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Finally, another Gamecube RPG. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Gamecube. I think that my platinum-colored console is very cute and those mini DVDs are just excellent. Unfortunately, I also like RPGs a good bit and well, RPGs and the Gamecube go together as well as peanut butter and jelly (wait… bad example) Corny introduction aside, Tales of Symphonia is a recent Gamecube RPG and should satisfy fans of the genre.
While the “Tales of” series has been around for nearly a decade, this is the first time I have ever heard of it. Apparently, they aren’t too focused on story since this version’s storyline has been told countless times. You control an otherwise ordinary group of people who are tasked with saving the world. You see, Sylvarant is in danger because the mana tree that controls it is about to die. Only a very specific goddess can save it and of course, it is your task to find her. Of course, saving the world is never easy and your goal of saving Sylvarant involves saving another land, as well. While Tales of Symphonia’s lengthy story is rather predictable, the attempts to flesh out the characters work very well. There are numerous major plot points in which you’ll learn a bit more about your character, but there are also many smaller segments, which give you not necessarily vital but helpful tidbits.
Spanning two Gamecube discs, Tales of Symphonia takes a while to finish. I have spent the last week dedicated to Tales, making it my primary source of entertainment. On my first play through, stopping to complete some but not all side quests, I played for nearly sixty hours. I suppose that if you collect everything, you can reach the eighty hours boasted about in the back of the case.
When you get around to playing the game you realize that TOS is a battle-heavy RPG. While there are some rudimentary puzzles to complete, a vast amount of your time will be in the battle screen. Thankfully, TOS excels in this area. Instead of the slow pace of typical RPGs, TOS features a frenzied real time battle system that will quickly have you pulling of combos like a true master. Fights involve a party of four, and have you in control of one character while the AI controls the others. If they aren’t doing what you want them to, you can manually issue commands. You can also edit their battling styles by editing their willingness to battle, aggressiveness and overall fighting style.
The game also supports a limited multiplayer mode by allowing three other players participate in the fights. They don’t have control of the characters outside of battles, but this feature is a handy addition nonetheless.
Battling enables your characters to gain experience needed to acquire new moves. The game also rewards you by enabling you to learn new moves if its notices that you use some moves too frequently. When not in battle or a dungeon, you’re in a town. These towns serve as your save points and you’ll also pick up the various items and supplies here. In towns, you’ll also find the optional side quests to complete.
In the visuals department, Tales of Symphonia does very well. Technically, the game flows at a very steady frame-rate, quite possibly the coveted 60 frames per second. But it’s the artistic portions of the game that really caught my eye. Tales is fully 3D but it is done in a cel-shaded format that keeps the detail of hand-drawn 2D games. This detail can be found in the numerous areas, but also in the slick characters and their animation.
Unfortunately, this attention to detail doesn’t carry over in the audio side. While not bad by any means, the audio doesn’t do anything to pull you in. The soundtrack is fitting but nothing out of the ordinary, and the story-driven voice acting just doesn’t sound right. It never becomes much a problem, just a bit disappointing that Namco didn’t do a better job localizing the game.
When it is all said and done, though, Tales of Symphonia will provide Gamecube gamers fifty to eighty hours of solid, battle-happy role playing goodness. Gamecube owners have been waiting for a good RPG for a while and Tales of Symphonia deserves a spot alongside Skies of Arcadia: Legends and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. -- Adam Nunez, PGNx Media
---- Jul 22, 2004
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