Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered won't have couch co-op

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It's online multiplayer only for Crystal Chronicles

(Image credit: Nintendo/Square Enix)

Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles won't support local multiplayer, although players will still be able to play co-op online.

The publisher shared the information through their Japanese Twitter account, and here's the Google translation:

"As we have introduced in official broadcasts, this product does not support offline multiplayer. For development reasons, it is necessary to select either offline or online, so we selected online multiplayer so that more people can play."

If you wanted to play local multiplayer in the 2003 original, only one player could use the Gamecube controller, while three other players could join using a Gameboy Advance and link cable. For that reason, it was an exciting prospect to have a more seamless couch co-op experience in the remaster.

The good news is that Crystal Chronicles Remastered makes online multiplayer inclusive as heck - only one player needs a copy of the game and three other players can jump in for free. Those without a copy of the game can download the Crystal Chronicles Remastered Lite demo and play the full game with someone who owns it. Likewise, crossplay is enabled on all platforms, so everyone can play together whether they're playing on Switch, PS4, or a mobile device.

As Square Enix Web Content Editor Duncan Heaney notes, Crystal Chronicles Remastered is more than a simple port. "The team has refined and improved the adventure, enhancing numerous elements and even adding entirely new features," he said. 

Crystal Chronicles Remastered includes an entirely new dungeon, improved HD visuals, brand new voice acting for the characters, and more. You can get it August 27.

Here are the 30 best co-op games to play with your fellow isolating gamers.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.