Crystalfall

About

Crystalfall is a single player and multiplayer hack and slash game with fantasy and post-apocalyptic themes. It was developed by CRG AB and was released on April 10, 2026. It received negative reviews from players.

Free Online Action RPG in a Steampunk World Take on the role of a convict who has been thrown into the dungeons by a powerful ruling organization. Embark on a journey through a world devastated by a mysterious asteroid, scattering powerful crystal shards across distinct world zones brimming with mutated creatures and steampunk enemies. Delve into post-apocalyptic dungeons that randomize upon eac…

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33%

Audience ScoreBased on 480 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

monetization15 negative mentions

Free-to-play ARPG with a solid foundation and enjoyable core gameplay loop appealing to fans of Path of Exile and Diablo.
Large and flexible skill tree allowing for diverse and hybrid builds, encouraging player creativity and experimentation.
Good art style blending steampunk and post-apocalyptic themes, complemented by decent graphics and sound design for an indie early access title.

Poor server stability at launch with frequent disconnections, long loading screens, and login issues making the game often unplayable.
Extremely limited inventory and stash space with very high prices for expansions, perceived as predatory monetization harming player experience.
Gameplay issues including clunky controls (no WASD or controller support), slow paced and repetitive combat, lack of meaningful endgame content, and numerous quality of life shortcomings.

gameplay
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
69%
13%
Gameplay attempts to follow familiar ARPG formulas like Path of Exile and Diablo but suffers from clunky controls, slow pace, and lack of polish that detract from engagement and momentum. While some appreciate the simple, functional skill trees and basic mechanics, many criticize the uninspired, repetitive combat, low enemy variety, and predatory monetization that hinder free-form play and overall enjoyment. The game shows potential but is bogged down by awkward movement, janky UI, and a lack of unique identity or meaningful innovation.
- “Gameplay follows the familiar loop of exploring instanced areas, defeating enemies, and collecting loot, but where Crystalfall begins to separate itself is in how it handles progression.”
- “As builds develop, the synergy between skills can create visually impressive and mechanically engaging sequences, giving a strong sense of momentum.”
- “The gameplay is fluid and I did not encounter any bugs during my playtime.”
- “This game is as predatory as it can get, gameplay sucks and is beyond clunky.”
- “Combat and skill are still not polished making the core gameplay very awkward and painfully slow.”
- “So far from what I have played there are many glaring issues, this game looks and plays like an iso looter from 2009; the gameplay is slow as hell, clunky and so far just not fun.”
graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
77%
8%
The graphics receive mixed reviews, with some appreciating the distinct sci-fi/industrial aesthetic and lighting effects, while many criticize the overall quality as outdated, poorly optimized, and lacking customization or advanced graphical settings. Comparisons to games like Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 highlight that its visuals fall short, often described as clunky or basic, with some users noting performance issues and minimal graphical options.
- “Overall, I found the animations enjoyable, the graphics are good enough for me, and I really liked the amount of sound effects — they were very well done.”
- “The art direction, with its mix of crystalline effects and industrial design, provides a distinct aesthetic.”
- “Graphics are decent, definitely not Diablo or PoE but still good.”
- “Graphics are terrible, skill animations also, looks like a ChatGPT game made in a couple of hours.”
- “The presentation is really poor, graphics and sound are low quality and it looks worse than Torchlight 2 which is nearly 15 years old at this point.”
- “5) Graphics are beyond terrible (if this game was released in 2006 it wouldn't stand a chance vs Titan Quest 1 for example).”
monetization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
50%
42%
The monetization is widely criticized as predatory and excessively greedy, with overpriced microtransactions for basic inventory and stash tabs that feel exploitative, especially during early access. Many users view it as a blatant cash grab with low effort on game development, likening it to a mobile-style money grab lacking fair value or player consideration. This aggressive monetization approach severely detracts from the game's reception and player trust.
- “And while I understand that $15 to double your inventory in an ARPG might seem like a lot, it's also a free-to-play game where other than that single inventory tab and stash tabs (of which you can get 4 for $10), it's nothing but cosmetics for the monetization.”
- “The monetization of stash tabs and character tabs are a bit much but it's not really any different than Path of Exile stash tab buying.”
- “If I ever want to make an in-app purchase, then have me go through the payment processing setup.”
- “Predatory monetization.”
- “Microtransactions are unbelievably expensive and feel like a blatant cash grab, with overpriced stash and inventory tabs and minimal stacking options.”
- “Extremely predatory microtransactions combined with unintuitive controls and a potentially malicious standalone client do not inspire confidence.”
story
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
78%
11%
The story in this game is widely regarded as weak or nearly nonexistent, with repetitive and dull quest content lacking depth, cutscenes, and engaging narrative elements. Quest directions are often confusing or incorrect, contributing to a frustrating experience that fails to capture player interest or match the storytelling standards of comparable ARPGs. Overall, narrative and quest design are major drawbacks that leave the game feeling empty and underdeveloped.
- “The quests have the bare minimum required to be called quests.”
- “Hope also they add a storyline etc., because it feels empty.”
- “There isn't even any story.”
- “Story/lore - there isn't any... zero creative writing at all and zero story background effort.”
- “Story content is really dull, no cutscenes, just a quest pop up and deal with some mobs or a short dungeon and done.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
40%
45%
Optimization in the game is widely criticized, with many players experiencing stuttering, frame drops, high GPU usage, and server instability leading to lost progress. While some report decent performance on certain systems, frequent bugs, poor graphical optimizations, VRAM leaks, and inconsistent network stability highlight a lack of polish. Overall, the game feels unfinished and in need of significant technical improvements.
- “Although it could use more optimization and expanded graphical settings.”
- “Game performance is good, supporting whatever resolution you want.”
- “No performance issues, runs great on Linux with Proton Experimental.”
- “I'm above the recommended settings but the game still runs terribly; it's just poorly optimized, with 99% GPU utilization at the first encampment (Castaway's Landing).”
- “Horrible optimization—clearly a cashgrab with no effort put into this, and you can tell right away.”
- “Optimization basically doesn’t exist.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is a mixed experience, with some players finding item farming satisfying and the grind enjoyable, while others feel the difficulty spike and tedious repetitive tasks like manual looting and slow movement detract from the fun. The endgame is rough and can feel grind-heavy, with some criticism about the lack of unique drops, limited co-op, and high prices for quality-of-life improvements like increased storage. Overall, the grind is typical for the genre but may lack the engaging hooks that keep players invested long-term.
- “There is a huge difficulty spike — I don’t mind that, but after hours of farming maps, the game completely stopped being fun for me and I started asking myself: why am I even still playing this?”
- “I just spent 12 hours grinding with zero unique drops because the table was broken.”
- “Crystalfall is marketed as an MMORPG, yet it barely offers any real co-op experience — most of the time you’re just grinding solo like in a generic ARPG.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent crashes, lag, and freezes that often require hard shutdowns. Many users report it as buggy and poorly optimized, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially during login and initial play. However, some note better performance on certain platforms like Linux with Proton Experimental.
- “No performance issues, runs great on Linux with Proton Experimental.”
- “This game lags, crashes, and freezes your computer, forcing a hard shutdown. It is not ready and needs a few more months of development.”
- “Yeah, released with a very buggy login, and after a couple of hours of trying, it finally allows me to create a character and play... and even in a region with good ping, it is lagging!”
- “Installed with a buggy login, the game was delayed to ensure a smooth launch, but the launch day was a complete mess.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game to be unintentional and rooted in frustration, particularly mocking the poor server issues, overpriced stash tabs, and lackluster in-game rewards. The comedic value arises mainly from the game's shortcomings rather than deliberate comedic design.
- “Kinda hilariously bad.”
- “Lol.. gaming is funny af these days.. so predictable.. each and every single time.”
- “Something incredibly funny is that I think 99% of the development of this game went into the demo.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users noting it reminds them of Diablo 2 and is decent, while others criticize the absence of music beyond the opening screen. Overall, the soundtrack is considered passable but not a standout feature.
- “The soundtrack isn't bad.”
- “The game has yet to load anything but the title card, music, and opening screen background.”
- “This game would've had a chance to be good but the start, bad graphics, no music, and so on.”
- “Game has yet to load anything but the title card, music, and opening screen background.”
- “Music reminds me of Diablo 2.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Replayability is enhanced by randomized loot and dungeon layouts, ensuring each run offers a unique experience. However, players suggest waiting for further polish to improve overall playability.
- “Randomized elements in both loot and dungeon design further reinforce replayability, making each run feel slightly different.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is praised for its nostalgic, old-school action RPG background music, creating an immersive and fitting ambiance.