Crystal Story: The Hero and the Evil Witch Review

JRPG Fans Finally Have a Turn-Based Game to Play on Mobile

Emmanuel Salva Cruz’s Crystal Story: The Hero and the Evil Witch tells a simple story. By using well-worn mechanics and character archetypes, the game slowly unravels. It guides you through dungeons and interactions that result in a complex game that’s also free to play.

A Simple Story with Engaging Gameplay

Crystal Story begins with the introduction of the titular evil witch, who steals the Crystal of Power. In order to stop her, a self-proclaimed Hero—who’s also named Hiro—hires a group of mercenaries to save the day. This introduces the real heroes and characters you’ll be playing as. The Mercenary Inc. is a group of four warriors with customizable skill sets, who you’ll use to battle the witch’s minions. Not much context is offered or needed.

Crystal Story doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any shape or form. The story is simple, almost bare bones, but it has enough quirk and wit to land on its feet. While it’s impossible to ignore the plain graphics and the repetitive level design, Crystal Story makes it work by giving their protagonists and enemies looks that make them pop. There’s also voice acting and quirky dialogue and action, all providing comedic relief and personality to spare.

A Good Time No Matter Your Gaming Preferences

Gameplay is Crystal Story’s biggest success. While many players won’t be terribly engaged by the story or the graphics, playing the game is intuitive and entertaining. As you play, you’ll start to notice all the moving parts that make the game work. Battling monsters is seamless and so is granting a new skill to one of your players. The more you battle, the more you’ll grow and collect gold and experience points, widening the game’s scope. These coins and EXP points make your players very malleable. If you play your cards right, you’ll finish the game with a well-balanced party, where every team member plays a key role in battles.

Crystal Story: The Hero and the Evil Witch is an extension of a fun franchise, tailor made for fans of JRPGs who are looking for a mobile game. Even players who aren’t well acquainted with the genre or sold on the game’s story will have a good time if they embrace the quirks and value an experience that’s free, that runs no ads and that has no pay to play features.