Reader Reviews
Viewtiful Joe, The Italian Job, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, "and more!"
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (Cube)
by Cid Silhouette
Got a GameCube? If not, go out and get one. If so, read on... Got friends? If not, go out and get some. If so, read on... Able to get Game Boy Advance and GC/GBA link cables for each friend? Yes, these questions seem to be circulating about the upcoming game FFCC. Put gripes aside, this game wasn’t made for everyone, as you can tell from the questions I asked. There is a very defined audience it is geared towards. It just so happens that I have three (plus!) friends, and together we have acquired enough GBAs and cables for each. Oh, and we also have a Freeloader and a Japanese FFCC.
"Okay, so this guy is serious about playing this game," you might be thinking to yourself. I reply, yeah, sure, I guess so... but let’s get to the review already! Getting the game is the hard part, getting into the game is easy. We're (my friends and I, duh) in the genre of hack and slash fun, so that’s about the only reason why dialog isn't, aherm, screwing us. We each start out laughing, because we’re choosing random options and seeing how our characters turn out, naming ourselves and our hometown, um, vulgar things. Then you get to start playing. Wasn’t tough, in fact, the game is really easy, we say to ourselves. Plenty of magic orbs dropping spells for us to use, some fire, healing, bolt, raise (which brings you to full HP also). To top it off, each spell can be used infinitely, no MP needed.
Now fans looking forward to the game are probably going to be frowning when they get it - game's too easy. Wrong. Maybe the first few levels are pushovers, but once you get to later levels, magic is scarce. Forget finding raise. Lock your phoenix downs (item-based raise) in a safe, and if you lose the character with the fire spell, forget beating a level that requires it, just restart. This makes the game very strategic, an ingenious addition to hack and slashing. Wait, that can’t be all though... we need more stuff to fill the gaming pallet.
Competition. Without your comrades at your side, this game would probably be a little dull. (Reminds me of my brother playing Baldur's Gate by himself, I'm surprised he's still sane, but don't get me into that.) When you play, you want to be #1. You want your friends to envy your skill. Why? At the end of each level, the best of you will get to choose an artifact which increases stats. You want to have the best one, don't ya? Huh? Right? I thought so. Competition and teamwork together, (can I say this again?) genius. Each player will progressively get better and better because the rewards are so tempting.
Shopping. Okay, honestly, I have no idea. You try going to Japan, reading a menu with no pictures, and picking out your favourite meal. You can compare that to trying to shop in a Japanese version of FFCC. I’m sure when it hits America in English I will appreciate shopping so much more. Any RPGer will know that shopping is one of the most addicting parts of playing a game. As of now, my friends and I are without custom equipment. Oh well.
Okay, now bad stuff. Hmmm, I dunno if the storyline is bad or not, for obvious reasons. I didn't really like how in some levels, such as the mine levels, you can venture up a flight of stairs, walk a good while, come across nothing and have to go back. Put something there! I also suppose that Moogle thing is annoying, always getting you to send money to your parents. All I know is that my parents were probably scraping food off the ground because I wasn’t very generous. Overall, I don’t have much more to write. The game is good, if you’re serious about it, or actually fufill the requirements for owning this game, buy it. I’m rating this as a game, not by its qualifications, and remember, it's probably gunna be even better when you can read it. Case closed.