Play Vesperia.
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LTTP: Tales of the Abyss
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Play Vesperia.
I really enjoyed Symphonia and Vesperia, but Abyss just bored me halfway through. To find out that it was MUCH longer than I thought it was going to be just hit the nail in the coffin--I usually like to finish every game I play, but I really couldn't be bothered here. Too much bactracking/stuffing around with the story and overall fluff. It was clear to me that Abyss didn't care about making much good use of the finite resource that is a player's time.
FormallyFamicom
Member
No 360.
What a shame, you're missing out on the best one.
Magicpaint
Member
Nope, it's the worst of the the big three Team Symphonia games.
Community Forum
Member
No.
CielTynave
Member
No that would be Symphonia.
Magicpaint
Member
Yes it is. Musically, gameplay wise, story, characters. Just everything was essentially a step down from Symphonia/Abyss outside of visuals. Both of those games also introduced great new systems/mechanics as well, but Vesperia didn't really bring anything truly new and exciting.
Disagree. It's prettier and mildly more interesting that Abyss. It also doesn't suffer from possibly the least likable party in RPG history. :/
Magicpaint
Member
Well, I liked Abyss' cast a lot more than Vesperia's. Different strokes for different folks
Also it may be prettier but Abyss' world design was a lot more interesting to me.
keep playing abyss. it's great, like all tales games.
Chet Rippo
Member
I respect opinions... but this... my God.
Actually I should just stop posting in this thread. I strongly dislike Abyss for basically everything outside of the battles and the battle themes. I especially hate the cast and story, so whenever I see people in here say it has the best of both.... I just can't.
Ghost_Protocol
Member
Best cast in the series by far, including enemies. Also, outstanding voice acting.
Luke is the only thing holding the cast back.
Luke is the only thing holding the cast back.
dragonlife
Member
The only good things about Abyss were Jade, Tear, and Guy. Everyone else was awful--especially that little shit stain known as Anise. The music was not interesting and, ultimately, a total disappointment (though if someone could link me to all the battle themes, I'd appreciate it. I don't recall any and would like to be possibly schooled). The load times were awful and plentiful. It has the worst protagonist I've encountered (Yuri Lowenthall's voice doesn't help his case) and any sort of redemption he "achieved" was overridden with a strong dislike from me.
Despite all this, it's Tales, and I had fun with battles. I just wish the music were a bit more interesting to make them even better.
The story was interesting, at least. It just had some terrible main characters.
Symphonia and Vesperia are definitely the better games.
Despite all this, it's Tales, and I had fun with battles. I just wish the music were a bit more interesting to make them even better.
The story was interesting, at least. It just had some terrible main characters.
Symphonia and Vesperia are definitely the better games.
dragonlife
Member
I like you.
toddhunter
Member
Yeah shame he is the main character.
Abyss has always been that one jrpg that I hated from start to finish, continuing to play it only because of the ever constant tease that it somehow "gets good". It never does.
Having said that, times were different then. I played it in the golden age and could afford to sniff my nose at a jrpg. It's probably pretty awesome by comparison now.
Chet Rippo
Member
Anise ain't that bad.
Magicpaint
Member
Well, I also have pretty strong reasons for considering Vesperia the worst, so
I honestly dislike the cast about as much as you seem to dislike Abyss' cast/story too. Likewise, I thought the battles in Vesperia were still fun (though definitely a step down from Symphonia/Abyss IMO since it lacked new enemy varieties and/or new interesting sub-systems, plus a lot of the characters aren't as fun to control).The Mana Legend
Banned
All the Team Symphonia games are terrible, but Vesperia is the best one.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
I could go for DAYS about how good running point with Guy having Jade rain pain in the background for FoF Frigid Moon Goodness, but it's been a while and I've forgotten everything else. Don't worry, I ain't one of those fans.
Well, I also have pretty strong reasons for considering Vesperia the worst, so
Hehe, each his own.
Likewise.
I can't.
Urban Scholar
Member
Oh man I think I'm near the end on abyss 3ds and stopped. Hah I think I forgot getting into my hi ougi groove
I love the music from this game, especially the battle themes, so here goes.
Battle theme #1: The Arrow was Shot
Battle theme #2: The Edge of a Decision
There are quite a lot of boss themes. A couple nice examples are Awkward Justice and Meaning of Birth, although my favorite song in the entire game is the final boss theme,
Finish the Promise. The way it builds up with the piano, followed by the arranged version of the Grand Fonic Hymn at 1:15. Hell yeah.
Enjoy while you can.
I never could fully enjoy any Tales battles system after Abyss. Sure it feels "rough" compared to Vesperia and other newer Tales titles but I just love those damn FoF changes so much. Basically made the game for me. It was especially awesome coz I played it with a friend.
Also, I like the whole cast minus Luke. Jade being the best of course.
I never could fully enjoy any Tales battles system after Abyss. Sure it feels "rough" compared to Vesperia and other newer Tales titles but I just love those damn FoF changes so much. Basically made the game for me. It was especially awesome coz I played it with a friend.
Also, I like the whole cast minus Luke. Jade being the best of course.
dragonlife
Member
Thanks. I just finished listening to them all. Awkward Justice was definitely my favorite.
What are the other boss themes? I would love to hear them, too--if you don't mind, of course.
Hated literally everyone in this game by the time I finished
Akzeriuth
Vesperia and Symphonia are, IMO, the 2 best Tales games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DasKfnqF3qM
Best one. (Cameo Battle)
Also best cameo battle in the series and I've beaten most of the games (including the Japanese ones)
As far as "Team Symphonia" style games go
Vesperia PS3 > Xillia (Yeah I know it's not technically TS but it plays like one) > Vesperia 360 > Symphonia GC > Abyss 3DS or PS2 > Symphonia PS2
Best in the series? Gameplay wise: Tales of Graces f or Vesperia PS3, overall package: Tales of Destiny: Director's Cut (PS2)
If I was new to the series, Symphonia or Vesperia is probably the best way to go. Then maybe Phantasia afterwords (ESPECIALLY after playing Symphonia) on Super Famicom or PS1. Don't play the GBA version, it's a horrid port and the English one has a terrible translation...but if you're okay with older RPGs.
You'd really only appreciate the improvements in Abyss if you played that right after Symphonia. And to some people the characters/story isn't as good.
Spieler Eins
Member
I know naturally I should have been creeped out by Anise. But I really didn't mind her. Thought she was a fun addition even. (But I can certainly live without such characters in my future games, lol it can just as easily go wrong)
Both Tales game I've played through have had that 'fake-out final boss halfway through the game' thing going on - is it normal for the series?
Jo Shishido's Cheeks
Member
This made me realise that I actually hate Tales games.
The all-too-easily-missed 'hidden' side quests and skits are ridiculous.
Completely ruins my enjoyment of the game when I find out I've missed out on a weapon because I didn't click on a particular cat in the market or something.
The all-too-easily-missed 'hidden' side quests and skits are ridiculous.
Completely ruins my enjoyment of the game when I find out I've missed out on a weapon because I didn't click on a particular cat in the market or something.
Kind of.
Mostly the "Team Symphonia" -esque games do this for whatever reason.
So Symphonia, Abyss, Vesperia. I think Destiny also did it as well (it's been awhile since I've got to the end) but it seemed a bit more natural in that game to me.
Graces f doesn't really have this problem, maybe like two missable things in the entire game?
Possibly my favorite Tales game.
Yeah, Luke starts off being a jerk (hell everyone is kind of a jerk other than Guy), but he's supposed to be like that. And looking at this thread, I'm apparently one of the very few who likes his transformation, even if it is rather abrupt.
Story and lore were crap (fononsfononsfonons), but that's really my only complaint with the game.
Yeah, Luke starts off being a jerk (hell everyone is kind of a jerk other than Guy), but he's supposed to be like that. And looking at this thread, I'm apparently one of the very few who likes his transformation, even if it is rather abrupt.
Story and lore were crap (fononsfononsfonons), but that's really my only complaint with the game.
Luke is only an asshole now so he can do a complete 180 later because JRPGs. Abyss is a very good Tales game. Like most Tales games, it has no idea when to be over and by the time you're like "Well I guess this is the end of the game. I liked it a lot," you're actually only like half done.
I like the game but it has a few flaws. Like the endless backtracking. Ugh. You spend a long time kind of feeling like a messenger. "Hey, let's go talk to every world leader five times to set up a meeting or whatever." The game would have been better without a world map.
Ha ha ha ha ha, oh, my, no. No no no. No.
Legendia is the second worst game ever made after Dawn of the New World. But yeah, it has basically the greatest soundtrack of all time. Side note: Hyperbole is the greatest invention and I use it literally all the time.
I honestly wouldn't blame anyone for just stopping when
you beat Van
Spieler Eins
Member
I only think that there should be a way of properly keeping track of them if you actually activated one.
Otherwise I like that you can go back to some random town and maybe randomly find some new costumes and shid.
There's one sidequest I couldn't do because I started it and I had to go to one town, but the next plot point was in another town, and it asked me if I wanted to quick travel to town B so I said yes and that locked out the sidequest.
The window to do that step in the sidequest is so narrow that if you don't immediately go to the world map and hop on your airship, you miss it. So bullshit.
It wasn't for anything important, though.
Xillia does this.
VanillaCakeIsBurning
Member
I thought this would happen sooner or later.
Considering the first Tales game, Phantasia, already did this and more entries do some form of it than not, it's pretty much a series' trait, yeah.
Its common thing in Tales games.
The last act of Vesperia wasn't great, I can't remember if i liked it enough to even call it "good." Vespira would have been wonderful if it ended on the second arc.