Crystal Defenders- Square Enix takes a shot at iPhone TD (too bad their aim sucks...)

[Ashyukun]

So browsing through the new apps this morning as I usually do, I was very happily surprised to see that a Final Fantasy-based Tower Defense game from Square Enix had been released- and better yet, there was a free trial version of it (http://appshopper.com/games/crystal-defenders-lite). Once I could get to a WiFi connection (thanks again for not letting us download apps over 10MB over 3G, /ATT!) I snagged it and played through it over lunch.

Unfortunately, I was sorely underwhelmed. With the kind of talent Square has I was expecting MUCH more- not what's obviously an almost direct port of a game originally coded for more 'standard' cell phones. In theory, I think the game works very well- unfortunately after playing Fieldrunners and Tap Defense and knowing that this isn't some small developer, the implementation just really leaves a bad taste in my mouth- that they're charging more than Fieldrunners and 7 Cities (which has been tempting me for a while) for it just makes it all the worse.

 

[mkrishnan]

It's interesting, I could only find this:

http://kotaku.com/5115791/crystal-defenders-final-fantasy-game-hits-iphone

Really, since it had been released (several articles pre-release). Sorry you're not happy with it... I agree with you, though, I have pretty high standards and hopes for Square.

 

[Ashyukun]

It's interesting, I could only find this:

http://kotaku.com/5115791/crystal-defenders-final-fantasy-game-hits-iphone

Finally found what I had seen earlier- Crystal Defenders is a port of their Japanese cell phone game Crystal Guardians.

I don't mind that it's a port so much as it really feels like they put the minimum amount of effort possible into porting it. It barely integrates the touch screen at all whereas all the other TD games on the iPhone that I've seen make very good use of it, and the game makes horrid use of the screen real estate as a result. I'd probably be a bit more forgiving if it weren't as established and massive a company as Square, but anything coming from them (like any of the 'real' gaming companies) had better be polished to a mirror finish before releasing. It's just hard to believe that nobody there apparently even looked at any of the other offerings out there and realized how off-the-mark they are.

 

[Pressure]

I were also extremely underwhelmed by the efforts of Square-Enix.

 

[gospel9]

As it turns out, the game looked like it was designed for the iPod (clickwheel)

Link to iPod Crystal Defenders:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewGame?id=300321946&s=143455

It actually looks better, and the physical buttons make sense (as opposed to virtual onscreen directional pad...)


It was a simple port with almost no additional efforts. Apparently, the guys at Square-enix have forgotten about marketing research as well...

 

[firteen888]

Downloaded the lite version and thought it was garbage. I'd be embarrased to be square enix and put out a game like this when fieldrunners and towerdefense (which is free) completely blow it away. A game like this has no use for a virtual d-pad, especially one that takes up HALF the screen!! I hope they at least realize the game is garbage.

 

[Ashyukun]

I hope they at least realize the game is garbage.

Unfortunately I kind of doubt that, given how much they're trying to charge for the full version of the game...

 

[yegon]

Big disappointment. Appalling use of the touch screen like others have said.

 

[akm3]

Unfortunately I kind of doubt that, given how much they're trying to charge for the full version of the game...

Unfortunately, people WILL pay it just because it is Square. And they will ignore/discount the smaller developers and assume the Square game is the best and the others are worse. Square will make a ton of money for no effort.

I call this the 'EA Effect'

 

[Ashyukun]

Unfortunately, people WILL pay it just because it is Square. And they will ignore/discount the smaller developers and assume the Square game is the best and the others are worse. Square will make a ton of money for no effort.

I call this the 'EA Effect'

Sadly from reading through the ratings for the full version of the game, you appear to be correct. Even people complaining about the control scheme occasionally give it five stars. I have to find it a bit ironic that the Lite version is getting lower scores... I would have more figured that people who paid $8 for the game would have more of a beef with the state of the game given having to pay for it... but I guess perhaps those of us who checked out the free version are a bit less invested in it and less likely to delude ourselves that it was worth it...