Crystal Project

• Genre: Platforming RPG
• Spoiler Free Review: There isn't really much to spoil in this game.
• Time Played: 85 Hours
• Too Short/Long: It's a little long for what it is if you are trying to do "everything" because of the immense amount of exploration, if you're less of a completionist, it's probably not too long.
• Soundtrack: As far as I am aware, it uses entirely free stock music, but I feel like the creator of this game managed to find a handful of artists whose style perfectly emphasized the setting. Despite some most generic rpg beats, there are a few bangers I'll be listening to down the road.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Very pleased, I liked this way more than I expected.
• Why I played: I had a friend point it out some time ago and while the idea of a platforming RPG seemed neat, I wasn't exactly in a hurry to get a game that kiiiinda looked like Minecraft a little bit. It came back up on my radar in some youtube video and I was like "you know, that does look sweet.
• Did I cry: Probably one of the few RPGs I can see I didn't. Mostly because the story is pretty sparse.
• Recommend to others: I definitely would recommend to anyone who likes a good classic style japanese rpg. Like someone who can play any old Dragon Quest or the few Final Fantasy games and get something out of it. 

Crystal Project was a lot of fun. It's a big open world, turned-based RPG filled with platforming, and a good bit of that which requires some very precise navigation. While I would say it's mainly an RPG, the platforming aspect should not be understated. You just will not get everything out of this game if you expect to just walk around from encounter-to-encounter. You need to not just be willing, but eager to explore. It's almost as if it was designed by someone who like to go beyond the boundary of games, someone who likes to see if they can glitch to somewhere they're not supposed to be. You have to want to try to jump on everything - even things you wouldn't expect the game to expect you to.

As any game with a good curve, it starts off small, as you discover more and more it starts feeling like a proper RPG world. You start to recognize specific locations, you travel the whole world, having played dozens of hours and assume you're nowhere recognizable, but suddenly you do recognize where you are because it's looped you back around. This happens several times because the world is immaculately crafted and all interconnected. There are no instanced areas, and I am really just surprised, this world filled with a nigh infinite amount of building blocks, how so damn many are so meticulously placed that you can really see the purpose in design.

Of course to praise the build of it's world is just to praise the platforming aspects. For a mostly generic "turn-based" system, it works really well. If I had one complaint, it's just that at some point you hit a bit of a wall where all enemies just do TOO much damage. It's not like this in the earlier stages of the game, but late game, your average enemy 1-hit kills half your party and 2-hit kills the other half, including the tank. Earlier throughout though, there is a synergy between the classes that make managing aggro and using your abilities a balancing act that keeps the game strategic and fun.

Also the fact that there are a bunch of classes is great. I love a good class-changing based system. Especially with all the different sprites, and the fact you can sub-class. There are a good number in the game already, but if you play on PC, there a ton of mods of course via steam workshop, but what is really cool is that some of these mods are "officially supported". The creator of the game uploaded mod-packs to the Switch store so you can have them on consoles, some which offer additional game options, QOL options, extra classes, weapons, skills, or essentially cheats/accessibility options, you can turn each one on-off individually, so I think all that is handled pretty well, and I appreciate it.

There isn't much of a story though, which is why I liken it to mostly early to pre-90's rpgs. All the NPCs have a couple lines of dialog, and some is clever or entertaining, but that's about it.