Cris Tales Is Free On Epic

Monday, I was excited about 2K22‘s GM mode, more Dragon Ball games were shown off, and yet another simulator was released in early access. Tuesday, an indie platformer got a release date, and Skull & Bones is apparently going “very well.” Wednesday, issues caused an asymmetrical horror multiplayer game to hold off its beta, and House Flipper 2: More Flipping was announced minus the subtitle that it should have. Thursday, I’ve heard a few people really liked From Software’s Elden Ring, I wonder who? Now let’s move on to the Epic Games Store‘s free game this week.

Cris Tales is an endlessly beautiful-looking game, but I would be remiss to say the first thing I noticed beyond what I could gauge from the trailers wasn’t that the UX is the complete opposite. Like a turd in a paddling pool, I can’t let that float. X and Z are used to confirm and cancel, there is no support for the mouse in menus, and generally it has so few options it would embarrass a console game from the mid-00s, what is this PC port? So yes, I’ll recommend an Xbox or PlayStation controller (whichever works) and crack on with the game.

As I’ve already mentioned, the art direction for Cris Tales is stunning in every time-jumping direction. Ok, I know it isn’t time-jumping, they are all the same time, the same moment, all happening in one. However, if I start talking about it as different dimensions converging into one I’ll have flashbacks of trying to explain poorly written Doctor Who. In essence, the very beautiful world inhabited by our lead Crisbell is crossed over with another point in time where an authoritarian oligarchy run by a psycho has decided their empire isn’t enough, and the only way to make it bigger is to invade the peaceful place.

Sorry, I think something caused a crossover there where seeing fires and destruction as peaceful people are driven from their homes woke something in me. Look, normally I’d hate Cris Tales with its tweeness, voice acting, plot that screams anime, and general attempts to very much be a JRPG by way of Columbian culture, but I don’t. The turn-based combat is brightened up with Mario RPG-style button presses mid-attack, the world is engaging, and generally, have I mentioned how bloody gorgeous the art direction is?

With limited time, I am not going to be able to write up a whole review, but thankfully Alexx did that already. Personally, if you haven’t enjoyed JRPGs or anything with such tweeness before, I’m going to say you should check out Cris Tales. Not simply because it is presently free but because it fixes a number of issues I have other menu-heavy turn-based combat, not only visually but also in terms of gameplay. It is not without faults though, as the PC port is about as cumbersome as two busses stacked on top of each other, but it is playable with a controller.

All this week, you can pick up Cris Tales on the Epic Games Store for free, until the morning of the 3rd of March. Moving on to next week and the very reason I hold up games like Elden Ring and Dying Light 2: Stay Human as shining examples of beauty, next week Epic is putting me in the position of complaining about their desire to push free-to-play nonsense. Dauntless, something I thought I was rid of when I cut that from the Prime Gaming articles, is something you’ll be offered in-game guff for as you’ll be able to pick up the Epic Slayer Kit. I personally will be shooting myself before I say a nice thing about free-to-play tripe such as that, so next week should be fun.