Forget Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is the Square Enix remaster I'm looking forward to in 2020. While the rework of Cloud's iconic journey is sure to impress, there's just a certain uniqueness to Crystal Chronicles that I need to relive. The game's novel approach to couch co-op asked a lot of players, but it also payed off in spades. I want to experience that shared journey again. There's just one problem: Square Enix has said nothing about there being couch co-op in the remaster.
A Tale Of Game Boys And Link Cables
I still remember taking my Game Boy Advance, cables, and bag of batteries to my best friend's house. After plugging in, we tried to stick his little brother on crystal duty. It didn't take. He would run into battle, dropping the chalice and leaving us to suffocate in the miasma. We made it out because my friend grabbed the chalice as I spammed Cure.
For those who don't know what any of that means, the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles took advantage of one of Nintendo's more obscure experiments. The GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable did as the name implied; one end of the cable went into the GameCube controller port and the other plugged into the top of the GBA. Most games that used this cable did so in very superficial ways. Usually it unlocked a mini-game on the GBA or let you use the handheld as a crude mini-map for a GameCube game. Crystal Chronicles, however, pushed the connection to its limits.
A GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable and accompanying GBA was required for each player in Crystal Chronicles. This is because, as an RPG, everyone had their own equipment and loot. The developers wisely used the second screen provided by the GBA as a personal menu. That made it so anyone could stop at anytime to rearrange items without pausing the action on the big screen. The player's character would just auto-follow the party as they dug into their menus.
Co-op was the best way to play Crystal Chronicles. The story lent itself perfectly to it. In the game's world, a deadly miasma blanketed the land. Players and their people only lived because of the aura of the crystals. To keep this magic going, parties would delve into the miasma to collect special dew that powered the crystals. Their protection while outside was a small crystal that one player had to carry with them. Players had to move as one or risk getting picked off as they ran blindly into the miasma. Teamwork was built into the very premise of Crystal Chronicles. Even today's biggest multiplayer games could learn a thing or two about fostering communication from Crystal Chronicles.
New Online Multiplayer!
Which leads us to E3 2019, where Square Enix announced Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. Like most remasters, it will keep the same gameplay but upscale the visuals. There will also be a few additions like new equipment, extra bosses, and online multiplayer. Which is great. More content is always welcome, and online multiplayer might help fans of this niche game find one another. Things got suspicious, however, when fans noticed that online was the only multiplayer style mentioned.
In weeks following E3, fans began to ask how local co-op would work. The PS4 could connect to a Vita, and the Switch might be able to link to 3DS. But would Square Enix put in that work for a simple remaster? This isn't a complete remake like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. And how would the iOS and Android versions incorporate a second screen?
The next time the game was highlighted was Tokyo Games Show. Again, the trailer made a point of celebrating the cross-platform online multiplayer. But even with fans asking about local co-op, there was no word from Square Enix on the return of that feature. As it stands now, the game's official page and Nintendo page only make mention of online multiplayer. One interesting development comes from gaming site Co-Optimus. In their E3 coverage, they note that "previous material we received concerning this game indicated there would be couch co-op, however, there has been no confirmation of this feature from Square Enix."
Square Enix Needs To Say Something
At this point, the outcome seems clear. There's no way to directly port Crystal Chronicles' novel local co-op to the modern platforms it's coming to. Online multiplayer is probably meant to be the solution to this issue. But it won't be the same. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was at its best when everyone was in the same room, bickering over who gets crystal duty and celebrating hard-won victories. If online is the only form of multiplayer, Square Enix should say so sooner rather than later. Better to let fans down now and give them a chance to accept the remaster for what it is, and not what we want it to be.