"Please trust" a new Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles will be made, producer says
"I feel regret for not being able to satisfy the fans."
Square Enix has released a short blog post celebrating the 20th anniversary of GameCube classic Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, in which the game's producer has said fans should "trust that one day a brand-new chapter will be added to their adventure".
Writing to acknowledge the game's 8th August anniversary, producer Akitoshi Kawazu seemed eager to work on a fresh title in the series.
"Personally, I feel regret for not being able to satisfy the fans who have been holding out hope for an all-new FFCC game," Kawazu said. "While there's so much I'd like to do, I just can't find the time to do it all. I know that the characters deserve to shine again, yet I've been unable to provide them with another adventure."
Kawazu added that "new trials do await" characters from previous games. "Please trust that one day, a brand-new chapter will be added to their adventure."
Crystal Chronicles was originally released on the GameCube and was the first Final Fantasy for a Nintendo home console since the release of the celebrated Final Fantasy 6.
A spin-off from the main series, Crystal Chronicles was a multiplayer co-op adventure known for its convoluted setup that required players to own four Game Boy Advance consoles each with a link cable connected to the GameCube.
When achieved, though, the game proved to be a charming adventure with beautiful graphics and sound.
The game was followed up by smaller games in the same world, such as WiiWare launch game My Life as a King and Wii game The Crystal Bearers.
However, there's been no new game in the series since 2009, besides the 2020 remaster released for modern consoles that removed the multi-console barrier of entry for multiplayer but lost some magic in the process.
Still, a new game in the series would be welcome for fans of the original (myself included).
The game's art director Toshiyuki Itahana has drawn a new illustration to mark the 20th anniversary.
What's next for Final Fantasy? Mobile game Ever Crisis is out next month, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is out early next year, and Final Fantasy 14's next expansion Dawntrail will also be coming to Xbox.