Guardian Cross
A Square Enix card battler with creature-capture shooting mechanics.
Guardian Cross (ガーディアンクルス, Gādian Kurusu) is a mobile game from Square Enix, released for iOS on September 13, 2012, and for Android on August 6, 2013. Players capture creatures called Guardians to build a deck of cards, then use those cards in turn-based battles against computer or human opponents. Capturing Guardians involves a first-person shooter mini-game. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the game sold well. Its multiplayer servers were shut down on January 10, 2017.
**Gameplay** Players take on the role of a Guardian tamer, capturing creatures named after characters from classic literature and world mythology. These Guardians form a deck of hundreds of possible cards, used to fight both AI and real opponents. The game has two main modes: a turn-based card duel against a single foe, and a first-person shooter segment where players track and subdue Guardians to recruit them. Online multiplayer allows trading and battling with players worldwide.
**Plot** The story follows two Guardian masters, Bran and Athran, who serve the Empress of Northern Cross. Armed with a magical rifle, they tame Guardians, train them, and use them in combat. Their quest is to discover why the Guardians have awakened after a thousand years of dormancy.
**Development** The concept came from Hiroyuki Ito, the designer of the Active Time Battle system and a Square Enix director. Producer Shinichi Tatsuke initially asked Ito to create a battle system for a new game, but later changed the plan, requesting a concept for a social game instead. Tatsuke felt Ito’s experience with simple NES game systems made him a good fit. The development team had previously worked on *Knights of the Crystals*. Card illustrations were directed by Ryoma Ito, known for character design on *Final Fantasy Tactics Advance* and *Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift*. Character designs were done by Akira Oguro, who had designed characters for *Final Fantasy Dimensions*. The composer was Naoshi Mizuta, who had scored *Final Fantasy XI*.
Square Enix trademarked the title *Guardian Cross* in January 2012. In February 2012, it was revealed as a project from Square’s download games division, announced first for iOS and later for Android, with a planned spring release in both English and Japanese. After delays, it was shown at E3 in June 2012.
- Developer
- Square Enix
- Release date (ios)
- September 13, 2012
- Release date (android)
- August 6, 2013
- Genre
- Card battle / first-person shooter hybrid
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Server shutdown
- January 10, 2017
- Notable designer
- Hiroyuki Ito (concept creator)
Lore & Background
The concept of Guardian Cross was created by Hiroyuki Ito, known for designing the Active Time Battle system. Producer Shinichi Tatsuke initially tasked Ito with creating a battle system for a new game, but later requested a concept for a social game. The development team had previously worked on Knights of the Crystals. The director of card illustrations was Ryoma Ito, character designer for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift. Character designs were done by Akira Oguro, who had previously served as character designer for Final Fantasy Dimensions. The composer was Naoshi Mizuta, composer for Final Fantasy XI.
Players assume the role of two Guardian masters named Bran and Athran, who serve the Empress of the land of Northern Cross. Using a magical rifle, the player must tame Guardians, train them, and use them in battles. Players go on quests to uncover why the Guardians have awakened from a thousand-year dormancy. The game features turn-based card battles against single opponents and a first-person shooter mini-game to track and subdue Guardians. Online multiplayer modes allow players to battle and trade cards worldwide.
Reader's Guide
Guardian Cross represents Square Enix's early foray into free-to-play mobile gaming, releasing on iOS in September 2012 and Android in August 2013. Despite receiving mixed reviews—Pocket Gamer gave it a 5 out of 10, calling it 'boring,' while Modojo awarded it 4 out of 5, calling it 'a highly polished card battler'—the game sold well. Square Enix stated they were 'very happy' with community reaction and its pricing model. The game reached over 1.7 million downloads by September 2014 and was the only Square Enix game in the top 200 top-grossing applications in the iTunes App Store in October 2012. Its multiplayer servers were shut down on January 10, 2017. The game featured cross-promotions with Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy IV, and Final Fantasy V, allowing players to earn rare cards. Its significance lies in being an early Square Enix mobile experiment that blended card battling with shooting mechanics, and in showcasing the company's willingness to adapt classic RPG talent to social gaming.
Did You Know?
- Guardian Cross was the first free-to-play game released on iOS by Square Enix.
- The concept was created by Hiroyuki Ito, designer of the Active Time Battle system.
- Cross-promotions allowed players to capture characters from Final Fantasy IV, V, XI, and XIV.
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