"This game makes my head hurt...but in a good way."

Let me start out by saying that I haven't done many reviews, but I felt that My Life as a King warranted some special attention. I'm not a huge Final Fantasy nut and have only briefly played previous Crystal Chronicle games, but I really enjoyed this game (to the point where I got a headache from looking at a tv for too long). Also, note that I have yet to purchase any down loadable content so this review is based off the basic game. Anyway, here's the breakdown.

Story-
No mind blowing plot here, but it helps the game along well enough. You control a 10 year old silent protagonist who also happens to be a king (you name him). Apparently his father, the actual king has been missing for some time and his kingdom has mysteriously vanished. Fortunately, you quickly gain the ability to create buildings using magic so that the inhabitants of the kingdom can return. The catch is that it takes up crystal like resources to fuel this magic and your town crystal runs short after only a few uses. Enter adventures, town folk who are willing to brave the wilderness to harvest resources for you and keep the peace. The more they explore, the more building types you will have access to and the more you can continue to support them and the other people of the kingdom. Other elements, such as the the disappearance of the king and the significance of the magic bestowed on you are unveiled as you reach certain checkpoints in the game. Overall, interesting concept for a game. I wouldn't call it the highlight of the game, but I didn't find any glaring flaws.

Graphics/Sound-
Nicely done, considering how small a file this game is. The town music may get dull for some over time from the sheer amount of times that you will hear it, but I enjoyed it (I never resorted to mute). There's a bit of variety because the music will change the larger your city grows and gets more upbeat to match the volume of daily activities. Sound effects were well done, each important action or notification being unique. Graphics...meh. I never like rating graphics because I don't see the point, but I'll just say that they fit the game well, looked decent, and did their job. No complaints here.

Game play-
It's been said before and it will be said again. This game is surprisingly addicting. I literally got a headache from playing this game too long. Since the king is unable to actually fight monsters (which the game will constantly remind you of in cut scenes), you get to spend all of your time managing the city. This consists of reviewing adventurer logs, funds, and posting bequests (board requests?) at the beginning of each day and then assigning adventurers to do them. While your adventurers are out there exploring, you can spend your time building, upgrading shops (once you earn them), or talking to town folk to raise morale (another stat). I liked how the game play, as repetitive as it might seem, didn't ever get boring (for 15 hours so far). Maybe it was because I wanted to see the city grow. Maybe is was how the game play changes the further into the game I got (managing bigger things like city remodeling and shops instead of individuals). Maybe it was just the charm of a game that seemed fresh and light-hearted. Who knows; but whatever it was, I liked it.

Overall-
For $15, this is a steal. Extra content or not, this is a great game that did what it set out to do and did it well: make you have fun. Now I'm not saying this game is for everyone. As fore mentioned, I'm not a huge Final Fantasy fan and this game is NOT like any other FF game out there (in game play anyway), so don't buy it expecting it to be. On the other hand, this game provides a unique experience that anyone could enjoy and I would recommend a further look if nothing else.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/20/08