Cris Tales Reviews
I'm hoping that Modus will continue to support the Cris Tales with patches to address some of its technical issues. Decreasing load times might be too much to hope for on Switch, but game-breaking bugs are another story. I feel optimistic about it because Cris Tales is too good of a game to leave things like this. It puts new spins on some classic JRPG elements and creates an aesthetic all its own, telling tales that are universal and troublingly timely. Technical flaws aside, Cris Tales is a potent blend of the best of the JRPGs that inspired it and fresh ideas from a unique and personal perspective. Playing it is like discovering a fantastic SNES RPG from another timeline (with much more advanced graphics), serving as both a love letter to the past and an invitation to push forward, and it is likely to capture the imaginations of anyone who embarks on Crisbell's journey.
Cris Tales is a solid RPG dragged down by a creative gimmick that never realizes its true potential
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
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 a gorgeous, heartfelt, and often creative adventure that provides an interesting peek at a culture not well-represented in the world of gaming. Sadly, it falls a bit short of its grand potential due to some mechanical and balance issues and a final act that badly overstays its welcome. Cris Tales feels like a game that would have benefitted from some more time in development, but if you're willing to forgive a few faults, your own time with the game won't be wasted.
Cris Tales' number one selling point is its use of time manipulation as both a plot device and battle mechanic. It's what makes the entire experience. It's a solid mid-range game, great for teens and adults looking for a fairly breezy thirty-ish hour adventure. However, there are better games out there that you should experience first, especially if you have to be more selective with your cash.
You can feel that the team poured their heart and soul into the game making it a game that will convince everyone willing to try it, even if they usually do not like JRPGs. It has some issues and for some, the visuals might be too colorful or cheerful, but it is an adventure worth playing through.
Cris Tales is a must for fans of jRPG, which we get with all the inventory of the advantages and disadvantages of the genre. A specific, strange, sometimes tedious, but at the same time addictive and extremely original game showing that in the matter of turn-based clashes you can create something fresh.
Review in Polish | Read full review
A graphically wonderful JRPG inspired by the classics but with an interesting additional twist.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Cris Tales is a worthwhile RPG to experience but you'll have to endure a lot of redundancy.
A clever RPG that combines traditional turn-based gameplay with time manipulation to present an interesting story through many different locations. The story features some time-based puzzling and side-quests that make subtle (or less subtle) changes to the world around you. The random encounters and save points don't add to the fun of the game but in all, a quality, fun RPG.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Cris Tales is a colourful RPG with a neat time travel mechanic that's used throughout the story as well as in battles. Although this sounds promising, it struggles to reach the heights of genre greats and its lack of fine-tuning often made me frustrated or bored.
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
Cris Tales may not be as feature heavy as the JRPG classics it takes inspiration from, but it oozes whimsical charm with a vibrant anime aesthetic and a likeable cast. The gameplay, while serviceable, may get stale towards the end, but Cris Tales is still a title I'd recommend taking a chance on.
Overall, this is a simplistic game that touches on issues that could go a long way, but choose to ignore many of the possibilities that could access in order to offer a more solid plot, without going into too many complications. It is greatly enjoyed if you have it in mind. It is not essential, but it will cheer you up for more than one afternoon.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
As much as I love the aesthetics of Cris Tales, there are issues with the gameplay that affect the experience. Although fans of retro JRPGs will be able to overlook the constant random battles, lack of auto-save, and the monotonous grind, these aspects will deter gamers who are used to contemporary design elements. The clever use of the time mechanic allows you to be more tactical in your approach to fights; however, this is overshadowed by the sheer volume of encounters and repetitive enemy types. At its core, Cris Tales is a solid JRPG with an interesting twist; however, it sticks to the well-trodden paths of those that came before, creating a disparity between the gameplay and visuals.
Cris Tales is a clever time-traveling JRPG that's held back by monotonous combat.
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.
While Cris Tales offers a stirring adventure — packed full of wit and character — numerous mechanical shortcomings frequently put the brakes on its excitable spirit. A victim of unfulfilled ambition, Cris Tales doesn’t quite deliver on its clever premise or its chrono-combat. There’s no denying the passion and talent of the developers, however, manifested in stunning visuals and a wonderful cast. Cris Tales will definitely ostracize some players, but those with a little patience may see past its flaws to embrace its heartfelt homage to gaming’s bygone era.