Cris Tales

Lore & Background

The game follows Crisbell, an orphan girl who discovers time-manipulation powers after following a talking frog named Matias. Guided by the time mage Willhelm, she learns to use her abilities to alter the past and future. The screen is split into three sections showing past, present, and future, and Crisbell can send enemies to different time periods in battle, changing their stats or status effects. Each playable character has unique abilities, and combat involves command-based attacks with timed button presses for extra damage or reduced damage taken.

The story involves Crisbell traveling to locations such as St. Clarity, Neva Tulira, Cinder, and Crystallis to defeat the Empress of Time and her minions. Later revelations show the Empress is a future version of Crisbell, and Matias transforms into Ardo, an ancient Rena scientist who seeks to overwrite the human world. The game offers multiple endings depending on player choices and side quest completion, including an extended ending if all side quests are completed and futures improved. An optional DLC dungeon adds a fifth Witness named Alexandre and alters the ending to show Crisbell returning to the orphanage as an old woman.

Reader's Guide

Cris Tales was announced at E3 2019 as a tribute to classic Japanese role-playing games such as Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and Persona. Its art style was influenced by Genndy Tartakovsky, Mary Blair, and Eyvind Earle, while character designs drew from the 2009 animated film The Secret of Kells. The game also reflects Colombian culture and architecture. During early previews, it received critical acclaim, with Hardcore Gamer calling it 'an unmissable, gorgeous manipulation of time' and nominating it for Game of Show and Best RPG at E3 2019. IGN praised its hand-drawn graphics and time-jump gameplay. However, after release, the game received mixed or average reviews on Metacritic (PC version score 74/100 based on 29 reviews). Critics praised the premise, art, and cast but criticized the combat as monotonous or frustrating. PC Gamer called it 'a striking RPG that fails to deliver on its temporal premise.' Local media noted it as a game with an excellent premise that lagged behind in execution.