FF Chrystal Chronicles: First Impressions

[sisko]

So what do you guys think of so far?

My girlfriend and I picked this up last night and played it for quite a bit.

We've been using the 2 GBA's so I don't know what its like on single player.

Pros:

Multiplayer

Using 2 GBA's to get different info is a neat concept. One will display a map, and another will display an enemy radar. (I assume the other 2 GBAs would point to chests and such). Instead of closing the player in, I found that this promotes communication with the other person to be truly effective.

Cons:

I found the inability to adjust the camera angle extremely annoying.

Also, it gets very frustrating when you want to go somewhere, and your teammate wants to go somewhere else. I can understand why not in dungeons, but why no split screen in towns?

You run around with the Dpad on your GBA. If you want to change your spells or use an item, then you have to press select and navigate through the menus, do what you need to, and press select again to resume control of your character. So while you're looking for what you need, you're just standing there like a dumbass. This means certain death in boss fights.

Levelling up sucks. You don't get experience at all. You get to select 1 goodie at the end that raises your stat (str, def, mag, health, etc).

[Ed Oscuro]

Sounds like a Phantasy Star Online style of menu system would've helped (you can always run around with the joystick, d-pad and right analog let you navigate menus...) a good deal.

Still, control issues are really a minor point for me. They don't make or break a game very often, as I see it.

[WiseSalesman]

i like the leveling up system. It keeps my friends from getting too far ahead of me, being that I have little to no free time.

My biggest issue so far is that the game just isn't that much fun to play. It's a cool world, and everything, and it's filled with little Final Fantasy touches, but I don't actually enjoy PLAYING it. The battle system, especially the combos, seem very awkward, and spell casting is slow and boring. Of course, this could be because I chose the Yuke. Maybe it would be better with another class.

[Querjek]

Hmm. I seem to have missed this game coming out--I thought it was coming out on March 3rd. Does it even have a single player in it?

[hu6800]

So what do you guys think of so far?

My girlfriend and I picked this up last night and played it for quite a bit.

We've been using the 2 GBA's so I don't know what its like on single player.

Pros:

Multiplayer

Using 2 GBA's to get different info is a neat concept. One will display a map, and another will display an enemy radar. (I assume the other 2 GBAs would point to chests and such). Instead of closing the player in, I found that this promotes communication with the other person to be truly effective.

Cons:

I found the inability to adjust the camera angle extremely annoying.

Also, it gets very frustrating when you want to go somewhere, and your teammate wants to go somewhere else. I can understand why not in dungeons, but why no split screen in towns?

You run around with the Dpad on your GBA. If you want to change your spells or use an item, then you have to press select and navigate through the menus, do what you need to, and press select again to resume control of your character. So while you're looking for what you need, you're just standing there like a dumbass. This means certain death in boss fights.

Levelling up sucks. You don't get experience at all. You get to select 1 goodie at the end that raises your stat (str, def, mag, health, etc).

My first impression was to buy a different game instead.
I dunno, but Downhill Domination is less gothically tragic and shit.
You shoulda seen all the retards fighting in line to get CC too.
When they put too much into an RPG, thats when it starts sucking the most.

[maxlords]

Well, I played it for a few....one player multiplayer...for like 40 minutes. I rented it today. My thoughts were that in one player, you have NO chance because of the way the menus navigate. I don't like the way you have to charge up a cure spell either..got me killed twice early on. The graphics are of course, stunning, and the music is great....but the unadjustable camera is a bitch. Also, with only one player, carrying the chalice is quite difficult, as the enemies come RUNNING at you. I'm 50/50 on buying it at this point, but I have another day or two to decide (got offered it CHEAP new). One other beef I had with it is that I really REALLY like my Wavebird since my rabbit likes to chew cords. The way multiplayer is setup, you can't play except with GBAs, which for me is a hassle due to big hand syndrome, combined with a cord loving rabbit. And it's not really a single player game.

Basically, I'd say it's a Final Fantasy multiplayer version of Diablo. Well executed, looks like it could be really fun....but I don't know if I'll be buying it right away. Might wait till it and a spare GBA:SP are cheaper. I have one GBA:SP and one GBA, and frankly, if you don't have an SP, you won't be able to see your menus unless your house is REALLY well lit.

I'd give it an overall score of around 85% on first impression, due to the fact that it IS kind of a hassle to play multiplayer, as neat as the inter-connectivity is. It feels a bit gimmicky. I like the gameplay, but I don't like HAVING to use a GBA.

[SoulBlazer]

I like the game so far. Played about a hour in single player. I'm still not sure what I'm doing -- can you have more then one person with you at the same time? -- but it looks and plays well. It's Final Fantasy with a Secret of Mana combat system slaped on it.

I've never seen graphics so good on my GameCube, though. :D

You can use a GBA as a radar screen, which is'nt a bad setup, as long as you have some long cables -- I put my GBA SP on the table next to my chair and glanced at it now and then when I needed it.

I'm unlikly to play multiplayer, but it seems challenging -- I died almost right away in the first area, I'm ashamed to admit. :embarrassed: