![]() ![]() There are a few new mechanics, though - the main draw is the ability to capture monsters - but it isn’t nearly as deep a system as the game thinks it is, mostly due to the fact that they feel utterly underpowered compared to the rest of your party. It also doesn’t help that exploration is limited due to a lack of a real world map, and the game on the whole is easier. Lloyd and his companions take a backseat in favor of an updated cast, lead by newcomers Emil Castagnier and Marta Lualdi, and they aren’t nearly as likable. It sets up an interesting premise in that Emil’s parents are allegedly killed by Lloyd (who in turn had to face his mother’s murder), but it doesn’t really go anywhere from there. To be blunt, the majority of New World is forgettable. The second piece of the Chronicles package, Dawn of the New World (released for the Wii in 2008) is a tad shorter, and sadly, not as essential. Symphonia is a meaty game overall, with 40 hours worth of content at minimum, and around 100 if you do everything (and you probably will, since the game draws you in so well). Most of your time is going to be spent in a typical RPG manner, watching the story unfold by way of cutscenes, or in dungeons fighting off monsters. As good as this sounds just don’t expect anything revolutionary from Symphonia. Skills work by way of “EX Gems,” which allow you to equip abilities similar to Final Fantasy VII‘s materia. ![]() It’s all relatively simple but fun, and after dealing a certain amount of damage you can spring “Unison Attacks,” which involve the entire party. Thankfully, you can set up parameters for said AI to act before combat, and they actually stick to the plan more often than not. The battle system is in real time, and in Tales fashion, operates similarly to an action-JRPG hybrid. From a party of four, one member is controlled by the player, and the other by the game’s AI component. Characters interact with each other by way of skits and numerous dialog sessions, and genuinely feel interconnected with one another, rather than an isolated collection of fighters. From there the story takes off with a series of twists and turns (and interesting player choices) I won’t spoil here, but suffice to say it’s worth the ride. Lloyd and his party must assist Colette Brunel, a savior of sorts, in regenerating the world and unsealing its five temples. The narrative is very reminiscent of the “Crystal” Final Fantasy games (or most recently, Bravely Default), and just as charming. Lloyd Irving is also one of my personal favorite genre protagonists, and he’s a general fan favorite for a reason: he is likable, fun to watch, and most of all - he has flaws, and feels human. Symphonia offers up essentially everything you could want from an RPG experience, from a colorful cast, to an overworld you actually want to explore, to an engaging battle system. It’s not going to look as good as the recently released Tales of Xillia or most of the recent JRPGs currently on the market, but fans of the genre should be able to cope just fine. This isn’t just an upscale, as most assets were overhauled and there are some all-new illustrations in tow. Here in the Chronicles package on the PS3, you’ll get remastered visuals, dual audio, and a few minor content extras (like new Mystic Artes, costumes, attacks, and a few extra skits, so nothing major). Symphonia is one of the most critically acclaimed games in the Tales franchise for a reason - it’s a damn good RPG. Thankfully they’ve wised up for Tales of Symphonia Chronicles, which delivers one of the best games in the entire series on PS3. Whereas Square releases port after port of Final Fantasy, making it easier to acquire older games, Namco doesn’t tend to re-release Tales games often in the West, leaving them a little harder to track down on older consoles. ![]() It’s a consistently quality franchise that has been delivering year after year, but one of the problems with it is that some of the titles are a bit harder to find. The Tales series often doesn’t get the same recognition as big-name JRPGs like Final Fantasy, and that’s a shame. ![]()
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