3-11-2008		8-23-2007
	3-19-2008		-

The holy presence of the Great Crystal is all that shields the planet from the ominous glow of the evil Crimson moon.
Into this precarious world is born a special set of siblings, twins sharing powers fully realized only when combined.
The promising fate of these innocents is soon in peril, as the moon's alluring light threatens to steer it astray.
Every fate is etched in detail within the Great Crystal...

Ring of Fates is a prequel to the Original Crystal Chronicles, released on the Gamecube. Though there are a few similarities between the two, Ring of Fates is definitely a step up from its parent game.
Released in 2008, Ring of Fates uses the dual screen of the DS. This time, there is a twist to it. Most of the game itself takes place on the top screen, while the touch screen is mainly used for items, menu's and commands. This was fantastic, in the fact that all of that was removed from the gaming action, and screen. This allowed for a better view of what was going on around you, enabling to get see battles and maps far better than before. This I found was a great enjoyment of the game.
The story of Ring of Fates is solid. It takes place thousands of years before the first game, and revolves around a set of twins, and their struggles. The crystals of the original are now a single crystal that protects the lands from the effects of the blood-red moon. The story is grand for a hand held game, and is easy to get immersed into. There are major plot turns, and great characters that add to the story, making it very fulfilling.
The graphics are good for the DS, but the CG scenes are the creme del a creme of this point. There has been some major advancements where CG on the DS is concerned. The beauty and detail of the scenes are far above that of Final Fantasy III's release just a couple of years ago. The graphics are very well done for sprites, and show a lot of detail and color range. It is both pleasant to the eyes, as well as making for a more fun gaming experience. There is certainly no let down for graphics in the game. And, as said before, the CG is just stunning for a small device. The cut scenes are done well too. They are not too drawn out, or out of place in the game, as to take away from it. The scenes actually make for a higher anticipation of what is to come next.
The music is well done, and sounds great on the DS. Composer Kumi Tanioka (who worked on the soundtrack for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles) outdid the original game, but left in enough of the original to not disappoint the fans. The rustic themes were kept in place from the original, but were made more melodic, and updated. Some of the finer Crystal Chronicle scores are found in Ring of Fates.
When released, Ring of Fates was given a 35/40 from Famitsu Magazine, and a 7/10 from Nintendo Power. Kane Ikin from Alchemy SBS Radio gave the game 3.5 out of 5 saying that "... It has a lot of excellent features but it really is a game best shared with a friend..." And this is true. Like Crystal Chronicles, this is best when more players are playing. But they did make the single player mode far more enjoyable than the first. They learned...
If you are looking for a great multi-player RPG for the DS, this is certainly a great one to grab a hold of. If you are looking for a good game, with a great story, this is a great choice as well. Ring of Fates has reinstated my faith in the Crystal Chronicles series as a whole. It is a great game to play, and has set high anticipation for The Crystal Bearers on the Wii.

Ring of Fates Intro