Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (Nintendo DS) Reader Review

One of the most different Final Fantasy games ever in the franchise Crystal Chronicles stepped away from the active battle systems and tried its hand at open world battles with colorful environments and simplistic gameplay. The first version aptly named Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles appeared on the Gamecube and was met with a tide of reviews on either ends of the scale. Many complained that this kiddy style FF ruined the series reputation while others accepted the new appearance and enjoyed the great experience it offered. Several years later and a sequel to the Cube version has been released on the DS named Ring of Fates. The story follows two clavats and their journey to save the world. Although a very simplistic story the presentation of character models, villages and combat is very nice.

Graphics 10/10 - Any game from square usually comes out with superior graphics and this game is no exception, the first cutscene is remarkable and possibly the best DS FMV out there. The in game graphics are slightly softer but stray away from the typical sprite to full rendered figures much like Zelda Phantom Hourglass. Dungeons and villages are wonderfully constructed replicating similar environments to the GCN version.

Sound 9/10 - A slash here some magic there, is all well and good but once the orchestral music sounds around 6 hours into the game you feel you have finally found the right mood. The song list is plentiful as you would expect in a FF game and suits the environments.

Gameplay 9/10 - Very alike to the layout of FF:CC on GCN, you pick up keys to open doors and kill enemies to recieve items for forging weapons, before you encounter a dungeon boss. Although it sounds repeditive it is held together by a very simplistic but enhanced fighting system. In addition to slashing and magicking your oponent you now have the ability to pick up enemies and slash them while holding on, or while standing on top. This adds much more enjoyment to an already enjoyable combat system.

Length 8/10 - On the shorter side, this is meant for co-op play and in that it shines. Through Multicard friends can team up and do the story with their own characters. This is recommended for this game, but for soloists your will still get a lot out of it by yourself.

Tilt 10/10 - Being a fan of the original FF:CC, Ring of Fates has enhanced almost every aspect of the old game and added in a new storyline and some nice new attacks and special moves that contribute to the fun factor.

If you are looking for a simple, yet exciting game outside the usual rpg realm, try FF:CC Ring of Fates.