Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
Encyclopedia
is an action-adventure game
for the Wii
and was first announced to the public at E3 in May 2006. The game was released on November 12, 2009, in Japan and on December 26, 2009, in North America.
, Crystal Bearers features fully real-time combat, but unlike its predecessor, this game focuses on single-player, free-roaming, action-adventure gameplay. Enemies and regular civilians apparently are able to show emotion or status effects via symbols hanging over their heads, such as hearts for attraction or musical notes for satisfaction. The producers have suggested that enemies do not necessarily grow stronger as the game progresses, but that they gain a wider variety of tactics and abilities instead. It has also been shown that some enemies have the ability to hurt fellow creatures also opposing the player. This is part of a reaction AI system, in which different creatures react in unique ways to other creatures nearby and to the player's attacks.
Telekinetic abilities feature heavily in the game. The player is able to perform different combat actions via telekinesis, including moving certain enemies against their will, making them use their abilities against other enemies, and utilizing various objects as telekinetic projectiles. The player is also able to perform some type of reaction element with creatures that will affect them in different manners.
To further the telekinetic gameplay, the player is able to utilize his abilities to interact with the environment, such as to activate switches or grab onto ledges and other objects from a distance via an energy-based grappling hook; furthermore, he is able to perform such actions as moving civilians against their will. Civilians also share a trait with enemies in that they are able to attack the player when irritated by his actions.
Unlike other RPG oriented Final Fantasy games, this game, being an action adventure, does not have a leveling system; instead, the player can customize Layle's stats using accessories that the player makes using monster drops and other items that are found while exploring. The player can also increment the character's maximum HP by clearing miasma stream fights and collecting the myrrh of each area. Exploration and free-roaming are heavily focused on this game to the point that its only 4 out of the 15 bosses in the game are actually needed to progress through the story and the rest are scattered over the world for the player to look for on his own .
Based on the most recent video trailers and the general setting of the game, fighting in the sky is also a feature of gameplay. Quicktime events will also appear throughout the game, forcing the player to take necessary actions with the controller during certain events, such as aiming the remote and shooting demons while falling through the sky. It's been commented that while most of these events are for mere enjoyment, some must be completed in order to advance the story. Other gameplay aspects as hinted at by the trailers include participating in minigames, traversing the land on chocobos (which can ram through enemies and some background objects), riding on trains, and swimming.
, populated by four races. However, due to a war with the Lilty race, the Yuke race has supposedly died out, though that clearly isn't the full story. The setting has been recently described as a time when "swords have changed to guns" and the arcane arts are outlawed by the Liltian Kingdom. However, magic reappeared in to the world in the form of people born with the power of magic inside of them, these people were named by others as "Crystal Bearers" for a common trait crystal bearers had of being born with a random crystallized body part like an eye or a small section of the skin. In March 2008, an official advertising article about Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
noted that the Nintendo DS installment "sets the stage" for The Crystal Bearers.
. The destruction of the Yuke Crystal during the Great War, with the Yuke Tribe suffering apparent annihilation, had at last brought the victorious Lilties dominion over the world as they bring it into a new age of science and reason through machines called "crystal reactors," with the use of magic outlawed and rule over the Clavats and few Selkies who comply to the new order. In this new era of imbalance exists a rare breed of powerful beings called "Crystal Bearers", whose seemingly magical abilities have led them to be feared and scorned by the public.
The young mercenary Layle is one such Bearer, who has been hired to escort the new passenger airship Alexis, the pinnacle of Lilty technology and a symbol of their current dominance. However, the Alexis is suddenly besieged by a horde of monstrous birds called Zus. This leads Layle to jump off of Keiss's (his partner's) escort ship, shooting down the monsters with his sentry gun. As Layle falls towards the ship, High Commander Jegran was attempting to apprehend a young Selkie named Belle, answering to an annoyed Jegran: "I'm the escort. You called for me." Suddenly, a portal opens in front of them, and a hand comes out. Layle uses his telekinetic powers to pull the hand out, and comes face to face with a mysterious Yuke, whom he nicknames "Goldenrod". The Yuke takes the Alexis' crystal shards with a strange piece of crystal called a Crystal Idol. Layle and Goldenrod fight, but she flies away on one of Zus. In the fight, Layle steals the Idol. The loss of the crystal shards forces Layle to fly the airship, with his own crystal powers fueling the reactors. He succeeds with safely crashlanding the ship in front of the capital. After the incident, Keiss receives a new job for him and Layle to complete, regarding Goldenrod. However, eventually learning Goldenrod's intentions are pure, Layle finds himself protecting Belle as she is being pursued for taking photographs that expose Jegran's dark secret which makes him a threat to the world.
of the story, voiced by Makoto Yasumura in the Japanese version and Darrel Guilbeau
in the English. One of the eponymous Crystal Bearers, a crystal located on his right cheek allows him to maniuplate the gravity of himself and others.: A brown-haired female Selkie who is always with a camera. Though claiming herself to be a photographer, she finds and exchanges information for her own benefit. She stows away on the Alexis's maiden voyage and encounters sensitive information on Jegran that lands a bounty on her head, deciding to travel with Layle to make a fortune off him. However, she remains defiant and continues to pursue her next big story. Voiced by Chiaki Takahashi
in the Japanese version and Laura Bailey
in the English version.: A red-haired male Selkie who is Layle's friend and partner. Unlike other Selkies, Keiss devoted himself to the Lilty kingdom, working directly under Jegran to rise up the ladder until he became a colonel in the Lilty military. Voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama
in the Japanese version and David Vincent
in the English version.: A lavishly decorated Yuke who, as well as being another Crystal Bearer and supposedly the last of her race, at first appears to be the game's primary antagonist
, nicknamed "Goldenrod" by Layle. She appears to also possess the ability to bend space and conjure summons (her true crystal power) like Bahamut. Her goal is the revival of her race through the Crystal Idols to restore the Yuke Tribe's crystal. But soon after, Amidatelion gains Layle's aid in restoring the Crystal Principle to save the world,she dies sacrificing herself to save him Voiced by Atsuko Tanaka
in the Japanese version and Caitlin Glass
in the English version.: A Lilty with spectacles who is the princess of the Liltian Kingdom, having a crystal idol on her person. Her mother died while she was still young, and her father is sick with a mysterious illness, causing there to be a power vacuum which she is trying to contain while attempting to find a means to cure her father. Voiced by Noriko Shitaya
in the Japanese version and Carrie Savage
in the English version.: The megalomanical captain of the Liltian guard and the game's true antagonist
, attempting to take over the Lilty kingdom by turning it into a military state through the power of the crystals. One such attempt made him a Crystal Bearer after an accident with a crystal reactor crystallized his arm, giving him the power to turn living things into red crystal, creating a wave of radiation that harms the Crystal Principle. He kept his power a secret while acting on his scheme in secret. However, once seeing a reason behind the Crystal Bearers' existence after being exposed as a traitor to his people, Jegran develops a god complex as he attempts to rewrite the Crystal Principle to his liking using his Crystal Bearer powers. Voiced by Ryuzaburo Otomo
in the Japanese version and Michael McConnohie
in the English version.: Former engineer of the Liltian Kingdom who has a certain interest in Crystal Bearers, working as a tinker in Bridge Town. Voiced by Shinichi Kotani in the Japanese version and Doug Stone
in the English version.: Leader of Selkie Guild, that sells information for the highest bidder, he has a grudge against Lilties and hates turncoats like Keiss even more. However, Vaigali makes an exception in the case of Cid whom he aids as patron. Voiced by Naomi Kusumi
in the Japanese version and Joe DiMucci in the English version.
installment which focused on cooperative play. The game director stated he wants a more "world weary" protagonist, and wanted him to seem rugged, which influenced the hair design of the character. The game is intended to feature a more "mature" design to help bolster the heroic structure of the story.
The game director wanted to make "an exhilarating tale of this great hero set against sweeping blue skies", which influenced many decisions in game design and story.
The game's existence was announced at E3 2005 and at E3 2006 a short pre-rendered teaser trailer was included within a Wii games compilation video. In May 2007 a new trailer including gameplay was released and a few interviews with the developers were given. Since then no further information about the game has been given. Crystal Bearers has had no presence at recent Square Enix events or on the Square Enix website (the Crystal Chronicles developer blog has not made mention of Crystal Bearers since June 6, 2007") coupled with the developers of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
refusing to comment when asked about the status of The Crystal Bearers at the Game Developers Conference
of February 2008, stating only that the public should "wait for a press release."
In November 2008, in response to a section in the December 2008 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
stating that the game had been "quietly canceled" Square Enix released a statement confirming that the game had not been canceled and that they fully intend to release it, although no release date could be given.
In early December 2008, it was announced that a new trailer for the game would be packaged with the Wii version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
. The trailer shows the game in a further state of development, and displays game characteristics such as combat, magic, puzzle solving, and an overworld, as well as traditional elements of the Final Fantasy series, such as the Cactuar and Bahamut.
At the end of March, an official teaser site opened up. In Japan, a commercial for the game aired with the song We Weren't Born to Follow
by Bon Jovi
playing in the background.
. The magazine praised the game's plot elements, with one reviewer stating, ""The way the story develops, along with the unique characters and world setting, is brilliant. There are lots of little details to everything." However, the publication criticized the game's map, finding it difficult to pinpoint the player's location with respect to the surroundings. On its first day of release in Japan, The Crystal Bearers sold 26,000 units, which is about 34% of its initial shipment in the region. The Japanese version sold 43,705 units by its second week of release.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers has received mixed and generally less favorable reviews from western outlets. X-Play gave the game a 2 out of 5, while Game Informer and IGN gave the game a 5.5 and a 6.2 respectively for the same reason of the game not being an action adventure rather than an RPG. However, Game Trailers awarded the game a 7.7,Tech-Gaming graded it with a B- and Nintendo Power gave the game an 8 out of 10.
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and was first announced to the public at E3 in May 2006. The game was released on November 12, 2009, in Japan and on December 26, 2009, in North America.
Gameplay
Like its GameCube predecessorFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
is a action role-playing game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was published by Nintendo and developed by The Game Designers Studio, a shell corporation for Square Enix's Product Development Division-2. A spin-off of the Final Fantasy series, the game spawned a metaseries of the same name...
, Crystal Bearers features fully real-time combat, but unlike its predecessor, this game focuses on single-player, free-roaming, action-adventure gameplay. Enemies and regular civilians apparently are able to show emotion or status effects via symbols hanging over their heads, such as hearts for attraction or musical notes for satisfaction. The producers have suggested that enemies do not necessarily grow stronger as the game progresses, but that they gain a wider variety of tactics and abilities instead. It has also been shown that some enemies have the ability to hurt fellow creatures also opposing the player. This is part of a reaction AI system, in which different creatures react in unique ways to other creatures nearby and to the player's attacks.
Telekinetic abilities feature heavily in the game. The player is able to perform different combat actions via telekinesis, including moving certain enemies against their will, making them use their abilities against other enemies, and utilizing various objects as telekinetic projectiles. The player is also able to perform some type of reaction element with creatures that will affect them in different manners.
To further the telekinetic gameplay, the player is able to utilize his abilities to interact with the environment, such as to activate switches or grab onto ledges and other objects from a distance via an energy-based grappling hook; furthermore, he is able to perform such actions as moving civilians against their will. Civilians also share a trait with enemies in that they are able to attack the player when irritated by his actions.
Unlike other RPG oriented Final Fantasy games, this game, being an action adventure, does not have a leveling system; instead, the player can customize Layle's stats using accessories that the player makes using monster drops and other items that are found while exploring. The player can also increment the character's maximum HP by clearing miasma stream fights and collecting the myrrh of each area. Exploration and free-roaming are heavily focused on this game to the point that its only 4 out of the 15 bosses in the game are actually needed to progress through the story and the rest are scattered over the world for the player to look for on his own .
Based on the most recent video trailers and the general setting of the game, fighting in the sky is also a feature of gameplay. Quicktime events will also appear throughout the game, forcing the player to take necessary actions with the controller during certain events, such as aiming the remote and shooting demons while falling through the sky. It's been commented that while most of these events are for mere enjoyment, some must be completed in order to advance the story. Other gameplay aspects as hinted at by the trailers include participating in minigames, traversing the land on chocobos (which can ram through enemies and some background objects), riding on trains, and swimming.
Setting
The game is set far into the future of the Crystal Chronicles franchise, taking place in the same world as Final Fantasy Crystal ChroniclesFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
is a action role-playing game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was published by Nintendo and developed by The Game Designers Studio, a shell corporation for Square Enix's Product Development Division-2. A spin-off of the Final Fantasy series, the game spawned a metaseries of the same name...
, populated by four races. However, due to a war with the Lilty race, the Yuke race has supposedly died out, though that clearly isn't the full story. The setting has been recently described as a time when "swords have changed to guns" and the arcane arts are outlawed by the Liltian Kingdom. However, magic reappeared in to the world in the form of people born with the power of magic inside of them, these people were named by others as "Crystal Bearers" for a common trait crystal bearers had of being born with a random crystallized body part like an eye or a small section of the skin. In March 2008, an official advertising article about Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
is an RPG for the Nintendo DS developed and published by Square Enix. It is a prequel to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for the Nintendo GameCube. The game takes advantage of both the local wireless and Wi-Fi capabilities of the system and features voice acting.-Gameplay:Most of the gameplay...
noted that the Nintendo DS installment "sets the stage" for The Crystal Bearers.
Story
1000 years have passed since the events of the original Final Fantasy Crystal ChroniclesFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
is a action role-playing game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was published by Nintendo and developed by The Game Designers Studio, a shell corporation for Square Enix's Product Development Division-2. A spin-off of the Final Fantasy series, the game spawned a metaseries of the same name...
. The destruction of the Yuke Crystal during the Great War, with the Yuke Tribe suffering apparent annihilation, had at last brought the victorious Lilties dominion over the world as they bring it into a new age of science and reason through machines called "crystal reactors," with the use of magic outlawed and rule over the Clavats and few Selkies who comply to the new order. In this new era of imbalance exists a rare breed of powerful beings called "Crystal Bearers", whose seemingly magical abilities have led them to be feared and scorned by the public.
The young mercenary Layle is one such Bearer, who has been hired to escort the new passenger airship Alexis, the pinnacle of Lilty technology and a symbol of their current dominance. However, the Alexis is suddenly besieged by a horde of monstrous birds called Zus. This leads Layle to jump off of Keiss's (his partner's) escort ship, shooting down the monsters with his sentry gun. As Layle falls towards the ship, High Commander Jegran was attempting to apprehend a young Selkie named Belle, answering to an annoyed Jegran: "I'm the escort. You called for me." Suddenly, a portal opens in front of them, and a hand comes out. Layle uses his telekinetic powers to pull the hand out, and comes face to face with a mysterious Yuke, whom he nicknames "Goldenrod". The Yuke takes the Alexis' crystal shards with a strange piece of crystal called a Crystal Idol. Layle and Goldenrod fight, but she flies away on one of Zus. In the fight, Layle steals the Idol. The loss of the crystal shards forces Layle to fly the airship, with his own crystal powers fueling the reactors. He succeeds with safely crashlanding the ship in front of the capital. After the incident, Keiss receives a new job for him and Layle to complete, regarding Goldenrod. However, eventually learning Goldenrod's intentions are pure, Layle finds himself protecting Belle as she is being pursued for taking photographs that expose Jegran's dark secret which makes him a threat to the world.
Characters
: A Clavat mercenary and the protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the story, voiced by Makoto Yasumura in the Japanese version and Darrel Guilbeau
Darrel Guilbeau
-Career:He was recommend by friends to audition for Overman King Gainer and won the lead role of Gainer Sanga. Other notable roles include Hikari in The Melody of Oblivion and Sousuke Kawara in Samurai Champloo as well as Paranoia Agent, Stellvia, Koi Kaze, DearS, Rumiko Takahashi Anthology, Boys...
in the English. One of the eponymous Crystal Bearers, a crystal located on his right cheek allows him to maniuplate the gravity of himself and others.: A brown-haired female Selkie who is always with a camera. Though claiming herself to be a photographer, she finds and exchanges information for her own benefit. She stows away on the Alexis's maiden voyage and encounters sensitive information on Jegran that lands a bounty on her head, deciding to travel with Layle to make a fortune off him. However, she remains defiant and continues to pursue her next big story. Voiced by Chiaki Takahashi
Chiaki Takahashi (actress)
is a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Yokohama, Japan. On October 10, 2000, she changed the kanji lettering of her name, though the pronunciation remains the same. She was a member of the J-pop group Aice5 as well. Currently freelance , she was previously represented by Aoni Production and...
in the Japanese version and Laura Bailey
Laura Bailey (voice actress)
Laura Dawn Bailey is an American actress, voice actress, Singer, Line Producer and ADR Director. She has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films, television series, as well as video games...
in the English version.: A red-haired male Selkie who is Layle's friend and partner. Unlike other Selkies, Keiss devoted himself to the Lilty kingdom, working directly under Jegran to rise up the ladder until he became a colonel in the Lilty military. Voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama
Noriaki Sugiyama
is a Japanese voice actor and television actor best known for his roles as Sasuke Uchiha in Naruto, Uryū Ishida in Bleach, Shirō Emiya in Fate/Stay Night, and England in Axis Powers Hetalia....
in the Japanese version and David Vincent
David Vincent (actor)
David Vincent , is a professional voice actor currently working in California. David's work includes shows like: Gun X Sword, Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, and Tales of Phantasia. More recently, he lent his voice in the role of Grimmjow Jeagerjaques in the Bleach: Shattered Blade video game for the...
in the English version.: A lavishly decorated Yuke who, as well as being another Crystal Bearer and supposedly the last of her race, at first appears to be the game's primary antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
, nicknamed "Goldenrod" by Layle. She appears to also possess the ability to bend space and conjure summons (her true crystal power) like Bahamut. Her goal is the revival of her race through the Crystal Idols to restore the Yuke Tribe's crystal. But soon after, Amidatelion gains Layle's aid in restoring the Crystal Principle to save the world,she dies sacrificing herself to save him Voiced by Atsuko Tanaka
Atsuko Tanaka
is a Japanese voice actress who works for Ezaki Productions. Her deep and sultry voice is often used to portray villainesses and mature female characters.-TV anime:*Angel Links *Black Cat *Berserk *Cowboy Bebop...
in the Japanese version and Caitlin Glass
Caitlin Glass
Caitlin Tiffany Glass is an American voice actress and ADR director. While still a college student, Glass was hired by Funimation Entertainment while on a tour of the studio. Her first roles were bit parts on Case Closed until she landed the role of Hiyono Yuizaki in Spiral...
in the English version.: A Lilty with spectacles who is the princess of the Liltian Kingdom, having a crystal idol on her person. Her mother died while she was still young, and her father is sick with a mysterious illness, causing there to be a power vacuum which she is trying to contain while attempting to find a means to cure her father. Voiced by Noriko Shitaya
Noriko Shitaya
is a Japanese voice actress who works for 81 Produce.-Anime television:2000* Hamtaro, Sumire-chan, Tsutomu-kun2001* Parappa the Rapper Gallery * Alien Nine , Kasumi Tōmine2002* Mirage of Blaze...
in the Japanese version and Carrie Savage
Carrie Savage
Carrie A. Savage is an American voice actress, ADR Director, and Script Writer primarily known for her work for Bang Zoom! Entertainment, ADV Films, Funimation Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment, Media Blasters, New Generation Pictures, OkraTron 5000, and Viz Media...
in the English version.: The megalomanical captain of the Liltian guard and the game's true antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
, attempting to take over the Lilty kingdom by turning it into a military state through the power of the crystals. One such attempt made him a Crystal Bearer after an accident with a crystal reactor crystallized his arm, giving him the power to turn living things into red crystal, creating a wave of radiation that harms the Crystal Principle. He kept his power a secret while acting on his scheme in secret. However, once seeing a reason behind the Crystal Bearers' existence after being exposed as a traitor to his people, Jegran develops a god complex as he attempts to rewrite the Crystal Principle to his liking using his Crystal Bearer powers. Voiced by Ryuzaburo Otomo
Ryuzaburo Otomo
is a Japanese voice actor, actor and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently affiliated with Aoni Production as of December 2006, and was formerly affiliated with 81 Produce and the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society....
in the Japanese version and Michael McConnohie
Michael McConnohie
Michael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
in the English version.: Former engineer of the Liltian Kingdom who has a certain interest in Crystal Bearers, working as a tinker in Bridge Town. Voiced by Shinichi Kotani in the Japanese version and Doug Stone
Doug Stone (voice actor)
Douglas David Stone is a voice actor who is most notable for his representation of the character Psycho Mantis from the popular video game Metal Gear Solid, as well as the voice of Matt Trakker and several other characters in M.A.S.K., and Dragonborg in Beetleborgs Metallix...
in the English version.: Leader of Selkie Guild, that sells information for the highest bidder, he has a grudge against Lilties and hates turncoats like Keiss even more. However, Vaigali makes an exception in the case of Cid whom he aids as patron. Voiced by Naomi Kusumi
Naomi Kusumi
is a Japanese seiyū from Fukuoka Prefecture. He was formerly attached to the Seinenza Theater Company; as of 1999, he is attached to Mausu Promotion...
in the Japanese version and Joe DiMucci in the English version.
- Blaze: A Clavat Crystal Bearer with pyrokinetic powers and formerly Layle's "worst partner ever", teaching Layle the ropes of the mercenary life in the past. Though he makes a first minor appearance, after being taken into custody, Blaze is hired by Jegran to find Belle and silence her, tracking her down to the Rivelgauge Monastery where he confronts Layle and is defeated by him. He is voiced by Matthew MercerMatthew MercerMatthew Mercer is an American voice actor, script writer, and independent film maker.-Biography:...
in the English version.
Development
The Crystal Bearers is intended to be a more "single-player experience", as opposed to the GameCubeNintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
installment which focused on cooperative play. The game director stated he wants a more "world weary" protagonist, and wanted him to seem rugged, which influenced the hair design of the character. The game is intended to feature a more "mature" design to help bolster the heroic structure of the story.
The game director wanted to make "an exhilarating tale of this great hero set against sweeping blue skies", which influenced many decisions in game design and story.
The game's existence was announced at E3 2005 and at E3 2006 a short pre-rendered teaser trailer was included within a Wii games compilation video. In May 2007 a new trailer including gameplay was released and a few interviews with the developers were given. Since then no further information about the game has been given. Crystal Bearers has had no presence at recent Square Enix events or on the Square Enix website (the Crystal Chronicles developer blog has not made mention of Crystal Bearers since June 6, 2007") coupled with the developers of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is a video game developed for the WiiWare service of the Nintendo Wii console by Square Enix...
refusing to comment when asked about the status of The Crystal Bearers at the Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
of February 2008, stating only that the public should "wait for a press release."
In November 2008, in response to a section in the December 2008 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
stating that the game had been "quietly canceled" Square Enix released a statement confirming that the game had not been canceled and that they fully intend to release it, although no release date could be given.
In early December 2008, it was announced that a new trailer for the game would be packaged with the Wii version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
is a Wii and Nintendo DS action role-playing game in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series developed by Square Enix.The game was released in Japan on January 29, 2009. The North American version was released on March 24, 2009 and the European version was released on March 27, 2009...
. The trailer shows the game in a further state of development, and displays game characteristics such as combat, magic, puzzle solving, and an overworld, as well as traditional elements of the Final Fantasy series, such as the Cactuar and Bahamut.
At the end of March, an official teaser site opened up. In Japan, a commercial for the game aired with the song We Weren't Born to Follow
We Weren't Born to Follow
-Recording process:When Richie Sambora recorded the solo for this song, he played a very melodic, Beatles-esque break. But as soon as the song debuted at radio, many fans expressed dismay at the lack of a guitar solo...
by Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
playing in the background.
Reception
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers was scored a 30 out of 40 by Weekly FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
. The magazine praised the game's plot elements, with one reviewer stating, ""The way the story develops, along with the unique characters and world setting, is brilliant. There are lots of little details to everything." However, the publication criticized the game's map, finding it difficult to pinpoint the player's location with respect to the surroundings. On its first day of release in Japan, The Crystal Bearers sold 26,000 units, which is about 34% of its initial shipment in the region. The Japanese version sold 43,705 units by its second week of release.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers has received mixed and generally less favorable reviews from western outlets. X-Play gave the game a 2 out of 5, while Game Informer and IGN gave the game a 5.5 and a 6.2 respectively for the same reason of the game not being an action adventure rather than an RPG. However, Game Trailers awarded the game a 7.7,Tech-Gaming graded it with a B- and Nintendo Power gave the game an 8 out of 10.