Posted on: January 1, 2010 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

The Crystal Bearers has been on my watch list since it was first discussed back at the 2006 E3 conference. In a sentence, the game does not disappoint. For those that are not familiar with the title, it operates in the Crystal Chronicles world, albeit much further in the time line (1,000 years) than the initial effort in the line. The title focuses on Layle, a Crystal Bearer, as first a crash and later a conspiracy comes to eir attention. These events come as a result of the Lilty domination of the world over the Yuke Tribe, as the few remaining Selky and Clavats attempt to keep their heads down. The title itself breaks from most of Square Enix’s previous efforts in terms of complexity, as individuals will only have to deal with three equip slots, which provide more than enough in the way of personalization for even those that are used to equipping ten or more slots. Whether honored or hated, the different requirements of these slots ensure that no item goes untapped in the desire to complete the game.

Similarly, those that are used to the great graphics present in the current-generation Square Enix games will be impressed at the levels at which the Wii is programmed to work. The incorporation of the Wii remote into the game play works quite well – when individuals want to target an enemy, all they need to do is to flick the remote toward the mob. Attacking these mobs is similarly fun, where the death of the mob is associated with actual physical motions rather than simply pushing a button a few times. The different camera views may not be quite as versatile as those in a World of Warcraft type, but are a step above most current-gen console titles.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers also continues in the path forged by other Square Enix titles in the inclusion of different mini-games that approximate different activities or actions. This inserts a little bit of realism to the title as well as further breaking up the tedium that may have accumulated throughout the title. The amount of game play that one could conceivably take from The Crystal Bearers is astonishing, outclassing other RPG efforts on the Wii.

Rating: 8.4/10

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Nintendo Wii) / 2009 Square Enix / http://www.thecrystalbearers.com / http://www.square-enix.com

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