Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

 GameCube
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 228 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 192 out of 228
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 228
  3. Negative: 9 out of 228
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  1. AidanP.
    Feb 17, 2004
    10
    What I enjoy about this game is that it isn't turn based like the previos Final Fantasy games.
  2. RustyS.
    Feb 2, 2004
    10
    If you have 3 friends and all four of you have game boy advances, this game is a must have! If you will not be able to play it mutliplayer... this is not like any other final fantasy.
  3. KyleB.
    Mar 8, 2004
    10
    This game is AWESOME!!!!!!!
  4. HandKWright
    Jun 20, 2004
    10
    Great brilliant action packed game cant wait for more!
  5. DarianB.
    Sep 5, 2005
    10
    Its incredible how the critics dont like this game. they must be trolls or something. this game rocks, and unless youre a trool too and have no friends, buy it... the multiplayer doesnt get much better.
  6. William
    Feb 15, 2004
    10
    Forget what they say about single-player mode. Give it a try. It's a different type of game from the other FF's, but I think it's awesome how they combined elements of FF with a real-time fighting system. Wonderful game.
  7. ReddL.
    Mar 5, 2004
    10
    This is a great game once you figure it out. You can play almost endlessly. My "caravan" played it from about 9 at night to 10 in the morning the next day.
  8. Laguna
    Mar 27, 2004
    10
    Hey, the rate game thing isnt hi enough 4 me to rate this...anyway when i heard of this game, i didnt like the cube, cause of several things, but i would now try to get a cube, even just for this game..ITS WORTH IT.
  9. EMILIO
    Jun 5, 2004
    10
    Es muy bueno y entretenido aunke todavia no lo probe en 2 playersss¡¡¡¡
  10. Ibaku
    Feb 13, 2004
    10
    Ready yourself for epic fun.
  11. K.Y.
    Feb 13, 2004
    10
    I love this game.
  12. TombreakaB.
    Feb 17, 2004
    10
    It ceemz great!
  13. PeytonE.
    Feb 25, 2004
    10
    This game is alot better than Halo!!! It's the best rpg I've ever seen.
  14. Alderan77
    Apr 10, 2011
    10
    such a nice game... i remember spending dozens of hours playing it with my friends back in the days, it was a really unique game that was able to merge rpg with multiplayer in an engrossing way, and the game boy advance feature was very handy at times
  15. Signas501
    Mar 22, 2015
    10
    Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is a different approach to the famous RPG series of final fantasy. Letting the player decide your attributes and slowly build up your strengths throughout the game. Keeping the player constantly on their toes, fighting new, giant creatures and bosses. Hinting you about up coming things through several other crystal caravans.
  16. general809
    Mar 14, 2016
    10
    Guys, I get really emotional about this game.
    This game came out when I was about 7 or 8. I'm now 18 and this is still one of my most cherished games to this day. The spectacular soundtrack, great visuals (for the time, still holds up today though) and fast yet tactical gameplay make this a must-play, even if the singleplayer is a bit nerfed and multiplayer is harder than ever to set up    Guys, I get really emotional about this game.
    This game came out when I was about 7 or 8. I'm now 18 and this is still one of my most cherished games to this day. The spectacular soundtrack, great visuals (for the time, still holds up today though) and fast yet tactical gameplay make this a must-play, even if the singleplayer is a bit nerfed and multiplayer is harder than ever to set up nowadays. I played this game for hours on end as a kid, purely singleplayer. Call it nostalgia blindness, but this game is as spectacular today as it is when I picked it up over a decade ago.    … Expand
  17. GamecubeLover
    Aug 3, 2016
    10
    This game is amazing and underrated. Probably one of the best in the whole entire series. I got this game about 4 years ago and I played it a day ago and it is SUPER ENJOYABLE!
  18. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this spin off game in the series.
  19. FrancoS.
    Mar 8, 2004
    9
    I don't what you people are talking about. This game is pretty hot!
  20. RyanM.
    Mar 20, 2004
    9
    First of all, why the hell would anyone want to use their gba as a controller and tons of stupid cords when you could easily use a regular gamecube controller. Single player is boring, and multiplayer has one of the worst concepts ever. Why does Nintendo think connectivity is good? It's innovative, but so stupid. With that said, the gameplay for this is fun. There's a lot to do, First of all, why the hell would anyone want to use their gba as a controller and tons of stupid cords when you could easily use a regular gamecube controller. Single player is boring, and multiplayer has one of the worst concepts ever. Why does Nintendo think connectivity is good? It's innovative, but so stupid. With that said, the gameplay for this is fun. There's a lot to do, a wide variety of characters to use and it's a enjoyable experience. It's a different turn for square, but they have to drop the whole connectivity idea. have fun going out and buying your 4 gba's and 4 cables. … Expand
  21. EricL.
    Apr 29, 2004
    9
    I don't like ff games but i liked this one, they're on the right track, finally.
  22. Sam
    Aug 4, 2004
    9
    I mean this game good and all but the gameboy advance thing is stupid.
  23. MarkM.
    Mar 15, 2004
    9
    Although i've only played it in single player - I'm hooked! In comparison to the PS FF games, this isn't too similar, but a great game in its' own right! I would have liked a deeper story-line, but this is the best game i've played since Metroid Prime.
  24. MikeG.
    Mar 31, 2004
    9
    This game rocks! One of the best multiplayer experiences of all time.
  25. MikeK
    Aug 29, 2005
    9
    You people are idiots. You don't each have to go out and buy 4 GBAs in order to play this game! Considering how many people already OWN a GBA, all you need is your own GC, GBA, one copy of the game, and your own link cable, which isn't too unreasonable, and everyone else brings their own GBA! Simple.
  26. MaoriYelir
    Feb 16, 2004
    9
    This game is an awsome party game, that brings the table top D&D fans to the GC for hours of fun! The music and graphics blew me away, and the game is just plain addicting. How ever, the single player aspect just doesn't feel right with out your friends, however it is still pretty good.
  27. SamP.
    Mar 24, 2004
    9
    This game gets better as you go along, the only thing this game is missing is a killer story, but there story does evolve a little towards the end.
  28. everin
    Oct 1, 2015
    9
    Tier 1
    + A very unique take on action RPG gameplay and progression
    + Visually compelling with a fully realized and dynamic world that pays excellent homage to the Final Fantasy mythos
    + A fantastic co-op experience only partially marred by the requirement of using GBAs
    ? Carrying the chalice in co-op can be fairly lame
    - Story is somewhat shallow in contrast to the awesome world and gameplay
  29. XV_
    Sep 23, 2020
    9
    Crystal Chronicles is a testament oh how creativity and limitations led me to one of the most immersive experiences of my life yet and also gave me some of my best memories playing with other people.

    [This is a multiplayer review] FFCC it is set in a world covered in Miasma (a poisonous and lethal gas) and Villages across this Medieval fantasy world send Caravans to venture in    Crystal Chronicles is a testament oh how creativity and limitations led me to one of the most immersive experiences of my life yet and also gave me some of my best memories playing with other people.

    [This is a multiplayer review]

    FFCC it is set in a world covered in Miasma (a poisonous and lethal gas) and Villages across this Medieval fantasy world send Caravans to venture in dungeons, forests, paths, etc. in search of Myrrh Trees, when a Caravan collect three drops of Myrrh from these trees they can restore the power of their village's main crystal so it can repel the Miasma from that zone for a year till its power vanishes and the process need to be repeated every year; this is the basic premise of the game. Contrary to almost any other Final Fantasy game which as a general rule they have a linear narrative, Crystal Chronicles goes with an open narrative, and it's focused on world-building rather than character building, but if you're open to this premise you'll not be disappointed by its simple but charming tone.

    Same with the narrative, its gameplay could be described as simple and maybe rudimentary at times, although I could say that its brilliance resides in its simplicity when playing multiplayer with the rather unused GBA connectivity of the Game Cube. In dungeons, every player have a radar that shows different things like enemies, treasures or to equip and unequip items, it also shows every player the objective of each player to complete, this could stuff like: kill your enemies with spells, pick up items, avoid physical damage, etc. At the end of each dungeon, every player sums their points to see who did their role the best and they're ranked accordingly, the winner gets to choose first from different artifacts that will increase their stats permanently so playing well while trying to keep the other players for making rack up their points is key to victory.

    The combat consists of three main actions: attack, defend, and casting spells, while spamming the attack combo (which has a certain rhythm for it to be executed) could be the easiest most of the time, the fun of playing multiplayer is to combine spells or charge attacks with the other players, these fusions can be tricky to pull off since they require perfect timing and positioning. When charging a spell your character will summon a magic ring and when releasing the button the spell will be triggered, to fuse a spell you need to have two to four rings positioned just right and be released at the same time, this mechanic is easily the most enjoyable aspect of the gameplay and if it's executed right it can make a Caravan almost invincible, at first is almost like a gamble but in time it can be a super useful and satisfying tool of destruction.

    Normally repeating dungeons to grind items or exp would be such a chore but FFCC gets away with it with its art direction and music. First and foremost the art direction is amazing, it has aged amazingly well, every location, dungeon, or character speaks volumes with just a glimpse of them, it has a lot of variety and it makes this world truly alive, not only they're flawlessly designed they are unique, the variety of levels is staggering, every place feels so detailed like a stage play.

    But...

    What truly steals the show to me, is the music, from the very beginning where you start your file and "Morning Star" kicks in (composed by Kumi Tanioka and sung by Donna Burke) you know that you're up to something special, Kumi Tanioka did an outstanding work with the music that is no short of a masterpiece, every song feels rich and crafted with the most care and detail that I can't think of someone disliking it, overall the game has this a little sad and nostalgic feeling or as one of the characters said: "You need rain for your crops to grow, so hopefully you'll have some rain in your journey" and the music captures this tone greatly, same as with the art direction, the soundtrack range is incredibly wide. As a little note, whenever you start a dungeon a brief narration kicks in that gives you some lore of the dungeon or the world, these narrations are also by Donna Burk which did a great work capturing a dreamy-fairy tale theme within them, they also become more personal till the very last one which is simply beautiful, so please don't skip them or at least heard them once.

    Of course, FFCC is not perfect by any means, certainly, it's two games at the same time, one for single player and the other for multiplayer. In single-player the experience is passable but all of the shortcomings from multiplayer become at times a chore and even a little hollow, but if you somehow manage to acquire 4 GBA with 4 link cables, you're going to have one of a kind journey with your companions, or at least to me I couldn't think of any other time (gaming or not) that I was more connected with my siblings than the adventures and adversities we have while playing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.    … Expand
  30. alex
    Feb 16, 2004
    8
    I've played secret of mana and sword of mana i loved them both and this reminds me a bit of them. If you enjoyed those games give it a shot, i did and didn't regret it.
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best GameCube Game of 2004
9
#9 Most Discussed GameCube Game of 2004
9
#9 Most Shared GameCube Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 55 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 55
  3. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. Eurogamer
    90
    It simply feels more natural to select attacks, items and suchlike on the smaller GBA screen, and actually do the combat and exploration on the main TV screen - while there's even an added element of gameplay from the fact that each player gets a different map on their GBA.
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  2. Village Voice
    80
    As with any role-player, there's a mess of shit to track: money, spells, elements, keys, letters, artifacts, trades, treasures, ailments, weapon parts, and your favorite foods (I like star carrots!). The multiplayer concept, like the game's pastoral setting, is much more elegant.
    Read full review
  3. GMR Magazine
    80
    The level of satisfaction you derive from Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles correlates directly to whether you look at it as a poor man's Final Fantasy or as the best damn game of "Gauntlet" you've ever laid eyes on.
    Read full review
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