Another great Final Fantasy game for the DS
The story is mostly about Yuri and Chelinka, who are twins that can control the power in magic crystals. They have to work together to be able to unleash their full potential. The lands have been overrun by monsters and the events somehow surround the twins. They must discover what is going on with the help of a few friends.
The story in CC:RoF starts a bit slow, leaving you with a feeling of "where is this going?" But it doesnt take long for events to unfold and get you excited with the game. Yuri and Chelinka arent the only ones who have important roles in the story. Other characters will join your group as you continue through the game. Your team of 4: Yuri/Chelinka, Al, Meeth, and Gnash, all have roles to play.
The gameplay is very fun. The controls are responsive and easy to use. One button is your attack, one is your jump, one allows you to cast magic and one allows you to pick up your enemies or objects. Once you get more group members you can easily switch between which one you control by clicking on their picture on the touch screen. The teammates you dont control will still be with you to help out. Or to get in your way. The AI of the teammates can be annoying. They will at times just stand there while you are getting attacked. I have had mixed reactions with the AI. During normal battles I find them to be only slightly helpful. But depending on the boss battle, they can sometimes have some brains. They were extremely useful in the battle against the Giant Plant in the forest but practically useless against the giant Fish in the destroyed city. Once you can get equipment to make your teammates use magicite, they become a lot more helpful.
Magicite is the magic in the game. It isnt spells that need to be learned. They are items that can be bought at a store or created with the help of Meeth. To cast your magic you hold down the button and move the targeting ring that appears on the screen over the character you want to cast it on. I found this to be easy to do and fun as well. A "pocket" or toolbar is on your touchscreen with all of your magicite and items visible. To switch you just have to tap the one you want with the stylus.
Each character also has a Tribe ability. This ability is linked to the race that the character is. To use a tribe ability you can either tap the R button or tap the icon in the middle of your touch screen. Any offensive attack then requires you to tap the enemy on the touch screen that you want to attack. These abilities prevent you from moving so make sure the monster isnt right on top of you when you try to use it. Other tribe abilities allow you to solve puzzles or create magicite.
Like every Final Fantasy game you can purchase equipment for your characters. You can also collect scrolls and materials dropped from enemies and create better weapons and equipment than you can purchase at the store.
With great 3D graphics, good voice acting, an entertaining story, and fun gameplay, it is hard not to like this game. The AI of your teammates is the only thing that is on the weak side. Despite this, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates is a fun game that will keep you playing for hours.