chronicles; Miasma and the Chalice are both gone (Thank Goodness!) and the world is seeking to repair itself. The four tribes of the original game have changed slightly, each one gaining its own unique 'tribe' ability as well as a particular weapon specialization. Swords, Hammers, Bows, and Staves are all available depending on the class you choose. There is a one-player mode, complete with cut scenes that contain voice acting; a real plus for such a text heavy game. The story is interesting, if typical of Final Fantasy fare.
The real fun of this game comes from the Multi-player mode - which can also be played as a single player! Multi-mode has been improved from the original FF:CC in that no one has to be the 'moogle' - carrying around the Chalice to keep everyone safe. Instead, you gain control over your character and go anywhere you wish in the 'room' of the dungeon you are currently exploring. Each tribes unique ability comes into play in solving the puzzles that will allow you to access new areas of the map; each map concludes with a Boss battle that is epic in scale. The backgrounds and characters are all rendered quite well and your character changes appearance as they equip different items.
My only major gripe with the game is that magic has been limited. While spells now deliver more power for their punch, they are also limited; 1 cast/magicite picked up. This can be a real drag when you run out of Cure magicites halfway through a boss battle. Generally the magic is well proportioned and available, but there were times when the level just would NOT drop Cure or Raise magicite at all.
Again, on the whole, this game is a superb experience, and if you are looking for a fun and well put together dungeon crawler for the Nintendo DS, pick up FF:CC Ring of Fates. It's worth the $34.99 price tag.
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