Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition Reviews
What reason is there to purchase Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition? That's really the problem here. There isn't one.
It must’ve been a huge task to take a game originally designed for couch co-op and convert it to online play. But Crystal Chronicles Remastered shows just how incompatible the conversion is. Huge chunks of the original game are rendered either useless or far more difficult than it has to be. Square may have been better off making a brand new Crystal Chronicles game to take advantage of online co-op, because this is a poor way to introduce new players to this forgotten Final Fantasy spinoff. The bones of a great game are in here, but there’s not much meat on them.
There are better Final Fantasy remasters and remakes on all the platforms this is out on, and your time would be better spent with any of them.
A disappointing remaster that removes more than it adds, but this is still a charming and fun game, even if its sheen has been dulled.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
I imagine Square Enix will get the online working consistently in due time, negating a huge chunk of this review. But even if it does someday become consistently available, I worry it won't greatly improve on the final product. Too much of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is tied to an experience that is no longer available. The moment in time that made the GameCube original possible has long passed, and trying to capture that nostalgia with so many missing pieces, is a fool's errand.
Without much reward for playing single player-and an obtuse and difficult to navigate multiplayer system-Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition simply creates too many barriers to entry for the player to overcome. While the simple gameplay could be fun with an easier interface, the complicated multiplayer will likely only be enjoyed by the most hardcore of fans. Not an outright bad game, but certainly a difficult game to play.
It's not the worst remaster but Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles should have been a great remaster but Square just didn't do enough to make the game feel like it belongs in this day and age. Co-op is a chore to even get started and having no couch co-op to play with your family takes away the identity of Crystal Chronicles and what made it such a stand out - traveling and exploring as a family.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is perfect for those who want to preserve the original game, but have too much elements that are aged badly.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered is certainly prettier than the GameCube release, but with a definitive lack of local co-op and some bafflingly poor online multiplayer choices, that's about all this remastered classic has going for it.
When Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles first came out, it felt like a new way to experience Final Fantasy's magic but after almost two decades, all its new ideas feel archaic and mostly not fun. The overall visual design and the music still feels great but this Remastered Edition needed more changes in the gameplay department to renew all those old feelings.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The biggest offender is the fact that for a game designed to be played as a multiplayer experience, the multiplayer is absolutely dreadful. There’s no reason for it be as complicated to set up as it is, not to mention the fact that all players don’t progress their story unless they’re the host. This is a Final Fantasy game in name only and does not live up to the fond memories my nostalgia created.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was never the best Final Fantasy. We can't even say that it was the best spin-off of the series. However, it was and still is a very special and magical game. And it offers a more than remarkable cooperative experience. Back in the day, the limitation of having to use multiple GBAs for multiplayer was a handicap for many. The current problem is that the online of this remaster does not quite solve it, putting obstacles through an absurd progression system. Despite everything, it is still a very fun and addictive title. As a remaster, I could be more careful.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is a gimmick game without the gimmick.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is the sort of game that you play to wind down with after a long day. It's not very demanding or challenging yet the adventures within remain memorable, charming, and ultimately rewarding.
Long story short, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered isn't an awful game. Seriously, it isn't, but it isn't the best remaster around. It feels like it got a small touch up, a couple of modern features, a few edited dungeons, and gear to add something different. Without something to make it stand out, besides being a popular game in the past, it struggles to find value. For some revisiting a beloved game is enough, whereas others might opt for better experiences.
The epic Caravan campaign is more enjoyable than ever on current-gen consoles, and fans of the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles should definitely check out the freshly remastered version.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered brings back a beloved GameCube classic for a new generation, and while the game is virtually the same, new additions to the core experience make for an amazing remaster.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition falls short in its single player department and even more so when it comes to multiplayer. It'll be a nostalgic trip for some, but not one that I can promise is worth taking.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is a game that I hoped to love, but with all of its shortcomings in the Remastered Edition, maybe some things are just better left in the past.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition retains plenty of its original charms, enhanced by updated visuals and audio, but with its defining local co-op diluted by clunky online play, it simply doesn't stake a strong enough case for its return.