Crystar Reviews
FuRyu continues to be the publisher to watch for anyone who likes their games with a bit of genuine artistic credibility.
Unfortunately, with the less than stellar combat mechanics, the lack of enemy variety and the lack of differentiating dungeons, it may not entice players who also want fluid gameplay. However for fans who do like narrative-driven and linear games along with dark themes and gorgeous designs, then this is definitely a title that should be added to your library.
Crystar is a great action-RPG with some fascinating twists. Crying is not only a key aspect to boosting your strength in battle, but it enables you to create more powerful gear. Be prepared for mentions of tragic and depressing topics, but remember that they work to enforce the ideas of "showing your emotions as a strength" and the sometimes overlooked issues that others face each day.
Crystar is a competent Action RPG with a compelling narrative but suffers due to mostly everything else it has to offer.
What starts as a somewhat entertaining action RPG ends up falling apart and overstaying its welcome.
A truly unique and wonderful experience, Crystar tells a story that will stick with its players through to the end and beyond. Highly recommended.
CRYSTAR won’t be competing with Devil May Cry in the video game as video game-ass video game department, but as a story it absolutely earned its spot on my shelf.
Maybe it will not conquer your heart for being the best ARPG in the market, but can do it for its dark and mature narrative, its treatment of complicated issues and the philosophy present here.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ultimately, Crystar is a case of "be careful what you wish for." What at first appears to be an excellent deal — a game with fast-paced action combat, stunning graphics, and a story that takes women and people of varied sexualities seriously — turns out to be deeply disappointing,
Crystar presents a truly unique and consistent game world with simple and enjoyable action RPG dungeon crawling.
The game tells an engaging story, but repetitiveness and mediocre combat hold it back from being a heavenly experience.
Crystar offers an interesting, thoughtful story that extends into a couple of the gameplay mechanics and actually makes a bestiary something interesting to read for a change. It looks and sounds good as well, making the time spent with Rei on her quest an entertaining one. However, repetition is bound to set in at some point due to a somewhat shallow combat system and a lack of variety in enemies and environments. If you can overlook the somewhat repetitive nature of the gameplay, Crystar felt like time well spent due to the narrative and characters.
Crystar pairs an original and compelling story with fairly average gameplay.
A trigger warning in game form - without any trigger warnings. Had a lot of potential, but unfortunately misses the mark.
It doesn't matter if Crystar is a bit on the simpler side or that the story has some familiar plot beats, it tells a tale that is insightful. It won't take much to want to reunite the sisters and it's an adventure that rings true for some. Toss in gameplay that might not change the world but is a blast to experience and it's a solid adventure that is easy to see the value of experiencing.
While the combat mechanics weren’t very deep or innovative the dark storyline of Crystar is what you really should be checking this game out for.
Despite having one of the most interesting and artistically distinct stories amongst modern JRPGs, Crystar is a game severely limited by its simplistic combat that keeps it from reaching the high level that it could've reached.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
With an insane (but great) storyline, borderline inappropriate dialogue and the fascination with crying aside of course, CRYSTAR is a decent little game. The combat and other things tend to be repetitive, but there's enough different things in here to keep the experience fresh. And after all, even with all of the gameplay flaws, you can still PET THE DAMN DOG.
While I do feel the gameplay in Crystar is simple, the story and aesthetics truly make this a one-of-a-kind title. I really want to gush about all the great twists and turns in the story and about how these characters grow as the game progresses, but that’s all spoilers and I think everyone should play this one for themselves. I played around 30 hours and completed all of the main story. I did feel that making you run some of the latter stages three times with just a few story changes was a bit much, but there was a good payout on in the end so I can let that slide a bit. I feel like this game is well worth the $59 price tag if you’re into games with a deep and meaningful story. I feel like this one might get buried by bigger releases this generation, but I hope people don’t overlook it. Crystar is a very special title that I feel everyone should give a shot.
Crystar is a good story with serious themes and interesting characters, which gets bogged down in a swamp of dull one-button gameplay, monotonous corridors, the same opponents and artificially prolonged gameplay. If the developers reduced the length to 10 hours, corrected the camera and combat mechanics, or simply released a visual novel, thousands of players would be much happier.
Review in Russian | Read full review