Originally released in 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is an action role-playing game made as a spin-off for the popular Final Fantasy series. The game featured many new gameplay elements previously unseen in Final Fantasy, like real-time fighting as well as being the first RPG to incorporate GameCube-Game Boy Advance compatibility. In Crystal Chronicles, the story focuses on a group of adventurers traveling the world in search of precious fuel for their town’s crystal, which protects them from the deadly Miasma. The Remastered Edition of this now allows the co-op game to be played on mobile, as well.

The Power of the Crystal Compels You

The world of Crystal Chronicles centers around the widespread problem of the poisonous Miasma corrupting it. The denizens of the world started setting up their communities around crystals, which ward off the Miasma, but their power eventually wanes after a year. Thus, traveling caravans for each town always set out to collect a rare material that can purify the crystals. Unfortunately, this material called Myrrh comes from magical trees guarded fiercely by monsters, and they are only produced by the trees every two in-game years, so the brave adventurers seeking them out must scour the world to replenish their supply. While the plot seems more of an excuse to explore around, time is still of the essence in this game, as you must collect enough Myrrh for your crystal’s annual purification. You can easily make a dire mistake if you don’t focus on the main task at hand. Thankfully, the process can be made easier with friends to play with. Crystal Chronicles’ local and online multiplayer option lets you connect with three other players—either through cable or wireless—and you can help each other complete the several dungeon maps to get Myrrh. 

Save the World with Teamwork

One drawback to this, however, is that one player will always be out of the combat since they’re tasked to bring the crystal chalice along—though they can just drop it and pick it up later when it’s time to move. Unfortunately, this means that in multiplayer, you need to stay together so the chalice’s magic will protect you from the miasma, hindering your team from efficiently exploring the map to the Myrrh. The gameplay itself is an exciting enough challenge, though, despite being the first of its kind back then. Instead of turn-based combat like the previous Final Fantasy games, Crystal Chronicles has real-time combat wherein you freely move and your enemies do the same. You need to time your attacks to land good hits and not carelessly swing your sword around. You have to protect your crystal chalice from the enemies, as well, while you move around. With this, the multiplayer mode can either greatly enhance the experience of the gameplay or not, depending on how well your teamwork pans out.

The Story Will Continue

The success of the original Crystal Chronicles promises great fun with the remastered version. It spawned five other games in its continuity, after all. While the multiplayer can be much better than going at it solo, it’s still a challenging game. The way you’ll level up here is different from the standard style, but it adds the urge to see more of the beautifully-rendered world. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is recommended for real-time combat and multiplayer fans.