Since the WiiWare launch, there are several titles available for download. One of them is Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King. If you are wondering whether to buy this game or not, just read my impressions below and you may save yourself some Wii Points:

General Overview

• If you hate sim games, don’t buy this game. But if you are like me that does, then its decent.
• Warning: can be very addicting
• Its not a traditional RPG game. It isn’t even close to an RPG.
• Most accurate description is Sim City with Final Fantasy settings.
• Length is decent, about 10-20 hours to complete the game.

Story

• Story is generic, could have been better.
• Only Chime has a good character development (on what little development there is).
• Oh, and your father? All the in-game facts hint to him being a bastard…
• Everybody else is a generic RPG stereotype.
• Ending is bad, its a little bit on the corny side.

Gameplay

• Game is divided into days, each lasting about 10 minutes.
• At the end of every day, a report about your adventurers and finances are briefed by Chime.
• Finances are dependent upon the amount and type of residential buildings in your city
• Game can be completed in about 150 days.
• You don’t have much control over the battle aspects.
• You don’t see the battles; They are automatic and AI rendered.
• You only provide the objective and the means for your warriors.
• Defeating a boss earns you a medal which you can give to the one who defeated it.
• Medals affects warrior AI and stats.
• After everything is built, game becomes extremely repetitive, espescially talking to all your villagers.
• DLC is mostly worthless, not really worth it.
• Only the races, and the dungeon packs are worth it.
• Chime’s bikini is something to look forward to
• Even then, the race’s jobs are fixed. Selkies are thieves, Lilties are warriors, Male Yukes are Black Mages, Female Yukes are white mages.
• Daytime music is bad. Can get very annoying.

Hints and Tips

• The large house and other racial houses (Yuke Shack, Selkie Huts, Lilty Den) are the most efficient for earning money in game at 20gil/square. Large House can only be unlocked in Hard and Very Hard mode.
• Want to plan and layout your city in advanced? The use this tool.
• Luxurious house is pointless once you get it. You’ll already have 9999 gil by that time. Only worth it in new game+ since all the buildings are carried over. But it still still efficient at about 17.5gil/square which is better than spacious houses.
• Spacious house is also good at 15gil/square. Most of your city will be composed of this building on your first normal playthrough.
• Small house is only good early game. Its the least efficient at 10gil/square. Dismantle them as soon as you can afford Spacious houses.
• Special medals can only be obtained if your citizens have a high morale rating. Even then, the chance is pretty much random.
• Morale is important in this game, so be prepared to always use the “Increase Morale!” command everyday and talk to ALL the townspeople (increasing morale spheres AND family relations).
• Family relations affect the length of a typical day.
• High family relations will let you see the city at night.
• Night-time music at the Crystal is nice listening to.
• An adventurer’s daily salary is dependent upon its level and pay rank
• Increase pay ranks at the guild hall to increase your adventurer’s salaries.
• Morale also affects how long warriors will rest after they have been KO’d.
• High morale will get them up and running the next day, low morale will keep them down for about 3 days.
• Build your black mage’s houses (hint hint: Yuke Shacks) around the Black Mage Academy to gain a bonus on their Intellect.
• In the same way, build your white mage’s houses (also Yukes) around the White Mage Academy to gain a bonus on their Willpower.
• Guild Halls can be demolished once you have maxed pay ranks and warrior capacity. Only side effect is that behests loses a bit of their discount and will rise in price.
• The proper way to use shrines is to wait until your warriors encounters the boss, then immediately pray to the stat-up shrines. Wait for a delay of about 5-10 seconds, then use the HP recovery shrine.

Playing on VERY HARD mode? Here’s a walkthrough

Hope all these tips will help you in the game.