Cris Tales was announced at E3 2019. It was then supposed to launch at the end of 2020 but then got pulled pretty close to the finish line in November. That’s not that surprising as even Microsoft had to pull their big release out of November. 2020 was a very rough year for video game developers as well as most in the industry.
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The wait is finally over for this Switch homage to classic SNES RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. The reviews are looking pretty good. It certainly could use a few fixes here and there but overall, this is a solid first entry for this indie developer. Take a look at where they did and didn’t go wrong.
10 Best: Animation Style
The most striking thing players will notice about Cris Tales is the art style. It’s a wonderfully 2D handcrafted world that is oozing with color.
Not everything is as incredibly detailed, such as the backgrounds in the dungeons which can look plain. It’s still one of the best-looking Switch games due to its style which includes character design as well.
9 Worst: Slow Start
Cris Tales adopts a certain RPG trope that can annoy some gamers; a slow start. It begins with a present conflict before going into a flashback to then go back to the present wherein that first scene is retold.
It’s confusing to say the least, but perfectly illustrates just how muddled and slow the opening can be. It’ll be a couple of hours before the game lets loose and allows players to tinker around with the mechanics.
8 Best: Active Combat
Crist Tales' battle system is very directly inspired by Super Mario RPG’s active combat system. For example, if players attack with Crisbell’s sword, they can time their attacks just right to do extra damage. This applies to defending against enemies as well.
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Nearly every action in combat can be timed to reduce or increase damage. There are also some unique strategies one can apply to it. For example, Crisbell can manipulate time to defeat an enemy in the future due to poisoning caused in the present.
7 Worst: Random Battles
Active combat allows players to get fully immersed in the experience. One thing that may seem dated to them now and take them out of that immersion are the various random encounters.
There are some enemies that appear in dungeons for quests but 99% of enemies will appear randomly like in very old RPGs. Cris Tales is clearly inspired by classic RPGs from the SNES era like Chrono Trigger which has enemies appear on the map. That's one element of the game the developers didn't seem to take inspiration from.
6 Best: Time-Based Puzzles
An aspect that can be clearly traced to Chrono Trigger comes with this game’s core time mechanic. Crisbell can see into the past and future as she runs throughout the present. This is used to send Matias, back or forward in time to help solve present issues.
For example, there is a part where some documents are needed in the present but they are too badly damaged to use. Sending Matias back in time allows him to grab these documents when they are brand new. It’s not a completely original idea but it’s still very clever.
5 Worst: Load Times On Switch
The Switch continues to show its age when it struggles to handle a seemingly small game like Cris Tales. The frame rate can be choppy but worst of all the load times are tediously long.
It’s like playing on the PS1 all over again which sort of fits for the era this game is trying to emulate. It just makes it hard to enjoy when so much time is spent waiting around for things to l9ad in.
4 Best: Characters
Crisbell and her main gang not only look good aesthetically, but they are fun to be around. The story itself may not be the most engaging plotin an RPG but its quirky cast of characters will make certain sections very memorable.
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On a design note, Christopher and his shield weapon that also turns into twin swords really stands out visually. As do most of the main cast.
3 Worst: Save Setbacks
There are two major setbacks when it comes to saves in Cris Tales. Firstly, it does not have an autosave function. This means players have to be very diligent about manually saving.
This wouldn't be a problem if they could save anywhere. They can only do it at save points or on the world map. In 2021 players may not be used to a game without an autosave safety net. The other issue is that there are only fours save slots which is just not enough on a system like the Switch.
2 Best: Everything Is Voiced
For a small indie RPG like Cris Tales, it’s pretty amazing that nearly every character in the game is voiced. From main characters like Crisbell to ordinary child citizens, they are all voiced.
Not even the biggest RPG developers do. Take for example another Switch RPG from 2021, Bravely Default 2. Cris Tales certainly deserves a lot of praise for going that extra mile.
1 Worst: Mediocre Voice Cast
The voice acting comes with a caveat as not all voices sound great. At times, it can feel somewhat amateurish. That’s not to say that the game doesn't feature great voice acting, but some of the actors in Cris Tales just don’t sound up to par, which can take players out of the experience.
Another issue with the dialogue is that there is no way to auto-advance it. This means players can’t simply sit back and enjoy a conversation. They still have to click through it. At that point why even voice the game at all?