Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers

 Wii
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 187 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 153 out of 187
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 187
  3. Negative: 17 out of 187
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  1. Nero97
    Jan 26, 2012
    6
    The game is fun. Yeah, the combat is quite bad, you throw things, that's it, but the rest is ok. The history is quite nice, the cutscenes are nice, the final boss is NICE, and some parts of the game that requires more strategy are fun. But again, the combat isn't that nice, it's not like the final fantasy games, and it's easy...but i had a good time playing it :)
  2. OwtDaft
    May 10, 2018
    7
    + Has a really good story that's very funny and has great characters.
    + The battle system is kinda fun.
    + The game is full of mini games that are fun though some are not. + The graphics and music are fantastic. + I really enjoyed this game a lot despite it's odd game play issues. - The game is not long for a Final Fantasy game though Crystal Bearers is not an RPG. - Controls while    + Has a really good story that's very funny and has great characters.
    + The battle system is kinda fun.
    + The game is full of mini games that are fun though some are not.
    + The graphics and music are fantastic.
    + I really enjoyed this game a lot despite it's odd game play issues.
    - The game is not long for a Final Fantasy game though Crystal Bearers is not an RPG.
    - Controls while battling can be a pain and objects you pick up block your view affecting aim.    … Expand
  3. JamesH.
    Jan 27, 2010
    2
    Game is very boring, not at all like the original gamecube game, and has no replay value. It's the basic point and throw game. I felt like i was doing the same thing the entire game. On top of that, the second player has no say on what goes on in the game, they get very little control in the game as is. If you are looking for a real crystal chronicles game, look to the original Game is very boring, not at all like the original gamecube game, and has no replay value. It's the basic point and throw game. I felt like i was doing the same thing the entire game. On top of that, the second player has no say on what goes on in the game, they get very little control in the game as is. If you are looking for a real crystal chronicles game, look to the original gamecube game, or the early ds versions.… Expand
  4. Ragnabolt
    Apr 10, 2013
    10
    this game is a WII Gem, the reason that its getting bad reviews is because people are looking at it like it should be a tratitional rpg game, there are interesting characters and an interesting story.

    the game is not meant to be fast paced, in my opinion the best way to play this game is by exploring the different zones and towns, finding secrets and Medal hunting (Acheivments) i    this game is a WII Gem, the reason that its getting bad reviews is because people are looking at it like it should be a tratitional rpg game, there are interesting characters and an interesting story.

    the game is not meant to be fast paced, in my opinion the best way to play this game is by exploring the different zones and towns, finding secrets and Medal hunting (Acheivments)

    i think this game never got the attention it deserved, i certainly enjoyed it.    … Expand
  5. GameLover09
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the game. I think it is the epitimy of an rpg. It has awesome graphics and the characters look amazing. I was a bit surprised at the end though. I mean when they leave you hanging like that.
    I was and still am expecting and hoping that they will make another
    game exactly where it stopped on the boat. Cause you cant end it like that.
    There is potential for another game.    … Expand
  6. NorwayGamer
    Mar 1, 2019
    7
    I finished this game a few years ago, but forgot to leave a review for it, so I guess I'll write one now.
    for me, it's a hard game to review, because I did have quite a bit of fun with it, but it also felt like a chore quite often.
    the game is just plain weird.. and I don't know if it's in a good or a bad way. it definitely falls into the action/adventure genre a lot more than the Rpg    I finished this game a few years ago, but forgot to leave a review for it, so I guess I'll write one now.
    for me, it's a hard game to review, because I did have quite a bit of fun with it, but it also felt like a chore quite often.
    the game is just plain weird.. and I don't know if it's in a good or a bad way. it definitely falls into the action/adventure genre a lot more than the Rpg genre, and doesn't really focus on building your character. but you can buy some artifacts to enhance certain aspects of it.

    the combat is like the rest of the game - a bit weird. instead of wielding any weapons, you simply use your "crystal powers" to pick up & throw things at enemies - both objects laying around and enemies themselves.
    the story is okay, not too interesting unfortunately, but it was interesting enough for me to follow it to the end & finish the game. some of the boss-fights are really fun though, and there are also some minigame-like segments that feel very arcade-like.

    all in all: an okay game overall, but not very memorable unfortunately.    … Expand
  7. helena23
    Nov 10, 2011
    8
    this is the most underrrated game ever.......first of all in game visuals are good, but cut scenes are FREAKING AWESOME for a wii game, congratulations for that square enix........in terms of gameplay the game focuses on dungeon crawling , motioncontrolled battles and fresh mini games wich in my opinion is nice but not top......the story is also very nice. i just cant understand how badlythis is the most underrrated game ever.......first of all in game visuals are good, but cut scenes are FREAKING AWESOME for a wii game, congratulations for that square enix........in terms of gameplay the game focuses on dungeon crawling , motioncontrolled battles and fresh mini games wich in my opinion is nice but not top......the story is also very nice. i just cant understand how badly its been treated this game by the press....... its a clear 8/10.....dont miss this game if you are an adventure fan… Expand
  8. Misreckon
    Oct 26, 2012
    2
    This game is awful. The controls are unresponsive and combat was bland and confusing. Every character's voice was grating and their personality even more so. Even the music contrasted horribly with the game.
    Really, the only high point in it was the graphics, but it's not enough to save this trainwreck.
  9. Sluttershy
    Aug 30, 2014
    2
    **** sucks. Almost every character is an anime stereotype, and the combat is just the worst. It feels like you're not doing anything to the enemies and you need to throw things at them so if you don't have anything to throw, you're useless. It does take you to some cool places, and it is pretty for a Wii game. It does interesting things with the story. Not good, but interesting.
  10. andrelol3
    Jan 9, 2016
    10
    Fun game with a simple but very well written plot and some of the best characters in the FF franchise. The doesn't have that melodrama BS that FF is known for. It's a much more enjoyable tale.

    The world is also very creative and full of things to do. It's a very original and fun game and much better than FF13.
  11. Devlos
    Mar 28, 2017
    1
    I do not see why people even praise this garbage.

    Cons:

    1. Bugs and Glitches are on par with Sonic 06

    2.the story is even worse than final fantasy XIII

    3. the whole game is a mental chore to play unlike sonic 06 where you actually have something to poke fun at this game sucks your soul out.

    Pros:

    You will realize just how good you have it with other final fantasy tittles.
  12. GrahamL
    Jan 6, 2010
    10
    This game doesn't deserve a 10, but it sure as hell deserves more than it gets. Although the mini-games were a bit easy, and the voice-acting was a bit off, this was still a very solid game. An awesome story, with an incredible climax offset with moments of humor, racing adventure, and tons of achievements for replayability. I had a great time, well worth the investment.
  13. BobM
    Jan 4, 2010
    9
    By no means is it "perfect", but I really don't understand what people wanted from this game. It's unique, it's different, it's got great graphics, great soundtrack, interesting characters, good voice work, an engaging storyline, and most importantly, it's FUN. Yes, the camera could be a bit better, and yes, Square could have obviously done a whole lot more than By no means is it "perfect", but I really don't understand what people wanted from this game. It's unique, it's different, it's got great graphics, great soundtrack, interesting characters, good voice work, an engaging storyline, and most importantly, it's FUN. Yes, the camera could be a bit better, and yes, Square could have obviously done a whole lot more than they did with the telekinesis mechanic (especially considering the IR capabilities), but honestly, those things don't detract from what is a seriously underrated and high quality game. And for the record, it's only "short" if you're only trying to just blaze through it to see the ending. Which could probably be said of 80% of the games that come out today. Most games that are rated very highly, usually are still pretty short (5-6 hours), if you're just rushing along. But me personally, I've been playing the game for about that long already, and am not even halfway through, because I've actually been messing around and having fun. And trust me, this game, with it's open world elements, and TK gameplay, is totally suited to spending a LOT of time just messing around. Good game. Deserves good sales, and MUCH higher scores.… Expand
  14. NecroR
    Dec 30, 2009
    10
    The game magnizines giving it a low review are full of BS, it's an awesome game I reccomend to anyone.
  15. ChasM.
    Jan 29, 2010
    10
    great game. camera's a bit wonky, but not a deal breaker. also, i had no trouble navigating without a map. a good showing of things to come if square enix decides to develop further.
  16. FernandoH
    Jan 5, 2010
    9
    What's the matter? Hello? This is not a classic RPG, is an adventure. It's not flawless but it's beautiful and fun.
  17. ShaneJ
    Jan 15, 2010
    10
    This game is extremely varied, and despite not having completed it yet, it has thrown many curve balls and plot twists to make this my favorite Final Fantasy title yet--and I've played them all.
  18. ferariel
    Dec 27, 2009
    10
    No matter critics says, it's a new fresh air into the series, very innovative. Hope a Crystal Bearers 2
  19. ShannonS
    Dec 29, 2009
    9
    The game is certainly not exactly what you would expect from a classic Final Fantasy, but is a fresh leap in a new direction with the quality in story you would expect from Square. The game play does stumble sometimes and the camera can be frustrating in some battles, but these are common problems on the wii and when you use motion controls a lot. Though it has it's bugs, they are The game is certainly not exactly what you would expect from a classic Final Fantasy, but is a fresh leap in a new direction with the quality in story you would expect from Square. The game play does stumble sometimes and the camera can be frustrating in some battles, but these are common problems on the wii and when you use motion controls a lot. Though it has it's bugs, they are generally annoying, not crippling to the gameplay. Regardless the game is fun, the story is engrossing and entertaining, and the combat is at least innovative if a bit repetitive at times, and the graphics are spectacular for the limitations of the wii. To sum it up, this game is not for everyone, but for those craving something new and fresh in a game with the classic quality of old school story telling, you likely will enjoy the ride. But since it is a jump in a new direction I'd advice those not hardcore Square fans to rent before buying.… Expand
  20. XV_
    Jul 29, 2020
    7
    FFCCTCB starts pretty solid, you get a fun combat sequence, interesting narrative, and stylistic choices but sooner or later you'll find that something is a little off.

    The Crystal Bearers is a weird game, I don't see how it came to existence but I'm thankful that it did. I love the original game and it's my favorite game, but I'm also aware that it is by no means a masterpiece (at    FFCCTCB starts pretty solid, you get a fun combat sequence, interesting narrative, and stylistic choices but sooner or later you'll find that something is a little off.

    The Crystal Bearers is a weird game, I don't see how it came to existence but I'm thankful that it did. I love the original game and it's my favorite game, but I'm also aware that it is by no means a masterpiece (at least combat-wise) however it has an incredible amount of charm in its narrative, lore, music, mechanics, aspects that I believe The Crystal Bearers inherit, alas for the most part in a shallow way but also on its own way. The big draw here is that this is a new story told within the universe of the Crystal Chronicles with some drawbacks and references to its lore but that's all, the most notorious part would be the combat system, you now control Layle a Crystal Bearer, one of a handful of persons that can use magic, Layle is a gravity wielder and it makes all the sense since it surely was a technical choice to use the Wii motion to its main potential, well sort of it.

    The original game lacked a lot in the combat department, it was simple, serviceable and repetitive at its worst, in this game the combat, in theory, should be a lot of fun, since you use motion controls to control gravity, pull and throw enemies at the will of your movements like a fantasy Jedi, it sounds like it would be a match made in heaven but in reality, it feels unpolished, the battles are always as follows: pull an enemy to you, throw it to another enemy or wall to deal some damage, rinse and repeat, surely you can throw objects like rocks, or furniture too, and some enemies require that spin them first or activate a status but are basically the same thing over and over, you control the camera with the directional pad and it's way too awkward and unnatural when you're in combat that it almost became a chore, it would benefit greatly to have a lock-on reticle just to focus an especifc enemy even if you still need to aim it manually (a thing that I like mind you) to attack it. Although since it's an action game I never felt that the passing was off or the battles too regular to be a huge problem, what I find it pretty odd and it was a nice surprise, is that I have a lot of fun with the minigames within the story, one moment you're sliding through a waterfall, another you're in a beach butt-fight competition, semi-shooter segments, stealth segments and even rhythm games, similar to its combat they're not so polished but they're so brief and fresh that they were always enjoyable, they even forward the main story so they feel with purpose.

    The plot is nothing to write home about and it falls in some of the conventions of the franchise but it's good, the characters are charm enough just to look forward how the story will unfold, unfortunately, I have some issues with its localization, mainly the dubbing, it seemed that the original intention was to make something in the spirit of Cowboy Bebop at least character and narrative-wise, but the acting is way too cartoony and dull (a problem that most RPGs from Japan have when they're dubbed that prevails to this day), it's not the worst acting and maybe you can't pass behind it but to me, it was distracting, although, I really fall in love with this Yuke character and also her actress was genuinely good portraying her. The rhythm of the game as I stated before it's OK for the most part, my only issue is that at some points the story needs you to backtrack a lot from point A to point C just to make you go point A again, it can be bothersome since a good portion of the game you don't have a way to fast-travel and you move pretty slowly when navigating, there are some Chocobos here and there but they were always far away to me and they're not that fast also.

    Aside from the main story, you can make some "side-quests" that are hinted in notes or newspaper, things like: "there's a bunch of enemies floating around in the beach, we hope that someone could take care of them" they're not cryptic but it's hard to keep track of them since the game would not track anything but the main campaign and since the only reward is extra HP and some materials, the game is not that hard and the combat isn't that fun so honestly you can skip them easily.

    A thing that it's worth to note is that this game looks absolutely beautiful, it aged incredible well that at times it even looks better than a lower PS3 game, I believe is mostly for the art direction and artistic choices. Another great aspect is the music, the original game has a masterfully crafted soundtrack, and even when this one doesn't get to that height of finesse it has a lot of personality and variability than it needed to have, and for that I'm thankful.

    The Crystal Bearers is quite the unique if a mixed title, it has a lot of good ideas that fall short for the most part, but the sum of its parts make for at least an entertaining journey.    … Expand
  21. 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

100
#100 Best Wii Game of 2009
19
#19 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2009
18
#18 Most Shared Wii Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 53 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 53
  3. Negative: 5 out of 53
  1. Game Informer
    55
    After a cool introductory sequence, things go downhill immediately. [Jan 2010, p.85]
    Read full review
  2. GamesRadar+
    70
    The absolute best part of the game is all of the stuff you can do besides the main plot. Not that the main plot isn’t fun – it’s just that the minigames are limited to chases, jumping puzzles and the occasional weirdness like ballroom dancing.
    Read full review
  3. IGN
    62
    While the game's main adventure was off to a good start, and even manages to be truly entertaining at times, these oddly paced, often poorly controlled pit stops really bring down the game's more appealing core mechanics.
    Read full review
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