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Classroom Facts
The Crystal Bearers is relatively empty of classroom facts, though a few basic ideas - throw fire-based enemies into a river to douse them - form some basic mechanics. There is also some math involved in buying new items and equipment.
Creativity & Imagination
By the Player:
The Crystal Bearers is mostly linear, but once in awhile players have some freedom to explore. Nearly every area of the game has at least one or two hidden treasure chests, and while these rarely contain more than a small amount of money they still give interested players something to hunt down.
Layle can also equip three separate pieces of equipment at any given time; these can be found while exploring, but they can also be forged by combining the various materials found throughout the game. They offer pretty significant upgrades, such as increases to the range of Layle's telekinesis or the size of the Wii remote cursor used to select objects. Players can pick different items to suit their own play styles.
By the Developer:
The Crystal Bearers is an interesting inclusion in the Crystal Chronicles series. It offers a straightforward single-player action-adventure, separating it from the other, multiplayer-centric titles under the Crystal Chronicles name. In many ways it is a generic adventure game, but a few touches help separate it from its peers.
The biggest is its battle system. Players use the grab-and-throw controls - already an interesting mechanic - to throw different types of enemies and objects into each other, causing various effects. This encourages players to experiment with new combinations constantly, helping the game to feel fresh.
An original story helps move things along, and it does a pretty good job of it, featuring a cast of memorable characters and exciting action sequences. The game also features an original soundtrack and is fully voice-acted, though it's a bit of a mixed bag in both cases.
Business Skills
Business skills are dealt with simply and effectively in The Crystal Bearers. Players collect money - gil - from treasure chests and defeated enemies, and use this money to buy equipment from various shops. Besides gil, players also collect various materials from defeated foes, treasure chests and shops. These materials can then be combined at certain locations into new pieces of equipment. While collecting materials can be difficult, this is ultimately less expensive than buying equipment straight up, making it a pretty significant decision throughout the game.
People Skills
The Crystal Bearers allows a second player to help out at a handful of specific points throughout the game, but is overall a single-player experience. As its storyline is quite linear, it doesn't have much of a focus on people skills.
Problem Solving
Problem solving in The Crystal Bearers mostly centers on combat. Navigating the game's world, buying equipment and finding hidden treasures are aspect of the game, the action segments that punctuate it regularly are the focus of the game. Players can pick up and throw any enemies or items, and often the challenge is to determine how to throw various items into each other to create the necessary effects. And early example involves beetle-like creatures; when thrown into each other they latch on and form a ball, which can then be rolled around to take out other foes.
Simulation
The Crystal Bearers is not a simulation game.
Popularity
The Crystal Bearers received mixed reviews from critics. While some appreciated the game’s brisker, more action-oriented pace and inventive use of the Wii controller, others bemoaned the lack of multiplayer support as found in other games in the Crystal Chronicles series. Many critics also found that the game lacked difficulty.
Controls & Options
The Crystal Bearers includes only standard audio and visual options.
Tips
The Crystal Bearers received a T from the ESRB with descriptors for Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language and Suggestive Themes. |