TGS 2009: Hands-on: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers

The demo started in a cave environment. Layle is joined by a Selkie named Belle, who assists by running out ahead and pointing Layle (and the player) in the right direction. "The right direction" happened to be a room full of goblins early on, which gave me a chance to explore the game's combat.
Essentially, it's based on picking up your enemies with your mind and throwing them around -- or picking up other stuff and throwing it at the enemies. You target enemies with the pointer, hold B, and then lift the Wiimote to raise them up, and flick forward to toss. Occasionally something "new" will happen, like a Goblin being buried halfway in the dirt, and the screen will display a message awarding you for a new reaction.
I noticed that it's kind of hard to aim your projectiles as everything sails out in front of you like a javelin, even the decidedly non-javelinesque Goblin. I don't think I was ever able to hit one enemy with another; most of my kills came from tossing Goblins down into the ground. Which isn't really something to complain about!
After that, I went back through the cave into a series of small corridors, again led by Belle. I was chased briefly by some kind of ... moving wall with two monstrous torsos sticking out, both of whom shot fire at me when I tried to target them. Rather than actually making any progress in the fight against them, I just fell when the corridor ended in a drop. This seems to have been the intended course of action.
The next section of the game was one of the most interesting I've seen yet. The mysterious antagonist, Amidatelion, uses his own powerful telekinesis to cause all the rectangular stones in a large room to begin lifting. He does this after Layle just drops a giant column on him, in an uncharacteristically decisive move for a Final Fantasy hero. Layle and Belle then begin to climb the stones as they fly upward.
Here, I was able to use the grappling ability for the first time. Certain objects will be marked with an icon indicating that you can grab on to them. Holding B and pulling, just like you would to lift an enemy, lifts you up toward that object on a glowing, ethereal line. At the same time, other icons appear on surfaces that you can jump to, which is accomplished by pointing near them and pressing A. Both the grappling and the jumps employ a degree of auto-targeting, so extreme precision is underemphasized in favor of not falling off of things all the damn time.
In many cases, the grapple move actually pulled a floating block into position rather than pulling Layle up to it. He could then jump up on the block. I made it to the top of this structure and then exited onto a field, where wolf monsters surrounded me. Apparently something I did made the monsters happy, because they stood around me with heart icons over their heads. I have no idea. I also have no idea why they started urinating on me. Since I ran out of time, this will have to remain a mystery for now. At least it speaks of more complicated relations with "enemy" creatures than simply killing them. It's also pretty funny.
Essentially, it's based on picking up your enemies with your mind and throwing them around -- or picking up other stuff and throwing it at the enemies. You target enemies with the pointer, hold B, and then lift the Wiimote to raise them up, and flick forward to toss. Occasionally something "new" will happen, like a Goblin being buried halfway in the dirt, and the screen will display a message awarding you for a new reaction.
I noticed that it's kind of hard to aim your projectiles as everything sails out in front of you like a javelin, even the decidedly non-javelinesque Goblin. I don't think I was ever able to hit one enemy with another; most of my kills came from tossing Goblins down into the ground. Which isn't really something to complain about!
After that, I went back through the cave into a series of small corridors, again led by Belle. I was chased briefly by some kind of ... moving wall with two monstrous torsos sticking out, both of whom shot fire at me when I tried to target them. Rather than actually making any progress in the fight against them, I just fell when the corridor ended in a drop. This seems to have been the intended course of action.
The next section of the game was one of the most interesting I've seen yet. The mysterious antagonist, Amidatelion, uses his own powerful telekinesis to cause all the rectangular stones in a large room to begin lifting. He does this after Layle just drops a giant column on him, in an uncharacteristically decisive move for a Final Fantasy hero. Layle and Belle then begin to climb the stones as they fly upward.
Here, I was able to use the grappling ability for the first time. Certain objects will be marked with an icon indicating that you can grab on to them. Holding B and pulling, just like you would to lift an enemy, lifts you up toward that object on a glowing, ethereal line. At the same time, other icons appear on surfaces that you can jump to, which is accomplished by pointing near them and pressing A. Both the grappling and the jumps employ a degree of auto-targeting, so extreme precision is underemphasized in favor of not falling off of things all the damn time.
In many cases, the grapple move actually pulled a floating block into position rather than pulling Layle up to it. He could then jump up on the block. I made it to the top of this structure and then exited onto a field, where wolf monsters surrounded me. Apparently something I did made the monsters happy, because they stood around me with heart icons over their heads. I have no idea. I also have no idea why they started urinating on me. Since I ran out of time, this will have to remain a mystery for now. At least it speaks of more complicated relations with "enemy" creatures than simply killing them. It's also pretty funny.














Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wardo @ Sep 25th 2009 9:22PM
I'm still on the fence about this game. I'll have to see more of it to make a decision.
Anti-Villian @ Sep 25th 2009 11:32PM
at first I was like nah not another crappy Final Fantasy game but it's starting to look pretty good. not a day one buy, but then I have never bought a game on day one.
GameWorks (www.PrizeLive.us) @ Sep 26th 2009 1:42AM
I am with you on that buddy!
I think I will rent this game first
rowd149 @ Sep 26th 2009 1:58AM
Roy Mustang? Indecisive?! Change that avvie, boy, you don't deserve it!
(Please let them realize I was trying to be funny and not malicious)
[ArchiGamer] [Live from Omicron Persei 8] @ Sep 25th 2009 9:24PM
Sounds like its really fun. Can't wait.
Zexion_VI @ Sep 25th 2009 9:28PM
Sounds like a great game. I will probably buy it.
The controls sound fun too.
ZaxCG2 @ Sep 25th 2009 9:35PM
Wait? Peed on by wolves? What?
MRLN the Amazing @ Sep 25th 2009 10:09PM
Lack of precision proved to be the undoing of Scribblenauts, so I hope they iron out those projectile-aiming issues before the release. Otherwise it sounds like a hilarious parody of Final Fantasy cliches, which is just about the coolest thing ever. Between this and FFXIII/Versus, Squenix is really at the top of their game for next year.
Faceman @ Sep 25th 2009 11:26PM
...which is a 2D platformer..
Matisyahu Serious @ Sep 26th 2009 1:51AM
scribblenauts was undone? link please.
MRLN the Amazing @ Sep 26th 2009 5:33PM
My own humble opinion is the link. It was amazing until I tapped to pick something up and ran to it instead. I guess "undid" was kinda strong. Let's try "made it frustrating at times."
And it's related to Crystal Bearers because they both looked amazing.
Alive @ Sep 25th 2009 11:25PM
I am going to wait until the reviews... I hated the first Crystal Chronicles game so I am unsure about trying another
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Sep 26th 2009 1:02AM
From all reports, this is absolutely NOTHING like the original CC.
Which is good in some ways, and sad in others. What original CC needs is a true port to the wii, with multiplayer gameboy controls replaced with DS controls. That would be perfect.
Snowblind @ Sep 26th 2009 5:11AM
The only real problem with the original CC was the bucket, and the speed you moved at while carrying it. But even the more recent Crystal Chronicles games have lacked that, and instead focused more on the Diablo elements. Find loot, and kill things.
The newest DS one is definitely worth trying, but this is completely singleplayer and takes place much further on in the timeline.
SillyWillyWii @ Sep 26th 2009 1:22AM
God I loved Conkers Bad Fury Day, the golden showers in games just keep on coming after that one.
Dv8thwonder @ Sep 26th 2009 10:25AM
I can see it now. Wolf pee and Wii jokes.
dotzeno @ Sep 28th 2009 11:33AM
I'm not sure about this game... it does look great. probably won't look that great on my HDTV...
Nintendo, give me WiiHD!!!