I've really disliked anime in the past, but I was desperate for an rpg so reluctantly, I got this. Wow, what a game.
Well let me start by saying that with all of the above mentioned 'faults', the magic of Tales of Symphonia is that it really makes you want the game no other way. The colourful graphics and characters give the game an undeniably endearing charm, one that I've never grown tired of to this day since I bought it in 2004. The story and characters are just plain great- whether you've seen it all before or never before, you'll never forget them.
Despite all of this, and with such an alluring concept and cozy world, how does the gameplay hold up? Well the truth is, the gameplay is absolutely stellar. The combat system is probably the most satisfying and addicting that I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing in an RPG. It's depth really rivals fighter games, and the sheer amount of items to be found and upgraded that in turn make your damage numbers grow fatter all equal more time that you'll end up devoting to this game.
Development of characters strikes a perfect balance between customization and leaving the characters still true to their character in the story, which makes everything seem to fit while still giving you the satisfaction of upgrading things yourself. Overall, with all the branching choices to be found along the way, the addicting, RPG gameplay that we all play games for, the absolutely endearing concept, character set, and world, and the lengthy, time consuming adventure, Tales of Symphonia is one of if not the greatest RPG I have ever played.