| Cris Tales | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) |
|
| Publisher(s) | Modus Games |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | July 20, 2021 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Cris Tales (stylized as CrisTales) is a role-playing video game developed by Colombian indie game studios Dreams Uncorporated and Syck, and published by Modus Games. It was released for Google Stadia, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on July 20, 2021. [1] [2]
The game is a turn-based RPG, along with the ability to time jump, both on the map and in-battle, affecting the gameplay. Each playable character has their own unique abilities.
The primary game mechanic consists on the manipulation of time. The screen is split into three sections, showing the present in the center, the past on the left, and the future on the right. During the story, Crisbell must complete a series of missions with the help of Matias, where she must use her time powers to learn from the past and use it to save the present thus creating a brighter future. Depending on the player's choices, they could affect the lives of NPCs, thus resulting in one of three different endings.
In battle, Crisbell can summon the crystal powers to send enemies to the past or the future, altering their characteristics (e.g planting a potential poison attack as Wilhelm in the past will cause that enemy to be poisoned in the future). The battles are carried out using commands to select attacks, skills, or items, in addition to making the precise pressing of buttons during attacks, allowing more damage to enemies or receiving less damage.
In addition to the main story, the demo includes a Colosseum mode, where the player faces a horde of enemies, in order to test their skills.
 | This article needs an improved plot summary.(August 2021) |
Crisbell is an orphan girl who lives in the Narim orphanage. While she picked up a rose for Mother Superior, it is snatched from her by Matias, a talking frog, whom she follows to Narim Cathedral (inspired in the Las Lajas Shrine), in order to unleash her powers. After the events, Matias asks Crisbell to accompany him to visit his friend Willhelm, a time mage, who explains more about her powers.
Later, Crisbell is commended in a series of missions, until she finds the village farm in flames and invaded by goblins under the command of the Empress of Time, whose aim is to take over the Crystallis Kingdom. To avoid a disastrous future, Crisbell returns to Willhelm to ask for help, and he tells her about the Sword. Crisbell is determined to use the powers of the Sword, becoming a time mage herself.
With the Sword in hand, she returns to the farm to battle the goblins. During the battle, Cristopher, an elemental mage warrior who has been fighting the goblins, joins her. After a couple of battles, they are faced by the Empress of Time's minions, the Volcano Sisters. Crisbell must use the power of the time crystals to help defeat them. After receiving several attacks, the sisters retreat.
The game is being developed by the indie Colombian studio Dreams Uncorporated. [3] It was officially announced at E3 2019, [4] which was claimed as a tribute to classic Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) like Final Fantasy , Chrono Trigger and Persona , among other franchises. Its launch was scheduled for November 2020, [5] but was postponed to early 2021, in order to bring a better product. [3]
In addition to the influences of the aforementioned JRPGs, Cris Tales shows influences from Colombian culture and architecture. [6] For its art style, the game was influenced by the works of Genndy Tartakovsky, Mary Blair, Eyvind Earle, among others; while the character designs were inspired by the 2009 animated film The Secret of Kells. [7]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | NS: 72/100 [lower-alpha 1] PC: 74/100 [lower-alpha 2] PS4: 70/100 [lower-alpha 3] PS5: 69/100 [lower-alpha 4] XSXS: 79/100 [lower-alpha 5] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 7.75/10 [13] |
| GameSpot | PC: 8/10 [14] |
| IGN | 7/10 [15] |
| Nintendo Life | NS: 8/10 [16] |
| PC Gamer (US) | PC: 57/100 [17] |
| The Guardian |   [18] |
During its development within early release gameplay livestreams, Cris Tales received critical acclaim by specialized media. Hardcore Gamer cited it as "an unmissable, gorgeous manipulation of time" and nominated it as the Game of Show and Best RPG at E3 2019. [19] Tom Marks from IGN claims that Cris Tales "looks a bit like Paper Mario with Persona 5 's UI", praising the concept, the hand-drawn graphics, and the time jump-based gameplay. [20]
After its release, Cris Tales received "mixed or average reviews" on Metacritic, with an aggregated score of 74/100 for the PC version based on 29 reviews. [9] Nintendo Life praised the premise for taking the classic JRPGs in gameplay ideas and art style, but criticized some aspects of the combat, calling it "frustrating". [21] IGN praised the cast and the art, but criticised the gameplay, citing it as "a clever time-traveling JRPG that’s held back by monotonous combat". [15] A less favorable review came from PC Gamer , which cited it as "a striking RPG that fails to deliver on its temporal premise". [17]
The local media said that "Cris Tales is a game with an excellent premise, but one that has lagged behind remembering the past." [22]
A role-playing video game, is a role-playing game (RPG) or computer role-playing game (CRPG), is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character immersed in some well-defined world, usually involving some form of character development by way of recording statistics. Many role-playing video games have origins in tabletop role-playing games and use much of the same terminology, settings, and game mechanics. Other major similarities with pen-and-paper games include developed story-telling and narrative elements, player character development, complexity, as well as replay value and immersion. The electronic medium removes the necessity for a gamemaster and increases combat resolution speed. RPGs have evolved from simple text-based console-window games into visually rich 3D experiences.
Tactical role-playing games, also known as strategy role-playing games and in Japan as simulation RPGs, are a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical strategy video games. The formats of tactical RPGs are much like traditional tabletop role-playing games and strategy games in appearance, pacing, and rule structure. Likewise, early tabletop role-playing games are descended from skirmish wargames such as Chainmail, which were primarily concerned with combat.
Super Paper Mario is a 2007 action role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third installment in the Paper Mario series and the first Mario game on the Wii. The game follows Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Luigi as they attempt to collect Pure Hearts and stop Count Bleck and his minions from destroying the universe.
Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage is a role-playing video game developed by Canadian studio H2O Entertainment and published by THQ for the Nintendo 64 video game console.
Bionicle Heroes is a 2006 video game published by Eidos Interactive and TT Games Publishing and based on Lego's Bionicle line of constructible action figures. The game was released in November 2006 on PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS; a Nintendo Wii version was later released in April 2007. The home console and PC versions were developed by Traveller's Tales, while Amaze Entertainment developed the handheld versions. A version of the game for mobile phones, developed by Universomo, was also released. The home console and PC versions of the game are third-person shooters, while the Game Boy Advance version is a run 'n' gun shoot 'em up and the Nintendo DS version is a first-person shooter. The story of Bionicle Heroes, where the player seeks to liberate the island of Voya Nui and its inhabitants from the villainous Piraka, is not canon to the official Bionicle story.
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is a 2007 role-playing video game published by Square Enix for the Wii. It is an installment in the Chocobo series that focuses on Chocobo and his quest to free a town lost in time from eternal forgetfulness. It is a loose sequel to Chocobo's Dungeon 2 on the PlayStation.
Mario Sports Mix is a sports video game developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in Japan on November 25, 2010, and in other regions in early 2011. It features volleyball, ice hockey, dodgeball, and basketball. The game features mostly characters and locations from the Mario series with a few guest appearances by characters from Square Enix's Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series of games. Players can also opt to play as one of their Mii characters.
While the early history and distinctive traits of role-playing video games (RPGs) in East Asia have come from Japan, many video games have also arisen in China, developed in South Korea, and Taiwan.
Maximum Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Walnut Creek, California. Originally founded in 2009 as a publisher of family-oriented titles for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii, the company shifted to publishing games of all genres for all ages across all platforms shortly after inception.
Portal Knights is an independent survival action role-playing video game developed by Keen Games and published by 505 Games. It was first released on Steam on 18 May 2017 and subsequently released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.
Ever Oasis is an action-adventure role-playing video game developed by Grezzo and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. Revealed at E3 2016, the game was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in June 2017 and in Japan the following month. It was directed and produced by Koichi Ishii, the creator of the Chocobo and Moogle as well as the Mana series at Square Enix.
Paper Mario is a video game series and part of the Mario franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and produced by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a paper cutout version of Mario, usually with allies, on a quest to defeat the antagonist, primarily Bowser. The series consists of six games and one spin-off; the first, Paper Mario (2000), was released for the Nintendo 64, and the most recent, Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020), for the Nintendo Switch.
Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds is a role-playing video game developed by Semisoft and published by Another Indie. Semisoft describes the game as a "nostalgic love letter to classic JRPGs". The game was released in January 2018 on Microsoft Windows, and was released in 2019 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a turn-based role-playing video game developed by Airship Syndicate and published by THQ Nordic. It was released in October 2017 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and in May 2018 for Nintendo Switch and Linux. Based on the Battle Chasers fantasy comic book series by Joe Madureira, the game involves the cast of that series being marooned on an island and being forced to stop the plans of an evil sorceress in order to escape.
Fallen Legion is a role-playing video game series developed by Indonesian studio Mintsphere and YummyYummyTummy. The games are a series of action-based sidescrolling RPGs in the style of traditional JRPGs.
Tales of Arise is a 2021 action role-playing game developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The seventeenth main entry in the Tales series, the game follows a man and a woman from the opposing worlds of Dahna and Rena and their journey to end the Renans' oppression of the Dahnan people.
Mario & Luigi is a series of role-playing video games developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the latter's various video game handheld consoles. The series is a spin-off from Nintendo's trademark Super Mario series and stars the titular characters Mario and Luigi. The games' stories follow the two on a quest to defeat an antagonist, sometimes Bowser but usually a new character. It began in 2003 on the Game Boy Advance with Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, with the latest original installment being Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS. Two other titles in the series, including Superstar Saga, had an additional remake for the Nintendo 3DS. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey was the last game in the series before AlphaDream declared bankruptcy in 2019, and remains the latest installment in the series.
Edge of Eternity is a 2021 role-playing video game developed by Midgar Studio and published by Dear Villagers. It first released for Windows before releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch in February 2022.
Weapon Shop de Omasse is a comedy rhythm JRPG written by Yoshiyuki Hirai, in which the main characters are a father and son pair who craft weapons for heroes in a fantasy weapon shop resembling the set of a sitcom. The player uses rhythmic gameplay to forge weapons which are rented by heroes for their quests; the weapon chosen will affect whether or not the hero is successful.