Reviews

• gamedeal user

  Feb 3, 2022

  Crystal Story II on Steam actually comes with its predecessor, Crystal Story 1. Since I didn't play either, this review covers both games. Crystal Story 1 graphics was simple and the story was shallow, but what carried the game was that you could customize almost every aspect of your character, and you had all the resources in the world to do so; you could upgrade different types of equipment to suit your characters, spam SP reset to play around with the different types of abilities that each character had etc. What made Crystal Story 1 phenomenally engaging however, were the characters. You don't get a lot of cutscenes, the story was stupidly absurd, the characters were absolutely comical. It doesn't take itself seriously, the characters don't take themselves or the story seriously, and that makes the game both entertaining and engaging, a rare trait in a lot of games these days. The characters in Crystal Story 2 didn't have this charm; the story was only a little bit more fleshed out than the first, but the characters took it much more seriously, losing the charm that Crystal Story 1 had. You couldn't respec your points, so if you had specialized your character as a physical damage dealer, you could twist and turn a little to make them deal magical damage later on, but it'll take a while. I feel that Crystal Story 2 had more to offer in terms of game mechanics, but in terms of how engaging the game was, I preferred Crystal Story 1. That being said, this game is really cheap. Definitely good to pick up and have fun with.
• gamedeal user

  Feb 7, 2015

  Huge fan since the first Crystal Story showed up on Newgrounds and Kongregate. This version boasts two new, huge never before seen, updates that add extra monsters, quests, bosses and a variety of extras! This also includes the first Crystal Story for those looking to have the full story to this point. It's a linear turn-based RPG that has just the right amount of charm to keep you hooked to see you through the end. I highly recommend this game to the returning fans coming from NG/Kong who've played the browser based versions and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who enjoys a flash game made with a lot of love. Taking both games into consideration, you've got yourself yourself at least 10-12 hrs of game (minus grinding equips to max) with a rather silly cast of heroes as they embark on a journey to discover who is behind the invasion of the Dargons! (yes, Dargons!) Two great games for under $5.00? Great! Plenty of achievements? Awesome! Trading Cards? Awesome! What are you waiting for?! And as if you couldn't get enough, Crystal Story: The Hero and the Evil Witch is available now!
• gamedeal user

  Feb 7, 2015

  I know it says I haven't played this game for long, but trust me, I played at least 30 hours of this game of Kongregate before it came on Steam. And that's just assuming a low number because I don't know how high my actual playtime is. Crystal Story II is just a simple, turn-based RPG with a very light-hearted and nonsensical story. Altogether, that's what the game boils down to. Play it, however, and you'll find an intriguing battle system with four fully customizable characters and a plethora of equipment to buy and spells to learn. The story really isn't anything groundbreaking, but come on, it was orignally a made-for-free flash game. For that standard, the story is far from awful and will actually keep you curious for a good bit. Accompanying the battle system is an INCREDIBLE soundtrack that seriously blew me away, even on the flash websites. Seriously, this guy needs a medal for his sound design, and you can listen to the whole OST in game once you hear each song once in game. There is also voice acting (some, most of the game is told in text), which, while in my opinion quite good in battle, lacks a little professonalism in some of the cutscenes. With a wealth of bonus content and games, the original crystal story (so you can see how much the author improved, that's honestly the only reason to play it), and a great package, seriously, jtus get this game and support guys like this. He has wonderful ideas, and even though I don't like paying for games all that much, the SECOND i saw this was available, I bought it. No regrets. ^^
• gamedeal user

  Feb 8, 2015

  Bought it for 15% off so thats a bonus. I don't usually play RPGs, infact I haven't played one in a long time, but I was bored and bought this and its been fun. Interesting how you gain skills with SP instead of leveling up like traditional RPG. Also the voice actings not that terrible sooooo. 7/10 Get it if you got extra money and feel like being a dragon person with a sword.
• gamedeal user

  Feb 8, 2015

  Played this for free online and enjoyed it. Not the best game I have ever played but it is far from the worst. Definatly worth the price, I bought this to play through again and also to support the developer.
• gamedeal user

  Feb 9, 2015

  This game got a lot of flack for the boring opening and low-budget graphics, but if you can get past that then its actually a pretty awesome RPG with a very interesting character upgrade system. Pros + I personally really like the character designs. + Fun battle system, by the mid-game every character will get lots of skills to play with. + Very non-linear character upgrade system, sort of like FFX but with more variety. + Its so refreshing to play a linear RPG with no backtracking. Cons - First dungeon is boring and the set-up of the game is pretty weak. - Lots of carried over resources from Crystal Story 1. - Little animations for enemies in battle (and you can see bits of a photoshop border on some). - Just not much changed from the flash version, which was my biggest disappointment.
• gamedeal user

  Feb 9, 2015

  Pros: -Open level up system that feels constantly rewarding -Lots of side quests -Solid, if simple, battle system -Light and humorous. While rarely laugh out loud funny, you'll probably smile a little. -Great music Cons -The graphics are... less than stellar -Dungeons are repetitive and can get dull -Nothing new to see here Don't let the Newgrounds era flash looking graphics throw you off, this game is actually quite a gem. The story is light and fairly predictable, but keeps your interest with quirky characters that do a good job both paying homage to and flipping cliche conventions. While not the most well-rounded around, the main cast is generally likable (Especially Lina, she's adorable and spunky without being overbearing or annoying) and the NPC's form an oddball cast that--while not terribly memorable--serve the purpose of keeping you entertained. This is very much a game intended to appeal only to fans of the genre looking for a quick, light revisit to the old JRPG glory days. In that, it delivers wonderfully. Fans of old-school Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest and the like will find all of this wonderfully familiar, and should have absolutely no trouble jumping right in. For some, the 'been there, done that' aspect of it might be a turn off, but for me, it was exactly what I was looking for. A fun, accessible turn-based battle system, and a slightly unconventional level up system (you apply your points directly to learning skills or gaining ability points, rather than it happening automatically, with new paths unlocking once each is complete--it's basically a stripped down version of Final Fantasy X's Sphere Grid), combined with the ability to both improve your equipment, and forge new adds much needed depth, and gives the game a spot on balance between easily accessible and customizable. It's not breaking any new ground, but it's not really aiming to. If you're looking for a fun look back at the great JRPG's of the past, you could do much worse than this little fling.
• gamedeal user

  Feb 11, 2015

  I wasn't sure what to think when I started this game up. The intro combines Ys 2 and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Apparently Rita Repulsa has become a J-RPG villain, and it's up to D!ck the dragon to stop her. Along the way, D!ck is joined by Loops the thief, Fu Mario the sheriff, and Razzle the demon. Before you ask, yes I named these characters myself. Over the course of six chapters, friends are made, monsters are slaughtered, and heroes...heroes...um...heroes do heroic deeds. Crystal Story II was conceptualized, designed, programmed, written, and drawn by one person. He probably also made sandwiches and mixed drinks for the composer and voice-actors. I respect this dude's hustle; the game isn't bad at all either. A lot of what makes CS2 work is in its charm. It'd be easy for me to write up a huge list of J-RPGs and just say "Play all these instead", but CS2 has something special going for it. It's that certain nebulous quality that frustrates reviewers like myself; the kind who think "If this game has this, this, and this, but none of that, then it is awesome." Exploration is handled in a very banal manner. The first five chapters stick to genre conventions. There are dungeons, towns, and more dungeons, and the plot is the mortar that holds these bricks together (or was that vice-versa? Analogies are weird). Unfortunately, there's no real exploration to be done. When you reach a new town, you won't find anyone to talk to (unless they're plot-relevant). The dungeons? They're semi-random and divided into several rooms. The layout changes, but treasures stay the same. It's all very bland and dull but here is why I find it appealing: They're short! We all know what to expect when we enter a dungeon: monsters, treasure, and progress. I look at it like this, CS2 strips out the filter so I can focus on what matters. There's no wandering, no interruptions, no "we should camp here for the night" after walking two blocks. Bing bang boom there it is, fight the dungeon boss, and move on. I'll save the epic 3000 floor dungeons for another time. The battle-system is comparable to Grandia. Never played it? Shame on you. Here's the gist of it: Ally and enemy alike are displayed on a time-line, their turn is next when their icon reaches the top. Simple attacks or item usage causes characters to fall maybe 1/3 of the way down the line, while powerful spells can knock them to the bottom. Status effects such as sleep or stun will keep them from moving up. Early on you'll gain a real appreciation for a high speed stat, because you'll be taking multiple turns for every one the monsters get. Also, by piling on status effects you can keep monsters from acting. For most of the game, this probably won't amount to much. However, expect lots of post-game bosses that'll wreck you for 90-120% of your party's HP if you let them get a turn. For the most part, battles stick to JRPG standards: Regular encounters are a cakewalk, story-bosses expect you to pay a little attention, optional fights demand that you know what you're doing. Leveling up is similar to FF13. There are multiple classes, each with their own abilities and stat-bonuses. Eventually all four characters will learn every ability, and you decide on who nukes and heals, who buffs & nerfs, and who stabs & slices. You'll want to specialize to get the most out of every turn. Also you can accumulate a ton of scrap to strengthen your favorite weapons and accessories. The system is basic, but well-done. Unlike far too many RPGs, Crystal Story II doesn't have a thousand flowery names for every item, spell, and monster you come across. A Healing Potion isn't called a Diffluebo, the Skeletons aren't Sticzis, and you don't cast Firagrammo, you cast Fire II. There are some out there who might cry foul at this, and make up some junk like "names = world-building". There is a time and a place for all of that, and you'll find neither in this game. This is something that I'm thankful for. It makes for an easier game to just pick up and play, since I don't have to quickscan a FAQ just to remind myself of which healing spell is which. As the store page will tell you, CS2 has a handful of minigames: -Match three -Tower defense -Card game -Snowboarding -Hacking (?!?) They're not astonishing in quality, and you'll find better versions in other games (possibly even other JRPGs), but they're amusing diversions. I never fussed with Plants Vs Zombies or any similar game, so learning and subsequently completing the tower defense mini-game was pretty entertaining. I could do without the snowboarding though, blech. Honestly, I'm shocked that I enjoyed Crystal Story 2 as much as I did. I was so quick to write it off at any moment, but a crapton of those moments came together to form 20+ hours. It doesn't hit the highs of other JRPGs, but it also doesn't have any of the lows. While I didn't get 3 hours of tremendous 1080P CGI cutscenes featuring D!ck the Dragon, I also didn't have to put up with 15+ hours of tortuous nonsense because some guy with spectacular hair and a goofy sword decided to take the scenic route. Aside from one short incident, everyone in your party are bros to the end. There's no shouting matches, and Fu Mario doesn't run away while crying "WHY IS RITA SO MEEEEEAAAAANNNNN?!?" If you want a quaint little adventure this is a safe purchase. If you love grinding (and who doesn't?!) this is a very safe purchase. I wasn't sure what I was looking for when I got this game, but I guess everything worked out. YMMV Holy smokes I never even noticed. The first Crystal Story is included as well. I'll have to give it a go sometime. BTW: What's wrong with saying D!ck? Is it so wrong to be named D!ck? What if I wanted to review Mary Poppins on Steam? I imagine that'd be pretty hard if I can't talk about D!ck Van Dyke.
• gamedeal user

  Apr 7, 2015

  This game is amazing. I bought this game out of boredom mixed with low funds in my Steam wallet, thinking that it would grow repetitive, like most other turn-based strategies I have played, but I thought wrong. With unforgettable characters from both the 1st and 2nd games, a easy to get into story, fun and colorful artwork, a card game, fishing, a defence minigame, cool music which transitions into even cooler music when entering a boss battle, you can play the 1st game right through the main menu, and all for $2.99! If any of these things appeal to you then I would highly recommend you buying this game. The only con I can think of is the heavy required grinding it takes to beat some of the bosses within the game, and the only reason it is a con in my eyes is because it is time consuming and grows somewhat repetitive. Also, if turn-based strategies aren't your cup of tea I wouldn't recommend it to you, because aside from the minigames that is pretty much all this game is. Overall, I give Crystal Story II a 9.5/10.
• gamedeal user

  Apr 13, 2015

  A review upon completion and almost 100%-ing of steam achievements: http://noncommittalgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/crystal-clarity.html