Namco’s Tales collection might be one of many better-known RPG collection that isn’t Final Fantasy. First, let me get this out of the best way, sure, the story of Tales of Symphonia — and by extension Tales of Symphonia Remastered — is nothing particular, you’re a scholar at a public college named Lloyd Irving, whose greatest pals are a brief albino baby-faced child who’s cheerful and likes to play video games, and a woman named Collete, who’s the obvious “chosen one” out of your village.
As cliche as it could be, the sport’s presentation made the story palatable.
A HO-HUM STORY THAT PRIORITISES ITS CHARACTERS
After an investigation of a overseas nation reveals that they’re evil, you’re chased out and run again to your village. Due to some treaty that your city signed with stated overseas nation, you end up banished out of your village, and armed with nothing greater than your wit and greatest good friend, Genis Sage, you set off on a life-changing quest for redemption and freedom. Now as attention-grabbing a premise as this can be, Tales of Symphonia stretches its material to some extent the place it feels just like the crew over at Namco simply needed to hurry you into the sport’s world with out even providing you with a lot of a purpose past the oh-so-common narrow-minded black and white good man unhealthy man routine. Most of the sport’s cutscenes are performed out from the angle of your protagonist, so we by no means really handle to indulge ourselves in an engrossing story that places us within the sneakers of each hero and villain.
Though the sport’s story by no means felt to me prefer it was anyplace close to unhealthy, the in-game cutscenes can really feel trivial and meaningless. In-game occasions by no means drag, I felt as if the skits that happen on a whim’s discover have been fully pointless. A couple of full movement video segments add colour and variety to the immobile figures, although the variety of FMV scenes is fewer than 10, and all of them are at most two minutes, save for the ending. TOS maintains a constant tempo and doesn’t waste time transferring to the following occasion. This mustn’t recommend that the sport is brief, as it’s roughly 60 hours lengthy, not together with any facet quests.
After ending every battle, the characters will usually give uplifting speeches.
REAL-TIME COMBAT HELPS TO ADD VARIETY
The gameplay is extremely numerous but simple sufficient to grasp after just a few quick minutes. The battles are fought in real-time, which can come as a breath of recent air in comparison with all of the turn-based rubbish being launched on the time. Fights begin with you and your teammates on one facet of a two-dimensional plain the place you management Lloyd or one in every of his pals. Your assaults are carried out utilizing exact button controls that depend upon what course you tilt the analog stick in, in addition to the face buttons you press. As you stage up, you may be given extra methods which are added to your ability listing. At any level within the sport, you may swap out one assault for an additional that makes use of the identical button presses. Say, for instance, one in every of your assaults requires you to press up on the proper analog stick whereas holding down a specific face button then you’re given a alternative between which assault fits your choice.
Some assaults additionally drain power out of your stamina bar that may be replenished by deciding on the proper tools in your stock. Each time an merchandise is used, there’s a bar over the character’s head that makes use of it that takes time to go away. Until the bar vanishes fully, that character can not use an merchandise. Thankfully you may command as much as three different individuals in your occasion to make use of objects on both themselves otherwise you, permitting as much as 4 objects for use without delay. Each character has a particular assault sample. One could also be fast and nimble, whereas the others are stronger and extra sturdy.
A variety of on-screen motion that will look higher with the next body fee.
THE CEL-SHADED VISUALS HOLD UP WELL EVEN AFTER 19 YEARS
The graphics are gorgeously detailed and straightforward on the eyes. The solely time when the graphics ever really feel like they intrude with the gameplay is once I couldn’t establish a hill that I might stroll on, from one thing that I couldn’t. This occurs not often, however when it does, it may be annoying. Other than that, the cell-shaded visuals are good and colourful, and whereas stiff, they’ve a singular appeal to them that may instantly let you know whether or not or not this fashion of character design is for you.
TOS is likely one of the few RPGs of the time it got here out to offer precise replay worth. Aside from completely different problem settings (which you’ll change at any time), you get a cool characteristic that permits you to change the way you play if you begin a brand new sport+.
Apparently not consuming, sleeping, or feeling something anymore.
THE LACK OF EXTRAS AND A LOCKED FRAME RATE ARE PUZZLING
As for Tales of Symphonia Remastered, the dearth of extras and the locked 30FPS fee could be a turn-off to some individuals contemplating that the GameCube model, which got here out again in 2003, was playable at 60FPS. I additionally ought to point out that Symphonia’s sequel Dawn of the New World, which was remastered for PS3 again in 2013, is just not current right here.
Also, whereas I loved the visible upgrades, generally the characters within the backgrounds throughout cutscenes mesh horribly with the characters within the foreground for the reason that important characters have a a lot shinier coat of paint round them. It would have been good if the builders had finished what Halo: The Master Chief Collection did and allow you to select between the brand new and traditional visuals. It might present the choice to play with traditional visuals and a 60FPS body fee. I’m not a developer, so I’m unsure why the PS4 isn’t able to operating this sport at 60 FPS whereas the GameCube is, however I think about it has one thing to do with the graphical constancy.
Certain cutscens look higher whereas others can look misplaced due to the improved visuals
STILL WORTHY OF BEING CALLED A CLASSIC DESPITE ITS FLAWS
Tales of Symphonia Remastered is an RPG value your whereas. While the dearth of extras and a locked 30FPS body fee may deter collection veterans from giving this sport one other go, the heartwarming story and colourful visuals nonetheless maintain up properly and is value recommending even after almost 20 years.
You should purchase Tales of Symphonia Remastered on PSN right here.
