Tales of Series

[Yuudi]

A thread about the Tales of Series. Just wanted to open a forum for Tales fans.

The Tales of Series is kind of a low rated series in the west. But it's still one the best JRPG series I still like.

I'm still hoping for Tales of Graces to come to the states.

[Sick_Fool]

I really love this series. So far, I've only played Phantasia and Eternia. I haven't touched any of the Tales of installments in the PS2, but I definitely will if I have the console. Tales of Destiny 2/Eternia is my top favorite. The best thing about this series is undoubtedly the gameplay. It's just fuckin' great and satisfying.

[Yuudi]

I will have to agree with on the game play. It's so much fun to run around and hit the enemies. I was surprised and happy when I found out that I didn't have to wait for a bar to fill up for me to attack.

Good luck on finding the PS2 games. It took me awhile to find Tales of Legendia, but totally worth it.

Also really like the characters in the series as well.

[Silent K]

I've only played Symphonia, Symphonia 2, Phantasia and Graces, but I really love to play without having to select attacks and wait for my turn. I'm bad at waiting.

Finally completed Graces last week. I had to go through the process of getting a reshipment 4 months after ordering since the copy I pre-ordered got lost in the post, but it was totally worth it because it was a really beautiful and great game. Had loads of fun.

[Yuudi]

That's great. I'm kind of jealous of you having Graces. But oh well. Does it play as Symphonia 2 with the wii remote and nunchuk?

I only played Symphonia, Symphonia 2, Vesperia, the Abyss, Phantasia, and Legendia.
Now I only need to get Tales of Eternia. As the remake Tales of Destiny is much better then the regular game.

Another good thing about Tales is being able to switch costumes for the characters.

[Buuhan1]

Only played Symphonia, I got about 5 hours into it and stopped a good 2 years ago. It's funny that I bought a Gamecube and that's all I really played on it, now I got a Wii. I plan to restart it someday.

I heard Vesperia WAS gonna come to the PS3 in the states, but ultimately didn't. That's quite lame, the PS3 is lacking JRPGs.

[Silent K]

It is played in pretty much the same way with nunchuk and wiimote, though they switched around and added some functions, like skits being activated with 2, + and then - for cutscene skipping, that kind of minor stuff, is a bit jarring when you're used to Symphonia 2's control scheme.
Cutscene skipping is really handy though because there's quite a lot of cutscenes in the game

[Darkstorm]

It's good, though there are very few standout games in the series.

The only game that gets everything right is Phantasia.

Battle system is always fun though.

[Hiroy]

Just Phantasia. There's something about that game I have not experienced in another Tales game yet. I didn't really like the other ones I played.. That involves Symphonia, Abyss and Vesperia.

[Yuudi]

Only played Symphonia, I got about 5 hours into it and stopped a good 2 years ago. It's funny that I bought a Gamecube and that's all I really played on it, now I got a Wii. I plan to restart it someday.

I heard Vesperia WAS gonna come to the PS3 in the states, but ultimately didn't. That's quite lame, the PS3 is lacking JRPGs.

Well, from what I've read there is still a little bit of hope. But wouldn't count on it as Namco Bandai has not realesed any other Tales game
Funny, I stop play Phantasia. It's the only Tales game I own that I have not finished. I hope you restart Symphonia and enjoy playing it.

It is played in pretty much the same way with nunchuk and wiimote, though they switched around and added some functions, like skits being activated with 2, + and then - for cutscene skipping, that kind of minor stuff, is a bit jarring when you're used to Symphonia 2's control scheme.
Cutscene skipping is really handy though because there's quite a lot of cutscenes in the game

That's good. The controls sound like a in improvement. The cutsenes skipping sounds like great for a second play though.

It's good, though there are very few standout games in the series.

The only game that gets everything right is Phantasia.

Battle system is always fun though.

I actually stop playing Phantasia as I got stuck in a part. It aggravated me when I could not move foward.

Just Phantasia. There's something about that game I have not experienced in another Tales game yet. I didn't really like the other ones I played.. That involves Symphonia, Abyss and Vesperia.

I think you might like Tales of Legendia. It has the same feel as Phantasia. Thought I only played Phantasia on the GBA.

[Airflow]

Phantasia and Eternia are pretty exceptional but the rest get bogged down for various reasons.

[Yuudi]

Never played Eternia. It looks like a good Tales game.

[Lazzie]

Eternia is good. Especially on the PSP.

I love the Tales series, especially Phantasia and Abyss, but I haven't played a new one SINCE Abyss. I've been following throughhim's translation patches, though, so I might actually be able to play Innocence or Destiny 2 in my future.

[Yuudi]

That's good. Do you play the Tales games with a English patch or no and just play head on with Japanese text?

I think the only Tales game I would not play would be Tales of Tempest. It really sounds bad when a game was going to be part of the mother ships but turn out so bad the company made it a escort title.

[Silence]

I've played a lot of Tales games. Phantasia, Destiny, Eternia, Narikiri Dungeon 2 & 3, Destiny 2, Rebirth, Symphonia, Legendia and Abyss, whether by having to import them or emulate them. I loved Phantasia (and to a lesser extent Destiny) but good lord did those random battles suck. Eternia was my second foray into the series and me and my sister played it together. It was probably our favorite. We played Symphonia and Abyss together too - that's generally what determines which we love best. Epic battle moments, intentionally letting characters we hated die (Keele, Colette, Anise), marveling at the occasionally awesome AI, rolling our eyes at the ridiculous plot twists.

That's what makes the Tales series for me. That, and genuine party interaction. ...The mediocre storylines and recent stream of consistently lame main villains, not so much.

[Yuudi]

I have to agree with on everything you said Silence. As me and my sister played the games together. Though she hated when Marta left the party in Symphonia Dawn of the New world she would have reselect her arts.

The party interaction are the best part of the Tales series.

Though I still love one villain. Good old Zagi.

[Silence]

So many epic moments.

I had played a few hours into Phantasia on ZSNES, some years before - but when I saw Eternia, I thought it was something my sister and I both could get into, so I bought it. And we played the crap out of it. So there we were, on my second playthrough: we were playing Eternia on the HARDCORE difficulty and fighting against Sekundes (Dhaos). I had recently picked up a multi-tap, so myself, a friend, and my sister squared off against him. I was controlling Reid, my sister Farah, and our friend was Keele, because in our experience, Keele's AI was freaking atrocious, repeatedly cancelling spells we ordered him to do to go run up and melee when people needed reviving, and getting himself oneshot - no matter what we set his tactics to do.

We left Meredy on AI. She was me and my sister's favorite character, and often my sis would play her when she wasn't playing Farah (even ended up cosplaying her once or twice). While in the game Keele was a whiny, arrogant bigot who was almost utterly unlikeable, Meredy was sweet without being annoying, endearingly spacey and yet probably smarter than the entire main cast. In battle, Meredy seemed to take care of herself well, smartly exploiting weaknesses and being an overall awesome contributer to the team. We loved Meredy. Keele, was a tool.

We had all the upgrades, the best equipment we could get and were VIKINGS at the combo strings. This was at around the time that Eternia had just come out (2001), so we didn't have the benefit of Youtube or dedicated Tales communities. We didn't spam Max's Aqua Laser, nor would we have, had we known about how OP it was. All we had were some vague Gamefaqs suggestions and a lot of grit.

But man that fight was tough. SekunDHAOS spammed the Maxwell extensions, his cheap combos, Million Assault, Sekundes Corridor - the works. He broke us. We fought a hard fight, trying our best to bait him and leap out of the way of his attacks. Revives were desperate, often with the whole party but one wiped out, a rez going out only for the rezzer to die just as the rezee rose. My sister had to use Farah's resurrection skill more than a few times. Ugly. It was ugly.

And then we ran out of life bottles. All hope seemed lost. It was Reid and the Meredy AI, against the onslaught of the Greater Craymel of Time, with little more than a fourth of his HP left. It seemed like we'd made the wrong decisions, and would have to try again, after a half-hour of tense battle. Honestly, none of us were up for it. I ran up to deliver my final attacks, and promptly - Reid, too, was struck down. The party, save one, lay broken.

Meredy stood alone, a full screen away from Sekundes as he hovered closer, the grim reaper to whom all ultimately bow. And then, undaunted, she started chanting a lightning spell:

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We stared at the victory screen in disbelief. Our friend, who had only played a little of the game before then uttered, into the almost holy silence, "Hweel - Meredy wins."

and that became my favorite game victory of all time.

[Lazzie]

I only play them in English text. I can't read two words of Japanese. I've actually beaten three of the four versions of Phantasia, all with different translations.

[Silence]

Well, I'm calling Tales of Destiny 2(US), Tales of Eternia for the sake of not confusing anyone. Tbh, I bought Destiny 2(JP) and Rebirth at a time when I thought I would be learning Japanese so I could play my imports. I saw videos of the hi-ougi exhibitions of those two, and thought the battle system and translation guides could carry me through the games. ...They couldn't really! It wasn't the same, though I really enjoyed what I played of them anyway.

And so they sit unfinished on my shelf.

[Yuudi]

Amazing story Silence. Sounds like epic battle took place. Also from what I heard Rebirth was another well made game. The main character is so different then the usual. Who could ever forgot Veigue's((Main Character of Rebirth)) catch phrases.

"PEACH PIEEEEEEEE!"