So today I got my copy, and I can tell you this much, I cannot put it down. Rarely will a game take me a way from a Zelda, though this game has. The last few days I've been playing Spirit Tracks, and focusing on that, but with this game I find it hard to stop playing. Actually the only reason I'm typing this is because I can't eat and play the Wii at the same time. :D Anyway, I just want to mention my opinion on the game, and how relevant it is to what some people are spouting - from those who both have played the game as well as those who haven't. So some of the main concerns were the Camera, Controls, and the inclusion of Mini Games and the exclusion of traditional RPG gameplay. Those are what I am going to get out of the way first.
Camera - Yes as a default it must use the D-Pad as a camera, and yes I found it a problem in gameplay sometimes. What I do want to note though, is that it is nowhere near as bad as some are making it out to be. I mean there are dozens upon dozens of other great games, with a camera far from as sufficient as this one. So yes the camera is annoying, though you will only notice it with faster enemies.
Controls- I really do not see where this is coming from. The controls are not only fine they are great in my opinion. It uses a combination of the IR and gestures. Out of the 5 hours I have played so far I can only recall the controls acting up twice, and it had very little relevance to the battle scheme.
Mini Games- Yes there are a bunch of Mini-Games, though they are incorporated into the story, and have much more depth than you may think. Also, no that isn't the entire focus of the game. The battle system so far has a little bit of depth, but not as much as I would like. Still it is fun, and that is all I really care about. Also the game feels more like a hybrid of linear Jrpg themes, as well as non-linear Action-Adventure ones. I would say it leans more toward the RPG side due to the level design, which btw is much like that of the older games, though at a larger scale.
As for the length complaint, I cannot speak for it, though I have put 5hrs into it so far, and do not think I touched much passed the surface.
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Some bad things that are not mentioned by people, and what I consider much more important.
Over the top cutscenes - This is a problem I have with the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole since the CGI age. It seems to me that they are trying to make the cutscenes more "EPIC" than they should be, and in my opinion that is something that degrades the story of the game, though as I will be mentioning later the story is probably the best part of the game excluding the adventuring aspects.
Character Interaction - You can talk to pretty much two or four people in a city of hundreds for example. While you can throw them around(which is a lot of fun in itself) they would definitely have to add more verbal interaction in my opinion for a sequel(if there is one with the backlash from those who haven't even played the game.)
Battle Depth - As I mentioned earlier, the game doesn't seem to have much depth so far in this area. This is probably the most dissapointing aspect of it, considering how much I was hyped for that, but still as I said the Battles are still fun, and optional. As they aren't a big part of the game, I rarely care. The game is more adventuring focused.
Too Easy - Yes the game is quite easy. You can't really die in it. There isn't much more to say, but it is easy.
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The best parts of it.
Exploration and Atmosphere - This is probably why I love it so much. As my favorite thing to do in an RPG or Action-Adventure or any game is exploring. While there isn't many secret areas, you will love to explore to the great atmosphere made by the combination of a realistic world(though the style doesn't follow this), good music, and a great art style. The Graphics are probably some of the best on the Wii and the art style as I just said, is top tier as well. It reminds me of a combination of the Zelda series, FFX/FFXII, and the Overlord games. The scale of the world is quite impressive too, though I'm not going to say that it is one of the biggest - well so far anyway.
Story - It is quite typical, though it does leave you thinking - especially about the characters. The writing, voice-acting, and as I said over the top "epic" scenes do hinder it in my opinion, but to others some of these could be rewarding qualities. I will definitely say I am interested in how it will progress so far, but some things are predictable. I do say that it is a good part of the game.
Sound - I already mentioned this slightly early, though the music while not consistent in terms of type fits the environments very well. I'd say almost perfectly.
Something I do also want to mention. THIS GAME FITS PERFECTLY AS A CRYSTAL CHRONICLES GAME IN TERMS OF HOW WELL THEY DESIGNED THE WORLD TO FIT THAT OF THE OTHER GAMES. BECAUSE OF THAT, I FIND ANYBODY WHO CALLS IT A SPINOFF OF A SPINOFF LAUGHABLE. If it wasn't part of the series, I would relate it the most with the other Crystal Chronicles games. The level design, atmosphere, cutscenes, and characters fit perfectly. The only thing that differs is the battle system really...
Overall this game is definitely in my top ten Wii games, and I do say it is MUCH MUCH MUCH better than some games more highly appraised such as Madworld, No More Heroes, and the Conduit. Though again that is my opinion. I do have to say that it wasn't what I hoped for a year ago, but it is still a great game, and definitely not the bad thing some people are spouting it to be.
Essay Pro