Last week Epic Games Store users could claim the oceanic survival game Windbound, but as of today that swapped over to Starbreeze Studios’ Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. The twin-stick adventure/puzzle game asks players to control two characters, following an “epic fairy tale journey” directed by Josef Fares - now widely known for It Takes Two, which won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021. Cris Tales did not have quite the same positive reception at launch last year, but its time-based mechanics and story rooted in South American culture offer a lot.
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Cris Tales as Indie JRPG Love Letter
Plenty of JRPGs are unleashed by AAA and indie developers every year, but Cris Tales drew attention thanks to its uniquely storybook-styled, hand-drawn animation when announced at E3 2019’s PC Gaming Show. With a blend of influences ranging from Walt Disney animation to Shonen manga and anime, Cris Tales stands out from the crowd. Part of what makes this style interesting is the fact that it’s a game revolving around the powers of Time Mages, and lead protagonist Crisbell literally sees the world split across past, present, and future timelines at once.
The powers available to Crisbell and her companions don’t just affect how players see the world. Cris Tales uses turn-based battles in which the turn order is malleable. Crisbell can not only learn spells that heal or raise the speed of whichever three party members are on the field, she can also use her Sword of Time to send opponents on the right side of screen into the future; or opponents on the left side into the past. This ability has a myriad of effects on various status conditions and abilities that both players and enemies utilize, leading to a game that grows naturally more complex over its runtime.
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Cris Tales as Colombian Disney Princess Story
Cris Tales is also a game steeped in the cultural heritage of its Colombian developer. Dreams Uncorporated CEO Carlos Andres Rocha Silva told Game Rant that Crisbell was designed like a “Colombian Disney Princess” in an interview last year, and her party travels to various locales that take inspiration from landmarks across Colombia while seeking the power they need to stop the Time Empress. For example, the Las Lajas Sanctuary, the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, and El Penon de Guatape all have parallels in Cris Tales.
That influence goes a step further. Different races inhabiting the world draw from Colombian wildlife, and underlying narrative beats tackle the reality of living in Colombia; from flooding coastal cities to patriarchal family structures, as well as revolutions by underrepresented peoples of the nation. The narrative isn’t overwhelmed by social commentary, but it creates a recognizable backbone that helps the world feel real despite its fantastical elements.
While these elements offer plenty of reasons to give Cris Tales a shot, its initial reception was hampered by bugs and other issues resulting from a small indie team tackling an ambitious project. Dreams Uncorporated spent time ironing out these concerns after launch, which means the version of Cris Tales coming free to Epic Games Store users next week should be more polished. Hopefully they find something to enjoy, but as usual the JRPG will make way for a different game on March 3 to keep up Epic Games’ variety of offerings.
Cris Tales is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It will be available for free on Epic Games Store from February 24 to March 3, 2022.
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