A well executed RPG with some oldschool gameplay mechanics. Best oldschool RPG for the cube bar none.

User Rating: 9 | Tales of Symphonia GC
By xts3 | Review Date:
Tales of symphona doesn't pretend to be a a video game like other RPG games out there chalk full of FMV (FFX I'm looking at you). It's a game you actually PLAY for most of the game rather then WATCH passively like in FFX for the PS2. If there was ever an RPG for the gamecube that deserved praise this game would be it. This is one of the games that should rank up there right with Final Fantasy X for the PS2. I'm surprised this game got a score of 8.8 because this game is actually FUN TO PLAY while you are battling enemies and even though it can get repetitive at times its a lot more fun then leveling up on monsters in FF X for the PS2 where the battles seem to get in the way. This game is for people who LIKE to control their character and like a certain level of action gaming in their RPG. It may be simple button mashing, but the game feels like someone took the combo system out of older fighting games like Killer Instinct and over-layed it on top of tales RPG combat system. The combat system plays out like a button mashing game but it's surprisingly fun! Also if you have extra controllers up to 4 people can join you in your random battles. I've had a few battles where we try to go for really high hit combos with a buddy and it's great fun. The realtime battle system is one of the best designed in an RPG in a long long time. It adds a little action gaming that is much needed in the RPG genre with some of the rather stale, flat and repetitive battle systems that other RPG companies keep relying on for years without changing hardly anything (Square-Enix for instance). The game itself may seem geared toward a younger audience by its cartoon graphics and "immature" themes, but dont let that stop you from experiencing tales of symphonia. The games story themes and presentation is a mixed bag when you try to think about just WHO was in mind while making tales of Symphonia, the story plays out like a Japanese anime but it has some serious lines of dialogue but also at the same time there are some really ridiculously childish and cheezy lines as well. It obviously caters to a Japanese audience. It swings wildly back and forth on a pendulum between serious and hokey but that's only a minor quirk in the games story and presentation. The game itself is GREAT, it takes everything that was good about yesterdays RPG's and executes them better then 90% of the other RPG games out there. There are a good number of sidequests to keep you occupied and the game is probably one of the longest RPG's and its length is not because of "filler" (i.e. forcing you to do certain things like fighting to take up time to extend game length). You'll play through the first 30 or so hours and wonder where all that time went because the lack of boring and unentertaining parts are so absent from a good portion of this game. The game has some cool replayable featuers after you beat the game. There is a "Grade" store you can use to purchase bonuses and game rule changes for the next time you play through the game. It's a breath of fresh air in a genre thats all become about the flash-no-substance one-time play through experience. When games used to have longevity and playability that outlasted just playing the game one time through. Tales has some serous value for RPG buffs and completionists in store for them here with the grade shop in features and rules you can buy, one of which you can double the experience you recieve from monsters or half them to name just ONE out of the 20 or 30 extra things you can change in the game on your next play through. Tales easily surpasses most RPG's on all other systems if you are looking for more traditional RPG's from the SNES and paystation era's of Japanese RPG gaming.

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