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Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 4, 2009 19:50:02 GMT -5
^ Are you talking about Echoes of Time? I think it's supposed to take place after Ring of Fates, which was a prequel to the original GameCube game, so Echoes of Time comes between those two. How does it look more modern? The Crystal Bearers, on the other hand, does look a little more modern. In regards to the new videos I posted, it's a little funny to see Leo (from My Life as a King) engaging in battle since that's precisely what he's not supposed to do (being a king and all). But I like the detail in the outfits. You can even see Leo's "cape" fluttering. That's pretty impressive for a DS game. EDIT: 1up.com has a new preview as well. |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 14, 2009 19:52:01 GMT -5
I just noticed that the official North American site for Echoes of Time now has content on it. It runs down the basic info, and has some nice demo movies of the characters in action. I also noticed that Charlotta's official English name is now "Sherlotta." The current North American release is still set for the 24th, and a few days later for PAL territories. |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 18, 2009 21:39:53 GMT -5
Triple Combo! Bonus Multiplier X3! 1up.com has already posted their review for Echoes of Time. They gave it an "A" (for both DS and Wii), but it's worth noting that they've always been fans of the Crystal Chronicles series. I also found it a little strange that the reviewer admits that he didn't try to play the game online (something about using a pre-release version of the game and hating Friend Codes), so there's no word on whether the lag in the Japanese version is still present. Using a new game engine called the 'Pollux Engine,' Square Enix has finally fixed, for the most part, the biggest ailment that troubled the first Crystal Chronicles on GameCube -- that it was a major pain in the ass to play with other people. Of course, the Game Boy Advance didn't have the wireless capabilities that the DS does, and while that was great for multiplayer sessions with several people using just the GBA, now the impact is even greater. Differentiating itself from its predecessors, FFCC:EOT lets one person play on a normal-sized television using a Wii, while up to three other players can connect wirelessly using their DSes. It sounds like a small thing, but it's really cool. Some people (your parents, for example) may not really care to stare at a tiny screen questing for loot, hours on end. So having the action displayed on a big screen is definitely a bonus. And since there's zero latency, if you're playing on a DS, you can actually just watch the TV screen and run around with virtually no discombobulation. The only times that isn't practical is when, on the DS, you run to a different part of the screen than your Wii partner. And while I didn't personally get to try it, since 1) I haven't bothered to go through the trouble to add anyone's million-digit friend ID code to my Wii, and 2) I was playing a pre-release review version of the game, FFCC:EOT also supports online play with Phantasy Star Online-style chat shortcuts to encourage an international adventuring community (for example, choosing "Hello" from the menu automatically translates the greeting into your partner's mother tongue).
The Wii version of the game is pretty much identical to the DS version, although there are obviously some enhancements; the transparency effects, and the overall color saturation, are nicer than the handheld version. The layout is different, though, with the primary game screen placed on the left, and the DS's lower menu screen situated on the right-hand side of the TV. While it doesn't maximize your TV's dimensions, it's still a very good layout that's optimal for gaming sessions. Also, GameTrailers has an English-language trailer for Echeos of Time that highlights Clavats. |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 20, 2009 21:47:09 GMT -5
Quadruple Combo!!!! Here is GameTrailers' review of Echoes of Time. They seemed to think it was decent. I don't quite understand why so many reviews are being hard on the Wii version simply because it's a DS game emulated on the Wii. Isn't that the point of it? If the game is fun on the DS, then why wouldn't it be fun on the Wii? As so many reviewers smugly point out, they're the same game! |
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Post by Da Robot on Mar 25, 2009 3:05:48 GMT -5
Can't let you get "5-posts-in-a-row" Nester.COMBO BREAKKKKKERRRRRR!! After hearing about the lag from Japanese reviews, this review from GamePro surprised me when they mentioned this. "For a DS title, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time sets a high bar for handheld RPG games. Lag-less action, wireless play, and a mind-boggling amount of items and customizable ways to outfit your adventurer are how most online RPGs should be built. With the Wii version, you’ve got the same good gameplay, just cramped and um, ugly." Could SE really have fixed the lag in the game that fast for the western release, or could the reviewer have just made it up?
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Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 25, 2009 12:50:43 GMT -5
***Dizzy!*** Woah... *shakes off dizziness* In regards to lag, I'm thinking that if you're playing local multiplayer, it's lag free. But if it's online, there's probably lag. Reviewers don't seem to clarify that. Of course, I can clarify once I buy the game.  FYI, X-Play rated it 4 out of 5. Anyway, for those of you who missed it during Iwata's GDC keynote, it's been announced that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord is coming to WiiWare this year. Wow, the Crystal Chronicles series really is in full swing now, isn't it? I don't think I've mentioned it here yet, but I LOVE My Life as a King!!! I've played thru it nearly three times (I'm currently working on finishing up my third playthru), so I'm really excited to hear about this new game. I'm also surprised that there will be a new game at all, because I thought MLK was sort of an experiment that Square Enix wouldn't bother with again. However, it's been in the Top 20 selling WiiWare titles since the service launched last year, so maybe I shouldn't be too surprised. No details yet, but it sounds like the game will take place from the point of view of a Dark Lord, so perhaps it'll be like Dungeon Keeper? EDIT: Nintendo Everything has screenshots. It looks a little like The Tower/SimTower. Also, I guess the Dark Lord is female, or is that just the game's evil equivalent of Chime? I still hope it's like Dungeon Keeper. EDIT 2: Here's the official site, but of course, there's barely anything more than a description. Apparently it's a real-time strategy game, so it is like Dungeon Keeper! And the main character seems to be the daughter of the Dark Lord from MLK. Sounds great so far! |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 31, 2009 15:31:26 GMT -5
There is now an official teaser site for The Crystal Bearers! www.crystalbearers.comThere's not much there currently. Just the Japanese trailer from last January and one wallpaper. It also promises more videos to come, and for some reason, shows the current time of four random cities. Square Enix has also issued a press release for the occasion. EDIT: I was just watching the Japanese trailer on the official site and noticed something strange. Almost all of the Japanese voices have been removed, so there's no dialog except at the end. The last scene keeps the dialog and adds subtitles. I wonder why they didn't just do that for the whole trailer. |
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Post by Da Robot on Mar 31, 2009 16:30:38 GMT -5
I loading up the trailer as I type this, but it appears that if more people visit the site, new movies will be shown.Under the heading "It's gonna be a long night" has the words "more vists, more movies!"So come on people, keep visiting the site! Also FFCC:TCB has just been rated for Europe and the rating is pending for the ESRB! Could it be coming out sooning then we think? Source. |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 1, 2009 12:25:53 GMT -5
New Crystal Bearers footage available at the official site! Its not much, tho. Just some monsters with hearts over their heads chasing each other around. A new entry has appeared under "Public Spectacle" called "Ahead of the Pack." I wonder if this will be episodic; have a story to it or something. EDIT: Here's some new info: - The Yukes have been gone for thousands of years
- magic has since disappeared
- Lilti technology has become the standard use of the world
- crystals have since become industrial tools instead of protectors of towns
- “The Crystal Bearers reaches Wii in a new format”
- open world with real-time action
- a new beginning for the series ( Source) So, this game is supposed to be like a series reboot? And what does this "reaches Wii in a new format" part mean? |
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Post by Da Robot on Apr 2, 2009 0:51:30 GMT -5
Hmmm . . . Interesting. If it's a series reboot does that mean it still occurs after Ring of Fates?
Actually where does EoT occur in the FFCC timeline?
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Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 2, 2009 11:34:02 GMT -5
As far as I understand it, the timeline of the series goes like this:
1. Ring of Fates
2. Echoes of Time
I believe these take place hundreds of years before the miasma consumes the world.
3. Crystal Chronicles (the original game)
4. My Life as a King
5. My Life as a Darklord
I guess this is kind of the "miasma trilogy," dealing with the removal, and subsequent after effects of the miasma.
6. The Crystal Bearers
And apparently this takes place "thousands" of years later.
It's interesting to note that each sequence of games has its own graphical style.
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Post by Da Robot on Apr 2, 2009 17:55:04 GMT -5
NeoGaf found a way to increase hits to the TCB site, but Square Enix apprantely caught on and stopped there way of building up hits. The crystal seems to be register hits from new people visting the site and also time as a factor.
Also the crystal right now is nearly filled so a new movie should appear soon.
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Post by Da Robot on Apr 2, 2009 23:36:30 GMT -5
Newest footage is up and it is . . . weird, like the first one. At least the hero (Lyle) appears in it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6aHRyto3ZgHere's the first one as well. www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_5QjaVogHE&feature=relatedI beilieve these videos could be serving as demonstations of enemy/NPC AI interaction. Also I would assume Lyle would be able to pick up the rock using his AWESOME gravity powers, so maybe you get the choice to leave him or help him? But at the rate these videos are going at is not going to bring more new hits to the site. At least the next 2 movies sound interesting, "Ahead of the Pack" and "Don't Touch That Dial." |
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Post by Da Robot on Apr 3, 2009 21:22:51 GMT -5
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Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 3, 2009 21:30:34 GMT -5
Heh-heh!
Y'know, as others have pointed out, there's probably more being revealed in these videos than we realize. Look at how the characters seem to interact with each other, or the symbols above their heads that seem to signify their moods. Maybe it's hinting that this game will have simulation like aspects, or be like a sandbox game.
Or, as one commenter from GoNintendo suggested, the next video might be a Rick Roll.
On the other hand, it's hard to be too disappointed when we've gotten three new videos in the last three days, and in all of 2008, we got absolutely nothing.
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?? WHY SQUARE ENIX WHHHHHYYY?