There's something to be said for taking advantage of a novel technology. A new technology can allow a designer to do things that have never been done before, and make the kind of games nobody could have even imagined before. New technology always comes with a price tag, though, and, in Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles' case, it's a very steep price tag for most gamers. For multiplayer, each player needs a Game Boy Advance hooked up with a GameCube/GBA link cable. Even if all the players already have a GBA, that's $40 for link cables alone.

Crystal Chronicles, the first Final Fantasy on the GameCube, is a very unorthodox entry into the series. Gone entirely is the conventional "girly-looking-boy-must-lead-a-band-of-misfits-against-an-evil-alliance/empire/nation/company-which-is-being-manipulated-by-an-evil-maniac-into-destroying-the-world" story, the turn-based combat system that proports to be real time but isn't, and the level-based character building system. In their place are gameplay more adventure than RPG, an exceedingly light, unintrusive story, and an emphasis on multiplayer cooperation over single-player play. It makes for an interesting mix, but anyone who has expectations associated with the Final Fantasy name may be disappointed.

At first, the story and premise barely exceed those of games where dungeons are to be crawled just because they're there. The world is covered in miasma, a dark fog that slowly kills the various non-monstrous races of the world, reminiscent of Nausicaa: Valley of the Winds. The only havens are the towns and cities, each of which is protected from the miasma by an enormous crystal. These crystals aren't perfect protection, however, as they need "recharging" every year, with water from the Myrrh trees, scattered around the land at the bottom of various dungeons. The players, customizable members of a crystal caravan, are trusted with the Chalice, with a "mana bucket" to carry the drops of myrrh and a shard of crystal to protect them from the miasma. Each year, in the game, ends after finishing three dungeons, and trees recharge after a couple years. There's more story there, with people to meet, places to visit, and a curse on the world to lift, but few players will get much out of it. It's fairly thin, all told, and is easy to miss entirely for much of the game.

Even level-building, as in most RPGs, is absent; instead, at the end of every dungeon, each player gets to choose one of the artifacts (stat-raising items) found during that trip through the dungeon. This makes Crystal Chronicles not much of an RPG, in the traditional sense, much like a Legend of Zelda game. Spells need to be found along the way in each dungeon; players can use spherical Magicite crystals to cast spells, but crystals are discarded after finishing a dungeon. Equipment is even a little unusual; instead of new armor, weapons, etc., there are blueprints for equipment in treasure chests and such, and these can be given to a blacksmith to make new items, appropriate for the player's race.

Instead, the real focus is on the dungeon-crawling itself, much like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance or Dark Cloud 2. The real fun is in going out to the outstanding-looking dungeons, beating on the various critters therein, and taking their stuff. It's simple, but as addictive as it's ever been, especially for long-time fans of the Final Fantasy series. The enemies are often little nods to various FF titles, and many of the artifacts are references to previous games, some of the references very subtle. (Anyone remember Loaded Dice?)

Well, if it isn't an RPG, what is it, then? Possibly surprisingly, it's a party game. With little emphasis on character building or story, it's easy for a group of players with different amounts of experience (in-game and out) to join together for a dungeon crawl together. Crystal Chronicles scales the difficulty of the enemies to match the number of players, much like Diablo II, and the bosses and puzzles are clearly designed to be handled with a little teamwork. Even the Crystal Chalice encourages cooperative play, as one player will need to carry it (making that player essentially helpless until dropping it), and the others will need to protect him or her. (In single-player, the Chalice is carried by an otherwise useless moogle helper named Mog.) The radius of protection from miasma it projects, too, works to keep the party together.

But where do the GBAs as controllers come in? The GBA is used as a status screen for each player, so that multiplayer games are never brought to a screeching halt by someone changing their choice of spells or items. When it isn't being used for that, it also gives players a goal to accomplish in each dungeon (e.g. "Don't use spells" or "Heal the other players"), with the players getting a pick of the artifacts at the end of the stage based on how well they accomplished their goals. Each player has a different map, as well, with one player mapping out enemies, another treasure, another the path itself, and so on.

What FF:CC isn't, unfortunately, is fun in single-player. Without a strong story or rewarding character development, there's little reason to plow through the dungeons on one's own. Some areas are inaccessible to single players (occasionally infuriatingly so), and annoyances like inventory managment and the sometimes-iffy pathfinding for Mog, the Chalice-carrying moogle, grate. It's obvious that FF:CC wasn't intended to be played in single-player very much, if at all.

It's undeniable that Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is beautiful. It isn't really a technical achievement, as those are few and far between any more, but it is an absolute treat for the eyes. The stages are detailed and creative, the enemies are simple but attractive, and the landscapes are utterly amazing. Even hardened gamers might start to feel the pure sense of wonder involved in exploring, just from the beauty FF:CC has to offer. The best treat of all is at the end of each stage, with the insanely-detailed final bosses. An early one is the best-looking malboro in series history, and they only get better from there.

The soundtrack reinforces this feeling of grandeur, living up to the high standards Square has set in the past. The background themes range from playful to sweeping, suiting each scene perfectly. Even some slightly low-quality sound effects don't sour the listening experience. Of special note is the woman with a slightly Celtic accent who was hired to read the opening story for each stage, as her readings are absolutely perfect for establishing the atmosphere.

Could FF:CC have done without a GBA for each player? Certainly. Would it be the multiplayer game it is now? No. Despite the obvious brandmongering implicit in requiring all this hardware, the fact remains that the GBA screen for each player is what sets Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles apart from the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliances and Champions of Norraths of the world. For those with the money or the hardware to make a game with three or four players work, Crystal Chronicles won't disappoint. Anyone who is looking for a single- (or even two-) player experience will probably want to pass on this one, except maybe to see the sights.