Little has been said regarding Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles- The Crystal Bearers. So far, only two trailers and a few screenshots have been shown off, but there is always a good deal of speculation surrounding any Square-Enix title, let alone a Final Fantasy.
The Crystal
We can begin by breaking down the first trailer, released during E3 2006. The first noticeable improvement over the last game is the inclusion of airships. Hopefully this can do away with the long trips to boats just to go from one place to another, adding a more streamlined method of transportation. After the short scene with the airships, comes another short clip with a possibly expected surprise. A Clavat (humans of the Crystal Chronicles world) is holding a crystal that repels the miasma (deadly gas) covering the world. The catch? This crystal is not attached to a chalice. The main goal of the first game involved your caravan to discover a portable crystal such as the one shown in the trailer, and according to it you succeeded. The trailer ends with a dragon spreading its wings over a waterfall, covered in flames, suggesting possibly a new monster or even the inclusion of summoned magic.
The First Trailer
The second trailer, released May 2007, adds a bit more depth to what we can expect from The Crystal Bearers. The first improvement is the art style. Though technically it could be considered beneficial or hindering, the disproportioned character style has been replaced in favor of a more realistic style. The subject that this is shown on is a blonde haired Clavat, falling through the air and shooting enemies with a gun, alluding that guns could be potential new weapons, or that The Crystal Bearers takes place much later than the first game. The trailer then proceeds to mostly show off new environments and specific elements in each. Near the end it shows the same Clavat holding a crystal similar to the one from the first trailer and battling a group of monsters on an airship before jumping off. The battle is dizzyingly fast when compared to the first game’s battles, which could mean faster paced battle sequences.
New Look
Apart from that, the rest of the details surrounding Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – The Crystal Bearers is complete speculation. Common sense tells us that the hailed multiplayer from the first will return, but whether or not Square-Enix will include an online portion is still up in the air. Connectivity with the DS title Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – Ring of Fates is also in question, but seeing Square-Enix’s track record with Crystal Chronicles on the Gamecube, we can expect some form of connection. So far a release date has yet to be announced, nor have any details other than the two critiqued trailers been released. Hopefully, The Crystal Bearers will have as much replay value as its predecessor, expanded upon by the DS version, because Square-Enix really has something special on their hands if it can all come together.
