Chantelise: A Tale of Two Sisters

 PC
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 36
  3. Negative: 8 out of 36

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  1. Lans
    Aug 2, 2011
    8
    A good game for those who enjoy hack n slash with a mix of puzzles. The core game is a good action rpg but my favorite part was looking for the hidden treasures. Every level has a hidden chest that is often difficult to find or near impossible unless you get a clue from the priest in town. I've read some previews that say it's too hard but I thought it was a good fit, assuming you stopA good game for those who enjoy hack n slash with a mix of puzzles. The core game is a good action rpg but my favorite part was looking for the hidden treasures. Every level has a hidden chest that is often difficult to find or near impossible unless you get a clue from the priest in town. I've read some previews that say it's too hard but I thought it was a good fit, assuming you stop to find at least some of the chests along the way. If you try to bum rush thru it I can see being a bit undergeared. The boss battles can be a bit tricky until you figure them out but the nice thing is that you can practice every level, even boss ones, without having to go thru everything up to that point again. The story is fun and light hearted, but nothing amazing. The controls are pretty tight with a game pad, but I couldn't do it with a keyboard. Combat isn't varied much but it's done well and there's a good bit of strategy involved in choosing equipment for a given area. The voice acting is in Japanese and the translation is top notch. Music and sound are pretty run of the mill but my god, the low health beeping will drive you insane. It's 9-10$ off of most online distributors and there's even a demo that lets you go thru the first dungeon so you can get a feel for it first. It's not a must have but definitely enjoyable and well worth 10$.… Expand
  2. genoforprez
    Nov 6, 2011
    7
    First and most importantly, I would not recommend this game if you do not have a gamepad. The keyboard controls (as so many others have rightly said) are NOT friendly and will just make you want to beat your head against a wall. However, if you have a gamepad, the controls are simple and light. Of second importance, you must know that this game is NOT ANYTHING LIKE RECETTEAR. If you areFirst and most importantly, I would not recommend this game if you do not have a gamepad. The keyboard controls (as so many others have rightly said) are NOT friendly and will just make you want to beat your head against a wall. However, if you have a gamepad, the controls are simple and light. Of second importance, you must know that this game is NOT ANYTHING LIKE RECETTEAR. If you are hoping that Chantelise will be another creative twist on the RPG genre, as Recettear was, then you will be disappointed. Chantelise is for the most part an extremely basic hack and slash game. (Note, for example, that your character does not have levels or stats but only gets stronger through finding or purchasing new items and equipment.) Now the interesting things about Chantelise that would serve as an appropriate reason to purchase are the following. 1) Quest structure. Each chapter of the game's quest is set at a particular map location, and each location is divided into areas. In order to complete a chapter of the quest and advance the story, you must blaze through the entire dungeon without being defeated. However, you are free to practice any area of the dungeon in a sort of "time trial" mode until you discover all the strategies--and possibly valuable equips--you will need to blaze through. (The boss battles in particular can be extremely difficult. Many have been frustrated at the high level of difficulty of even the very first boss.) Forcing you to blaze through fairly challenging dungeons (and very challenging bosses) in a single run without save points, and forcing you to start over completely if you die, adds a certain level of tension that other RPGs lack and makes you feel much more accomplished for completing a dungeon. 2) The spell mechanic is interesting. Rather than having a set list of spells that charge you mana to cast, enemies drop colored gems when you beat on them. These gems can then be picked up and used to cast spells corresponding to the elemental color of the gem (red = fire, blue = water, etc). You can even combine gems to create new, more powerful spells. At first this feels awkward as a magic system, because it slightly randomizes your spells, but it becomes fun once you start to experience it more like "punch enemies until their pieces fall out, pick up pieces, throw them back for damage." This is especially interesting in larger battles where you have to beat the gems out of smaller enemies in order to throw them at large enemies that are dangerous to get close to. 3) Each area of every dungeon has a hidden treasure that requires you to solve its mystery before it will appear. In one area, you might have to destroy every torch on the map before it will appear. In another area, you might have to race past all the enemies on the map and kill the very last enemy first before it will appear. Some of these are extremely difficult to figure out, but a lot of them can be easily discovered if you have good intuition. So if you're looking for an extremely basic hack and slash with 1) interesting quest structure, 2) quirky spell mechanic, and 3) secret treasure chests, then this might be a good game for you. If you want another Recettear, this is not what you're looking for.… Expand
  3. VentXekart
    Aug 4, 2011
    10
    There are very few anime-themed indie game out on the net. This is one of them and it happens to be a very good game. This one also seems much more easier then Recettear, and while it reuses content from it, the game is still good for anyone who is new to RPG games.
  4. skulls
    Sep 19, 2011
    9
    Unlike your average game this generation Chantelise is actually difficult. When I beat this game I actually felt a sense of accomplishment. I never had trouble personally with the controls but I used an xbox gamepad which they were very kind to have made sure worked for this game. I felt the best parts of this game were the dialogue and the magic system. The magic system lets you combineUnlike your average game this generation Chantelise is actually difficult. When I beat this game I actually felt a sense of accomplishment. I never had trouble personally with the controls but I used an xbox gamepad which they were very kind to have made sure worked for this game. I felt the best parts of this game were the dialogue and the magic system. The magic system lets you combine different gems of various colors in anyway you want and depending on which you use and how they're ordered they can do very different things, experimenting with this and finding an awesome spell (protip: try equipping two good gauntlets then use two earth and two fire to deal 300+ damage and take half damage yourself) was incredibly fun. The bosses were amazingly fun, each was a challenge but not an unfair one. They felt like bossfights should, a difficult puzzle where dying is actually somewhat of a problem because you have to run all the way through the dungeon again. I'd recommend this game to anybody who enjoys a challenge, but to those out there who just want to play it for the dialogue I'd take a pass because this game won't hold your hand.… Expand
  5. tallanx
    Nov 24, 2011
    9
    Hard game. Fun game. Cheap game. I enjoyed myself very much playing this game and I definitely think it's good value for money. That being said, it is not for everyone. I strongly suggest that people try out the demo using Steam. And if you like the demo then buy it. The demo is a very small download and it's currently on sale from Steam, so it's well worth trying.
  6. kay2
    Jan 8, 2012
    4
    The game has a lot of heart, and is charming. Unfortunately it's marred by a very problematic camera-control system, and unwelcome difficulty spikes. I wouldn't recommend it to any but the accomplished gamer very into the subgenre.
  7. drkbef
    May 22, 2012
    10
    Took me a long time to finally play this one, but when I did, I couldn't put it down! Don't be fooled by the Metacritic score, this is actually a really fun game. Most of the complaints are regarding the camera, however, this is easily countered by USING A CONTROLLER. This game is definitely meant to be played using a controller, so do so. The action in this game is very fast paced,Took me a long time to finally play this one, but when I did, I couldn't put it down! Don't be fooled by the Metacritic score, this is actually a really fun game. Most of the complaints are regarding the camera, however, this is easily countered by USING A CONTROLLER. This game is definitely meant to be played using a controller, so do so. The action in this game is very fast paced, and the magic system is all handled in game through collecting gems. This has the advantage of keeping you in the action, and avoiding having to go into the menu to change spells and interrupt what you are doing. That being said, later in the game when I got a greater variety of items, I was having to go into it to switch my armour and accessories to gain certain effects.

    I have the steam version, and it comes with a config utility that lets you re-assign the buttons, so don't worry about that. I managed to beat the game in around 14 hours, including getting the secret treasures on each level (I used the gamefaq). There is also a fishing game that I didn't play too much as I don't care for those. Some would say this is short, but for the price, I think it's plenty long for the value. I would rate the challenge as very good. I did die a lot on some of the bosses, but once you figure out what to do, it's not a problem. Also, if you die, while you lose your progress in the level, you do keep any money and treasure you find which is a VERY welcome feature, allowing you to save valuable grinding to buy better gear.

    It's tragic that the score has suffered because the critics were too lazy or unimaginative enough to realize that a controller is the way to go, but that is also Carpe Fulger's fault for not suggesting it more directly. This is a VERY underrated game. If you like action RPGs, I suggest you buy it now.    … Expand
  8. Daikaze
    Aug 13, 2011
    2
    I'm a big fan of Recetear, but this is just awful. The dialog is great, but the controls are horrendous and you can't modify them. The gameplay itself is pretty dull. It's a simple hack-and-slash but you don't really get a whole lot for killing things. It might be a decent game if the controls weren't so bad.... basically, don't waste your time if you don't have a gamepad handy.
  9. Nikkistix686
    Mar 17, 2012
    10
    The game is challenging and fun with a good story, I highly recommend using a controller with the game and you won't have any camera angle issues, which seems to be killing the games ratings. The game comes with a controller configuration setup for a reason I'd assume but some people I guess don't catch onto that.
  10. GameDragon
    Jul 11, 2012
    1
    The graphics and music are great, but then the game goes downhill. I lasted about 30 minutes before I turned it off.

    It's completely just hacking away (or using magic to blow away) at enemies, and typically, you have to kill every single enemy to clear an area and move onto the next one. If you die before they're cleared, you start in town and have to do it all over again. If you die    The graphics and music are great, but then the game goes downhill. I lasted about 30 minutes before I turned it off.

    It's completely just hacking away (or using magic to blow away) at enemies, and typically, you have to kill every single enemy to clear an area and move onto the next one. If you die before they're cleared, you start in town and have to do it all over again. If you die clearing another section, you have to run through the areas you cleared to get to that spot (I've seen more crippling death penalties, but this is annoying).

    My biggest issues with the game (besides that it takes no thinking ability what-so-ever to play, and the controls aren't good; I can't always lock onto targets or lock out...nearly got stuck in the tutorial because of that, and I was using a compatible controller) are:
    1) You can't (from what I've played through so far) carry health items with you or know healing magic. Being able to heal in and out of combat is needed in RPGs; this is lacking it.

    2) You can only equip two items at a time. There's no reason why I can't wear a glove, hold a shield, and wear a pendant. In this game, apparently, that's a problem.

    3) The obnoxious beeping when you're low on health. I had to listen to it in Zelda games, but this is 10x worse and 10x louder.

    4) The prices for items in the shop are ridiculously high. Sure, by the time I cleared the doors of the second area, I could afford the HP UP potion and a shield...and after selling an item, the gloves. Once an item was purchased, the price then doubled for the next level of item.

    In short, this game isn't worth your time unless mindless mob hacking and grinding through enemies appeals to you.    … Expand
  11. KonataGoTimotei
    Dec 15, 2012
    8
    Due to its charming art-style and characters, this game brings a nice refreshment to the indie genre. Where as the poster-child of indie games is an 8-bit side-scroller with metroid-isq exploration, this is trying to be different with its game-play and mechanics. Its unique, funny, cute, and enjoyable, but it still falls short in some areas. While it has a nice challenge to it, withDue to its charming art-style and characters, this game brings a nice refreshment to the indie genre. Where as the poster-child of indie games is an 8-bit side-scroller with metroid-isq exploration, this is trying to be different with its game-play and mechanics. Its unique, funny, cute, and enjoyable, but it still falls short in some areas. While it has a nice challenge to it, with interesting boss battles, enemies, and areas, it is also borderline aggravating at times. Your attacks aren't 100% reliable, so while it is skill based, its also a bit of luck involved with it. And because this game is skill based, it also means that trying to grind up levels or money to buy the best equipment doesn't work. The game isn't exp-based, its based on items. To increase your health, you buy an item specifically for that, making money-grinding a kind of PITA at times.
    Really, all in all this is a charming and fun game, that's refreshing and enjoyable, but there are moments that you will have trouble and probably get irritated at it because of its sometimes unforgiving difficulty.    … Expand
  12. Ira
    Dec 21, 2011
    8
    A great game and a welcome throwback from the general monotony of modern games. Chantelise provides a great challenge, well done dialogue and a decent story. Chantelise's story is pretty standard overall, and not a huge thing to boast about, but the dialogue used to help you through it is so well done, it still comes off as interesting and ammusing. While the game is something of a hackA great game and a welcome throwback from the general monotony of modern games. Chantelise provides a great challenge, well done dialogue and a decent story. Chantelise's story is pretty standard overall, and not a huge thing to boast about, but the dialogue used to help you through it is so well done, it still comes off as interesting and ammusing. While the game is something of a hack and slash, you'll find yourself needing to strategise your fights as opposed to just gearing up and wreaking havok on anything in your path. Limited gear slots force you to consider what you'll need and when you'll need it to optimize your combative ability. The magic system is unique in that your ability to use magic depends upon picking up colored stones dropped from enemies as you hit them. It's not so simple as just hoarding stones, you can only hold a handful and you'll need to pick them up in an order that you can use to combine their powers if you desire a certain effect. The stone are also used up once a spell is cast, so you'll have to choose when you want to unleash your spells, 'less you find yourself in need with nothing to use. Dungeons and boss battles are a blast from the past, forcing you to start over if you die, as well as housing small puzzles for you to figure out, both in battle and in transit to the boss. Some grinding for money to buy better gear, more health, etcetera is recommended, but not a necessity. Just know that unlike more recent games, Chantelise isn't going to kiss your brused ego and give you words of encouragement and help if you fail. It will mercilessly beat you into using your brain to figure out how to get through something or make you give up in a fit of rage and irritation; A good challenge really, something I find most present day gamers don't appreciate...if your argument of a hard game to refute this involves reference to a shooter, you have no place to talk. Ah now the downsides...Well as above, Chantelise's story isn't something incredible, but it's not really a downside either, I just needed something else to put here for balance. The low health beeping will drive you insane if you're not used to it, but it should, because it's a constant alert that you need to be on guard. The worst part I've found to Chantelise really lies in the controls. While it's probably fine to play with a gamepad of some sort, using strictly a keyboard, it feels rather cramped. The camera adjustments, attack, magic, jump, and targetting buttons are all lumped into a 6 key group of 2 on top, 4 on the bottem, all next to another (aszxcv). You get a little more used to it after a while, but it's definitely irritating. The only other problem I've come across the the target locking system, it's great for a small group or single enemy, but if you're trying to lock onto a certain enemy of 5 or more, the lack of distinction between targets in a group may leave you guessing which one you're actually looking at.
    For the $10 price tag, Chantelise doesn't disappoint, but trying the demo would be a good idea to make sure it's your cup of tea.    … Expand
  13. StarlitMe
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    I really did want to like this game, I bought it off of Gamersgate (one of three indie RPG purchases) and I was sorely dissapointed. The camera was atrocious at times, and while I can enjoy difficulty spikes in RPGs, I expect them to be balanced out and done in a way that seems natural to the game's storyline. This game, unfortunately, does not do this. Instead, you get a game that wouldI really did want to like this game, I bought it off of Gamersgate (one of three indie RPG purchases) and I was sorely dissapointed. The camera was atrocious at times, and while I can enjoy difficulty spikes in RPGs, I expect them to be balanced out and done in a way that seems natural to the game's storyline. This game, unfortunately, does not do this. Instead, you get a game that would all but frustrate the most hardcore RPG gamer out there with its difficulty curve, and the amount of polish that went into this game is laughable. There are some really excellent indie RPGs out there, but sadly, this is not one of them. Not recommended.… Expand
  14. CCL-sama
    Sep 8, 2013
    4
    I love the game Recettear! It was funny and there was a lot of things you can do there. But this game is almost the opposite. The world of Chantelise is so small and the dungeon are so long and annoying! There is no checkpoint in the dungeon like Recettear (in story mode). If you want to go back you have to go the whole way back which is just stupid and if you are getting killed by theI love the game Recettear! It was funny and there was a lot of things you can do there. But this game is almost the opposite. The world of Chantelise is so small and the dungeon are so long and annoying! There is no checkpoint in the dungeon like Recettear (in story mode). If you want to go back you have to go the whole way back which is just stupid and if you are getting killed by the endboss you have to go again from the startpoint of the dungeon to the endboss. They reused some items, textures and sprites and even some endbosses from Recettear which on the one hand is not bad because the story may happen in the same world as Recettear but on the other hand this game feels like a mod with the same old item a few new things.... If you want to play hardcore rage rpg and getting killed many times. Buy it now!… Expand
  15. wareya
    Mar 21, 2013
    9
    Chantelise is the charming predecessor to Recettear, a quirky and and well-balanced Japanese RPG. Of course, since it was developer earlier, Chantelise is going to be rougher. With minimal focus on mercantile translations, instead focusing on ordealing through stages of dungeons, most people coming out of Recettear will expect something different than the game has to offer, for better orChantelise is the charming predecessor to Recettear, a quirky and and well-balanced Japanese RPG. Of course, since it was developer earlier, Chantelise is going to be rougher. With minimal focus on mercantile translations, instead focusing on ordealing through stages of dungeons, most people coming out of Recettear will expect something different than the game has to offer, for better or worse. If you're like me, and grew up on third person actions RPGs(among other things of course), you will feel right at home.

    The beginning of the game is a quaint and important tutorial. I feel sympathetic regret for anyone who skipped it while coming from Recettear. It introduces key elements of the game in a friendly environment, and in some reminiscence to the original Playstation era, you really do need to be introduced to the controls in order to get it without the frustration of getting killed by green slimes. It also introduces that there are extra things in each stage, which you cannot necessarily do on your first trip in; there are slimes which you cannot damage with the equipment the game starts you out with, but if you come back later and do kill them, you'll be rewarded.

    Don't misunderstand: this game is not necessarily forgiving. If you, say, don't realize that items are the only way to make the player character; if you don't realize that you do not have to kill every enemy past your first time doing so, in order to proceed to the next stage in the chapter; that you may change your equipment on the fly in order to adapt to different situations (given that you're not speedrunning a stage): this game will not baby the player about such things, as it respects the potential intelligence and care of its player. This aspect of the game is possibly my most important part of it, even if it's not my favorite. Now, that's not to say the game is actually hard.

    Sure, it doesn't hold your hand along the way, only nudging you in the right direction enough to learn about its world yourself; it's not surprising this game is well balanced. I feel that many who come into this game with the current popular careless attitude of, "Tell me a story!" "Make me feel like a badass!" or even "Show me how to be awesome!" the game won't answer to any of that. It doesn't really obscure the player's will to do any of those, either; it just doesn't help. You can equip items that buff your offensive capabilities past the moon, then run through a midgame dungeon and destroy everything. You can play through the game in the safest and cheapest way you could think of, just to get at the story. You can even get hints about all the secrets in the game, if you're desparate enough; of course, if you don't think through the situation you might hurt yourself in the long run.

    But I have all the respect in the world for people who go out of their way to have fun playing their games, and I do too. All of these things are fine, but the game doesn't hold your hand. I can't repeat this enough, really. With enough understanding of the game's mechanics and enough skill or talent in playing itself, you'll always be challanged to the level of how well you perform. This game is not unfair. You need to take the time to understand what you're doing and how to do it Even the most casual of pre-sixth-gen gamers will feel at home here.

    Now, to focus again on the game's content instead of its design: I love the combat. It's very simple, and rudimentary, but just as Quake turned into an e-sport, this game's combat and the physics that it inhabits leaves plenty of room open for sufficient skillplay. The game is well designed around how the movement and combat work, so that there's always something that you can do to accomplish something. Now, this isn't without flaws: You can get bodyblocked by enemies in a circle and unable to get out until one hits you and you flinch through them. I also love the mechanics behind the equipment system, which without going into specifics about, let you customize to the situation or your preference so that your character has an easier time with things. But if you're a masochist, you can weaken your character through many means. The game's progression is well paced, the translation is well written, and the music is as charming as the sprites and the levels.

    Technical problems: With some minor graphical glitches that can easily be attributed to a flawed graphics toolkit, and the occasional non-destructive control glitch (running over gems and trying to pick them up at maximum speed will show you an example...), the only thing I can honestly say harmed my time playing the game is the lack of analog controls. And, for a game that's so deep, this is a minor complaint; there's very clearly some kind of balance that comes out of the restrictive movement controls, just as Touhou would be broken if you could play it with an analog joystick; an analog camera would still be nice, though...    … Expand
  16. grimtsukasa
    Jun 30, 2013
    9
    Overall good game, very imaginative, and a magic system that i found to be rather new (none of that mana stuff, but rather magic stones you gain from slaying monsters). Though the camera can get irritating at times it can be easily fixed by moving your character away from what it got stuck on then panning it around (takes like 2 seconds to fix it, so why so many people/critics gab on aboutOverall good game, very imaginative, and a magic system that i found to be rather new (none of that mana stuff, but rather magic stones you gain from slaying monsters). Though the camera can get irritating at times it can be easily fixed by moving your character away from what it got stuck on then panning it around (takes like 2 seconds to fix it, so why so many people/critics gab on about how bad it is? and that's still only on the occasion that it does get stuck). Overall great game, fun to play, nice style of graphics, not expensive in any right, though the game is hard if your one to get frustrated easy find a different game. My Little Pony games maybe?… Expand
  17. gaminggirl
    Aug 12, 2013
    0
    This is what happens when you fail in converting a game from console to PC. I'm sure it can be fun, if you use a controller instead of a keyboard. The story could be good, I never could keep my interest up long enough when most of the energy went to keeping track of what key on the keyboard means square button and so on.
  18. Vitolonado
    Sep 16, 2021
    9
    Such a charming game. It took me a long while to actually enjoy it, because I didn't like the controls without a gamepad, but once I did, I was able to fully enjoy the wonders of this game, if you like some hack n slash, this is a great game
    Oh, and there's a fishing minigame, which makes it 10 times better.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 13
  3. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. PC Gamer UK
    Oct 8, 2011
    64
    Not as clever as Recettear, but just as cute, and a strong second outing for the translation team behind it. [Nov 2011, p.130]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 3, 2011
    70
    Obtuse, ancient design and infuriating difficulty hides an addictive, oddly satisfying, well-translated hack-and-slash. [Nov 2011, p.66]
  3. The A.V. Club
    Aug 28, 2011
    67
    It's a disappointing second effort by the translation team behind delightful indie darling Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale. But while Chantelise is a disappointment on those terms, it still has its own charms.
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