Final Fantasy is a big name. A huge name. The series has spanned 13 iterations in the core and dozens of spin-offs, and has become, for many people, the quintessential RPG series. Some might argue that the formula has become stale, but none can deny Square's commitment to excellence, with each game's release being a massive event celebrated throughout the industry. The same can't be said for all of the games to carry the name, however, as some of the spin-off series have felt stale since their inception. One example is Crystal Chronicles, which has always felt like Square's half-hearted attempt at appeasing Nintendo fans without committing to a "real" Final Fantasy title. Over the years, the side series has yet to really find itself performing at a level that might be compared to the core, something that Square hopes to fix with the release of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers.

As the name suggests, this new iteration of Final Fantasy focuses on crystal bearers, a rare group of individuals with the power of telekinesis. One such bearer, Layle, serves as the protagonist, hunting a member of the Yuke tribe with a story that starts off fairly small, but eventually rolls into an appropriately Final Fantasy sized endeavor. It makes this transition well, without ever feeling convoluted or overzealous. In the past, games in the series can find themselves trying too hard to be epic - a problem that doesn't befall this game in the least. It could be thanks to the protagonist, who, when compared to typical FF characters, is fairly down to earth. Without any massive complex keeping him emotionally unstable, Layle is instantly propelled above most of the belly-shirt wearing heroes of Square's traditional series. Then again, the Crystal Chronicles is anything but traditional, and the Crystal Chronicles branding has given the developer the ability to experiment from time to time, dabbling in multiplayer or, in this case, a full-blown action game.