Ever since my computer broke and I'm forced to browse the web using either the DSi or Wii browsers I've been pruning my daily online routine. At one point I seriously considered quitting Facebook altogether, until I found out that Square-Enix is bringing their most popular franchise, Final Fantasy, into the world of social gaming. Chocobo's Crystal Tower (CCT) and Knights of the Crystals (KotC) are now open for Beta testing.
I know I've bashed FB gaming before, but this is different! We're talking Square-Enix here! I'm not going to go into a full review, since these games are still in beta testing, but the word needs to get out as soon as possible.
Both games are terribly simple and don't stray too far of the classic social game formula. Some even compare KotC with Mafia Wars and CCT with Farmville… meets Mafia wars. The only difference between these and the millions of FB games out there is the use of the popular franchise and an obvious increase in production value in terms of graphics and music. I expect there will be better customer service and less glitches.
I tried KotC and I didn't really dig it, but if you like Mafia Wars and its clones the upgrade in graphics might make you want to switch. It's just not my cup of tea.
I did, however, fall in love with CCT. The chocobos are so freaking adorable! In this game you are in charge of your own chocobo ranch. You raise chocobos from eggs and are in charge of keeping them well fed and clear of dust bunnies (no chocobo poo!) Once they reach adulthood you equip them and send them on dungeon raids, if successful they come back with a reward. You use these rewards to get better food, equipment and decorations for your ranch.
The social aspect comes in when you start breeding. You need to keep new chocobos coming because old chocobos won't go on raids, and to avoid in-breeding you always have to mate one of your chocobos with someone else's. The "Farmville" part is when you're encouraged to visit your friends' farms and tend to their chocobos. You get paid and gain experience just as if it were your own farm. But that’s where the similarities end. I believe you actually get to see the farms as the owner left them whereas in FV your friends' farms always are always in an embarrassing crisis situation. You are also encouraged to leave (some of your precious) lucky feathers on your friends' (or even a strangers') chocobos to boost their "luck" stat, hoping that a true friend will return the favor.
The only things that I didn't like were that there was no auto-save and that the different screens aren't too intuitive to navigate.
As for the beta testing, yes, the games are still glitchy and go offline occasionally. If you're not familiar with the process I suggest you wait for the final release. Otherwise, by all means, give them a try! The games are free and better that what FB currently has to offer! Even if you don't enjoy them as much, please play for a while and try to get as many friends as possible to become hopelessly addicted. Consider this: every player that you manage to "turn" is a player that you take away from Zynga and a player that may be experiencing the world of Final Fantasy for the very first time (and subject to banner ads for the latest Square-Enix games!). What could possibly go wrong? So, check 'em out and be sure to come post a comment to tell us how it went.
