Allot of unhappy replies in this topic. I disagree with allot of them, but the "This looks like a PS2 game" posts that I see over and over piss me off. Maybe it's just a preference thing, but I don't care for polygon-count, and I don't see why anyone else would (so much). As long as the graphics accurately represent what the designers are going for, even if it's not precise, that's a check box for me. If you get more power, cool. Great. As long as you're not sacrificing design elements to do it. Tales games mostly deliver. Their failings are usually art-related - They reuse allot of assets even in the same game, and they're often not creative, but the gameplay is exciting fun and the casts usually great chemistry. They succeed at what they're trying to do, and I kindly ask anyone who has a problem with them "because they look like PS2 games" to fuck right off.
Concerning Tales of Zestiria, I'm about... halfway through? I really didn't have high expectations for this from the trailers, but I'm having a great time. Some people have said that the story is generic. I was pulled in by it. It very directly and deliberately takes from Arthurian tales, and the scenario they create of an ancient, mythical race of beings that happen to live alongside humans lets the Tales team play to their strengths - Flamboyant character designs become plausible, and the writing staff can play some of the very old characters as either young or old because they don't age. Sorey as our hero is built up from the get-go as a special man destined for great things, and he quickly became... irresistible(?). He's so enthusiastic but his bookish and ruin-exploring childhood has also developed him into a very intelligent and prudent individual. One-lacking experience for sure, as some people have pointed out, but dismissing his other personality traits unfairly lumps him up with actual brain-dead, gung-ho protagonists. The whole game's enthusiastic and straightforward, for the most part. Lighter on the convoluted Tales explanations for a party staying together (except for Rose - I don't get this character at all). It does get Tales plot'd eventually but eh. It's still fun and lighthearted so I let it slide.
Allot people say the skill system is bad. I disagree - I think the systems around and supporting it are bad. Dismissing that the in-game explanation for skill fusion is inadequate (I looked it up online, and it's actually very simple), the UI for skill management is bad, unless you have fantastic memory and remember where each skill is on the grid offhand. The game should show you grid previews for fusion - What you gain and lose. No way I'm remembering the names of everything. Skill farming is... eeeh. Late-game, it seems you can manage what skills might pop up on equipment, after tremendous grade-farming in a region. I'm not sure all this farming benefits the game. It doesn't seem, at least, necessary to the main game but I do find myself spending a tremendous amount of time in my menus, in ways I both like and don't like. Graces titles were perfect for skills imo.
I like allot of the things Zestiria tries though. Armatization is cool, elements are simplified from like Graces where there were too damn many, SC is a neat idea that's more flexible than CC but I really wish we got numbers instead of a bar. I've got tons more to say but that's everything on the top of my head.
