In 2004, Square Enix released Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, a GameCube adventure with a heavy multiplayer focus. This year, the publisher rolls out its DS sequel, titled Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates. While the core mechanics remain the same, the game contains new content to please both fans and newcomers alike.

Although the original Crystal Chronicles offers enjoyable, four player mayhem, it lacked a strong, single player component. This is not the case with Ring of Fates. Although Square Enix touts the multiplayer, solo gamers will enjoy a story driven adventure complimented by beautiful music, impressive computer generated sequences and plenty of character interaction. The developers haven't revealed too much about the narrative, but gamers play as a boy named Yuri, who along with his sister Cherinka goes on an adventure in a time when a strange and powerful crystal dominates people's lives.

Unlike most Final Fantasy games, Ring of Fates features real time combat, as opposed to complex turn based battles. Gamers merely walk up to an enemy and press A to attack, or they can cast spells by activating multi-colored orbs; each hue corresponding to a different attack. The red orb, for example, casts fire while the blue orb freezes enemies with ice. Fire-based enemies require a blue orb to die, since water beats fire.

Players control the characters using the d-pad. The top screen contains the playfield, while the bottom displays the map as well as the item screen. However, gamers can swap the screens around by tapping the right trigger, a necessary action for casting spells. To cast one, players select the desired orb on the touch screen (tapping it with stylus or finger), press and hold the right trigger to swap screens and then tap the enemy they want to attack.

Throughout the course of the adventure, players run into all sorts of monsters and familiar faces from the Final Fantasy universe, such as the moogle. They'll also happen upon chests that contain useful items. In addition, characters can pick up enemies and friends. Grabbing a foe allows them to chuck their adversary off a cliff or attack it, while hoisting a friend gives them access to previously unreachable areas or an easier way to leap across a chasm.

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