‘Cris Tales’ is a beautiful ode to the worst parts of old-school JRPGs
In battle, this time-traveling mechanic plays on JRPG conventions in some interesting ways, though not nearly as well. Combat is mostly turn-based, with certain actions such as parrying, blocking and doing critical damage tied to real-time inputs. Unlike your companions, who stick to physical and magical attacks, Crisbell can send enemies into the past or the future to cause damage, enhance the effects of status ailments, or make enemies weaker or stronger. For example, when I poison an enemy, rather than waiting for the spell to slowly sap its health, I can send it to the future, where the combined damage kills it instantly. In another instance, I thwart a boss with powerful healing magic by sending her back a turn every time she casts a spell to recover. The game establishes several of these applications early on, but unfortunately recycles them throughout the game rather than building on them in any meaningful way. By the end of it, I hardly used Crisbell’s time manipulation powers at all. They just weren’t worth losing a turn that could be put to better use healing the party or buffing a stronger character’s stats to do several times whatever damage sending enemies whirling through time could.
