I believe this piece can be filled with a number of issues individuals have heard repeated persistently over the previous couple of weeks. Tales of Symphonia has had a troubled historical past of ports, with every one coming with some type of new problem or downgrade. Many will let you know the GameCube authentic nonetheless holds up, and I’m certain they’re proper. I’ve by no means performed Symphonia in that model, my first try was on PC. While it took me a few tries to wade by way of the previous voice performing and dated battle system, I got here to understand what it was going for. For the collection’ first true 3D outing, this sport set a normal the video games observe met in numerous methods. Tales of Symphonia is a basic, however its newest Nintendo Switch launch is such a fumble that it makes it not possible to evaluate the sport hidden beneath such a lackluster remaster.
I don’t suppose there’s even room to debate points of this model just like the fight, story, or characters as a result of there’s a motive why this sport has been beloved for round 20 years. If you play this newest console remaster on any of the opposite techniques it’s presently provided on it is possible for you to to see the unique imaginative and prescient principally unblemished. There is lots to nitpick, from visible aesthetic tweaks to the framerate nonetheless concentrating on 30 frames per second (whereas the unique launch caps out at 60), however frankly, if this have been the case on Switch I might discover this remaster serviceable for these with out every other means to expertise the sport.
This model at its core relies on the PlayStation 3 remaster, however with changes made to the lighting and character outlining. Having not grown up with the unique model, I’m inclined to search out this model of the sport the very best to take a look at for my part. I’ve by no means been a giant fan of the cruel shading and thick outlines, even when I admit that was a aware inventive determination. I received’t make any grandstanding statements on high quality, however this model on the Nintendo Switch OLED Model display screen was simpler on the eyes than I anticipated. The solely sore spot is the textures, which have been poorly AI-upscaled and seem like murky pictures overly sharpened. This is much less of a problem undocked, however fairly noticeable when taking part in on a TV.
The place the place the Switch model massively deviates in high quality from its console brethren is that a couple of of a very powerful visible results are fully damaged now. I’ve no means of figuring out what occurred, however I’ve a obscure concept. The sport appears to make use of non permanent screenshots in its transitions, and in some way when porting this remaster to Switch every little thing referring to this has damaged. Battle transitions are the key one, which used to have a basic glass shatter impact in your present scene adopted by a clean transition to battles. When you’re taking part in an motion RPG, and each single battle transition is a tough lower to a black body, then a white body, then a fade-in, that’s removed from straightforward on the eyes. If you’ve got a historical past of epilepsy, keep away from this model till it’s fastened. This critically gave me minor complications, it bothered me lots.
What isn’t as egregious however definitely annoying is that this additionally impacts the sport’s consumer interface. When pausing the sport or viewing a skit, each of those are imagined to be on high of a nonetheless of the sport, however now simply seem abruptly over black backgrounds. No transition, only a laborious lower. It leads me to imagine that no matter they’re doing to take a brief screenshot is supposed for use throughout all three of those results and it being damaged simply results in ruining all the results. You will spend most of your play time doing these three issues, so this can be a huge flaw that’s laborious to miss.
In addition to those critical visible points, the load occasions are fairly sluggish and cutscenes now have a number of glitches when particular digital camera cuts happen. The framerate can be not at a steady 30 frames per second, and I’ve seen it dip when merely working round an unbusy city within the sport. It’s simply usually sloppy, and I can’t see why a sport with roots within the GameCube would run and look this poorly until there was simply no time for any optimization.
Apparently, Bandai Namco Entertainment is engaged on a repair, however, as of scripting this, we do not know when this can be popping out. I had thought-about ready for the patch and reviewing it after the very fact, however the best-case situation of this patch can be reporting on a easy, strong model of a basic sport that deserves higher. This might have been a strategy to proper the missteps of the earlier remaster, however that’s not what we bought. Tales of Symphonia just isn’t my favourite sport on this collection, however I’m fearful about what it could imply if that is the brand new commonplace for Tales of remasters going ahead. I hope that is fastened quickly as a result of the sport beneath that is fairly good.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
Review copy offered by Bandai Namco Entertainment
