When someone says RPG, the name Final Fantasy almost invariably pops into everyone’s mind. The series is responsible for some of the most epic moments in gaming history, and for creating some of the most iconic characters as well. From deadly villains like Sephiroth, to the lovable Moogles, Final Fantasy features a little something for everyone. One of the most recognizable characters from the series is the Chocobo. While Chocobos make for a great part of the series, a stand-alone game may just make you "choke." (Yeah, I said it.)
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon thrusts players right into the action. A short scene sets the back-story for the game. You have been transported to a strange town full of lively characters with some weird issues. Initially, the town seems a peaceful place, set apart from the rest of the world. But, as is usually the case, all is not as it seems. The town has a large clock-tower in the center of it with a mysterious bell.
Each time the bell rings, the townspeople inexplicably lose their memories. Strangely, they’re happy about this predicament. This is, essentially, the main conflict of the game. It is at this point that the first serious problem with Chocobo’s Dungeon becomes evident: this is a kids’ game, and nothing more. In fact, the dungeons in the game consist of nothing more than peoples’ memories. And just how do you get into someone’s memory? Why, it just so happens that a magic baby with green hair falls out of the sky and hatches from an egg! This further reinforces the point that this is, indeed, a game for children.
But even with its convoluted story, it still does have the Final Fantasy name on it, so it has to have some redeeming qualities, right? Not a chance.
Adding to the oddball story, Chocobo’s Dungeon features one of the worst control schemes for a game that I can remember. I know it’s the Wii, but this inexcusable. Motion is controlled by using the D-pad. There is no option to use the nunchuck in the game. To access the item inventory or the special attack list, players must either sift through a menu each time, or press an awkward button combination that requires two hands on the Wii remote.
On top of the poor control scheme, the game is downright boring. Each dungeon is based on a grid. Every time you move, the computer characters move. When you get in range, you hit them with the A button. Each time you take a turn, you recover a little HP. It’s very cut and dry (very, very dry).
Because of the recovering health system, if you find yourself in need of a boost, just stand there and press the attack button. That way Chocobo doesn’t move and you continually gain HP, making the game ridiculously easy. But while it is easy to take down opponents, moving is a painstaking process.
Walking diagonally is like pulling teeth at times. Diagonal movement was an issue with the first systems to come out. It shouldn’t be a problem in 2008.
The graphics don’t do a whole lot to alleviate the headache that the gameplay is either. The game looks like you would expect a Wii game to look but without the creativity of something like Mario or Zelda. What hurts its score most, however, is the sheer lack of imagination when it comes to the level design. Almost every dungeon in the game looks the same. And while they are randomly generated, the lack of color or detail is prevalent in every one. The character design is decent, but nothing spectacular.
Compounding the lack of imagination with the visuals, the sound is poor, especially when it comes to the voice acting. There are odd pauses in between lines and the delivery of the voice actors is poor at best. Battle sounds are also strange and really don’t do a lot to help the overall presentation of the game.
Overall, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon is a mediocre game aimed at children. Don’t let the Final Fantasy name fool you. This is not an epic RPG that lives up to its namesake. It’s a poorly designed, badly flawed game. It might just make you "choke." (I did it twice!)
It gets 2 GiN Gems out of 5 for being another sub-par Wii game.