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| Topic | Arti's Top 10 Games of 2019 (and other lists) |
| Arti 02/23/20 1:17:42 AM #28: | #5 - Crystar Gemdrops Inc. / FuRyu / Spike Chunsoft PlayStation 4, PC Released August 27, 2019 Crystar is definitely my pick for the most obscure game on this list - it was released completely out of nowhere and was developed by a little-known Japanese indie developer known as Gemdrops Inc., making their first full-fledged console title. Crystar's main character is Rei Hatada, who ends up finding herself in Purgatory along with her sister, Mirai Hatada. After a close encounter with the demon that pulled her into Purgatory, Anamnesis, Rei ends up accidentally stabbing her sister and sending her deeper into Purgatory. Two other demons, known as Mephis and Pheles (yes, there's an obvious reference there), offer to revive Mirai if Rei becomes their Executor by killing other rampaging enemies in Purgatory, including the demon Anamnesis. Rei reluctantly accepts after being heartbroken after what she did to Mirai. As she descends through the levels of Purgatory she meets others who are also fighting in Purgatory for reasons related to their families. One of the best parts of Crystar is how it handles the story and characters - the writer of the game said he was influenced by Drakengard, which fits with how dark the story gets the further the characters descend into Purgatory. The main theme of the game, as stated above, are the bond between family, and each of the three Executors are all fighting in Purgatory due to something that happened with their family. Which makes the fourth character's inclusion all the more bizarre as she doesn't fit the main theme of the game at all, and is also incredibly annoying. The game would probably be much better if she was removed entirely. The game does have its questionable decision of events near the end, though I didn't mind it at all - the game's storytelling was fine to me even though it did take a while to get to the finale of the game. The game still has its fair share of problems, and most of it is due to the gameplay. The game starts out with a system fairly similar to the current control system in the Ys series - normal attacks with the square and triangle buttons, and special attacks being mapped to R1 + one of the face buttons. Characters can also summon their Guardian after defeating enough enemies or taking enough damage, and can unleash a special attack while doing so. However, the game never adds anything additional to this, and when you are looking at a forty hour long RPG, this really doesn't help carry the narrative as well as it should. Furthermore, all of the game's equipment is done via random drops, and you can't tell what the item is when picking it up. Though most of the items you will get are fine enough, it's enough of an annoyance to be mentioned here. I highly recommend Crystar to anyone who enjoys a deep plot in their JRPGs. It's not the best for those who like the action portion as that's a bit weak, unfortunately. Also, one last note: https://twitter.com/canyoupetthedog/status/1166348530602168320 You can pet the dog, and she even has her own menu option! And you get trophies for doing so. --- ... Copied to Clipboard! |
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