Crystal Story 1.1.1

Warning: You need to have a program capable of running an SWF file to play this game. You can click here to find one such program right here on our website.

Final Fantasy basically codified the turn based JRPG format, with the formula lasting from the 80s to now with only some minor tweaks and streamlining to the system. It's also accessible enough that it can be applied to games with a variety of budgets - in fact, the famous RPG maker software makes it simple to make an RPG with barely any budget. However, there are some that tried to go further beyond before that engine became popular - the Crystal Story series is one of them. Let's look at Crystal Story.

To install Crystal Story, just run it with whatever SWF player you have.

The premise of the game is simple. You play as the cast of Mercenary, Inc. as they try to defeat the evil witch in the depths of the Evil Cave. The main story is bland in a self aware way, and it's written in a way that's easy to love. The sidequests are also hilarious, with a memorable one off side cast that amuses with their brief appearance.

Dungeon crawling is straightforward, with warp points that transport you back to town and let you upgrade, rest up, and take on sidequests. The structure of the game reminds one of Etrian Odyssey without the mapping, with you going down one giant dungeon and operating out of one town.

The combat plays a massive role and each character is a jack of all trades in the beginning. You'll have to pick a class of magic for each character and help them specialize to find success.

All in all, Crystal Story is a great Flash RPG that shows that even primitive engines can have a ton of content.