Such A great Battle system along with a great Story Equals awesome for an RPG.
With its choppy, chugging overworld and interminable loading (one of the few RPGs where I actively avoided combat -- not because I dreaded the enemies, but rather, the loading screen!), Abyss felt like a modern jet trapped in the chassis of a WWII fighter plane -- an intended epic constrained by antiquated hardware. Vesperia takes that otherwise solid foundation and crafts perhaps the finest franchise entry to date. It hits the ground running from the start (literally ? you're hot on the heels of an artifact thief) thanks in large part to badass, charismatic ex-knight protagonist Yuri, a vigilante on a one-man crusade against a corrupt empire. Yuri's simply more relevant and relatable than Luke, Abyss' whiny teen noble lead; I think it's safe to say that no 1UP reader has ever been a constantly kvetching amnesiac aristocrat, but we've all had those moments where the deck feels stacked against us and we fantasize about taking the law into our own hands -- and Yuri's the embodiment of that vigilante spirit. Sure, Vesperia's filled with traditional tropes (plucky princess, sly trickster, buxom warrior chick), but most of them are inoffensive at worst and wholly charming at best. And, yes, many "surprises" are telegraphed right from the start -- but not all of them. Yuri's tale of vengeance includes some surprisingly mature themes and twists, and I actually felt some empathy for the final foe during the requisite last-battle speech -- not because I actively disliked the heroes, but because the antagonist had an actual point. Vesperia doesn't go quite as far with the grown-up themes as I'd like, and some intriguing plot points should've been fleshed out a bit more -- but for the normally candy-coated Tales to "go there" at all is commendable.
Whatever disagreements Vesperia's narrative might inspire -- and, to be sure, some will find it cheesy and meandering -- most should agree that its combat and exploration are some of the finest in the RPG genre. From the snappy, strategy-laden, fighting-game-style combat (more Soul Calibur than Suikoden) to the no-hassle, streamlined menus to the extensive character-customization options, it's just plain fun -- even after 60-plus hours, I wanted more...and was slightly disappointed that Vesperia didn't offer quite enough endgame goodies for my liking. That's what makes the recent news that Namco Bandai plans on offering downloadable level upgrades in Japan so absurd -- this is about as enjoyable and painless as RPG "grinding" gets. Vesperia's highs shine so brightly that any extended criticism -- of the technical elements, at least -- feels silly. In fact, my biggest complaint doesn't relate to the Japanese development side at all but instead lies with the English-language localization. North American Tales games have typically released about six months to a year after the Japanese version -- see the upcoming Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World on Wii as an example. Vesperia debuted here less than a month after the Japanese release, though...and it shows. The English script feels somewhat rushed, and it's clear that some lines of text were translated without any context at all, leading to quite a few awkward, stilted exchanges. Some segments are very well written and acted, though, which just makes the weaker moments stand out all the more. My guess is that the culprit's a tight, unrealistic schedule, not a lack of translation talent. Still, Namco Bandai's flagship RPG series -- especially a standout entry like Vesperia -- really deserves an English-language script that complements the game instead of debasing it.
For years, detractors have labeled the conventional Japanese RPG a dated genre that simply doesn't have a place among the likes of Gears of War and Halo. Tales of Vesperia exposes that assertion for what it truly is: a load of bunk. Traditional elements -- an anime-styled cast, a lush, expansive overworld, and a familiar fantasy setting -- will always be welcome, so long as they're done well. And Vesperia succeeds as well as any Japanese RPG this generation.