Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: RemasteredEditionreleases next week and news continues to come out that is making fans of the original GameCube title weary. After the blow thatCrystal Chronicles Remasteredwould not have local multiplayer, new information has made the online-only aspect even less appealing.
It has been confirmed through the officialFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Editionwebsite that online-multiplayer will be region locked. The disclaimer, as found by Siliconera, notes that players will only be able to play with “others in the region specific to the player’s software.”
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It is unclear what “region” constitutes within the standards ofCrystal Chronicles: Remasteredand the implications this has for the game’s cross-play functionality.Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remasteredwill feature cross-playbetween PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and the mobile versions on iOS and Android devices. With regards to region, questions arise how platform and region relate in the context of online play and if region-locking is specific to versions.
This may seem counter-intuitive toCrystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition’s gambit on online cross-play. Earlier this month, theCrystal Chronicles Remastered’s Director Ryoma Araki explained that the developer’s focus oncross-play forced local co-op to be removed. Even those who would accept the significant change might not be as eager with the online’s playerbase being partitioned.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remasteredhas become a contested title between fans due to what some consider needed improvements met with egregious cuts. Despite theremoval of local co-op play being considered a huge mistakeby fans, Square Enix is doing a lot more than just a graphical bump. With the confirmation of region-locking, Square Enix announced thatCrystal Chronicles: Remasteredwill feature 13 post-game dungeons that were not in the original 2003 GameCube version.
These dungeons will be more than busy-work to keep players going after the end credits. According to Famitsu (via Siliconera), the 13 dungeons are intended for players ready to test their mettle through harder encounters. The increase in difficulty does come with some rewards as players will be getting new weapons, armor, and accessories that were not featured in the original release. The game will also feature a new mechanic called “mimic” which will allow playersto play as other characters from the greaterCrystal Chroniclesfranchise.
There is definitely a polarizing aspect when presenting players both new and old with the changes made toCrystal Chronicles: Remastered. It is clear Square Enix intends to make the beloved GameCube original utilize more of a Games-As-A-Service model. With the release just days away, players will soon be able to see reactions from both veterans and newcomers.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remasteredwill be releasing on August 27th 2020 for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and the Nintendo Switch.
