Crimson Tactics: The Rise of The White Banner

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In "Crimson Tactics: The Rise of The White Banner," play a turn-based tactical RPG in a medieval fantasy world, where the kingdom of Wendalle is torn apart by civil war. Follow a group of rebels as they resist Duke Arsenio Duran's ruthless plot to seize the throne and reshape the kingdom to his will. Experience the political intrigue and intense battles as you navigate the power struggle for Wendalle's future.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

50%

Audience ScoreBased on 159 reviews

story20 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game offers a solid tactical RPG experience reminiscent of classics like Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre, with engaging turn-based combat and a variety of classes and abilities.
The art style and character designs are visually appealing, contributing to an immersive fantasy setting.
The game features a unique mount system that adds depth to combat, allowing for strategic advantages during battles.

The game feels unfinished, with many players expressing frustration over the abrupt ending and lack of resolution in the story.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues that hinder gameplay, including problems with character actions and AI behavior.
The pacing of battles can be slow, and the user interface is clunky, making it difficult to manage units and navigate menus effectively.

story
150 mentions
13 % positive mentions
83 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over its abrupt ending and lack of resolution, feeling that it cuts off just as the narrative begins to develop. While some appreciate the potential and themes of political intrigue, others criticize the pacing and coherence, noting that the plot feels incomplete and scattered. Overall, the story is seen as a significant weak point, leaving players eager for a sequel or additional content to fully explore the narrative.
- “The story is incredible and adds the nice missing touch that is required from some of the monotony of the fights and battles.”
- “From the very beginning, the narration drew me in with its engaging and immersive storytelling.”
- “The world building and parts of the story are fantastic so far.”
- “The story abruptly ends before anything is resolved.”
- “There's still so much story to tell, and it feels like the game ends right as the story is starting to get good.”
- “You finally start to get the hang of the game and get into the story and then it just ends... I was 28 hours into the game and that's doing everything it has to offer, and then it just ends with no understanding of how things played out and so much story with no ending.”
gameplay
50 mentions
24 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally well-received, offering around 20 hours of engaging turn-based combat that combines classic tactical RPG mechanics with unique features like mounted combat and character customization. However, some players note that certain mechanics, such as regenerative features and lengthy battles, can detract from the overall experience, and the game is still in early access with some bugs and optimization issues. Despite these drawbacks, many find the core gameplay solid and enjoyable, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- “Its lopsided campaign frames a heavily layered set of turn-based mechanics that deliver an intricate and compelling combat experience.”
- “A refreshing mix of systems from Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre Reborn, alongside more unique mechanics like weapons with varying areas of effect and mounts, make for a new take on the SRPG genre while still feeling true to its roots.”
- “The gameplay flow is good, the strategic aspects are solid, and it combines a lot of lesser-seen mechanics well.”
- “Extensive healing and revival mechanics prolong battles.”
- “The gameplay needs some work and the learning curve due to missing tooltips on things like buffs/debuffs and defending will cause you to pull your hair out.”
- “While the core gameplay is solid, it suffers a death from a thousand papercuts.”
graphics
35 mentions
40 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive a generally positive reception, with many praising the art style, character models, and vibrant environments. However, some users note issues with performance, bugs, and a lack of character customization that detracts from the overall experience. While the visuals are considered solid and aesthetically pleasing, there are mixed feelings about how well they align with the game's darker themes and narrative.
- “The wide variety of maps, artwork, and character models is a nice combination of colors and designs.”
- “Game systems are well designed, and the graphics are beautiful for this style of game.”
- “Love the environment, the art style, and the music suits the game well.”
- “The reason that I would not suggest it to anyone at this time is because of the bugs... I constantly run across issues with the performance and visuals of the game.”
- “The sprites of units appearing on battlefield maps or in scenes are generally medium tier in aesthetic terms, as are the maps and scene locations themselves.”
- “The graphics are fine, but not outstanding.”
music
12 mentions
58 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, blending nicely with various gameplay elements and enhancing the overall atmosphere, though it is described as average and not groundbreaking. While some players appreciate the soundtrack's fit with the game's themes and mechanics, others express a desire for more impactful sound effects, such as death screams. Overall, the music contributes positively to the experience, but it leaves room for further development and uniqueness.
- “Music is good and blends in nicely with what you're doing in the game via shop, menu, battle, story, and so on.”
- “The music, while not particularly outstanding, generally fits the mood of the game.”
- “Love the environment, the art style, and the music suits the game well.”
- “The music is fine, nothing groundbreaking, but what I really missed was a death scream sound whenever a unit falls; I guess I got spoiled by FFT on this.”
- “Some characters have the potential to be favorites or leave a mark, but they ran out of time to develop some or create a unique backstory.”
- “It did to an extent cover my tactical RPG urge with its battle system classes and decent music.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly in crafting, party management, and combat, which can drag on unnecessarily. While the game has potential and offers engaging mechanics, the repetitive nature of these processes detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to frustration after extended play. Many reviewers express a desire for improvements to streamline these elements for a more enjoyable experience.
- “While all the basics are there, the plot is not engaging, party management is tedious, and by the time you get out of the hellish slog that is the necromancy arc, I was way beyond having fun.”
- “I would love to recommend this game, will come back to it later since it has got very much potential ... but right now I cannot recommend because it got very tedious for me after 12 hours at normal difficulty.”
- “Then, even at the fastest speeds, combats can take a very long time, especially with some map designs which put so many obstacles in your way that it can take way too many turns just to finish mopping up the last 2 opponents fleeing from us in tight quarters while it is clear that I won 5 turns ago and it is only a matter of going through this tedious process of finishing up.”
replayability
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is somewhat limited, as most classes are not viable throughout the majority of the game. However, the inclusion of two game modes and the ability to experiment with different party compositions and multi-classing options offer some opportunities for varied playthroughs.
- “The two game modes enhance the party composition of classes and the choice of multi-classes, providing significant replayability.”
- “The variety of classes and multi-class options contribute to a rich replay value, encouraging players to explore different strategies.”
- “Barely any of the classes are playable for most of the game.”
- “Replay value - two game modes add to party make-up of classes and which multi-classes are adopted to provide some replayability.”
optimization
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game appears to be inconsistent, with some users reporting significant bugs and performance issues, while others have experienced a smooth experience without any technical problems. Overall, the mixed feedback suggests that optimization may need further improvement before it can be recommended.
- “No bugs yet, so it's pretty optimized.”
- “The reason that I would not suggest it to anyone at this time is because of the bugs... I constantly run across issues with the performance and visuals of the game.”
- “[h3]Technical issues and performance[/h3>”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, crashes, and glitches that suggest it is still in a beta phase. Many players are frustrated by the game's current state and are calling for urgent fixes, expressing concern over the potential for future episodic DLCs if the stability issues remain unresolved.
- “The ending makes this game feel like a beta; there are a lot of bugs, crashes, and glitches. Please fix the game and avoid the episode DLC approach, or it will be the end of the game.”
- “Steam will not help you and continues to sell buggy, broken, and nonfunctional products illegally to the public.”
character development
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
While the character design is well-executed, players often feel a lack of emotional attachment to the characters. However, the game features robust character development mechanics, including detailed leveling, stat increases, and class changes, comparable to classics like Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics.
- “The game's character development mechanics, including gaining levels, increasing stats, and changing classes, are detailed and boast significant depth, on par with Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional impact of the game appears to be significant, as one user expressed a strong negative reaction, stating they likely won't return to it after just a few hours of play.
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for the game emphasizes its value by promoting it as part of a series, suggesting that players can expect over 100 hours of gameplay, which may justify its price point.