Cris Tales Review (Xbox Series S)

by Jim Smale · Published July 30, 2021 · Updated August 4, 2021

Our Cris Tales Review shows off this 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.

Cris Tales Review Pros:

Breathtakingly beautiful graphics.
Download size.
1000 Gamerscore.
Four save slots.
Action RPG gameplay.
Opening and ongoing tutorials.
Turn-based combat but you press a button as you hit to do double damage and time blocks to take less damage.
Stunning locations.
An interesting group of characters.
Can fast forward conversations.
Persona looking Ui when in battle.
The animation and general flow of the game are fantastic and look smooth.
Overworld acts like a level select map, walk around to locations.
Save when you want when in the Overworld.
The screen is split into three, the parts represent past, present, and future.
Turn order shows when in combat.
As you walk around the world and people change as they go through the different parts of your screen in real-time.
Can jump between the time screens with a time-hop and you take control of Matias (frog).
Handy hint button to help keep you on task.
Supports d-pad and analog controls.
Puzzle elements.
Treasure chests with items hidden around the world.
You play as Crisabell a Time mage.
You will get choices that will affect how the game plays, how the world will be, and more.
In combat, you can knock enemies into the past or future to affect how they fight.
Earn EXP and level up to increase stats and unlock new powers and abilities.

Cris Tales Review Cons:

The opening of the game felt like I interrupted the story and missed the first act.
The first hour is slow and full of fetch quests.
The hint system can be very broad so finding where to go can be a pain.
Matias is slow and can’t interact with many things or people.
Combat can be drawn out if you are not sure what the crystals can do.
The bulk of the combat is quite generic.
Occasionally you will get a save in-game prompt, usually before a big event or fight.
You have to be so precise to interact with things.

Cris Tales:

Official website.

Developer: Modus Games

Publisher: dreamsuncorporated

Store Links –

9/10

Graphics - 9/10
8/10

Sound - 8/10
7/10

Accessibility - 7/10
8/10

Length - 8/10
7/10

Fun Factor - 7/10

7.8/10

Summary

I cannot deny that Cris Tales is one of the most beautiful games I have seen in a long time, it maintains its beauty with how it animates the characters and the vast world they inhabit. Cris Tales is a JRPG and with that comes a lot of turn-based combat and mission variety. The combat is very familiar and has a Persona style to it in terms of presentation but the combat does add to it all by having the time element in play. You can kick an enemy into the past, present, or future which can set up combos or expose a weak point on an enemy. It’s a mechanic that is refreshing but also limiting with not a lot of things you can do outside of the cookie-cutter combos. Time is the name of the game here as outside of combat you will see the screen is split into three, each segment represents a space in time them being passed, present, and future. In real-time you can see people and the world change, you can even time hop and become your loving campaign Matias who happens to be an “I can’t speak to people or do a lot” Frog. Again it’s a cool mechanic but it always feels like a scripted event as using it outside of the predetermined areas results in nothing notable. I came away from Cris Tales never sure if I liked it or not, it would have good highs and crushing lows, it never seems to stay at a set pace, and that caused the story to get a bit messy and horrible fetch style quests aplenty. I don’t hate Cris Tales and I don’t love it, it’s a visually stunning game with cool time mechanics that are never fully realized.