Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition

 Switch
User Score
4.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 94 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 94
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 94
  3. Negative: 55 out of 94

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  1. LegendaryBlade
    Aug 28, 2020
    8
    "If SE ever patches in local multiplayer I will come back and edit my review back to a 10." - Me, Just now

    The hardest review i've ever had to write both because of the points I have to dock and not being sure how much to dock. Crystal Chronicles is my favorite videogame of all time; that is to say, the original Gamecube release is. You can imagine my immense shock when the remaster was    "If SE ever patches in local multiplayer I will come back and edit my review back to a 10." - Me, Just now

    The hardest review i've ever had to write both because of the points I have to dock and not being sure how much to dock. Crystal Chronicles is my favorite videogame of all time; that is to say, the original Gamecube release is. You can imagine my immense shock when the remaster was announced and it felt like someone at Square Enix snuck in to my house to find out what game to add next to their line up.

    FIRST, the good. Crystal Chronicles core gameplay is ever faithful. The only true RPG Party Game i've ever played, running these dungeons with friends is memorable and you still form amazing memories. The sound track is BEAUTIFULLY remastered, the visuals are starkly upgraded, and the high res models make me realize details in the original designs I never noticed before. If you never played the original the storytelling, incredible level and boss design, and overall presentation are what make this game a gem.

    The new content is great, the challenge dungeons are a good edition and essentially add thirteen new dungeons to the game built around high level characters. This fixes a pitfall of the original where, after your first playthrough, knowing how to get everything quickly means by year four you're way overpowered. Now you take those busted characters in to brand new challenging content.

    Unfortunately, in the end, CC: Remastered is a slighty worse take on the original. A slightly worse take on a 10/10 can only be an 8/10 right? The problem is how the multiplayer works. Not just the lack of local multi, which is huge, but also the lack of being able to truly share this adventure. Friends can only join you during dungeons via online co-op. Only the host gets Myrrh, only the host gets letters, and at the end of the day only the host can partake in the road events and memories. The sensation of going on an adventure is gone in that way.

    Another side effect of this is how hard it is to level all the profession families. Where as before you'd effectively be leveling four at a time, you can now do one at a time. Since you only get letters when you get Myrrh maxing out an entire village would take 40 years where it might normally take 10 or less. Little problems like this are numerous and all of them could easily be solved by adding local multi.    … Expand
  2. jkgericke13
    Aug 28, 2020
    8
    I'm not having any issues with multiplayer because I have only played solo and I've been loving it. It's not perfect but it's a great remaster in my eyes. I never had the intention of playing the co-op so I wasn't let down in the slightest.
  3. Jonfernmsr
    Aug 29, 2020
    10
    I understand the flaws that others have had with this game, but for me I have been having a blast. I never got to experience multiplayer in the original and so just being able to try it has been incredible. Really enjoying the experience and will probably continue doing so for a long time.
  4. egamonex
    Aug 29, 2020
    8
    I know people are upset about the local co-op thing but I wonder how many of them actually got to have that experience with the original, let alone play through the whole game that way. The biggest problem I had with the original was not having people to play with and with this version I have always had a party of 3 or 4 running through a dungeon. It's great in my opinion. This is not aI know people are upset about the local co-op thing but I wonder how many of them actually got to have that experience with the original, let alone play through the whole game that way. The biggest problem I had with the original was not having people to play with and with this version I have always had a party of 3 or 4 running through a dungeon. It's great in my opinion. This is not a modern new game, it's a port from 2004 and they added a few nice things to it, so there are cutscenes that seem pointless but are there to add character cause that's what this game is. I'm honestly having a better time with this game now than in 2004 when I beat the game solo (cause that's all I had after a couple weeks after release).… Expand
  5. GamerStrider
    Sep 1, 2020
    8
    The game works wonders compared to the original version. The accessibility to multiplayer back then was horrible, and I remember as a kid it was a pain trying to convince anyone to get the stuff required for the multiplayer.

    Surprisingly enough, the multiplayer functions work *really* well. Being able to see the people you follow/are friends with in the lobbies at the top of the list    The game works wonders compared to the original version. The accessibility to multiplayer back then was horrible, and I remember as a kid it was a pain trying to convince anyone to get the stuff required for the multiplayer.

    Surprisingly enough, the multiplayer functions work *really* well. Being able to see the people you follow/are friends with in the lobbies at the top of the list makes it super easy to join friends. Most communication is done using the "Y" or "Triangle" button in-game, but some players find it easier to spam cast spells in order to quickly tell someone about a direction to go in (typically for hidden secrets).

    The game is grindy. There's no doubt about it and there never has been. The artifact system has always been in the game and the game actively encourages that you redo dungeons in order to obtain all the artifacts. If you were to truly 100% the game, you'd max out all 8 characters in the dungeons for artifacts. Artifacts are strictly the player-goal of the game, in order to make later dungeons easier to deal with. While of course, a player could say "No I don't need this" and skip artifacts for a challenge run, it's highly recommended that you take them.

    The magic system is the exact same as it was before, as the game encourages using multiple people casting a spell in order to make it more powerful. Granted, it's not much issue when coordinating with friends, but with randoms, it's nearly impossible to pull off unless they have it as a mission on their end even when trying to ask for a Magic Attack coordination.

    Voice acting is new in the game, and for a lot of my friends and myself, it's a bit of a hit and miss. i find it endearing that they went so far as to add voices in the game for a lot of characters, mimics included. Though I believe the problem mostly lies in the popular "Sub vs Dub wars" that people tend to have. I'm sure that if the game had Japanese audio (or otherwise) then there wouldn't be as much of a problem for some.

    PROs:
    + Music is good, if not the same as it was before
    + Gameplay is the same
    + Multiplayer is super easy to access and connecting with friends is simple
    + Story is simple to follow and gets fairly dark.
    + Mimic system (It's done well, and is a nice homage to their other titles)
    + Clavats just wanna live
    + Yukes have special access to their own town for free

    MEHs
    ± Not a personal fan of the remade opening song
    ± Communication is difficult in the middle of combat with randoms
    ± Artifact grind is as heavy as it was before, though easier now due to randoms further on in the game.
    ± Voice acting is hit and miss
    ± Character and monster models are not new, just up-res'd and done well. (Doesn't look like complete ass.)
    ± Lilties think they still own the world
    ± Clavats are just normal humans

    CONs
    - Nothing new is really added to the game, gameplay wise
    - You can't stay in a lobby with friends after completing one dungeon if you want to change to the next (Minor inconvenience if anything)
    - No more Local Co-op
    - Selkies are thieves, they stole my magicite
    - Yukes are still racist and charge everyone a fee to enter their town unless the visitor is a Yuke    … Expand
  6. Codest
    Aug 29, 2020
    10
    Great remastered version of final fantasy crystal chronicles, I don't care what anyone says. Literally better than so many other switch games
  7. NoelLumos
    Aug 29, 2020
    10
    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. Most people don't understand how online gaming changes how multiplayer works versus using hand helds, and are souly basing there negative reveiws on the fact they can't sit on aFinal 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. Most people don't understand how online gaming changes how multiplayer works versus using hand helds, and are souly basing there negative reveiws on the fact they can't sit on a couch and play with someone in there living room which we all know is a piss poor reason to give a game a low score. entitment is rich in the gaming comunity so for those of you looking to buy this game. Don't let others ruin a chance for you to try out this amazing game.… Expand
  8. LanceFightmaste
    Sep 20, 2020
    10
    This game is a blast. I had to write a review because I saw all the negatives and I have to go against the mainstream which also raves about annual call of duty games..! I am a fan of the old Squaresoft game "Secret of Mana" and this feels similar. Definitely a game made to be played with friends. A few things. I play this with my daughter at home locally. I bought 2 copies: 1 for ourThis game is a blast. I had to write a review because I saw all the negatives and I have to go against the mainstream which also raves about annual call of duty games..! I am a fan of the old Squaresoft game "Secret of Mana" and this feels similar. Definitely a game made to be played with friends. A few things. I play this with my daughter at home locally. I bought 2 copies: 1 for our nintendo switch, and one for our ps4. players can also join from cellphone but I imagine the controls would be much harder. The convenience of the nintendo switch is good, just go portable and go to a friend's house. We are able to play side by side which is a big advantage, playing with a friend online would be good if you are in some kind of voice chat on your phone, something like discord. Playing multiplayer; all players DO have character progression, saves loot/levels but does not save world progression for players besides the host. That being said, it's no problem because we just have the host progress through the world, and I am able to join any playable level that we get to. I am able to just use the first town to do all of my buying, selling or crafting when we aren't in a level. We all still get the story experience, it is no problem. The multiplayer experience is extremely fun and rewarding, players work together to tank/heal/attack and use other magic. its not excessively complicating and is just plain fun. If you are looking for a fun coop game this is it, just make sure you are either playing with a friend in the same physical location or use some kind of voice chat . I can see how playing with a random person that sucks and you can't coordinate with could be frustrating like some of the other reviews say. Apart from that, I promise you will enjoy!… Expand
  9. regalrealm
    Mar 11, 2021
    10
    Lots of unjustified anger against this title, it might be region locked, but the game is a blast
  10. Theacematt2
    Jun 6, 2021
    10
    Plays just fine :). Enjoyed on the GameCube, still enjoying on modern consoles. Yay cross console multiplayer
  11. 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.

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. iMore
    Mar 5, 2021
    90
    This is an absolute must have for fans of the franchise, but also a fantastic game for those new to the series. Multiplayer and crossplay both work incredibly well, and offering both an inexpensive full version and a free lite version means everyone can play together, regardless of their device or budget.
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  2. SpazioGames
    Oct 8, 2020
    58
    Not the best Final fantasy to choose for a re-release and not the best remaster at all, with cumbersome online multiplayer and n o local co-op. Better save your money for the next entry in the franchise.
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  3. DarkZero
    Sep 21, 2020
    60
    Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is another classic FF game that featured a lot of revolutionary features for its time. Unlike other re-released FF games that aged like fine wine, however, Crystal Chronicles’ antiquated controls and half-step multiplayer additions don’t nearly stand the test of time, especially when there are so many games available that do loot-based dungeon-crawling far better and far more streamlined. For many modern gamers accustomed to the faster pace and tighter controls of said games, Crystal Chronicles may feel like an old relic that requires a hefty amount of patience. There’s no lack of charm in the visuals and character designs, and getting four synchronized party members together that can effortlessly chain spells together to unleash a powered-up super spell can lead to a decent time, but it also shows that some old games can be harder to revisit due to the rapidly-evolving technology surrounding videogames.
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