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[SantaC]

I was kinda letdown by Arise (2nd half is awful) last year and I recently replayed Berseria; which is an okay installment but lacking in some areas.

Tales of Vesperia was made by Team Symphonia and it shows. The presentation is top notch and the celshaded graphics is timeless.

I think the best way to describe vesperia is that it has a very atmospheric world. It feels like a cartoon coming to life. The party members have awesome interaction and the battle system starts slow but there is great progression with it.

 

[German Hops]

I'm still partial to Arise being the best one.

 

[Exede]

Symphonia is the pinnacle of all what is Tales of ....

 

[adamsapple]

Agreed.

Beautiful, easy to get into and an excellent cast of charming characters.

 

[Jack Videogames]

It's a good game, great even, but it's Tales as fuck. It didn't feel too much different than Tales of Symphonia, just newer and shinier. This is not a bad thing as Symphonia is considered by many one of the finest in the series if not the absolute best, though.

Me, I liked both Symphonia and Arise more than Vesperia: for me Symphonia is a better Tales and Arise was different enough to be refreshing.

 

[decisions]

Vesperia is easily the best of the series.

The plot is decent and the characters are amazing. As opposed to having a bad plot and decent characters like almost all other Tales games.

The battle system starts slow but becomes awesome. I have tried several other Tales games, really every one since Vesperia came out, and they are decent fun but I can never finish them.

 

[jshackles]

I'd agree that Vesperia is probably the best Tales game overall - but I definitely had a bigger emotional reaction to Berseria.

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

What? Vesperia is the epitome of mediocre. Everything about the game is a snoozefest from the world, to the soundtrack, to the pacing. Battle system becomes okay in time I guess and the visuals are still great. That’s about it. I vastly prefer practically every other Tales game I’ve played. I haven’t played the game in years but I will always remember how unbelievably repetitive the characters were. After every plot beat everyone would leave the party then repeat their motivations and reluctantly decide to join again

 

[SantaC]

What? Vesperia is the epitome of mediocre. Everything about the game is a snoozefest from the world, to the soundtrack, to the pacing. Battle system becomes okay in time I guess and the visuals are still great. That’s about it. I vastly prefer practically every other Tales game I’ve played. I haven’t played the game in years but I will always remember how unbelievably repetitive the characters were. After every plot beat everyone would leave the party then repeat their motivations and reluctantly decide to join again

I'd like to know what other Tales games you played.

 

[-Zelda-]

Ixillia 1 and 2 was my entry point, so I really want those sent to PS5 and Switch.

 

[BennyBlanco]

What? Vesperia is the epitome of mediocre. Everything about the game is a snoozefest from the world, to the soundtrack, to the pacing. Battle system becomes okay in time I guess and the visuals are still great. That’s about it. I vastly prefer practically every other Tales game I’ve played. I haven’t played the game in years but I will always remember how unbelievably repetitive the characters were. After every plot beat everyone would leave the party then repeat their motivations and reluctantly decide to join again

Yup that sounds like a Tales game alright

 

[Celcius]

Vesperia is still the best in my book

 

[SF Kosmo]

I wouldn't say it was the peak, but it was certainly the end of the Golden Age and the last truly great one.

As for the best, I'm fond of Eternia and Symphonia. Symphonia probably for the whole package, but Eternia for the best combat and dungeons.

 

[danklord]

Ixillia 1 and 2 was my entry point, so I really want those sent to PS5 and Switch.

I heard it runs awesome on the Steam Deck...

 

[drganon]

Berseria is my favorite.

 

[jorgejjvr]

I give that to Symphonia

 

[Rival]

I’ve only played a few but Arise has been my favorite so far.

 

[NightmareFarm]

Agreed.

 

[Meicyn]

Symphonia.

 

[Graciaus]

Graces f has the best combat. Vesperia is to limited until pretty far into the game.

 

[begotten]

Found OPs' first Tales game.

It can't still be the best when it never was to begin with.

 

[Xeaker]

The cast and dialogue is too childish. I liked the game a lot as a teenager but I tried to play it again a few years ago and nope, this is not for adults. Now I understand why my parents quit this game after a few hours.
This Raven guy is only 35 but the party members keep calling him "old man" through the whole game and he just takes it.

 

[SantaC]

Found OPs' first Tales game.

It can't still be the best when it never was to begin with.

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/tales-of-symphonia-voice-acting-why-only-partial.7310/post-182051

 

[GymWolf]

Is that first pic the actual cast?

They look generic AF.

 

[ghairat]

Vesperia is the best in the series. Soooo much content and post-game stuff. This is for sure peak Tales!

 

[H-I-M]

Could have been Symhpnia if that one didn't age as badly as it did.
Vesperia remains the GOAT.

 

[Soltype]

Berseria is my favorite, it had somewhat of a more mature tone to it

 

[Osaka_Boss]

Phantasia still the goat

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

I'd like to know what other Tales games you played.

Eternia, Symphonia, Symphonia 2, Abyss, Legendia, Xillia, Xillia 2, Graces F, Zestiria, Berseria, Arise. I would say I like Vesperia more than Symphonia 2. That’s it.

 

[NahaNago]

Out of the couple that I've played I would say yes, it is the best. That does remind me that I should go back and continue playing that last tales game. Vesperia is the last one to actually get me interested in actually finishing the game.

 

[sigmaZ]

Arise is the only one I enjoyed. The rest are generic weeb fan fiction. If that's you're thing, you'll be in heaven.

 

[SSfox]

It was great, tho i prefered Xillia

 

[Kokoloko85]

Eternia, PSP

 

[Synless]

I used to think that, even after the replay on switch… then I played Tales of Arise, which I think is a superior game across the board.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

FYE a lot of the Tales of games are on sale on Steam now.

They all play well on the Decker.

 

[Saiyan-Rox]

1st Symphonia
2nd Abyss
3rd Eternia

And then vesperia tbh

 

[Doom85]

For me:

1. Abyss 9.5/10
2. Berseria 9/10
3. Vesperia 9/10
4. Symphonia 9/10
5. Xillia 7.5/10
6. Graces F 7/10
7. Zesteria 6.5/10
8. Arise 5/10
9. Xillia 2 3/10

 

[TidusYuna]

I like the art style in Vesperia the best, but the best tales of imho is..

 

[El Muerto]

Symphonia has been my favorite. Finished Vesperia a couple months ago and it was a slog to get through. Characters werent likable and super annoying, story wasnt great either.

 

[Shifty1897]

Berseria is best, followed by Symphonia, then Xillia. Vesperia might be fourth?

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

Arise is the only one I enjoyed. The rest are generic weeb fan fiction. If that's you're thing, you'll be in heaven.

This is a really confusing post because Arise has some of the worst writing and characters in the series, and the cast often interacts like a bunch of super socially awkward people (at least in English).

 

[Comandr]

Vesperia is the best Tales game. Right after Phantasia.

I'd agree that Vesperia is probably the best Tales game overall - but I definitely had a bigger emotional reaction to Berseria.

Me too. I got a big laugh when Velvet said ... "All I can taste is blood... and appleboo." That said, I think Berseria had some of the most fun combat.

 

[ChoosableOne]

I think this is the only game series where everyone has a different favourite list. Someone's favorite game may be in the last place of someone else. I've heard of Vesperia a lot, but its gameplay seems boring. I've only finished Xillia so far, story was boring but somewhat interesting, and gameplay was great. I bought Arise and Berseria on sale, lots of people like both. Combat seems enjoyable on those two and Arise looks beautiful.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Symphonia or Vesperia is the only correct answer.

I doubt Arise is actually good. No Kosuke Fujishima, no Mutsumi Inomata? I'm good.

 

[manfestival]

I really did not like Yuri. For that reason alone I was not a fan of the game. I also played it on game pass like way after. I imagine I might've had more interest in it if I played it on 360 back in the day when it was effectively an exclusive. Nostalgia definitely helps the points.

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

I think this is the only game series where everyone has a different favourite list.

Is this sarcasm? Try Final Fantasy. For example, with XII, there’s some people that ONLY like XII, there’s some people that think it’s by far the best in the series, there’s some people who think it’s the worst in the series, etc. But that’s to be expected when each game is so different

 

[ChoosableOne]

Is this sarcasm? Try Final Fantasy. For example, with XII, there’s some people that ONLY like XII, there’s some people that think it’s by far the best in the series, there’s some people who think it’s the worst in the series, etc. But that’s to be expected when each game is so different

No, I was not sarcastic. Whenever I Google which is the best Tales game, I come across lists with dramatic differences. Berseria and Arise seem to have changed this situation a bit.

In the Final Fantasy example... It's obvious that 7 is very popular, 10 is popular, 13 is not very popular, 15 is OK, 8 is controversial, 7 remake is good etc. These ideas are often repeated everywhere. I only played 12, because there was no random encounter in it, so I loved it. It was more like a MMO game and very different from previous games. So I can understand those who like that game but don't like other games(especially the ones before the 12th )in the series, like myself.

But there is no such consensus in Tales games.
I mean look at these lists:

Reddit
Reddit 2
Reddit 3
Gamerant

In this thread, everyone says Vesperia is the best.

But this one didn't even mention Vesperia.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I bought Berseria based on my hard research. I only have Vesperia DE on Steam.

Will attempt to play on Deck after finishing Tactics Ogre.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

The artstyle is one of the best, it puts games like Xenoblade 3 to shame.

 

[Happosai]

Symphonia is the pinnacle of all what is Tales of ....

I'd easily put this at #1 with Tales of the Abyss and Vesperia trailing.