Line #9 VideoGame/Crystar


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crystar_logo_9.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''For When I Weep, Then I Am Strong.'']]
3	->''"I'll see you in Purgatory."''
4
5	Crystar is a HackAndSlash ActionRPG developed by Gemdrops and published by [=FuRyu=] in 2018. The overseas version was published by Creator/SpikeChunsoft for the Platform/PlayStation4 and Platform/{{Steam}} in 2019. A Platform/NintendoSwitch version (which includes all the DLC) was released in 2022, with [[Creator/NipponIchi NIS America]] handling the international release.
6
7	The game tells the story of a young girl named Rei Hatada, who ended up in Purgatory alongside her younger sister, Mirai, for some reason. While trying to escape from the abominations that resides there, Mirai is accidentally killed by Rei, who is forced to make a DealWithTheDevil to revive her, in exchange for hunting down the lost souls wandering Purgatory.
8
9	A spiritual sequel called ''VideoGame/{{Crymachina}}'' was released in 2023.
10
11	Unrelated to the 1980s Creator/{{Marvel\|Comics}} comic book ''ComicBook/TheSagaOfCrystarCrystalWarrior'' or its associated action figure line from Remco.
12	----
13	!!Crystar provides examples of:
14	* EleventhHourSuperpower: Alcea, [[spoiler:the knowledge of the events that happened in the other timelines]], is what allows the heroines to make the right choices and reach the GoldenEnding.
15	* AccidentalMurder: Rei accidentally kills Mirai during the FinalBossPreview against Anamnesis.
16	* AmbiguouslyBi: Kokoro has a boyfriend, but constantly teases Rei and Sen, calling them to be "her type."
17	* AnimalMotifs: Each crest represents one, and it's displayed in the character's dialogue boxes: Unicorn (Rei), Dog (Kokoro), Lion (Sen), Bird (Nanana), Bat (Anamnesis) etc.
18	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
19	** After beating the game and starting again for a new unlocked story, the game only forces you to play a shortened version of the prologue before skipping ahead to Chapter 6.
20	** On the fourth go-around, you can access all the previous stages including ones that had multiple forms, allowing you to gain the last few memoirs.
21	* BackForTheFinale: [[spoiler:Arashi, Kyosuke, and the dragon from Chapter 4 return as bosses in the last storyline.]]
22	* BandageMummy: Kyosuke Tomasu is fully covered in bandages for some reason.
23	* BedsheetGhost: The most basic of Revenants have this look.
24	* BilingualBonus: In Japanese, 'Mephis and Pheles' would be [[spoiler:pronounced '[[HiddenInPlainSight Mephis to Pheles]]']].
25	* BittersweetEnding: The first ending. [[spoiler:Rei manages to obtain Revival and bring Mirai back to life, at cost of Nanana's HeroicSacrifice and the memories of her friends. Also, Kokoro and Sen are last seen fighting each other, and their fates are left ambiguous.]]
26	* BlowYouAway: Rei learns a pair of spells that summon tornadoes. They can interrupt attacks and send enemies airborne.
27	* BolivianArmyEnding: In the first two endings, [[spoiler:Kokoro and Sen are last seen fighting each other, and the outcome is left ambiguous.]]
28	* BonusDungeon: Optional trials become available as you advance thought the game.
29	* BossBonanza: The final optional mission is a run against the game's bosses. [[spoiler:Including all of the final bosses from each route.]]
30	* {{Bowdlerise}}: The [=PS4=] version removed a frame of the opening movie that show Rei's butt.
31	* ButThouMust: You have to sign the contract. Rei even lampshaded this:
32	-->'''Mephis/Pheles:''' "Sign the contract!"\
33	'''Rei:''' "I guess I don't have much of a choice."
34	* ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth: The lost souls wandering Purgatory are represented by blue butterflies.
35	%%* CastFullOfGay: While not explicitly stated, most of the girls seem to have a crush on Rei.
36	* ChainmailBikini: Kokoro wears one which exposes her midriff.
37	* CharacterCatchphrase:
38	** [[FunPersonified Nanana]] often says that things will be ''"fun and exciting!"''.
39	** Sen often finishes her sentences with ''"This is my justice!"''
40	* CreepyTwins: The Demon Twins, Mephis and Pheles, managers of Purgatory who constantly stalk Rei for their own amusement.
41	* DeadlyGame: The Revenant Princess once dragged a BusFullOfInnocents to the Purgatory and forced the passengers to kill each other, promising to return the survivor to the real world. In the third story, [[spoiler:she traps the party members in a prison and forces then to fight each other to the death.]]
42	* DealWithTheDevil: Rei makes a pact with Mephis and Pheles to revive her younger sister.
43	* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:Rei befriends Nanana after beating her for the second time in Chapter 4.]]
44	* DegradedBoss: Unknown α and Unknown β appear as mini-bosses in the next to last mission in the fourth playthrough.
45	* DemotedToExtra: Yuri Minamo loses screentime and relevance with each new storyline. Just like Carneades and Hobbes, she is a level boss with a grudge against one of the heroines, and they interact a little before the battle. In the second story, [[spoiler:Yuri is attacked by Mirai and is already insane by the time Rei reaches her]]. In the third story, only Parmenides appears (and she doesn't have any non-battle lines). She is also absent from the true ending path.
46	* DevilButNoGod: We have Demons running around, but no Angels, let alone a God. Dialogue suggests a creator of some sort exists, but the details aren't gone into.
47	* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler: Arashi Namba, Kokoro's boyfriend]] tries to convince her to sacrifice herself to Anamnesis to save himself, despite her being pregnant.
48	* DisneyDeath: Justified. [[spoiler:Thelema's death is temporary because of the multiple timelines.]]
49	* DownerEnding:
50	** The second ending. [[spoiler:Rei has to fight Mirai, the Revenant Princess, and they both die after a lengthy battle. Kokoro and Sen are last seen confronting Nanana, who went berserk due to the side-effects of the Cogs of Renewal on Revenants.]]
51	** TheBadGuyWins in the third story, [[spoiler:as the heroines were manipulated by the Demon Twins into killing each other.]]
52	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Nanana apparently hung herself back when she was still alive.]]
53	* DualBoss: [[spoiler:Mephis and Pheles are fought at the same time during the last storyline.]]
54	* DualWielding: Sen dual-wields katanas.
55	* ElegantGothicLolita: Pretty much every female character is dressed in goth-lolita fashion.
56	* EmotionalPowers: Tears can create Idea and purify equipment for use. Rei's empathy is also necessary to summon her guardian.
57	* TheEmpath: The three Executors have the power to see the memories and emotions of the lost souls by touching them.
58	* EquipmentUpgrade: Sentiments can be fused together to make more powerful versions as well as customized with bonus stats.
59	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The witch that sells items to you is simply called "Peddler".
60	* EvilVersusEvil: [[spoiler:Anamnesis, the Revenant Princess (Mirai), and the Demon Twins are in conflict with each other.]]
61	* FalseFriend: [[spoiler:Yuri was Rei's only friend in school until she died in the bus accident. However, when Rei reunites with her in Purgatory, Yuri reveals that she never liked Rei and was only being nice to her because of the teachers' insistence.]]
62	* FightingYourFriend:
63	** Multiple times, depending on the playthrough. [[spoiler:Kokoro's quest for revenge against Anamnesis pits her against Sen, who wants to protect her mother. The Cogs of Renewal cause Revenants to lose their memories, so Nanana goes berserk and turns on the party.]]
64	** In the third story, [[spoiler:the Demon Twins successfully manipulate the party members into killing each other for their own amusement.]]
65	* FinalBoss: A different one for each playthrough. The first final boss is [[spoiler:Plato (Anamnesis' Revenant form)]], second is [[spoiler:Aristotle (Mirai's Revenant form)]], third is [[spoiler:Sen Megumiba]], and the last (and TrueFinalBoss) is [[spoiler:Mephistopheles (the Demon Twins' true form)]].
66	* FlirtyStepsiblings: [[spoiler:Mirai towards Rei, with treating her like a doting housewife.]]
67	* ForcedTransformation: In Chapter 4, Rei, Kokoro and Sen are transformed into Nanana clones. They can still fight, but they all use Nanana's moveset, and it becomes hard to distinguish between them. [[spoiler:The halos are a dead giveaway to the player.]]
68	* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The four party members: Rei is the phlegmatic (calm, introverted, empathetic), Kokoro is the choleric (extroverted, duty-driven, the heavy hitter of the team), Sen is the melancholic (stoic, serious, follow rules) and Nanana is the sanguine (lively, friendly, chatty).
69	* FreudianTrio: The three Executors. Kokoro represents the Id (for her personal vendetta against Anamnesis), Sen is the Superego (follows rules and has a strong sense of justice), and Rei is the Ego (acts as a mediator between them and wants to revive Mirai for her ego).
70	* FusionDance: Between Unknown α, Unknown β, and [[spoiler:Thelema's soul]] during Chapter 5's climax. Also, [[spoiler:Mephis and Pheles during the (true) final battle.]]
71	* GoodColorsEvilColors: The Executors have blue [[HolyHalo halos]], while the Revenants have red halos.
72	* GoodWingsEvilWings: Rei has white wings, the Demon Twins have black wings, and Anamnesis have bat-like wings. [[spoiler:Subverted by Kuon, who has black wings like the Demon Twins while also being the closest the game has to a BigGood.]]
73	* GottaCatchThemAll: Rei is tasked with finding seven Ideas for the Demon Twins to bring Mirai back to life.
74	* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:Mirai and Anamnesis catch on that they're the bad guys in the true ending and reincarnate in order to atone.]]
75	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Nanana throws herself at the Cogs of Renewal to save Mirai in the first ending.]]
76	* HornedHumanoid: Epicurean, the first boss, is a gorilla-like Revenant with bull horns.
77	* HumanoidAbomination: Most of the Specters and Revenants inhabiting Purgatory.
78	* ImprobablyFemaleCast: Every non-Guardian major character is female.
79	* IncestSubtext: [[spoiler:You don't have to look very hard to get the sense Mirai's feelings for Rei are more than familial, particularly in how she's obsessed with keeping Rei all to herself.]]
80	* InfinityPlusOneSword: Each character-specific ordeal boss will drop either a weapon or armor for them with higher stats than the next best gear. The catch is, like the other equipment, you need multiple copies of it fused together to get it as good as you can.
81	* JustBetweenYouAndMe: [[spoiler:In the third timeline, the Demon Twins unveil exactly how they pulled off their plan and all the behind-the-scenes scheming just before killing Rei.]]
82	* KickTheDog: [[spoiler:Mephis and Pheles had Thelma killed just to get some more trauma and Idea out of Rei.]]
83	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Losing soul fragments causes characters to forget specific memories.
84	* LeakedExperience: Characters not fighting get 80% of the experience points.
85	* LetsSplitUpGang: The party splits up when climbing the two Towers of Grief.
86	* LevelUpFillUp: Leveling up restores HP and MP even if that character isn't the one currently being used.
87	* LoadBearingBoss: [[spoiler:After defeating Mephistopheles, the building begins to collapse and the heroines have to warp away to escape.]]
88	* LoserProtagonist: Rei is a depressed and antisocial {{hikikomori}} who relies on her younger sister to take care of her.
89	* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:Anamnesis is Sen's mother.]]
90	* MamaBear: [[spoiler:In the aforementioned DeadlyGame, Soma killed the remaining passengers in order to keep Sen safe.]]
91	* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:In the third story, the Demon Twins use their VoluntaryShapeshifting powers to turn the heroines against each other.]]
92	* MeaningfulName:
93	** Rei to her sister: Rei (past) to Mirai (future). [[spoiler:As it turns out, this is also true for her other sister: Rei (zero, beginning) to Kuon (eternity).]]
94	** Anamnesis is the ability to remember things that happened in the past.
95	* {{Mephistopheles}}: The primary demons you negotiate with are a pair of sisters named Mephis and Pheles. They offer up contracts with provide the heroes with power in exchange for having to do dirty work managing lost souls for them. [[spoiler:When they [[FusionDance fuse]] into the FinalBoss, they get the full name of Mephistopheles.]]
96	%%* MirrorBoss: [[spoiler:Rei vs. Kuon.]]
97	* MultipleEndings: Four endings. You get a different one for each time you beat the game.
98	* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: The Guardians and some Revenants are named after real-life philosophers, such as Heraclitus of Ephesus, Diogenes, Socrates and Epicurus.
99	* NewGamePlus: Subverted. After beating the game, you will restart at the prologue, but then the game will jump straight to Chapter 6 and the story will change each time, leading to different endings.
100	* NotSoDifferentRemark: Anamnesis taunts Rei about this, claiming that, much like herself, Rei is trying to obtain Revival for her ego, and not for her sister's sake.
101	* NotTooDeadToSaveTheDay: During the Chapter 5 boss fight, [[spoiler:Thelema's soul escapes from the monster and reveals a forgotten memory to Rei, giving her the courage to press on and recover her powers.]]
102	* OneWingedAngel: Revenants can turn into giant monsters for boss fights.
103	* PetTheDog: Literal example. Rei can pet her dog while at home.
104	* PlatonicDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler:Two in the first ending. One from Rei to Nanana and the other from Kokoro to Sen.]]
105	* PowerDyesYourHair: In her Executor form, half of Rei's hair becomes blue. Sen downplays this trope, as only a small fraction of her hair changes from black to red, and Kokoro averts this, as her hair color doesn't change.
106	* PowerGivesYouWings: When transformed, Rei gain angel-wings around her waist.
107	* PowerIncontinence: The events surrounding the WhamEpisode and Rei's deteriorating mental state eventually cause her to be unable to cry, rendering abilities requiring her tears inaccessible.
108	* ProductPlacement: Rei owns a Sony smartphone.
109	* PurgatoryAndLimbo: The game's main setting. Rei has to traverse it while dealing with lost souls like Specters and Revenants.
110	* PurpleIsPowerful: Anamnesis, one of the most powerful Revenants, has purple hair and wears a purple dress.
111	* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Inverted with Sen Megumiba, who despite wearing black and red clothes, strongly believes in justice and is one of the heroines. [[spoiler:Played straight in the third story, as she kills Kokoro to avenge her mother and becomes the FinalBoss.]]
112	* RedemptionEarnsLife[=/=]RedemptionEqualsDeath: A little of both. [[spoiler:Anamnesis and Mirai both agree to end their current lives - Anamnesis to atone and Mirai to avoid keeping up her yandere behavior - and enter the Cogs of Renewal to be reborn.]]
113	* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: Mephis and Pheles are named after the demon Mephistopheles, from German folklore.
114	* ResetButton: Subverted. [[spoiler:Each time you beat the game, Kuon gathers another Idea and restarts the game, but things will be different each time. Only the Demon Twins are aware of the changes.]]
115	* RestrainedRevenge: [[spoiler:When they meet for the first time in the fourth timeline, Kokoro gets "revenge" on Sen by giving her a smooch on the cheek.]]
116	* {{Revenge}}: Kokoro wants to kill Anamnesis to avenge her baby and boyfriend. [[spoiler:Anamnesis wants to kill Rei as revenge against the Revenant Princess for separating her from Sen.]]
117	* ScratchDamage: You always take at least one HP of damage regards of your defense stat. This means attacks can still knock you over and possibly interrupt your combo chain.
118	* ShadowArchetype: The Guardians are mirrors that reflect their masters' wills.
119	* SheatheYourSword: [[spoiler:In the true ending path, Rei has to overcome her trauma of killing Mirai by refusing to attack her so she can free herself from the Demon Twins Crest. Same happens with Kokoro, Sen, and Nanana off-screen.]]
120	* {{Shoryuken}}: Kokoro's Ascension technique is this, complete with mid-air spin.
121	* SignificantBirthDate: Thelema's. Rei parents choose a dog with the same birthday as their daughter (March 8th) [[spoiler:as a ReplacementGoldfish to Kuon]], so Rei wouldn't spend her birthdays alone.
122	* SpinAttack: Rei's Spin Slash and Crescent Slash act like this.
123	* TakeYourTime: Rei is told she's got forty-nine days to recover Mirai's soul, but that doesn't factor into gameplay in any way.
124	* ThirdPersonPerson: Nanana often refers to herself in the third person.
125	* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler:Mirai and Rei in ending B.]]
126	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Rei only likes eating potatoes, and Mirai often scolds her for it. Sen's favorite food is ramen. There's a tinge of deconstruction in this as one conversation with Sen points out that Rei's potato-heavy diet is leaving her with poor nutrition and contributing to her lack of constitution.
127	* UndergroundMonkey: A number of enemies are recolored into stronger forms the further you go.
128	* VillainTeleportation: Both Anamnesis and the Demon Twins can teleport to evade attacks or to pull a VillainExitStageLeft.
129	* VillainousGlutton: The villain from Chapter 3 is a death-row criminal obsessed with eating souls. [[spoiler:Justified, as Mephis implanted his eating disorder as part of an experiment.]]
130	* VoiceOfTheLegion: The followers of the Revenant Princess, collectively known as Bourkabi, speaks with a deep reverbal voice and screams ''[[MadnessMantra "SOULS"]]'' while attacking.
131	* WeSellEverything: The Peddler that appears in every floor of Purgatory and sells uncommon items. One may wonder where she stores them.
132	* WideEyedIdealist: Soma Megumiba, Sen's mother. It's implied that this is what caused her and Sen's father to divorce due to his more cynical dedication to upholding the law. [[spoiler:She gets broken pretty badly when the Revenant Princess decides to play her game and the passengers start killing each other in a panic.]]
133	* WhamEpisode: Chapter 5. [[spoiler:Rei's impatience to revive Mirai causes her to distance herself from her friends, resulting in her losing her EmotionalPowers and the ability to summon Heraclitus in the process. In the same chapter, Thelema dies, and Rei remembers having a twin sister, Kuon, who died at birth.]]
134	* WorldOfActionGirls: Nearly every character is an ActionGirl, including the four playable characters and most of the antagonists.
135	* {{Yandere}}: [[spoiler:Mirai loves her "Big Sister Rei" and won't share her with anyone else, going as far as to mess with Rei's memory and is willing to kill anyone who gets in her way. In the second story, after being defeated, Mirai uses a sneak attack that [[TakingYouWithMe kills herself and Rei]], [[IfICantHaveYou so no one else can have her sister]].]]
136	* YourSoulIsMine: The Revenants inhabiting Purgatory devour wandering souls to gain enough power to return to the world of the living.

Context VideoGame / Crystar