Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - Remastered Edition

Dated design, clunky multiplayer systems, and unacceptable load times make playing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition a terrific chore.

I imagine Square Enix will get the online working consistently in due time, negating a huge chunk of this review. But even if it does someday become consistently available, I worry it won't greatly improve on the final product. Too much of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is tied to an experience that is no longer available. The moment in time that made the GameCube original possible has long passed, and trying to capture that nostalgia with so many missing pieces, is a fool's errand.

As a mostly solo experience, Crystal Chronicles is a decent, if somewhat repetitive dungeon crawler -- but this remaster should have been so much more.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is the kind of game that will unfortunately only appeal to a relatively limited demographic.

Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition's uniquely cozy atmosphere and charming story can't save it from feeling significantly more lonely this time around.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered is a lot of things, but a classic is not one of them.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered is certainly prettier than the GameCube release, but with a definitive lack of local co-op and some bafflingly poor online multiplayer choices, that's about all this remastered classic has going for it.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was already a wonderfully unique and challenging title when it originally released, but the Remastered Edition brings that all to the table with even more plus the ability to finally play with friends online.

It pains to criticise this remaster so harshly, because there was a great fondness for the original title that sprang to life if local multiplayer with friends was taken advantage of. Square Enix has shown little desire to give Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles the makeover it deserved, however, and its many dated issues only become more apparent next to the removal of local multiplayer and region-locked online play. There is still a case for chancing it for friends that enjoy dungeon crawlers and can deal with the limitations, but beware of the strange control schemes and tedious gameplay.

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.