Wii

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - My Life as a King

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, is the first WiiWare game from SquareEnix and they obviously spared no expense in putting this title together. Instead of pitting you in the fighting role, as in most normal Final Fantasy titles, this game puts you in the role of King and allows you full control over everything in the kingdom in a more simulation-style atmosphere. The game might lack the intensity of a regular Final Fantasy release, but you'll certainly never be at a loss for things to do in your new role.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King packs a lot of depth into a small package just like Square-Enix intended it to. Though it is currently the most expensive of the WiiWare titles, the fact that it is coupled with downloadable content to expand and alter the experience is quickly creating a reason for why Wii owners will be well advised to download this one.

Sure, sometimes you get the urge to beat stuff up, and the in-game "days" feel like they go by too fast, but this is fascinating stuff - much more substantial then what yo'd expect from a downloadable game.

My Life as a King's depth is surprising for a downloadable title, and it suggests that this could have been slapped on a DVD and sold at retail price. But such as it is, downloadable is the way to go, and based on the evidence here, the Crystal Chronicles series has a bright future ahead of it. The only knock on the game is that it portions off the extra races (Selkies, Lilties, and Yukes) as downloadable content, but it's otherwise highly recommended.

Overall, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is a very nice title for the budding WiiWare service. It features very deep managerial gameplay, which it is easy to become entranced with. This title gives you so many options for gameplay that it is hard to resist the urge to level up your adventurers just one more time, or unlock a certain building before shutting it off. This title will definitely entertain fans of this type of managerial gameplay, and will keep you coming back for more!

My Life as a King is not for everybody. The sluggish beginning will detract many gamers, especially those unfamiliar to the simulation and management genres. The additional inclusion of priced DLC for more features also is disappointing, especially in regards to character diversity. However, for Final Fantasy fans and those more familiar with simulation, you cannot go wrong with the title. Players will seek to complete just more day to get that new medal or level up an adventurer. This strategic depth mixes with slick production values to create an obsessive and recommendable title.

I liked My Life as a King more and more as I played it. Sure, it's basically a Final Fantasy game where you stay at home and send other people out to play Final Fantasy. But there is satisfaction to be gained from building a kingdom and keeping your subjects happy. It's not going to appeal to everyone, but it's a unique title that definitely has a place on Nintendo's new WiiWare service. If you're a Final Fantasy fanatic you've probably already downloaded My Life as a King. For everyone else, I would recommend it if you're looking for something different and you don't mind games that move at a slower pace.

My Life as a King est un jeu de gestion au principe bien trouvé, qui a vite fait d'être compris et pris en main. On s'amuse rapidement à reconstruire son royaume, à envoyer ses aventuriers en vadrouille et à s'occuper de ses habitants. Mais le faible nombre d'actions possibles le réserve aux fanas du genre qui n'ont pas peur de faire toujours les mêmes choses, ou aux gens qui sont d'accord pour n'y jouer que quelques minutes par jour. Autrement, la monotonie s'installe très vite, ce qui est dommage vu les autres qualités du titre. Qualités à ne pas oublier, puisqu'elles justifient tout de même assez l'achat du titre pour les fans ou les curieux. En tout cas, Square Enix nous prouve que l'univers Final Fantasy se prête plutôt bien à un autre type de jeu.

La série des Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles continue de nous surprendre, surtout avec cet épisode WiiWare qui délaisse l'action-RPG pour la gestion. Accessible malgré l'absence de traduction, le titre souffre surtout de certaines limitations qui rendent les parties redondantes, même si leur intérêt croît avec le temps. L'expérience reste sympathique mais s'adresse à un public de joueurs limité.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles : My Life as a King se révèle sur la durée. Les journées du roi Leo gagnent en intérêt et perdent en redondance au fur et à mesure que votre royaume grandit. Le titre demande donc une grande implication et beaucoup de patience de la part du joueur. Et si My Life as a King n’éblouit jamais, la faute à une difficulté trop légère et à une mise en scène médiocre, il réussit néanmoins son entrée dans le jeu de gestion.

Das Leben als König ist ein eher ungewohntes für Final Fantasy-Anhänger. Tagein, tagaus verbringt man damit, seine Stadt größer und die Einwohner glücklicher zu machen. Man baut Häuser, eröffnet Geschäfte, heuert Abenteurer an, schickt sie auf Expeditionen, verleiht Auszeichnungen und unterhält sich mit seinen Untertanen. Das hat durchaus seinen Reiz und ist für einen WiiWare-Titel sogar ungemein aufwändig und charmant inszeniert. Allerdings werden einige Aufgaben recht schnell zu lästigen Pflichtübungen, bei anderen wünscht man sich mehr Einfluss. Gerade wenn eure Helden ausziehen, um monsterverseuchte Dungeons zu säubern, fällt es schwer, einfach nur tatenlos da zu stehen und auf einen schnöden Textbericht der Ereignisse zu warten. Als König müsst ihr stets daheim bleiben, Abenteuer erleben andere. Dabei hatte doch schon Dark Cloud gezeigt, dass Städtebau und Monsterhatz sich nicht gegenseitig ausschließen müssen.

My Life as a King is a disappointing use of two name brands associated with quality games. It's shallow, limiting, and padded with unrewarding gameplay. It's also a blatant grab at our wallets--not because downloadable content is available at launch, but because that content is essentially required if you want any variety in a shallow game that begs for it. This cheery game is a nice length and has some superficial appeal, but your valuable money is better spent elsewhere.