RPGs and specifically JRPGs have seen quite a resurgence recently, especially in the wake of formative titles like Persona 5Yakuza: Like a DragonDragon Quest 11Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and more. Different takes on the genre are beginning to push beyond traditional genre staples into new territory, though those yearning for a more traditional JRPG experience will have plenty to look forward to as well. One upcoming example is Cris Tales, an RPG developed by Dreams Uncorporated, Syck, and published by Modus games.

It's easy to point out the similarities between Cris Tales and some of the best JRPGs of all time, mostly because this game serves as a love letter to those classic adventures. However, the gameplay concepts present in Cris Tales are uniquely all their own, integrating storytelling and world elements of time travel directly into the gameplay in a way that's meaningful in granular and macrocosmic ways. In a much more consistently direct fashion than most JRPGs, Cris Tales makes players woefully aware of a dark future that they need to prevent. The difference is that this bleak future is present on screen almost always, serving as a stark reminder of their journey's purpose.

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Cris Tales Wears its Chrono Trigger Inspiration On its Sleeve

cris tales kingdom 2 exploration time mechanic

Mainly, the Chrono Trigger comparison comes from the game's defining mechanic: Time. Cris Tales is very much a time-hopping journey, arguably moreso than Chrono Trigger. The ability to hop between past, present, and future timelines is present on screen nearly at all times, as the game's view has an ever-present V-shaped divide that separates moments in time. As players explore towns and regions throughout Cris Tales' story, protagonist Crisbell will be able to actively witness the past, present, and future timeline of any region in real-time. Players will utilize this knowledge of all three to complete quests and discover the mystery of an impending disaster.

Time plays an integral part in Cris Tales' story, but even goes a step further by being directly integrated into gameplay as often as possible. Quests and puzzles often require the usage of all three timelines to manipulate chronological events and prevent dangerous outcomes. Even on a smaller level, combat encourages and requires time-hopping to maximize damage and defeat certain enemies by visiting past or future versions of their enemies to target weaknesses.

cris tales combat

Combat is the clear highlight of Cris Tales, especially in tandem with time manipulation. Battles are turn-based, but the rewinding and fast-forwarding of time can manipulate turn order, enemy strength, and more to create a varied experience in each fight. While other party members are controllable allies in battle, Crisbell is the only one who can manipulate time on her turn.

One battle example was a giant chicken-like monster, who was quite sizable, with high damage and physical strength. Moving that monster into the past turns them into an egg, while moving them into the future makes the monster older and even stronger. Time can change battles on a moment's notice in clever ways, making battles more than just focusing on standard elemental weaknesses like Fire or Wind. Even those elemental weaknesses can change depending on monster's past or present versions.

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The Kingdoms and Visions of Time in Cris Tales

cris tales cinematic

Exploring the world of Cris Tales is just as interesting, and is where both the Octopath Traveler and Chrono Trigger comparisons come into play as well. Each kingdom has its own isolated, mostly non-linear story that players can explore at will. An art style and world design similar to Octopath's "HD-2D" is present in Cris Tales, albeit in a much more vibrant and unique tone. Every quest player takes on affects the "Kingdom Outcome" of each region, referring to how each kingdom will transform in the future. Player choice plays a huge part in that outcome, as certain quests and decisions can affect the future of each kingdom positively and negatively.

One particular example was a kingdom in Cris Tales on the brink of a destructive natural disaster, so it seemed, anyway. When Crisbell and the party arrives at the city, her visions of the future are populated with severe destruction. Crisbell's choices can still lead to that future, but that destruction is avoidable, assuming players make the appropriate choices. This level of narrative choice is present in most kingdoms throughout Cris Tales' adventure.

These choices all factor into the main narrative as well; characters and party members could die, narrative arcs or beats could change entirely, among other aspects. Time being the obvious theme of the game, it's clear that every facet of Cris Tales wants to emphasize that players' decisions are important, and can change the entire adventure in a momentary choice. Much like Chrono Trigger, it's clear there will be multiple outcomes and endings determined by what players decide is right or wrong.

cris tales crisbell sword

Given that there are around 20 various kingdoms, dungeons, and even more bosses, Cris Tales can be a longer tale, depending on what players want from the game. An average playthrough matches up similarly with Chrono Trigger's playthrough of about 30-40 hours, depending on the degree of side quests players take on.

From what's been shown thus far, it's clear Cris Tales is striving to capture similar emotions and feelings from the classic JRPGs it draws inspiration from, especially Chrono Trigger. That being said, the game's integration of time as a pivotal component of both storytelling, as well as gameplay, is certainly modern and unique.

Cris Tales releases on July 20, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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