Criticalhit

Cris Tales touts itself as a love letter to classic JRPGs from its style and battles. It tells the tale of an orphaned girl named Crisbell. One day after crossing paths with a frog, she finds out that she is a time mage who can affect the past, present, and future. After the Empress of Ages attacks, Crisbell must travel the lands to stop her before destroying the world. Along the way, she’ll meet friends, enemies and interact with time like never before.

The story is well-told and filled with many interesting characters. It takes an old-style approach to storytelling for RPGs. With you visiting new areas, gives you new characters and stories. The characters are likeable, and the story is fascinating. As Crisbell tries to figure out her time powers, it becomes quite a tale.

It’s paced well until its third act, where the story and the game come to a grinding halt—forcing you to backtrack and revisit areas and fight the same bosses. The third act hurts the game as it feels like padding and adds 5-10 hours. It felt like a chore to finish instead of a graceful end.

 of influence from Colombian art and architecture. Everything is a Colombian love letter, and there is no other game like it. Everything stands, and some of the animated cutscenes are beautiful. Each of the different areas is visually distinct, and the enemy designs are lovely. However, it’s let down by boring dungeon designs, which are all forgettable.