f one name stands out in gaming history it’s Final Fantasy and SquareEnix has decided to make the Crystal Chronicles brand a Nintendo-exclusive series. If anyone has contributed to the DS’s Quality collection it’s SquareEnix and the company has put tremendous stock in the success of Nintendo’s handheld; continuing to release games that are always raising the bar for what players expect on Nintendo’s systems. Final Fantasy’s Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates does exactly this.

The original Crystal Chronicles is probably the most underrated SquareEnix game to date and probably because of its dependency on needing a bunch of extra cables and hardware to play the multiplayer feature. Well Ring of Fates is much more user-friendly then its predecessor and should reign in the success that it deserves. The Ring of Fates is actually a Prequel to the original Crystal Chronicles Title on the Nintendo Game cube and is set thousands of years beforehand, before the Miasma filled the world and during the legendary "Golden Age" when all races lived in peace (mentioned in Crystal Chronicles).

"Ring of Fates incorporates the most beautiful & Impressive graphics on DS."

The actual story line is more personal then before where you follow actual main characters instead of customized ones. This adds a whole new dimension to the Crystal Chronicle world that any fan of the series should experience. Gameplay wise, it features a better single-player mode then the first making it an action role-playing game that's easy to enjoy with large amounts of replay value, even when your friends are not there to game along side you; something the original depended on to get it’s full feel. One of the biggest concerns when this game was announced was if you had to drag around the chalice again. Well this is not the case in Ring of Fates, which concentrates on a more interactive game style than before.

"Ring of Fates adds a whole new dimension to the Crystal Chronicle world that any fan of the series should experience..."

Like In many other SquareEnix games, the Job class system is utilized to bring a variety of abilities to the player but instead this is used through ‘Tribe’ Types which you can swap between whilst in game to use different abilities when needed through the Dungeons. After working your way through a dungeon and fighting the beasts that lay ahead, your character will level up and better weapons & Items. One thing that let this title down was the amount of fumbling between commands which sometimes renders you ineffective. This can easily be over looked as the game play, story and mechanics of Ring of Fates is very interesting and original.

Much like Crystal Chronicles the first, Ring of Fates biggest appeal is in its multiplayer mode and this is where it really gets fun. To experience this you and four friends must team up to fight together through the dungeons and even take quests from town. The game play is exactly the same as in the single-player experience, but without the issues that create excessive fumbling and messing around with controls like in single player mode. The only drawback to this wonderful feature is the experience of a lagging frame rate when at its peak of action.

"Much like Crystal Chronicles the first, Ring of Fates biggest appeal is in its multiplayer mode."

It’s really the game’s in depth story and feel that gives it the qualities of a SquareEnix gem. Whether a Crystal Chronicles fan or not, this game is a title needed in any DS collection. Though big Final Fantasy fans may appreciate it more than a general gamer, the Multi player mode is something any gamer will enjoy.

This game is not really for casual gamers though. Its 12-hour campaign can feel a little repetitive at some points but if you enjoy extensive stories to immerse your self in then this is a must have game.