Cris Tales Review Rewrite The Future The Nerd Stash

Cris Tales RPG tells the story of Time Mage Crisbell. Using her powers, simultaneously view the past, present, and future of decision. But will this be enough to stop evil? Or will you seeing the flow of time not be enough? Only time will tell, but you’ll also possess power over that time.

The tale is available on Google Stadia ($48.99), Microsoft Windows ($39.99), Nintendo Switch ($39.99), PlayStation 4 ($39.99), PlayStation 5, Xbox One ($39.99), and Xbox Series X|S.

Cris Tales RPG Story

I’ve played a handful of games where time magic took center stage. But what puts this title above others is how it handles that subject. And I love the way that it was done. One can see in the Prince of Persia series the consequences of temporal manipulation. But that series didn’t truly put things into perspective. Cris Tales RPG shows you what happens whether or not one chooses. It is an amazing thing to see the past, present, and future all at once.

Time Mage Crisbell is fraught with anxiety. Whenever she sees an awful future for something or someone, it’s easy to empathize. The writers did an amazing job creating a relatable protagonist. Seeing how heavy the power weighed on her heart evoked a fair amount of emotion. It’s great to see how someone so young uses the power. It was certainly a treat to see the Cris Tales RPG story unfold. One humorous thing to note is the villain that this title and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within share: The Empress of Time.

Gameplay

Time Mage Crisbell battled in a way I did not expect. Despite being 2D, the battle system felt very intuitive. Magic and physical attacks went hand-in-hand. When taking on a direct attack, it was possible to deflect or parry the strike. All it would take is pressing the action button at the right time. Pressing the same button at the right time would also deliver critical strikes. This detail in the Cris Tales RPG reminded me so much of how Legend of Dragoon had characters attack. While it was cool, it was frustratingly easy to miss the mark. If I didn’t hit the action button at the right moment, it spelled the end for a character. It took two fights to get exactly how I was supposed to use this. But I appreciated the game showing battles weren’t meant to be easy.

The magic in Cris Tales RPG was fantastic. I’ve seen such power before, but not the way this game presents it. For example, I could poison enemies and simply let it take effect. I could send an enemy to the future with magic, and that poison would result in their death. Or I could send them to the past and plant poison seeds. When I bring them to the present, the enemy is immediately poisoned. The same went for hitting enemies with a water attack. It was truly amazing to see how well character powers complemented each other.

A Beautiful World

The gameplay wasn’t the only amazing thing about the Cris Tales RPG. In fact, one of my motivations for playing was the art style. Not only are the scenes rich in color, but all the artwork is also completely original. Every single frame viewed by the player was painstakingly hand-drawn by the artists. Other titles can boast about the detailed graphics and quality sound. But few can say that their frames are each hand-drawn. Even as I was playing, I found it astounding that nothing I saw was 3D. It was certainly hard to believe. And the colors were expertly chosen. But that was likely the intention. Seeing how the animation was done makes me hope for more from developers.

In addition to original artwork, all music in Cris Tales RPG was original. During certain scenes, the music was very grand. And it was used to convey the importance of what was going on. Battles felt pretty intense, and the music complimented the action very well. It helped keep the battles entertaining. And they were interesting enough that they didn’t sound repetitive. The soundtrack itself can be purchased on Steam along with the full game.

Summary

The Cris Tales RPG was a truly entertaining and amazing adventure. At no point during the course of the game was I bored. Characters were your stereotypical fare, but they were still interesting. After playing through the game, I saw chronokinesis in a whole different light. Being a huge fan of RPGs in general, I expected a lot from the game. And it exceeded every expectation I had. If you’re looking for a fresh new RPG-style game, you won’t be disappointed with the RPG Cris Tales. It is definitely worth a look. And you may keep it in your library for some time. So far, there are only two known endings. Only through playing can there be a chance to see if there are others.

Cris Tales Review

Cris Tales tells the tale of Crisbell. To her surprise, she inherits the ultimate power of Time Magic. With it, she must take on the Empress of Time and her evil forces. What will she do with this awesome power? And what does it mean for the four kingdoms and the land of Crystallis?

Overall Score

Remarkable

Pros:

Hand-drawn artwork Engaging battle system Original music Intuitive Time Magic Unique characters

Cons:

Music is often played over loudly over dialogue. Sound setting at 50% was still too loud Some scenes had no option to skip, even after loading a save

Your Rating:User Rating:

/5 (0 votes)