Cris Tales Demo Review

Should You Try, Wait, Or Avoid?

Experience Past, Present, and Future simultaneously in this gorgeous, indie love letter to classic JRPGs.

THE STORY

Cris Tales is a gorgeous, indie love letter to classic JRPGs with a new perspective. Peer into the past, act in the present, and watch as your choices dynamically change the future — all on one screen as you play! Join the newly awakened Time Mage Crisbell and her fantastical companions on their journey across a dark, fairytale world facing a grim future.

Crisbell must embark across Crystallis and the four Kingdoms in a bid to stop the powerful Time Empress and rewrite the future of the world and all those living in it. Along the way, she’ll meet and recruit powerful allies with their own unique stories and skills like Matias the Frog and Willhelm the Child Mage.

As she explores the world and meets her unique companions, Crisbell will have to make choices with far-reaching consequences for the people she meets – consequences that will impact the world you’ll experience in real-time throughout your journey. Each companion will be invaluable as you face these choices and the myriad enemies who stand in your way. Will you buffet them with attacks, or discover creative ways to use Crisbell’s time powers to alter the reality of each fight?

Beautifully hand-drawn 2D art is animated frame by frame to bring the branching pasts and futures of each region, enemy, and NPC to life across more than 20 hours of gameplay. Experience a unique combination of branching stories, innovative combat, and classic RPG excitement in Cris Tales’ exciting and unforgettable exploration of how our actions echo through time.

SHOULD YOU TRY/WAIT/AVOID?

I was captivated by this since it was announced as a playable demo at EGX London this past October, and trying the game was everything I wished for, and more! The graphics are enchanting, they look like they were made for a fairy tale book, and the story we get to experience is truly entertaining.

There are also many characters to talk to, and you can get from the very beginning that Crisbell is a wonderful, selfless soul who cares about her town and the people who live there.

You also get the chance to fight some big and scary monsters, and I genuinely loved the fight dynamics. The game gives you instructions at the beginning so that you can master your moves and the whole defence/offence thing, and this is a game you can play with either your keyboard, or PS4 controller—as Steam gives you the ability to do that.

I am honestly in love with everything about this game, and I can’t wait to play it in full when it’s released in 2020. There is no specific date as of yet, but you can keep updated via Twitter, and try the demo for yourself on Steam!

VERDICT: TRY