Developer/Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: RPG
Price: $12.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch
Verdict: A game that is big in scope and beauty, yet small enough to fit in your pocket.
Pros: The controls, the gameplay, the music.
Cons: Still a bit pricey for most gamers, not much else.
For years now, the folks at Square Enix have solidly rumbled their way through the gaming landscape. I have been a fan of both their Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts franchises. They know how to make games that intrigue their audience, often times taking us to places fantastic and alluring. To be certain, I have spent my fare share of hard-earned dollars on chances to catch glimpses of the universes that Square Enix has taken me to. And so, it was with a great deal of anticipation that I downloaded Chaos Rings, the latest iPhone offering from Square Enix.
At the outset you find yourself in a castle stronghold with a partner and several other pairs of would-be warriors. Early on, someone notes that there must be a reason that people have been drawn to this fortress with a partner, a point that will be revealed as the game unfolds.
Once you have stepped out beyond the castle walls you find yourself in a nicely rendered wilderness. You’ll guide your character through shaded woods and over icy cliffs. Along the way, you’ll also encounter crystal portals which will transport you into underground catacombs. There’s a lot more to take in here and your character will appear smaller, compared to other settings. But the lights on the wall reflect on the marbled floors and your character casts a shadow as they jog along, so that attention to detail is consistent no matter what your setting.
The catacombs not only provide an environments in which to battle, but also provide puzzles which you’ll encounter and have to solve. These are in line with the sorts of puzzles you’d find in a Tomb Raider game. You might need to slide some blocks around to activate triggers which will allow you to enter the next chamber. It’s a nice addition to this turn based outing.
The turn-based combat is nicely rendered. When a mainstream developer gets their hands on the iPhone hardware its amazing how good it can really look. I’m not knocking some of the simple and fun games that are coming out of independent publishers everywhere, but Chaos Rings looks like it could be a scaled down version of a PS1 or PS2 outing. It really looks that good. I have played some games that look pretty good, but are a total “bonk” on gameplay. This game really is firing on all cylinders.
Speaking of the combat, there is an interesting aspect to the in-game confrontations. As you encounter enemies in Chaos Rings, you will need to make a decision whether your pair of combatants will attack as a single unit or divide and conquer. This decision is made at the beginning of each phase of the battle, so you can have a combined attack in round one and split your attentions in round two.
As you battle in Chaos Rings you will gain experience points and level up. That said, experience is only one way to improve your characters. In between adventures you can travel back to the fortress to upgrade your armor and weapons. Items found can be sold for additional credits which can be turned into in-game character enhancements.
Chaos Rings utilizes an onscreen virtual joystick to move your character around the screen. I have played and reviewed several games for the iPhone that have utilized some kind of onscreen virtual joystick. And, inevitably, I have been thoroughly unsatisfied with this experience. More often that not, I have felt that these joysticks have been unresponsive, poorly positioned, or – in some cases – both. This is not the case with Chaos Rings. The joystick essentially appears wherever you set your finger down and is effective at controlling the character. The screens are also laid out in such a way that there are some intuitive places to initiate the movement.
As far as interacting with the environment goes, it uses a very simple approach. Whether you want to talk to a character, open a door, or examine a chest, you simply need to look for exclamation marks on the screen. Walk up to the item or person in question and the action is initiated. The conversations between your character and NPC’s will take place in a turn based fashion with nice crisp artwork of the characters faces. Expressions will change, based on the situation. As I’ve already indicated, the designers of Chaos Rings have put a good deal of time into their game and that eye for detail really ups the enjoyment of the overall adventure.
The sound is extremely well done. In my opinion, its certainly a game that should be experienced with earbuds. The opening theme to Chaos Rings is a grand, orchestrated piece which really sets the stage for the adventure that the player will embark on. Strings, percussion, horns, and chimes all come together to paint an aural interpretation of the mountains and forests that will be encountered during the journey. And because there is no need to tilt or twist the iPhone you won’t need to worry about twisting up your earbud cord.
Aside from the possible price issue (we’ve all been semi-trained to pay a buck or two for our apps), Chaos Rings should really wow gamers and give them a lot of enjoyable moments. My advice ? Get it now so you can enjoy it during the hot summer months.
Square Enix have been the masters of the RPG genre since before I was born. Yes, thats right, I said it: BEFORE I WAS BORN! They have created some of the most memorable games in the history of the hobby, so when it was announced that they were developing a RPG custom-designed for the iPhone, fanboys got a little excited. As you can tell by the 
In what may be the most ambiguous project announcement ever, SquareEnix has announced that they are currently porting Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II to the iPhone and iPod Touch. The announcement was posted on the company’s Facebook page with a few screen shots and the following text:
