Cris Tales Reviews
Cris Tales is a beautiful JRPG with some phenomenal innovations commonly associated with the genre. Unfortunately, it so rigidly sticks to its inspirations that it fails to elevate itself beyond just another bland JRPG.
An attractive JPRG with a hugely innovative central time manipulation mechanic, it seems as though the developers behind the game fell head over heels in love with that element of Cris Tales design at the expense of crafting a world with memorable characters, motivations, places and events. That said, Cris Tales non-linear story and neat use of time manipulation will still hold a fair amount of allure for genre newbies and stalwarts alike.
This is one of those titles where I feel a bit torn on where I land with it...
Cris Tales has a lot of great ideas, and an incredible style, but none of it really coalesces into a game I want to play.
I would avoid Cris Tales on the Switch until there’s been some patching done or you’ve tested it on another platform.
Though it doesn't quite stick the landing, Cris Tales is an enjoyable turn-based RPG adventure with a lovable story about a found family bending time to save the world.
A loving tribute to the past and present of Japanese role-players, with some impressively clever time travel powers and gorgeous artwork – although it's a shame about the random battles.
Play Cris Tales, if you're looking for a beautiful turn-based role-playing game. The game has a relatively new idea and can be an even perfect title in its own style if it fixes minor problems.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Ultimately, Cris Tales ended up fixing few of the issues that I had with the game’s demo back in 2019, while also adding a few more thanks to the Switch port. I can’t imagine the currently average story getting much better at the end, and most of the ideas and gameplay mechanics presented at the start end up going nowhere. It’s a shame, as there was a lot of potential there — hopefully some of the more glaring technical issues can be fixed in a post-launch patch, at least.
You’ll steadily gain access to new characters throughout your adventure. Not only are they wonderfully entertaining during the story, but they also have unique abilities in battle that can really mix up how you fight. It keeps the game feeling fresh and interesting throughout the 30 or so hours that it takes to reach its conclusion.
Cris Tales shines with its astounding aesthetics and the way it manages the time travel elements, specially in combat. But, at the same time, it seems to be stuck on the past, bringing most of the glaring problems of the genre (grinding, areas that feels as corridors, repetitive opcional tasks...). And it's a shame, because it has potential.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The overal design choices and visual presentation of Cris Tales are one of its most strongers suits. The game looks like an animated film, and paired with lots of calm and relaxing tunes, you get a very cozy atmosphere that feels nice to get back to every single time.
Review in Russian | Read full review
A nice tribute to the JRPG with a personality all its own and a beautiful story, which however lacks depth and fails to give the right weight to its most peculiar mechanics.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Cris Tales is based on an astonishing idea that could have innovated an entire genre. However, after few hours emerge some issues tied to underdeveloped combat mechanics and a scarcely balanced gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The graphics are colorful and beautiful, the story mostly motivating and at its core a turn based combat system with some clever time manipulation. Cris Tales got the whole package and every fan of RPGs should check out this amazing indie game.
Review in German | Read full review
I'm happy that it was worth waiting for Cris Tales: It's a wonderful game that shows me the consequences of my decisions immediately. I love that with Cris Tales, as well as the tactical combat that allows me a lot of freedom.
Review in German | Read full review
I really hope the other platforms that Cris Tales has been released on have better performance, because those loading times alone take something special, and unfortunately undermine it. This is one of those rare times to me where technical issue really do mess with the experience, disrupting the carefully-structured panic and pulling players away from the breathtaking art. There's still a lot to love about Cris Tales, and the vision is beautiful and evocative. But we are in 2021 and battles in an JRPG shouldn't require a loading screen. No matter how beautiful and heartfelt they are.
Cris Tales is a beautifully crafted JRPG who knows how to innovate based on the most classic premises of the genre. Join Crisbell and her friends as they save their kingdom from the Empress of Time as we use the power of crystals to learn from the past, act in the present, and change the future, all simultaneously. We are without a doubt one of the most interesting JRPGs of the year, totally recommended for fans of the genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Cris Tales starts so good that It felt like it could be a GOTY contender, the gameplay mechanics are classic but feel new and complex enough without being confusing, the art style is a sight to behold and the characters are really charming but the use of random encounters and unbelievable number of times they hinder you progress, sucks some of the joy out of the game.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Cris Tales embraces the old model of JRPGs, making it feel like a well-worn experience for seasoned fans of the genre. All of the charm, whimsy, and innocence of Final Fantasy and The Legend Of Zelda ooze throughout the game’s setting and characters, but Crisbell’s time powers provide a fun new spin on the classic turn-based combat. Cris Tales isn’t that difficult either, making it a good choice for beginners looking to get into turn-based RPGs.