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Crystal Defenders

EMAIL PRINTxbox360

7.6 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 15 critic reviews
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Based on 9 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Tose

Genre(s): Action

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: March 11, 2009

Summary

[Xbox Live Arcade] Protect your party's crystals from encroaching monster hordes in Crystal Defenders, a defensive strategy game featuring characters from Final Fantasy Tactics A2. Deploy your various units in strategic locations to prevent the enemy from escaping the area with your crystals. Favorite characters: Popular characters such as Black Mages and Soldiers are used from Final Fantasy Tactics A2. Use them to protect your crystals. Tons of gameplay: Over 300 stages of action are included with three different game versions. Try W1 to learn game basics, W2 where Power Crystals are introduced for deeper, more detailed strategies, and W3 that features complex maps and fierce monsters to challenge even the most seasoned players. Fun and intuitive: The simple, multi-faceted game system is easy for a novice to pick up, and hard for a veteran to put down. [Square Enix]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

WonderwallWeb

Crystal Defenders is a very original game for the Xbox Arcade scene and is a real challenge to play.

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Console Monster

Unfortunately it falls short on map variety, and graphical polish, which is what is stopping me from really recommending this game.

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X360 Magazine UK

The tactical pace of events will ensure you won't feel ripped off, making this an inoffensive enough waste of time for fans of the genre or the Final Fantasy series. [Issue#45, p.101]

Games Radar (in-house)

Crystal Defenders doesn’t do much that’s new or revolutionary, but with very slim tower defense competition on the 360, it’s an addictive distraction.

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Cheat Code Central

The tactics are fairly simple (especially considering their source material) and the small scope of the game will turn off many who expect more depth from their tower defense titles. The game also looks too much like a mobile title for a console port, and it just doesn't really stand up as its own tactics title.

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Meristation

Square Enix's Crystal Defenders is just a correct game and one of the weak tower defense-style games of the last months. Challenging, but not specially deep; fun, but too short. For people who have never played a game like this, it can be a nice option, but definitely not for the hardcore gamers who are waiting for a new Ninja Town.

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Gamervision

Odds are if you have access to any other console, there are plenty of better tower defense games to enjoy.

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Official Xbox Magazine

Yes, people, it finally happened - a phone game's been ported to Xbox Live Arcade! [June 2009, p.79]

IGN

As both the first Square Enix game and the first tower defense game on Xbox Live Arcade, Crystal Defenders is a disappointment. Yes, it succeeds in providing a tower defense experience with Final Fantasy job classes, but what’s the real value in that? There is a ton of content here, with hundreds of stages to plow through, but I was bored and unimpressed in the first five minutes.

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GameFocus

Regardless of the decent strategic elements that Crystal Defenders offers, the fact that there is no story, any sort of progression or reward makes this a hard game to recommend to anyone. With so many other quality tower defense games available, you would have assumed something set in the Final Fantasy universe would have given gamers a better experience rather than something so completely basic.

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GameSpot

This Final Fantasy-themed tower defense game is bland and uninspired.

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Team Xbox

Okay, there are some compelling strategies at the heart of Crystal Defenders, so it might draw you in for a while—in one of those “Why am I still playing this game?” moments—but it’s such a dull presentation that it ends up dragging down the whole gameplay concept.

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Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

A good game in its original form, but a port so shoddy can't be encouraged. [June 2009, p.95]

Gaming Age

It's like PixelJunk Monsters without the heart and soul.

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Teletext GameCentral

Not only a poorly disguised mobile game but one of the shallowest Tower Defence strategy games ever.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

jacoby k gave it a9:
The graphics are certainly poor, but the gameplay is absolutely addicting. if you're into tower defense, and happen to love the final fantasy genre, this game is a must!

jorma o gave it a0:
Straight copy of a FREE game playable on web browser. How could have been Square Enix put name on this product? Even animation of the characters is not good. Rate 0.

hans house gave it a9:
Well...Its a Tower Defense Game with a Final Fantasy Theme. Thats what i wanted and i am totaly pleased with it. Nothing to complain about.

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