From estranged families to deadly disease, every town has its own problem necessitating different solutions

As the J in JRPG suggests, this is a genre we primarily associate with Japanese developers, at which few western studios have tried their hand. Cris Tales is one of the rare exceptions, proudly calling itself a “gorgeous indie love letter to classic JRPGs”. It certainly is attractive – from the unique character design to the architecture referencing developer Dreams Uncorporated’s Colombian roots, Cris Tales is a joy to look at. Sadly, it isn’t even half as much fun to play.

The potential is there. Instead of staunchly copying age-old turn-based systems, the central conceit is a time-manipulation mechanic, made possible by heroine Crisbell’s magical powers. Your party faces enemies on both sides, and using her time crystals, Crisbell can send foes on the left-hand side into the past, while those on the right may end up in the future. This way, enemies can age, turning either into their toddler selves or sprightly young warriors in the past, and either aged shadows of themselves or experienced veterans in the future. The only way to find out which is through trial and error. Elemental magic may have different effects when combined with time magic – the first moments of the game show how soaking an enemy’s metal shield with water and then sending them into the future causes the shield to rust. It’s a fun idea that Cris Tales doesn’t seem to know what to do with. Time magic costs a lot of crystal points (the game’s MP equivalent), and executing combo attacks can take so many rounds that we often beat a large number of fiends before then. In several boss encounters, time magic doesn’t so much uncover a vulnerability as make foes stronger.