Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Ambitious"

Simply put, The Crystal Bearers is a solid experience.

The game follows Layle, a mercenary with unique power over gravity, as he tracks down a renegade from a lost civilization and ultimately unearths a conspiracy to usurp the throne. It takes place a thousand years after the first game in the Crystal Chronicles series, and features a lot more modern technology such as trains and guns. The story is told primarily through well-produced cutscenes that have a tendency to drag on a bit long. There's plenty of action and mystery, and the characters, especially Layle, are likable enough to warrant general interest from the player.

Gameplay in The Crystal Bearers is quite varied. The main action makes use of Layle's gravitational powers as fights monsters by lifting and tossing objects and other monsters. There's a bit of strategy in choosing the right combination of throws on certain enemies. As a simple example, a monster will explode upon contact with a torch, or a different monster will get stuck in the ground if tossed aside.
The combat controls are a bit iffy on occasion. Once you've locked onto an enemy/object, you can choose to flick it aside, or lift it, by swing the Wii remote in the corresponding direction. The game often misinterprets your motions, but that's rarely a game-breaker. Once you've lifted an object/enemy, you can point with the Wii remote to throw it in that direction. Pointing and clicking is pretty much flawless, but the unique style of fighting may not be for everyone.
Outside of combat, there are tons of special events that help advance the story. These include free-falling shoot-em-ups, exciting chase scenes, and a tense stealth mission. The minigames are hit-or-miss, but they're all plot-relevant and short enough to not be much of a pain. The overworld includes minigames of its own, including fishing, racing, and a simplified soccer-type game. Some players will find the game needlessly random, but most should enjoy the variety. It prevents the game from being stale.

Visually, the game is stunning. Ignoring the sheer amount of detail in everything, the art direction on display is incredible. The subterranean ruins are especially awe-inspiring, with giant fragments of an ancient civilization floating over black nothingness somehow pelted with mysterious rain. Altogether, it's a mystifying sight that is a blast to play through. Meanwhile, the central city of Alfitaria is a bustling blend of modern technology and fanciful magic. The rest of the world includes, among other things, grand, sweeping meadows, a monastery up in the frozen mountains, and a western-style cattle ranch. It's often worth your time to just wander around and take in the view.

Like the gameplay, the music has plenty of variety. The world feels more alive with its soundtrack comprised of epic orchestral melodies for royal areas, tranquil tunes for the rolling fields, and anthems that fuel the urge for exploration. Action sequences are accented by guitar-heavy ditties that help establish Layle's character as a lackadaisical badass. It's a nice change of pace from the generic fantasy tunes that usually accompany fights with dragons or sorcerers.
On the voice acting front, the writing isn't exactly... good, but the delivery of the lines is solid. There's a lot of made up fantasy words tossed into the dialogue, but just about every character sounds natural in their speech, especially the lead characters Layle and Belle.

Lengthwise, it should take most players between 8 and 15 hours to complete the story. Side quests and minigames add a few hours to the game's longevity, but the largest part of its replayability comes from its in-game achievement system. There are some 330 Medals to collect, each with three states: bronze, silver, and gold. There are also collectible emblems for Layle's jacket that should take a while to earn. Completionists will more than double their play time with all of these collectibles.

As a final note, I would like to take a moment to defend this game from its harsher critics.
I understand if you dislike the main gameplay, as it is a bit unorthodox, but to dislike a game because it isn't what you want it to be is unfair. Reviewers are supposed to evaluate a product for what it is, not what it isn't. And The Crystal Bearers is a well-made and unique game that's worth checking out with an open mind.