Crystalline
- August 22, 2018
- PixelFade
- 15h median play time
Get on Steam"Crystalline" is a single-player romance role-playing game with an intriguing story and good mechanics set in a fantasy world powered by magical crystals. The game features exceptional visuals, an excellent soundtrack, and plenty of humor, but it is also plagued by bugs. Players will journey through an expansive world, shaping their story and relationships with hundreds of decisions, as they uncover the mystery behind their arrival in this emotional adventure.
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Reviews
- Crystalline features well-written characters and an involved story that keeps players engaged.
- The artwork and voice acting are of high quality, enhancing the overall experience.
- The game successfully blends humor and emotional moments, making it a memorable journey.
- The story is somewhat predictable and follows typical isekai tropes without significant twists.
- There is only one romanceable character, which may disappoint players looking for multiple options.
- Some gameplay mechanics, like the mini-games, feel unnecessary and do not add much to the overall experience.
- story1,024 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "Crystalline" is a classic isekai narrative, where the protagonist is transported to a fantasy world filled with familiar tropes and character archetypes. While the plot is often described as simple and predictable, many players appreciate the well-developed characters and their interactions, which elevate the overall experience. Despite some critiques regarding its linearity and lack of significant plot twists, the engaging writing, humor, and emotional moments resonate with players, making it a worthwhile visual novel for fans of the genre.
“The story is engaging, sprinkling various interactions between your main character and heroines throughout the story while doing a great job at preserving various emotional tones.”
“The story is beautifully crafted, ranging from moments of shonen-level hype to an oxytocin rush that left me jazzed for days on end.”
“The characters are unique to their own personality and to what they offer to the adventure, team, and story.”
“The story is very fantasy cliche and frankly there are no options.”
“If you're looking for a deeper plot and character growth, then look elsewhere.”
“The story is extremely simple but well thought out.”
- humor200 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and ability to evoke genuine laughter, with many players highlighting the witty dialogue, character interactions, and pop culture references. Reviewers appreciate the balance of lighthearted moments with deeper emotional themes, making the experience both entertaining and engaging. While some humor may not resonate with everyone, the overall consensus is that the game successfully delivers a fun and memorable comedic experience.
“This is an amazing game; it brought out a lot of emotion for me and it's filled with serious moments and humor. It was a great adventure to go through.”
“The interaction between characters and the level of humor in the game suit my taste.”
“The jokes are all well thought out, well timed, and most importantly, very funny.”
- music183 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many tracks being described as memorable and well-suited to the scenes. While some players noted a desire for more variety and found certain pieces repetitive, the soundtrack is generally praised for its emotional depth and ability to complement the narrative effectively. Overall, the music is considered a significant strength of the game, contributing to its immersive atmosphere and emotional impact.
“The music is spot on, upbeat and catchy, to melodious and peaceful, complimenting the mood perfectly.”
“The soundtrack is very good and comes at the right moment at the right time, I wish they will release a separate DLC with the soundtrack to download it.”
“The music, stellar as always, Eric Benaim creates such amazing pieces of music for the game and sets the mood right for any situation that happens in the story.”
“The music is okay but I wish there was a bit more variety at times.”
“I will say that it's very passive for the most part, where some songs in Ace like 'Innocence' and 'Tender Moments' cast emotional overtones; they are very much background music if you get what I mean.”
“In my opinion, the 'poppy, cheerful' standard background music becomes a little dull after a time and does not really suit every scenery - I would like more variety there, because in some scenes it's just inhibiting the atmosphere that could have been built up with a more fitting tune.”
- graphics169 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Crystalline" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning artwork and high-quality animations, which enhance the overall visual experience of the game. Players appreciate the clean and appealing character designs, as well as the charming backgrounds, although some have noted issues with model lag and reused assets. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals, engaging animations, and effective voice acting contributes significantly to the game's immersive storytelling.
“The artwork is stunning, and although some assets are definitely reused several times, the major cities, temples, and big moments have very unique artwork that flesh the world out more, and make the game stand out.”
“Not only is the artwork clean and appealing, the characters are fully animated, changing expressions and poses smoothly during dialogue.”
“The visuals of this game are amazing; the character movement adds an additional level of detail I didn't know I wanted and makes the game feel so much more alive and immersive compared to other visual novels.”
“I'll start with the graphics: the backgrounds, the art style, and so on is great, but the models sometimes lagged, caused some stuttering, and just look a bit stiff.”
“The lack of visuals at times is also apparent when you visit all kinds of new places, and you see old backgrounds being reused.”
“For a visual novel, this game crashes as often as action games that are graphic intensive.”
- emotional93 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its genuine and heartfelt character interactions, which evoke a wide range of feelings, from laughter to tears. Players describe the story as both heartwarming and engaging, with moments that resonate deeply, making them feel connected to the characters and their journeys. Overall, the game successfully combines humor and emotional depth, creating a memorable experience that leaves a lasting impact on players.
“I cried with this game.”
“The story is simply amazing; it actually managed to drag emotions out of me I have not felt for quite some time. The characters are dynamic, and you grow quite emotionally attached to every single one.”
“You'll laugh, hope, fail, triumph, have your heart broken, experience love, and overall be taken on a fantastic journey, both emotionally and in a typical adventuring sense.”
“I loved Ace Academy, but this game is just full of pointless conversations, stretched-out dialogue, bland characters, and a boring story.”
“This game is no mere hentai game with a boring story; it has a great story, funny moments, and it's really entertaining.”
- gameplay47 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Crystalline is primarily focused on visual novel mechanics, involving simple choice-based interactions and light mini-games that may appeal to younger audiences. While some players appreciate the narrative depth and polished presentation, many criticize the lack of substantial gameplay elements, describing it as shallow and uninspired. Overall, the experience leans heavily on storytelling rather than engaging gameplay mechanics.
“I’ve played for 12 hours now and it looks like there might be plenty more gameplay to come!”
“The gameplay is smooth and fairly polished.”
“The story is just so good, and the gameplay elements are very laid back (make choices, play simple minigames).”
“Gameplay is non-existent or irrelevant.”
“In most cases, there is zero gameplay.”
“The rest of the gameplay kind of reminds me of mini-games I played as a kid... meaning you match the pictures together or click on them in a pattern... and that's it.”
- character development32 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and execution, with many reviewers noting that characters feel three-dimensional and relatable rather than mere tropes. The well-written story and engaging interactions enhance the emotional impact, making players invested in the characters' journeys. However, some critiques mention a lack of variety in character designs and a desire for a better balance between character development and action in future episodes.
“The story and character development are amazing, and for only 15 bucks, it's a steal.”
“The way the character development is written makes the characters feel very three-dimensional and real.”
“Fantastic story, great execution, and truly amazing character development and relationship system.”
“I could accept the limiting to a single romance route as a tradeoff for increased character development/better story, but instead we got a singular romantic route and nothing in return.”
“Character development is a bit drab, but can be ignored due to the minor 'slice of life' themes going on in-between the characters you interact with.”
“I assume part of that has to do with the fact that Pixelfade wanted to focus more on character development than action, but there needs to be more of a balance in later episodes, however more there are left to be released.”
- replayability18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers multiple endings and dialogue choices, many players feel that the ability to easily access different outcomes diminishes its long-term value. Some reviews highlight a lack of significant variation in storylines compared to other visual novels, leading to a perception of limited replayability. However, the heartfelt narrative and engaging experience still encourage some players to revisit the game despite its linearity.
“The story was heartfelt and the game is very replayable.”
“While being more linear than most visual novels, it still has a very strong presence and replayability.”
“The multiple endings and various dialogue choices offer replayability, although most endings can be seen by saving before obvious decision moments and then loading it after seeing one ending.”
“I will admit though that the game does somewhat lack replayability due to this lack of different outcomes, but I guess the game is still in early access and also the game is mostly in the 'training sequence' part, so this might change in the future.”
“I'm a little disappointed that there is only one route because the multiple routes bit really added to the replayability of Ace Academy, so I'm hoping the dev team will read this and see that.”
- atmosphere15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by high-quality art, engaging music, and well-crafted lore that draws players into its world. While the cheerful background music is noted as occasionally repetitive, the overall ambiance effectively evokes emotional responses and a sense of adventure. However, some players feel that certain mini-games detract from the immersive experience, reminding them they are playing a game rather than fully engaging with the narrative.
“The words themselves describe and build up the atmosphere in correlation with the art, which was on a whole different level.”
“Amazing atmosphere, interesting characters (although they're not too extremely special) and it sometimes really gives you the feeling of actually being in this world.”
“The tracks fit in like gloves, embedded in situations during the game to create amazing atmospheres (it can really get you emotional, so prepare tissues).”
“In my opinion, the 'poppy, cheerful' standard background music becomes a little dull after a time and does not really suit every scenery - I would like more variety there, because in some scenes it's just inhibiting the atmosphere that could have been built up with a more fitting tune.”
“I thought I was playing a 'Tales of' game; it has that same atmosphere and quality of story, just skipping out the combat and rushing through the main storyline.”
“A few words are said differently by different characters; it's not an issue, it is just part of this game's atmosphere which so far is done very well.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while the graphics and voice acting are praised, players report issues such as model lag, stuttering, and occasional crashes. The engine requires further optimization to address character spawning glitches and physics inconsistencies, but the performance is generally acceptable for an early access title.
“The voice acting performances are stellar.”
“All the characters are fully voice acted and the performances are by and large excellent, especially for a smaller studio's second ever game.”
“For an early access game, the performance is very good and it crashed only about 3 times in 9 hours.”
“I'll start with the graphics: the backgrounds, the art style, and so on are great, but the models sometimes lagged, caused some stuttering, and just look a bit stiff.”
“I will note that the engine needs a bit of optimization work, as there were some weird pauses and the characters would just pop up as if they were being 'spawned' and the hilarious, erm, physics acted up.”
- stability12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs, freezes, and glitches, particularly during basic features like auto-skip and loading screens. While some players experienced smooth gameplay with minimal issues, others faced frequent crashes and visual anomalies, indicating that the game may still require further optimization, especially since it is in early access. Overall, the stability appears to vary widely among users, with a notable number expressing frustration over the game's performance.
“Everything was done flawlessly, and there are no glitches.”
“$20 USD is a bit pricey but a fair value for a quality title with no glitches or other problems.”
“Very buggy when trying to use some very basic features for a visual novel, such as auto-skip.”
“I've updated everything and also deleted and reinstalled this game 4 times and it freezes at the same exact point, which is a shame.”
“I think I experienced about 6 game freezes going through episodes 1-3.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the non-restrictive branching choices in the game, which contrasts with other visual novels that require precise decisions, making the experience feel less tedious. The integration of quick-time events and standard choice trees enhances the gameplay, providing a refreshing RPG-like experience without the burden of combat grinding.
“The blend of QTE gameplay at appropriate moments and standard VN choice trees fits well, and makes the experience feel more like playing a fantasy RPG than a VN, except with about 12 times as much story due to the lack of combat grinding.”
