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CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
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Product summary
Final Fantasy flavorings keep this dungeon crawler enjoyable for fans in spite of some tiresome and frustrating elements.
Specifications: ESRB: Everyone 10 and older; Genre: Games - role playing game (RPG); Elements: Role playing game (RPG) - action RPG; See full specs
Price range: $38.99 - $39.99
Gamespot editors' review
- Reviewed on: 07/23/2008
- Released on: 07/08/2008
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon marks the third time Square Enix has paired dungeon-crawling with the world's most adorable yellow bird, capitalizing on the public's seemingly insatiable appetite for anything with a cutesy Final Fantasy theme. The game is an aesthetically pleasing continuation of its PlayStation predecessors, boasting charming visuals and soft melodies. It also introduces a job-changing system as popularized by Final Fantasy Tactics. But don't let its endearing, child-friendly exterior fool you: Chocobo's Dungeon is an intense, often grueling challenge for even experienced dungeon crawlers.
Chocobo's Dungeon opens with treasure hunter Cid and his feathery sidekick, Chocobo, searching for an ancient trinket known as Timeless Power. A familiar foe beats them to it, however, and then uses the bobble to send our heroes to the town of Lostime in an alternate world. The citizens of Lostime harbor a dark secret that has been sealed inside their lost memories, and only Chocobo, with the aid of a boy who fell from the sky, can unlock them by braving the dungeons of their minds.
The bulk of the gameplay occurs in randomly generated, grid-based dungeons that you explore in a turn-based manner. Moving a single panel, or performing any action qualifies as a move, which prompts every monster on the floor to receive a turn. The beauty of Chocobo's Dungeon is that some strategy is required to keep Chocobo in tip-top shape, because it's far better to ambush enemies in hallways or lure foes to you than to go on a rampage and find that you're quickly surrounded and overwhelmed. You'll also have to keep an eye on the constantly draining food gauge because starvation saps Chocobo's health points. If you run out of health points, your bruised, broken chocobo is immediately kicked from the dungeon. A welcome addition that'll help tip the scale in your favor, however, is the ability to upgrade your weapons and armor at the local blacksmith's forge. There, you can even transfer seals that imbue equipment with special effects, which enable you to customize your gear for the trials ahead.
Differentiating Chocobo's Dungeon from the slew of other dungeon crawlers is the inclusion of the job-changing system made famous in Final Fantasy Tactics and recent games in the series. Chocobo can now embrace the ways of the black mage, dragoon, or ninja at will and use numerous spells or abilities that are faithful to the franchise, as well as don adorable class-specific gear. You're free to level your favorite jobs by defeating enemies for the occasional job point, though there are times when playing a particular job has its benefits; curing yourself as a white mage is a definite boon during boss fights and casting elemental spells as a black mage is an effective strategy against a monster with a specific weakness. The addition of popular monsters from the franchise--from tonberries and cactuars to powerful summons like Ifrit and Leviathan--is another treat that successfully blends Final Fantasy with dungeon-crawling gameplay.
Despite the game's cutesy Final Fantasy theme and its simple gameplay mechanics, surviving Chocobo's Dungeon can be an arduous journey involving a lot of luck, which cheapens the experience. In some instances, the game will seem too easy, like when you enter a dungeon right next to a staircase that moves you on to the next floor or when the majority of your enemies can die with a single attack. At other times, the game's heavy reliance on random, invisible traps can ruin a dungeon run from the onset because it's hardly feasible for you to walk around kicking empty air to check it for traps before each move. This makes it much more likely that you'll be pummeled by washtubs, flare spells, and rock falls. You're also more likely to summon monster traps that'll finish you off before you've even begun exploring, and each dungeon loss costs you all of the gil, as well as unequipped items, you have on hand.
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Where to buy
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Wii):
$38.99 - $39.99
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$39.99 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$39.56 | Yes |
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Amazon.com
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$39.99 | Yes |
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