Cris Tales features a turn based battle system with a time-bending twist. The use of Crisbell’s time-shifting abilities extends to combat as well. The game features a truly gorgeous graphical style. Moreover, the world map is sparsely populated with little by way of hidden items or locations. There are also very few places to go, as the game has players shuffling back and forth between locations, especially in the endgame. Despite the innovative use of a tripartite screen to show the same city during three distinct eras, the actual world of Crystallis feels incredibly small. While the game provides the player a chance to impact the result of these stories, they do not provide much impact on the greater plot. The player’s choices will impact the future of any of the separate locations visited. An empty corner in the present may contain a treasure chest in the past, or a sick young boy in the past may be missing from the present until you bring him an antidote. As Crisbell moves across the town, players watch as locations and NPCs change with time, appearing younger, older, or disappearing entirely.

During much of the game, the screen is split into three sections, with each one representing Crisbell’s current location, just in a different era. While other time travel stories will have players exploring the same location across different eras, Cris Tales instead has players explore the same location across the past, present, and future, all at the same time. The opening of the game plays quite literally like the beginning of a 16 or 32-bit RPG - there is even a guard named Biggs in the opening hours, referencing Final Fantasy‘s decades-long reference to Star Wars - that Cris Tales‘ main time-travel gimmick is refreshing for a while. From there, Crisbell recruits a handful of allies to join her in a quest to defeat the nefarious Time Empress and save the four kingdoms from a horrible future.

During a routine fetch quest for the Mother Superior, Crisbell meets a talking frog who awakens her powers as a budding Time Mage. Cris Tales is set in the world of Crystallis, with players controlling the young orphan Crisbell. The game’s opening intentionally features the familiar story beats of an ordinary main character discovering their extraordinary destiny. While it soars in terms of aesthetic presentation, the game’s technical performance on Switch and the inclusion of too many gameplay mechanics keep this indie title firmly rooted in the past. Featuring turn-based combat, an innovative take on well-worn time travel tropes, and an assortment of charming characters, Cris Tales is filled with respect and reverence for the JRPGs of yesteryear. The game bills itself as a love letter to JRPGs, and wears that badge with almost too much pride. Cris Tales, developed by Syck and Uncorporated Games and published by Modus Games, focuses on what is, what was, and how changing both can affect what will be. There are moments in life where we wonder what could have been.

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