Crystal Crisis
- July 8, 2021
- Nicalis, Inc.
- 2h median play time
Nicalis’ marriage of puzzle and fighting game elements in the fan service-heavy Crystal Crisis coalesces in a largely satisfying experience. While the roster can feel unbalanced, loading times can be long and the story mode feels trite, the overarching, nuanced gameplay will keep players strategizing and returning to Crystal Crisis time and time again.
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"Crystal Crisis" is a head-to-head puzzle battle game featuring local and online multiplayer modes. It has 20 unique characters, including recognizable faces from Cave Story, The Binding of Isaac, and Astro Boy. Fill up your "Burst" gauge with combos to unleash powerful special attacks and choose from 40 unique Bursts to save yourself or mess with your opponent's board. Multiple single-player game modes are available for players to hone their skills.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- Crystal Crisis offers a fun and addictive gameplay experience reminiscent of classic puzzle fighters, with new mechanics like Burst abilities and screen wrap that add depth.
- The game features a diverse roster of characters from various franchises, appealing to fans of both indie games and classic titles, and includes customization options for colorblind players.
- Single-player modes are engaging, and the game is enjoyable both solo and with friends, making it a solid choice for local multiplayer sessions.
- The online multiplayer scene is virtually nonexistent, making it difficult to find matches against random players, which limits the game's competitive aspect.
- Loading times are excessively long, which disrupts the flow of gameplay and can be frustrating for players looking to quickly jump into matches.
- Some characters and abilities are unbalanced, leading to gameplay that can feel unfair, especially in competitive settings, and the story mode lacks depth and challenge.
- gameplay51 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this title is a blend of familiar puzzle mechanics reminiscent of classic games like Puzzle Fighter, enhanced by new features such as wall fusing and a burst gauge for special abilities. While the core experience is solid and engaging, some players find certain mechanics confusing or unbalanced, and the AI could benefit from improvements. Overall, the game offers fast-paced, competitive puzzle battles with a diverse character roster and strategic depth, making it appealing for fans of the genre.
“The gameplay is solid and worthy of your time if you enjoy competitive, fast-paced puzzle battle games.”
“The typical puzzle fighter-esque gameplay is augmented with an interesting burst mechanic, allowing you to either attempt to save yourself from a tight spot or waylay your opponent.”
“Fast, fluid, and satisfying gameplay.”
“Unless they change the AI to make it much more difficult or rebalance gameplay aspects (patterns/story mode), it's not worth it.”
“This game is essentially a spiritual successor to Puzzle Fighter with the exact same gameplay, plus a few added features and gimmicks.”
“For real for a second, the game looks okay, the music is offensively boring, the gameplay is what one would expect but some aspects of this game are too confusing for me to give this game a pass.”
- story38 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story mode of the game is generally considered short and simplistic, often criticized for its lack of depth and clarity regarding character motivations and plot elements. While some players enjoyed the character switching and art, others found the writing cheesy and the gameplay easy, with long loading times detracting from the experience. Overall, the narrative aspect seems to serve more as a backdrop for the puzzle mechanics rather than a compelling storyline.
“Went through the base story mode in less than a day, but I definitely liked - no, I loved everything about it, from how it switches characters with every stage to the character art, voice acting, and the end sequence.”
“From the heart-pumping puzzle action to the full-fledged story mode and a roster that screams 'fan service,' it would be a crime to call Crystal Crisis anything less than an absolute diamond.”
“- The story/writing is a little cheesy because it takes itself way too seriously, but it's passable and gets the job done.”
“I started playing story mode, but the loading time was so bad I quit.”
“Like, the entire story mode revolves around the red mcguffin that is barely explained before we are thrown into a battle with characters whose motivations for finding said mcguffin are never explained.”
“- the story mode is incredibly easy and unappealing; the enemies straight up suicide and don't put up a challenge.”
- music19 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the great soundtrack and upbeat tunes that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find certain tracks boring or unremarkable. Many appreciate the variety of music associated with different characters and stages, contributing to the game's lively atmosphere. Overall, the music is seen as a strong point, though opinions on specific tracks vary.
“The music is wonderful; honestly, they picked some OSTs from the games of the characters they chose. I never played any of these games, but I still think it's very good and upbeat.”
“It has an eclectic cast of indie characters, nice music, and very tight gameplay that just feels right.”
“The music's great, the UI is flashy, and I really appreciate options like changing the colors of the blocks or being able to play a more straight-up Puyo Puyo-style color-matching mode.”
“For real for a second, the game looks okay, the music is offensively boring, the gameplay is what one would expect but some aspects of this game are too confusing for me to give this game a pass.”
“Some of the music is straight fire, others... I'm not entirely sold on the remixes.”
“The music is offensively boring.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their beautiful and humorous artwork, featuring familiar anime characters, though some users noted a lack of customizable resolution options. However, there are criticisms regarding the generic visuals of the playfield and a perceived lack of differentiation from similar titles. Overall, while the artwork is well-received, the graphical options and playfield design could use improvement.
“Beautiful and funny artwork, nice mechanics, very challenging.”
“I love the graphics and seeing some familiar faces from anime's past.”
“Take graphical options for example, there are no specified resolutions you can set this game to.”
“[doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, core gameplay could use more variations, generic playfield visuals]”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game presents a poignant narrative centered on the emotional struggles of a fragile young boy yearning for his mother's love and a neglectful mother grappling with the aftermath of a recent divorce. This dual perspective creates a deeply affecting experience that resonates with themes of longing, neglect, and the complexities of familial relationships.
“A heartbreaking tale of an underdeveloped, emotionally fragile little boy who only wishes to be loved by his mother; an over-stressed, neglecting woman who's depressed about a recent divorce.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers express frustration over the game's poor optimization, especially given its simple design and average graphics. Many find it surprising that such a straightforward game struggles with performance issues.
“It boggles the mind that a game so straightforward and with models and lighting so merely passable can be this unoptimized.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its beautiful and funny artwork, which adds a lighthearted touch to the challenging gameplay mechanics. Overall, players appreciate the blend of visual humor and engaging challenges.
“Beautiful and funny artwork, nice mechanics, very challenging.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is generally considered to have minimal replayability, appealing primarily to super casual players who may find enjoyment in revisiting it.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a high level of stability, noting the absence of bugs or glitches even on the game's launch day for PC. This positive feedback highlights a smooth experience right from the start.
Critic Reviews
Crossover Chaos -- Crystal Crisis review
Nicalis’ marriage of puzzle and fighting game elements in the fan service-heavy Crystal Crisis coalesces in a largely satisfying experience. While the roster can feel unbalanced, loading times can be long and the story mode feels trite, the overarching, nuanced gameplay will keep players strategizing and returning to Crystal Crisis time and time again.
80%Crystal Crisis Review
Crystal Crisis isn’t going to dethrone the kings of the falling block genre anytime soon. It’s a solid puzzler with a heart of gold, but it doesn’t have the decades of improvements that its peers have. With a solid amount of content, an amazing cast of characters and fantastic presentation, though, we recommend this as a fun alternative if you tire of Tetris 99.
70%Crystal Crisis (Nintendo Switch)
Save Tetris and Puyo Pop for when you want to wind down before bedtime. Crystal Crisis is as intense as puzzle gaming gets and has sparked new life into a genre not known for surprises. From the heart-pumping puzzle action to the full-fledged story mode and a roster that screams “fan service,” it would be a crime to call Crystal Crisis anything less than an absolute diamond.
100%
