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Remind me, why was Tales of Symphonia so awesome?
- Thread starter MrOogieBoogie
- Start date
Chet Rippo
Member
The Abyss has Tear so Abyss > all other Tales games.
RyougaSaotome
Member
ToS is actually one of the few Tales games I've never played. I just kind of missed that boat and haven't managed to make it back ever since.
Every time I see a Japanese copy of the Gamecube version at stores, I get tempted to grab it but it's still pricey around here.
My favorite Tales is probably Phantasia though. Specifically the PSP full voice version. There's just something really timeless about the narrative and the characters.
Every time I see a Japanese copy of the Gamecube version at stores, I get tempted to grab it but it's still pricey around here.
My favorite Tales is probably Phantasia though. Specifically the PSP full voice version. There's just something really timeless about the narrative and the characters.
R_thanatos
Member
that's a pandora box you want us to open lol
Destiny Director cut > Symphonia > Vesperia = Abyss > Eternia > Graces > Destiny 2 > Phantasia = Xillia > Rebirth > Hearts = Legendia > Innocence
But i love them all and yes i've completed them all 100% ( still need to do the F version of Graces but that won't change his position by much )
My rank is based on cast quality and diversity, battle system , extra quests
SonicX_Zero
Member
Out of the ones I've played it would be:
Destiny DC > Graces F = Eternia = Legendia > Destiny 2 = Vesperia > Abyss
One thing I forgot: The dungeons!!!
You need to change the element of the ring on each dungeon. And it helps you to solve the puzzles. The puzzles are not that complicated, but they are fun.
And, without spoilers, some scenes that made me say WOW:
-The monster attacking your town (as I said in my previous post)
-the mayor's daughter
-Presea's father
-why regal doesn't use his hands
You need to change the element of the ring on each dungeon. And it helps you to solve the puzzles. The puzzles are not that complicated, but they are fun.
And, without spoilers, some scenes that made me say WOW:
-The monster attacking your town (as I said in my previous post)
-the mayor's daughter
-Presea's father
-why regal doesn't use his hands
Rahxephon91
Banned
Out of what I've played.
Abyss > Graces > Vesperia > Legendia > Symphonia
And yeah Tear was so great. Out of the one's I played, probably the least annoying female character. Man the entire cast of Abyss was good.
Speaking of Zelos...
How many choose Kratos over him in the end? I picked Kratos the first time I beat the game. Was pretty strange to kill a party member at the time.
Definitely of the stronger characters. Still, I'd probably rank Sheena above her. Fighting with cards was so cool.
Even Anise?
anotherVegan
Member
That combat system. Symphonia's combat is probably the best I've ever experienced in an RPG. The story was pretty good, too.
Rahxephon91
Banned
She uses a stuffed animal that she rides as a weapon. That's pretty badass. Could have done without the
whole traitor whatever thing.
Natalie was the real weak point.
Maybe it would be better to spoiler tag that?
Also, yeah her bear is pretty cool. Wonder why in every Tales game I played(symphonia, vesperia, abyss) it's always a little kid that gets to be the heavy hitter. Is this shared in every tales game?
Ultimadrago
Member
Symphonia > Vesperia > Phantasia >Tales of Symphonia 2 > Abyss
I'm do want to play Destiny one day.
Out of the ones I played I have to say....
Graces f >>>> Vesperia >> Abyss > Symphonia
Only ones I played. Graces f just blew my mind though. Characters felt unique and charming after Abyss and Symphonia. Awesome characters, interesting story, and no TP-focused gameplay. Has a good chance of being one of my favorite RPGs of this generation for me.
Sophie is one of the best female RPG character I've seen in years.
Fimbulvetr
Member
I doubt it(Graces doesn't really have a slow heavy-weapon guy, for example). But going by Presea and Karol, this might be a personal thing for Team Symphonia.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
I can't do rankings. It's just like how I treat FF games (man, that post is old). I just can't rank them at all since there's something in nearly every game that I like. VS and Tempest are the worst Tales games I've ever played, though, so those would be towards the bottom.bakedpony said:
And this (reposting from the Graces thread; the second paragraph, I suppose, is the most relevant):
Also, Phantasia X and Destiny R DX are the best versions of Phantasia and Destiny respectively.
I criticize Abyss a lot, but there are still parts of it that I enjoy. I just don't like the character interactions, and most of the cast (outside of 2.5 people + 1 person I'm indifferent towards), at all.
Ultimadrago
Member
Yeah, strangely all this talk is actually making me feel like playing some more Vesperia. I've only beaten it once and I feel like I could enjoy at least one more run.
R_thanatos
Member
She probably means Phantasia X.
The version of Phantasia that's included with Narikiri Dungeon, that removes the pauses for magic casting in battle.
R_thanatos
Member
And you just reminded me that i might need to play this version ( after playing SNES,PSX, GBA , PSP , i wasn't intrested )
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Biggest change is that Phantasia X removed the pause when spells are cast. I don't think FVE had that. Also, new party member (Rondoline--thus story changes). Shortcuts, it's generally much faster than FVE, and other battle stuff.
I kinda wish they'd give that game a way better update. Will wait for the next Phantasia update. It'll probably be out in two or three years, knowing Namco. :lol
Edit: Yeah, what Aeana said.
Symphonia somehow was really average to me. It didn't give me the same feeling as playing Tales of Destiny for the first time on PS1. I'm not sure what it was though. I remember beating it and didn't really feel satisfied with the whole experience.
Where do you guys rank each title in the series? I'm curious. I've only played Tales of Destiny, Phantasia, and Symphonia.
Where do you guys rank each title in the series? I'm curious. I've only played Tales of Destiny, Phantasia, and Symphonia.
Ultimadrago
Member
There's quite a few ranking on this page. lol
I sometimes wonder how a new, ground-up remake of ToP would work. The original was made before multiplayer (and changing controlled character, even) became a standard series feature, and the story leaves you stuck with a lone swordsman and three back-row-only casters for 75% of the game. It'd probably require some pretty heavy changes to make something new and exciting out of this set up while not screwing with the story (which magic plays a major role in).
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Abyss 3ds >>>> Abyss PS2....
Sure it doesn't use the 3d that well, but it fixes the problem of awful load times and shitty framerates. In general the biggest block for my mind is the fact that the Tales games on the PS2 were woefully bad tech wise where as Symphonia and Vesperia were technical marvels for the series. That skews my feelings on the games outside of the characters/plot/gameplay.
Tis what it is though in my mind.
On a side note my best friend hadn't ever played a Tales game despite being a long time gamer and JRPG player. I told him to get Abyss for the 3ds if he could find a copy, and he did. Now he's all in love. LOL
Sure it doesn't use the 3d that well, but it fixes the problem of awful load times and shitty framerates. In general the biggest block for my mind is the fact that the Tales games on the PS2 were woefully bad tech wise where as Symphonia and Vesperia were technical marvels for the series. That skews my feelings on the games outside of the characters/plot/gameplay.
Tis what it is though in my mind.
On a side note my best friend hadn't ever played a Tales game despite being a long time gamer and JRPG player. I told him to get Abyss for the 3ds if he could find a copy, and he did. Now he's all in love. LOL
Ultimadrago
Member
What Tales of Symphonia 2?
Wait they made a sequel to Symphonia?
I bet it's totally awesome and not at all lame and bad.
Well, it's not classified as a mothership title by Namco, which is why it wasn't listed above. But I think the game is actually fun enough.
Nocturnowl
Member
I can't deny the game, for that would be denying Richter even if he is the source of the flashback barrage.
Plus I actually enjoyed it more than Abyss, monsters in my party!
Ultimadrago
Member
Agreed.
Though those monsters got out of control!
The mandatory wolf you start with turned into a one-hit killing machine by game's end. Most of my battles were done in...2 seconds, 5 at most!
I can't really rank because I've only played Vesperia, Abyss, Symphonia, and Eternia.
Tried to play Phantasia GBA but gave up in the 1584th floor of some mine dungeon early on.
I will say that I was very impressed with Eternia. I went into that game expecting it to be old, clunky, and basically unplayable but it's still a very good game.
Tried to play Phantasia GBA but gave up in the 1584th floor of some mine dungeon early on.
I will say that I was very impressed with Eternia. I went into that game expecting it to be old, clunky, and basically unplayable but it's still a very good game.
This so much. I think I remember fusing the wolf with some other monster form a badass Ice Wolf that insta-killed alot of things for me the entire game. It never left my party. I thought it was pretty cool & lame at the same time how they integrated the original Symphonia cast. Only having them join up as NPCs for short amounts of time sorta blew. Definitely agree on the Richter love though.
R_thanatos
Member
Abyss PS2 with HD loader >>> Abyss 3ds >>>>> Abyss PS2
Surethe load time were a pain but once you get rid of them ... what a great game
Emil was really the only bad thing in symphonia 2.. Marta wasn't bad but the game was saved by the old cast cameo & tenebrae.. Tenebrae is the best mascot character ever ... Tipo , mieu and the rest don't even come close
Yep Game was fun ..and it was a nice to see some dongeons with new tweaks... game was fun but way too easy to break with powerfull monsters
Oops yeah, I didn't even read the responses yet. Ha ha. I think I'll go buy Graces, seems like that's the top ranked Tales game.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
I liked it. The monster-rearing and evolution system had quite a bit of depth, and thus FREE-LMBS was an interesting take on the LMBS system since it kind of reminded me of Chrono Cross's battle system. It was nice going through dungeons with minor extensions, and the music remixes are nice. It's just a little unfortunate that you can kind of break the game depending on how well you've reared the monsters, and also because the old characters' levels aren't very high so I ended up using monsters more. And let's not forget that Tenebrae is the best Tales mascot in the entire series.
It gets a bad reception because: normal Emil is not enticing as a protagonist, the cast focus switched from the old cast to Emil and Marta, the old cast's voices changed for the most part, it released very close to Vesperia which is a better game, courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality, etc.
I enjoyed it more than I did Abyss.
Jazzy Network
Member
Not much love for Eternia in this thread. I r sad.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Eh even getting rid of the loads the game still ran at like 15fps in a lot of places. :\
Ultimadrago
Member
Well, I've just never played it. I'm pretty uncultured in the Tales series, sadly.
I would like to play a PS one (if I'm even able to get my hands on one).
Edit: Oh, I just saw that it's on PSP...I don't have a PSP :S
King of the Potato People
Member
Why does Lloyd have a troll face on his poster?
Ultimadrago
Member
cuz the boy trolls Desians!