Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition Preview
August 29TH, 2020
Nostalgia can be a funny thing.
We always say that the way we remember things isn't always quite as nice as they actually were.
I remember growing up as a teen in a small town and I look back on those memories fondly. So, naturally, after moving to the city and thinking that things couldn't get any worse than what I was dealing with at time, I decided that I would move back to my hometown and graduate there because I wanted to make more memories such as the ones that I so fondly remembered.
As you could probably guess, things weren't as sugar coated and sweet as they once were. However, what if I told you that not all memories are fuzzied up by rose-tinted lenses? But, that sometimes, instead, things just change and when they do, they're not always as good as they used to be.
This is our preview of Final Fantasy Crystal chronicles Remastered for the Nintendo Switch. Mostly directed to fans of the original and Square Enix.
Starting up the game, you're greeted with the same exact title screen as yesterday (of course with word "remaster" added to it). And once you start your new game, your ears are caressed with a new, yet familiar tune as you are visually dazzled with the opening cinematic that you once remembered. But, there's one difference here, the graphics are actually decent. No, they're pretty good compared to most resent remasters. Even pleasing to your senses. Goosebumps form as you create your character, set off on your adventure and then frantically search for and add your friends through the clunky yet forgivable online friending system.
You meet Stiltskin once again as you're on your way to the port and that's where you find, yet another pleasing improvement to the experience: VOICE ACTING. And GOOD VOICE ACTING AT THAT. Nothing's different you say as you're painting your moogle's hair blue. Nothing different. Until, your friends tell you that they are ready to begin playing together.
That's when you form a party and then it hits you.....
The very thing that made this experience so special has been completely removed from this game.
We are not talking about dungeons or bosses, those are things that you see in other games. No, Crystal chronicles was special because of the memories that you formed with your friends as you traveled the world together in one caravan, gathering myrrh, meeting new people, discovering new locations, and receiving letters from fellow villagers together.
In this remaster, everything is the exact same, even improved on--except the multiplayer. This version of the game only allows for players to play together in the dungeons.
And what's worse is that the lobby host is the only player that receives letters from villagers and myrrh which not only hinders the original multiplayer experience further but also halts the progress of other players that join the host's lobby. In the original game, players would form parties of adventurers from the same village and travel in the same caravan. This is what made the game stand out.
This is not a full review. Patches can be done before we put out final thoughts and maybe even give it a score. Square, if you're listening, I personally suggest patching in a feature that allows players to share a save file or a feature for joining other players' save files even if that means being able to temporarily join the host's caravan. That way, old and new players can at least experience what made this game stand out among the countless other top-down dungeon crawling action rpgs.
Yes, what made this game so special is no longer present. Everything else is, though, and it's as if we're able to look at a crystal clear vision of those memories without being able to share in them, instead being teased by what made our memories of the past so great.
A past before pandemics, a past where we shared caravans and with them, our make-believe adventures together.
- LB