Crystal Crisis

A puzzle title that thinks like a fighter, bringing nail-biting, cutthroat battle strategies to the usually peaceful genre. [Issue #40 – July/August 2019, p. 71]

Crystal Crisis is a joy to play and boasts a surprising amount of depth. If you have any interest in fast-paced puzzlers, I would file it alongside Lumines Remastered and Tetris 99 as an essential addition to your Switch collection.

If you are looking to battle it out in a puzzle fighter on the Nintendo Switch, then you really can’t go wrong with Crystal Crysis. It may not have the top tier gaming icons that some of the bigger crossovers contain, but the fact that it doesn’t plays nicely as part of its charm thanks to the wonderful obscurity to it all. It’s a solid puzzle game and one that can last for a long time given the circle of friends and competition that Switch owners may have. And, just as you would expect, crashing crystals on the go with a split Joy-Con at the ready is always the best way to throw down.

The Puzzle Fighter mechanics work great, the cast of characters is awesome (even if I didn't know some of them) and there are plenty of modes and options to keep the game going. The infrequency of spark crystals hurts the fun as much as the burst moves help it, and in the end you have a pretty damn decent puzzler in Crystal Crisis.

Not having a big name might make it go unnoticed, but Crystal Crisis is a game with great ideas. If you like puzzles, make sure you check it out.

Crystal Crisis is, put simply, puzzle perfection. It’s simple, addictive, and oh so colorful. The wild cast of characters is a treat, especially for Nicalis fans, and the amount of modes and options in the game makes this more than just a tiny little puzzle game. It’s competitive gold, and well worth a purchase from anyone looking to scratch that Puzzle Fighter itch.

Nicalis’ marriage of puzzle and fighting game elements in the fan service-heavy Crystal Crisis coalesces in a largely satisfying experience. While the roster can feel unbalanced, loading times can be long and the story mode feels trite, the overarching, nuanced gameplay will keep players strategizing and returning to Crystal Crisis time and time again.

Outside of those pesky load times, it's hard to find fault with Crystal Crisis. This is just a well-made game, a genuinely fun puzzler that challenges players to imagine new strategies with every character they try. And with memory mode beckoning me to play again and again, I don't imagine I'll be taking up any of the other Switch puzzle games for a long, long time.