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    Tales of Symphonia; Gamecube Review
    Topic Started: Jul 25 2005, 06:01 PM (217 Views)
    Dr. Mario
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    Goomba
    Tales Of Symphonia

    Format: Gamecube
    Published by: Namco
    Developed by: Namco
    Genre: Rple-Playing
    Number of Players: 1
    Release Date
    U.S: July 13, 2004
    E.U: November 19, 2004

    Gameplay:
    10/10

    I do not think that I can remember playing a game with this much fun in the basic gameplay elements. The world map is a little lacking on the graphic complexity that a game like Final Fantasy X had, but it’s not really a complaint. Like most RPGs the game is divided into 4 distinct gameplay elements. There’s the city play, world navigation, battle system, and party customization. The city play in ToS is great. The NPCs are well modeled, and they all say things of varying interest. As you’d expect there are inns where you can sleep and save, there are item shops where you can buy things from groceries to make various food items to weapons and armor. There is a ‘Customizer’ who will upgrade your weapons (for free) from raw materials that you’ll find along your journey. And finally there are significant portions of the plot that takes place in the cities. ToS’s cities are all well designed, and don’t suffer from ‘urban sprawl’ or gentrification…sure, the occasional city is ‘laid to waste’ but that serves to push plot anyway.

    The world navigation in this game is excellent. Like many traditional RPGs there is an overworld map that you get from one city/area of significance to another. There are 2 main modes of travel in this overworld. The first is the normal mode. Whichever character model you choose wanders over the world map, occasionally running into one of the wandering monsters on the map. This triggers one of the battle sequences (more on this later). In this normal walking mode you’ll be able to find treasure chests scattered throughout the map, and the wandering monsters will move freely (and sometimes even charge right into you). The other form of travel is the long range travel. In this mode the map perspective pulls out to a longer view, and the monsters will only move when you move. The draw back is that you won’t be able to find treasure chests in this view. So if you need to go somewhere quick, this mode is best, but if you want to level build or actually find items etc. use the normal walking mode.

    I rarely used the long range travel mode, in part, because the battle system is just too damn fun. The battle system is like a cross between Seiken Densetsu 3, and Dynasty Warriors 2-4 in that it is equal parts ‘beat ‘em up’ and equal parts strategy. Sure you get to mash the ‘A’ button over and over, throwing various combinations of your “Tech” attacks to chain massive combos together. But combined with this gameplay there is a significant amount of strategy involved in choosing who will attack whom, how they will attack, etc. The possibilities are nearly limitless. I loved battles in this game. They never felt tedious, and never got boring—which is really saying something for an RPG considering most of the battles in most RPG can get to be sooooooooooo repetitive that it makes you want to rip our your hair and gouge the eye out of your nearest pet. I could not think of a time when I wished that I hadn’t gotten into a battle in ToS.

    The last gameplay element is the party customization. As always there’s the equipment that you can assign to your characters. The one thing that I would have liked to see implemented is to see a change in the player model when different armor, hats, or accessories are given. The weapons do change but it would have been a nice perk to see more. All in all this is not a big complaint. Throughout the game you’ll earn titles by achieving certain requirements. For instance when Lloyd achieves a 30+ hit combo he’ll gain the title of “Comboist,” which you can ‘equip’ from the status screen. These titles will effect the stats that your character gets as they level up. It is a neat feature with can really be exploited to make ridiculously powerful characters. Also you’ll be able to give characters special “Ex-Skills” which will further adjust how your character’s stats will level, and/or provide special skills that can be used in game. There could always be more customization for my tastes, but there was definitely enough in ToS to keep the game interesting.

    Overall the gameplay works together beautifully. Nothing about the gameplay mechanics drew away from the overall enjoyment of the game. The controls are extremely responsive, and intuitive. This game simply excels as an RPG. It draws on the roots of the genera to produce one of the best games we’ve seen in years.

    Graphics:
    8/10

    I have grown to love cell-shading over the last few years. ToS is no exception. The player models are well rendered, and look amazing. The game’s graphics are fluid, colourful, and vibrantly full of life. The first of 2 criticisms that I have with the graphics is that it can get blurry around the corners of my HD TV; it is really a shame that this game was not developed to take advantage of progressive scan technology. I would like to have seen what this game would have looked at 720p and in widescreen, and considering how great this game looks normally, but I am guessing that it would have been breathtaking. The other complaint that I have is the relatively low quality of the ‘bloby’ monsters on the world map, and you only get 2 of them to boot. They’re both blackish-purplish, and look like a kid designed them. The first is a flat stingray looking thing, and the second is a tyrannosaurus without any arms—suffice it to say they look out of place in the lush game environment. These two complaints are really minor in the grand scheme that is Tales of Symphonia.

    The graphics in every other area of this game are second to none. There is very little pixilation that happens in the battle sequences, on anywhere for that matter, and when there is a close up the game doesn’t look grainy. There are no framerate issues either—even when there are several spell graphics, and a couple of tech combos going on at once. It is really refreshingly fun to play an RPG that doesn’t get bogged down when a creature is summoned etc. The background screens are very colourful, and crisp, they don’t simply fade away as filler. And more importantly they don’t detract from the overall game experience. From the moment that you pop disc 1 into the Gamecube you are thrust into a gaming world that is replete with colour, and with life. You simply get lost in the game.

    Sound:
    9/10

    The sound in this game is magnificent. From the ambient sounds, to the game music ToS pushes the gamer into a pleasant experience. The only sound that may get old is the sound that announces a battle. If you’re like me you have spent hours level building so that by the time disc 2 rolls around you’ve dropped 40+ hours into level building alone. I didn’t get sick of the sound, but I can see how someone might. Everything else is great. The opening orchestrated them is memorable, as is the music throughout the rest of this game. The music adds to the game by helping your blood to race at the right moments, and providing soothing music at the right places. The ambient sounds enhance the overall feel, and don’t feel like they were made on an 80’s synthesizer. Everything works together to make the gamer feel like they are really a part of this game.

    Replay value:
    8/10

    The back of the box says that you'll easily get 80 hours of play out of this game and for once they really weren't lying. I've got about 83 hours on mine and i'm still playing. The actual game if you rush it without doing many sidequests will probably take around 40 hours which is still very very good. But if you take the time to explore and do all that you can it could take up to 60-70 hours. Now that's only for one game. Remember how I said you could buy upgrades for a second file in the grade shop after you beat the game? Well this will probably make you want to play it again. so you could easily hit that 80 hour mark and more. Even if you didn't want to play through again you've still got a 40-70 hour game on your hands. But chances are, if you liked it the first time through you'll be playing it through again at least once more. I'm on my third play through... If you think you're good after your first play through you can try hard or mania mode which makes things much more interesting. All I can say is, if you buy this game make sure to keep at least a week free on your calendar.

    Funfactor:
    9/10

    This game provides you with HOURs of gameplay and fun. After a while though it will start to seem "repetative". The weapons and items and even the characters it should provide you with all the fun you need.

    Overall:
    10/10

    Tales of Symphonia is about a total experience. Everything works together to make this one of the greatest gaming experiences I’ve ever had. I loved the characters, and the graphics and sound drew me in. The story is brilliantly simple, yet deceptively intricate, and weaves you into the ToS experience. I have not seen a game that has provided such a delightful total package. This game is really like the perfect woman, once you find her you never want to let her go. Ever. Sure I called in sick from work several days to play ToS, sure I didn’t sleep for those days, and yeah I didn’t eat either…but it was worth it. Seldom have I played a game that has inspired such feats of masochism in me—but it’s about time. I know that I have been waiting for years to see an RPG that allowed me to play the game, and not have to watch it (ala Xenosaga and Final Fantasy X), I longed for a game like Chrono Trigger or Sword of Mana—and now I have it. This is the game that both the Gamecube and RPG communities have been waiting for, and I salute Namco’s Tales Studio for this masterpiece.

    Final Score: 9/10

    Rent/Buy: Rent then if you like it Buy.
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    Pulse
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    Wow....I have to get this game, all I have been hearing about it is how great it is. Good review.
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    slayer103
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    Bombette
    You really should get it if you dont have it yet. Tis a wonderful game.
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