Final Fantasy: Echoes of Time (DS) Review

Crystal Chronicles continues in the form of a hack 'n' slash collect-'em-up that blends a crystal-finding plot with real-time fighting, magic and a whole host of side-quests.

You begin the game as a character from one of four main tribes who is marking his/her 16th birthday by battling overgrown squirrels and deformed bats in the local forest (as you do).

A young girl from the same village suddenly comes down with a strange illness and it is the player's job to look for the necessary ingredients for a cure.

However, the adventure doesn't stop there, as it emerges that there are shards of an important crystal scattered far and wide that desperately need finding, a quest that offers up numerous personal revelations for the main character as the game unfolds.

The game is nicely rendered in 3D to a typically stirring soundtrack, with the main gameplay taking place on the top screen and the various options for using magic, selecting characters and choosing equipment being displayed on the bottom touch-screen.



Whichever character you choose, you're able to use all of the six magic spells available from the off, although your attack and magic capabilities vary depending on which tribe you come from and the equipment that you use.

As you might expect, there is a veritable plethora of weapons, bits of armour, magic rings and aesthetic accessories you can kit yourself out with - indeed, one of the most enjoyable parts of the game is customising your weapons and outfits and changing your regalia every so often whenever you fancy a new look.

The main quest itself involves developing the story by hacking your way through various dungeons containing some fiendish Zelda-style puzzles and some rather easy bosses. The dungeons are on the whole well-designed and are just the right size for on-the-go players who might only be able to devote half an hour or so to the game at a time.



You can also complete numerous side-quests by visiting a strange-looking character in the main town and picking from a list of tasks that ranges from finding and killing a set number of enemies to rescuing cows from a nasty death.

Echoes of Time additionally offers the ability to link up with the Wii version of the game and play with others either online or at home. As with the other Final Fantasy games, you can add up to three other characters to your party and can choose one from each tribe if you want a variety of skills on your team, or select four who are all proficient in a particular area if you wish.

However, the AI for these extra characters in the single-player game leaves something to be desired - they can get in the way during a big battle and are prone to standing around when they really need to be healing themselves, collecting items or helping you complete a particularly complex puzzle.

There are also a few glitches in the game that can mean you have to waste valuable time extricating computer-controlled players from bits of the landscape, while battling multiple monsters with a large party can result in some serious lag.



The latest instalment in the Crystal Chronicles series promises some solid RPG action for both fans and non-fans of Final Fantasy, with a few wobbly AI moments spoiling the party.

8/10

Dipika Patel