The game also features DLC if you're into that sort of thing. Though the game could be completed without purchasing any DLC it would be a less fun and more difficult--you'll basically get a lower tier version of every type of monster and at least two or three medium tier monsters. You can buy more medium tier monsters with DLC but the handful of 'super powerful' monsters available on DLC are generally pretty useless as their handicaps that are supposed to offset their power usually make them less helpful than properly leveled up mediocre monsters.

The game costs 1,000 Wii Points by itself,and you can comfortably breeze through the rest of the game spending less than 1,000 more Wii Points on DLC. The game lasted me about 16 hours and I spent about 16 dollars on it total. I'd recommend waiting until you get to the second half of the game (when you access the second world map) before purchasing DLC--by then you'll know enough about the holes in your strategy and be able to purchase new units wisely and conservatively based on need. Or if you're looking for a more hardcore and inexpensive experience you can attempt to beat the game without DLC. Basically buying DLC takes the game out of 'hard mode'.

FYI, you'll also be able to download units based on King Leo from My Life As A King and Palom from Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, who was actually one of my favorite units in the game.

Story
The story is the biggest incentive to buying the game but it might only be for fans of both the Crystal Chronicles universe and cutesy girly humor. I honestly found myself laughing at it more frequently than I laughed during Bowser's Inside Story. It's definitely cute and funny but it requires a specific sense of humor.

If you're a big Crystal Chronicles fan (am I the only one?) then you'll find the story revelations satisfying. Just like every other Crystal Chronicles game it explains aspects of the series' universe in a way that not only makes sense in the context of this game, but also retroactively answers questions from the previous games. Without giving too much away My Life As A Darklord focuses mostly on the unanswered questions about monsters, e.g., the relationship between monsters and humans, the fact that Moogles were immune to Miasma and the questions raised by the 'Armstrong' boss in the original Crystal Chronicles game.

Graphics and Sound
The graphics are surprisingly detailed for a Wii DLC game. The only problem is that the game requires an insanely high definition screen. You will not be able to play this on a small standard definition television. I could barely read the text on my giant HD screen using component cables, and I could barely see the super-zoomed-out units in any detail other than just really being able to tell two units apart. Even though the graphics are detailed, there's a ton of data being scrunched onto the screen at one time and it's hard to focus on any of it. But as I said before, the game only really requires for you to get a general 'sense' of what's going on more than it requires you to actually be able to understand everything that's happening. The music and background of each stage is exactly the same in every single level, so get used to that.

Overall
For what Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A Darklord is and what it's trying to be, it's a pretty decent WiiWare game. It's one of those games that gives back as much as you put in--it's weird how you can basically set your own price, and the game is as complex as your price is high. I would NOT suggest buying all of the DLC but I would suggest paying about a dollar-per-hour (which is about the same rate of most games, isn't it?) based on how much you're into it and how much you expect to play it. You could probably get through the whole thing in maybe 12 hours, 15 to 20 if you do all the optional stages and maybe even 30 if you buy the DLC stages. But you should play the free demo and if you like it buy the game itself. If you're liking the actual game you should buy DLC content as needed. Trying it out is a pretty low-risk venture if you're even remotely interested in the game. Even though it's definitely a niche game I had a lot of fun with it and you can try the demo for free and see if you can get into it too.

8/10