Sell me the Tales games

Sell me the Tales games
What are they
Why are they worth playing
What makes them different from anime-style japanese trash

I don't need to "sell" you jack shit, but to answer your question.

Tales games are action JRPGs that generally have fighting systems similar to (but with extremely simplified Smash level input, though some games do allow "proper" combo inputs) Fighting game, which translates to a heavy emphasis on combos.

The worth of playing depends on the game, the one in you posted is not, it says a ton when the distilled budget Anime makes a significantly more coherent experience. Biased Alisha-Fag is biased though. Generally the "Best" experience is considered to be Tales of Vesperia which was right before the DLC rot set in, meaning it had shitload of content.

Nothing aside from somewhat higher Budget, it ain't Nipnepia lack of effort, but ain't FF or DQ either, it just just a B-Grade JRPG series, aside from actual gameplay/Battle Systems they are the definition of Generic JRPG, complete with the bogstandard constantly recycled MUH RACISM plots.

Pic related is one of the worst Tales games.

JRPGs with party-based action combat. One of the first games to do so in fact. The earlier ones are iconic while the more recent ones are shaky in terms of quality.

They're fun and fairly challenging.
Phantasia, Eternia, Sympohonia, and Vesperia are all worth a play.
Graces F is decent while Graces is garbage.
Abyss and Legendia are rather hit or miss. Tempest and Zestiria are trash
I haven't played Berseria or Xilia.

Dungeon quality seems to get worse with more recent iterations. I suggest trying earlier entries like Phantasia, Symphonia and Eternia at the least because they are all around good. Vesperia has a good story but the dungeons aren't as good.

Good combat. Story ranges from great to run to the mill anime trash.

sounds interesting, I'll try Vesperia, thanks anons

Just make sure to set controls to Manual rather then keeping it on Semi-Auto, that goes for basically every Tales game.

Why the hell they don't just remove Semi-Auto beats me, i never met anyone who doesn't turn that shit off ASAP.

Here's an image which summarizes the series fairly well

I remember getting Tales of Symphonia on the PSN for 10 bucks and thinking it was high time I gave the Tales Series a try but then about 5 hours later completely abandoning it because I understood nothing.

I can't remember if I was dumb fuck or there was a serious lack of tutorials, but I didn't even figure out how to run from battle. I kinda want to get back to it but it's been a year and I would have to reset it to understand anything but I'm to lazy to lose 5 hours of progress.

Or maybe I should just pick up Tales of Hearts R for the PSVita. How beginner friendly is it?

Wasn't Hearts R 'localized' by 8-4?

Why the hate for Zestiria? I know people who fell for the hype were upset by the bait and switch main girl, but that only really applies to someone who's formed their expectations before playing it.

The only other complaint I've heard is the "skill" system, which I suppose is hard to grasp but extremely open to interesting combo builds once you know how to work it.

Yes and it added bugs, changed names needlessly and rewrote parts of the scripts in such a way that the writing doesn't make sense with the character reactions and scenarios. There might be a fan translation lying around since fans have been working on translating the game since the ds version

Rushed story told lazily through flashbacks and ends rather abruptly (set up for DLC). FFXIII tier dungeons. Most bosses are sponges and aren't really challenging at all. There are performance issues on the steam version and the camera issues are made even worse so stick with the console version.

I liked Tales of Destiny and I remember playing the demo in Ridge Racer Type 4 (lots of Namco games in there).

Xillia is the RPG equivalent of a Collectathon, all the roads and dungeons are chalk full of shit to collect. Also, the battle system is a dumbed down version of Graces, but with a tag team element added.


You really should get the Gamecube version anyhow, the PS3 version runs like shit, and really isn't worth the trouble. Though if you want a game to hold your hand, try Xillia, they give you a god damned encyclopedia on how the fucking game works, as well as tons of tutorial fights.


There isn't. Few people really seem to give a fuck (about the game in general, let alone the translation)beyond weeaboos, and right now they're too busying trying to shill the Japanese language.

To run from battle in Tales games there's basically two methods: Either an option in the sub menu (triangle button), or you just run towards a glowing blue line in order to escape (this method applies to Hearts R for example).

Hearts starts you right off with tutorial fights so you should be fine. It has some interesting unique mechanics such as the Chase system, which the game will introduce to you as the story develops.

They're animu RPG's that, typically, have really solid combat systems with surprisingly high skill ceilings. Also tons of content in endgame and a pretty fun new game+ mode.

Play Abyss, Graces f, Xillia 2, and Legendia.

Symphonia is meh. Xillia 1 is really hard to recommend due to bullshit bosses, easily the worst final boss in the series.

yes

Vesperia PC port when?

user Zestria was shit, the combat system was the worst one in the series.

Vesperia is the only one that's really good.

Lots of people like Symphonia though.

I've always loved Tales combo vids.

It gives you the item to equip to beat the final boss right before you fight him.

Otherwise, I mostly agree. I'd add Vesperia to the pile if a 360 is available.


Nah. Xillia 1 and 2 were nice.

More like
Besides, vesperia is most likely going to stay xbox exclusive.

but user it came out on the PS3 too

Nowhere that matters

...

I can understand the other two, but Eternia doesn't really match up to Destiny PS2 at all.

Of the ones I've played (mostly with 3-4 other people in co-op):

Best of Tales Tier:
Vesperia
Abyss
Hearts-R (Translation is fucked, but the gameplay is probably the best)
Tales of Eternia (Destiny II)

Mid-tales Tier:
Zestria
Xillia 1 & 2

Garbage Tier:
Symphonia

'What the shit are you doing?' Tier:
Symphonia's Sequel

I wouldn't say any of them particularly shine in video game history, but there's only so many co-op RPGs you can find. The battle systems are usually Tolerable to really fun tier even if most of the plots are drowning in generic anime bullshit.

Agh, I forgot graces f. Actually surprisingly decent, though only because of the battle system being above average tales, put it above Zestria.

Why are you even here, normalfag?

Xilia 2 is shit. I have to pay Gald to advance the story? What the fuck? Graces has neat combat. I will not be playing anymore of this weeb series.

...

Don't let the hipsters on Holla Forums convince you Symphonia is bad, it's in the upper half of Tales games, but it's not the best. They just hate it because it's the most popular despite not being the best.

If you do play Symphonia by the way, make sure you emulate it via Dolphin. The PC port is god awful, emulation in Dolphin is far superior.

The main gripe people seem to have with Symphonia's is that the combat is simple, but I think the game backs it up with relatively large amounts of content and good enemy variety so it's still fun to play.

Both right. I've played a decent amount of Tales Games, definitely top half.

Symphonia is great but has aged poorly. Easily one of my favorite games, but trying to play back through it with the PS3 rerelease made me realize just how dated it is. Especially after playing stuff like Graces F or even Xillia…

I think y'all have a serious case of nostalgia glasses, but fine, like symphonia. I was gonna give a full gripe-list and everything, but you guys do you.

I really don't see much reason to play it with much better tales games available though, and I definitely wouldn't recommend that anyone starts with it.

I also wouldn't recommend co-oping it. Every single dungeon tends to have an annoying gimmick that tends to involve P1 only. Of course, most tales games do this with dungeon gimmicks, but a few of Symphonia's were particularly mind grating. The darkness spirit's dungeon and the high elves forest spring to mind immediately.

The hot coffee scene was the highlight of the game, after that it crashed, burned through the planet's core, and came out the other side in a mess.

Berseria is going to be good though, right? Guys?

I don't remember Zestiria having a muh racism plot. In fact I don't remember it having much of a plot at all. Did it even have one?

King Arthur some hick from the mountains and his imaginary friend pulls out a sword and tries to solve the kingdom's problems.

Are any of the Tales games on PC worth playing? I can't stand shit ports. I did try Symphonia on the weekend but it should have been aborted in the third trimester. I remember the GCN version running better than that.

I think?
The plot was a mess so I forget
It was really dumb, Sorey who's really pure of heart and is in tune with spirits can see said spirits. He's a shepherd who has super strength… which isn't reflected in gameplay at all because you hit about as hard as a feather duster in combat, Thats his entire character.
So anyways he teams up with speargirl who then gets written out of the plot, go to get all the mcguffins to stop the Beast King whoeverthehell who's possessed the old Shepherd, who's bonded with alexander. And then…the wind dude gets shot with a gun and gets a shirtless replacement.
You then have to use the gun to kill the beast king in a very stupid final boss fight which involves sitting in his massive deadzone and spamming attacks because it's just a damage check.
He then does some sacrifice that doesn't matter, and the beast king can't possess him because he's too pure of heart.

It's really awful, even compared to other tales stories.

Meant more as whole, they REALLY like that Racism plotline, but it isn't in every game. and Zestirias plot was "BULLY ALISHA!" and "Fujoshit bait 'friendship'"


No, they are ported incredibly badly, if you gonna play one on PC you are probably better off emulating.

For fucks sake, Zestiria won't even BOOT if you have fucking HEADPHONES PLUGGED IN in some cases, or if you have a surround sound system rather then a Stereo set-up.

I had to fuck around for roughly 2 hours to get it to boot even knowing THAT because it apparently didn't install all the files it needed either,and that is BEFORE the 30FPS lock, (Thankfully moddable out.)

Daily reminder that Graces F is the best Tales, and will always remain so. The combat system alone puts it miles and miles beyond the others, to say nothing of the funny skits, after battle quotes, and unique character gameplay. Also Sophie a cute.


You don't play Tales for the story, you dumb sack of shit.

I've been meaning to go back and finish it, part of the reason I stopped was because I couldn't figure out why Sorey is obliged to do the shit he's doing.

To be fair one of the things I did like was Ednas actresses performance she also did Konjiki no Yami in to love ru and the fire chicks VA was pretty good as well. Didn't the fire chicks VA die shortly after the games release? I remember someone saying she also did the voice of pic related

Oh boy, one of the LA hipsters killed themselves? Or is that some jap shit.

No, the Japanese actress, dipshit.
She died of complications when she had pneumonia or some shit. I wouldn't give a chocolate fuck if some east coast hipster decided to an hero. In fact I'd encourage them to do it, sooner rather than later.

Oh. Well that's infinitely more boring. I was hoping there was some drama involved.

When you have to sit through the godawful story in order to get to more of the gameplay, its real hard to say that game is "best Tales"

Nigger, there's a skip button for a reason.

Yeah, no drama involved. Just illness and extremely bad luck.
Though it makes me wonder in a country like Japan, how someone can die of pneumonia. I mean I had it at the beginning of the year and while it can come on pretty quickly, it's not exactly hard to treat. In saying that though, if it's not got rid of properly after one round of meds it can come back worse than before.

In general?
Because HE'S PURE OF HEART.
if it involves the beast king it's because HE NEEDS THE MCGUFFINS TO STOP THE EVIL GHOSTS who… are lead by the beast king… names are hard

Overblown and overrated. You fags act like this is your first Japanese tale of FRIENDSHIP.

Do you even anime, you swine?

low energy as fuck.

Fuck, I meant west coast. My typing game is off as fuck today.
Though my statement still stands, all hipsters need to die.

only sad part was after she wanted to get over the illness she wanted to have a family

Homeboy I watch mostly slice of life moeblob bullshit, and Graces was still too faggy. And considering most other Tales of games I've played have other things going on, outside just FRIENDSHIP, that doesn't excuse that shit show

It definitely doesn't excuse the plot, which seemed fine at first but quickly went to shit as soon as you killed Richard's cousin. The gameplay and skits kept me playing though. Put 140 hours into the game.

huh? dont i need to play Xillia 1 to enjoy 2?

I just started Zestria and haven't played any of the other Tales games but I enjoy it so far, isn't great but still pretty good. But like said the MC doesn't seem to progress much and the other characters are all pretty stereotypical imo. Edna best gril

Yeah, and you know what's funny? That's not the first time that happened either.

Voice actors (fuck Japanese people in general) tend to work themselves to death.

Whenever I hear of someone dying in Japan, it's either cancer (that they didn't bother to treat) or something common (like the flu, or a basic infection) that they just decided to power through.

I cri every tim. :'(

It's like God himself wants Japan to die.

You'd think someone might tell them that you can't just "power through" cancer.

looks like someone didn't grind :^)


I played through the entire game in multiple sessions and I have racked up around 50 or more hours playing it.
I have never encountered this problem.

Malevolence/Corruption hurts Seraphim way more than humans. Add in the fact that Sorey's only family is literally ghost people.
He also can't explore deep dank dungeons being a beastie or Mikleo being a beastie.


The ending isn't very satisfying and it doesn't make sense. You could tell with the plot that they thought about doing something deep and then they just said FUCK IT midway.
None of the characters get significant character development either, and the character you'll probably get attached to the most is Edna, who appears maybe a fourth or an eighth of the way through the game.
The quests/missions/objectives have few interesting parts, and there are plenty that just serve to pad out the game. earthen historia
Also, without much warning Alisha gets switched out with murdergirl, which is a pain in the ass. It's also important to point out that this means any development you spent on Alisha (or the first wind seraph you meet) like spending those DLC level up tokens will be pointless.