FriskyTanuki
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 36 (100%)
http://ds.ign.com/articles/787/787979p1.html
Some new screens to go with it:
The Nintendo DS edition might share a few similarities in visual style and in gameplay to the GameCube game of the same name, but ultimately, at least in the short playtime we had with the game at the Square Enix Party in Japan this weekend, the DS "sequel" is pretty much its own game. And that's a good thing.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates opens up with a real-time cutscene that's fully voiced-over in Japanese -- we were hoping the entire game would be spoken dialogue but once the cutscene ends and leads into more interactive environments, characters speak in text exclusively. My lack of Japanese reading ability means that the story nuances were lost in the hands-on play, but I was there mostly for the gameplay and not for the tale that the game weaves. We'll enjoy that when the US version ships later this year with a full localized translation.
After a quick tutorial of the controls from Moogle-like critters that demonstrate the game's item pick-up mechanics and its combat system, it's off to the dungeons where you'll need to strut your stuff. Early on it's nothing more that swiping swords at fox critters, showing them what for with three hit combos with a simple attack-attack-attack pattern, or attacking them from the air with jump-swipes. Holding down the attack button while in the air will activate a powerful downward stab. You can even pick up enemies and attack them from underneath, or leap on their heads and whack them while they're under your feet.
Even though the game's mainly played with the D-pad and action buttons, the touch screen comes into play not just in weapons selection, but also in special attacks. Most of the action takes place on the upper screen...but hold the R button down and the two screens swap places. Then, while this is active, tapping on an enemy that's on the touch screen will activate your special attack that, if connected properly, will knock off a bit more HP from the enemy. You'll need a good amount of special points in reserve to pull off these attacks.
Simple puzzles entered into the picture where you'll activate switches to open doors or raise platforms. You'll also have to find and pick up amulets and bring them to their proper place to unlock passage-blocking doorways. Some gates are only triggered by pressure plates that you'll have to jump on or drop something on top to push them down. Early in the demo you even get to shove a giant block out of the way to cross a chasm.
Multiplayer may be a huge part of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, but don't count out the single player.
There were two sets of kiosks at the Square Enix Party event: along with the bank of Nintendo DS systems demoing the fleshed out and fun single player experience, a series of systems were dedicated to the four player mode. Crystal Chronicles started its life as a multiplayer experience on the Nintendo GameCube, and the wireless mode in Ring of Fates carries on the tradition for the Nintendo DS. In the mode that Square Enix set up for players, four Nintendo DS systems link up wirelessly and let players race their leveled-up character into a series of arenas where the task is to score points by plucking little critters out of the ground. Players could screw with each other by picking opponents up and tossing them around, or attacking them with their special abilities.
The single player experience showed off the strengths of the graphics engine as it kept everything moving at a smooth 30 frames per second clip with detailed characters and environments. Though it might not look as sharp or as high resolution as Square Enix's Final Fantasy III and Chocobo Tales, the visuals in Crystal Chronicles aren't anything to scoff at. The engine tends to take a dive at certain points of the multiplayer experience -- it more slows down than gets choppy when the going gets tough. This sluggishness in the multiplayer mode might not be a game killer, but it's certainly hard to ignore its existence. Square Enix still has about three months before the game ships, so hopefully the team's working to smooth things out for the multiplayer experience.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates is still in development and getting ready for an August 23rd release date. Hit the screens below for shots given to us at the Square Enix Party. We'll have more on the game as it gets closer to its ship date.
Some new screens to go with it:
