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"THFC"
Regular
on 12/08/2009 at 10:01:19AM
Total Posts: 2910 |
Tales of Vesperia
One of the more anticipated JRPG’s for some time, the game sold out almost everywhere in the first week and this shows how much the series is enjoyed and the expectations of the game. I can’t even begin to tell everyone how much I have enjoyed this game and that is why I have held my review until now. I am over 30 hours through the game and it is the first RPG in some time where I would be happy to spend another 30 hours on it. But that is not to say it is for everyone!
Plot
The game is set in a fantasy world, where aer is a key force in life, the power of aer is harnessed into Blastia which protect all the cities by creating barriers to keep monsters out. Blastia can be used for a number of things and some use them while fighting to use magical artes, other blastia are used for evil and some are even able to create the weather.
The game initially starts around a former Imperial Knight named Yuri, who lives in the lower quarter of the capital city in the empire. Yuri is a rogue 21 year old who causes all sorts of problems to the knights for the benefit of the lower quarter, and often finds himself in prison for a few days at a time. He initially joined the Knights to try change the Empire from the inside, try sort out the corrupt people who were making other people’s lives a misery. He left failing to do it from the inside but his best friend Flynn remains in the Knights to try help the cause.
The game starts with the lower quarter having one of their Blastia stolen and causes the area to flood, if the Blastia core is not returned soon, the lower quarter would be done for. Yuri sets off to where a Mage is believed to live near the Castle, someone who is stealing Blastia cores and planning something bad with them. A series of events sees him wind up in jail, unable to get the core back. Helped by a stranger, Yuri leaves his cell and continues his quest to get the core back. While trying to escape the castle, he meets an 18 year old lady named Estelle; she is looking for Flynn and seeks Yuri’s help to get her to his room. She has an urgent message about assassins trying to kill him, when they get to Flynn’s room he is not there and Yuri is mistaken as Flynn, the assassins attack trying to eliminate him. Once you win your first boss battle and continue out of the castle, you come close to the Mage who stole the Blastia core but he gets away. So with your faithful companion Repede (a dog who has a pipe and uses ninja blades to attack!) and Estelle, the well spoken noble who can use healing magic, you head off into the world on a joint quest to retrieve the stolen Blastia core and catch Flynn so Estelle can relay her message.
Now I know all that seems pretty in depth, but it is only the first chapter of the game that takes about 15 hours, there are 3 chapters and the game just develops more and more into a fascinating story that takes you through so many new places and on countless side quests to aid your friends and help people in need. The above plot description does not go near the amount of detail in the game, but I have tried to let you know the sort of thing you can expect without spoiling anything. For me, the story in this game is at times rather cliché but then offers something new a few hours later. Most of us playing RPG’s will have seen the basis of most plots out there but this one is told very well and always has something new for you to explore or do and for me that is important because the game never goes stale!
Characters
For me this is a key part in any RPG, if you hate the characters you don’t really care too much about what is going on around you. I personally think 90% of the characters are witty, interesting and offer the player plenty of depth. Of course it is everyone’s opinions on if they like a character or not, but I noticed each character has mystery about them that is made clear as the story unfolds, which links back to keeping you interested in the game. If there was nothing left to know you would get bored very quickly and move to another game. This is a problem I have found with many RPG’s in the past few years. So it was refreshing to be captivated by the characters and the story around them.
A very nice aspect to the game is the humour, when you win battle your team will say a few words, and some of these will make you laugh, be it the stupidity of one character, or a perverted statement. This was just a great little addition that helps the games strengths. If you play this game you will notice it early on how Estelle’s naive nature causes her to say stupid things but the more hardened Yuri will be sarcastic back. It happens in the dialogue as well, not just after battles. So a nice little addition in my opinion.
Battle System
For me the best battle system I had ever played in an RPG is the Active Time Battle, like the early Final Fantasy Games, I am sure most of you are aware of that system. Tales of Vesperia has taken on a more modern battle system. You see enemies on the map and touch them to activate battle, you then control one player (you can have 3 friends over to be the other characters, or the CPU takes control). The battles are more Real Time, you can move freely around the enemies and attack or use special moves known as Artes which reduce your TP. By successfully hitting with the melee button you regain TP or use items. Each character fights very differently and most people have their favourite to be. You can guard oncoming attacks and counter. So you have much more freedom than other RPGs and I actually really like it. I will always like the ATB system but this battle system allows you to fight in new ways and lets you build a strategy. You could be a lower level and take on stronger enemies due to being clever in how you fight. So I do like this system as a change, for me it is on par with the “classic” RPG battle system.
Overall
I think it is pretty obvious for most of you that I really like this game, I don’t think I have been this engrossed in a game since early Final Fantasy games. That is a massive statement and I love all aspects to the game. I enjoy battling so much I am way over levelled; the graphics and design are more cel shaded and suit perfectly with anime cut scenes that make your jaw drop.
I am trying hard to think of a negative about the game and all I can come up with is that there no is massive mini game (like blitzball etc) but there is synthesising and plenty other little things to do that could take you hours. While I can’t really put a downer on this game all I can say is if you’re a fan of JRPG you need this game, it ticks all the boxes and will have you spending over 40 hours in front of your Xbox, just hoping the game does not end!
10/10
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Emmie87
"THFC"
Regular
on 12/08/2009 at 10:01:19AM
Total Posts: 2910
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Tales of Vesperia
One of the more anticipated JRPG’s for some time, the game sold out almost everywhere in the first week and this shows how much the series is enjoyed and the expectations of the game. I can’t even begin to tell everyone how much I have enjoyed this game and that is why I have held my review until now. I am over 30 hours through the game and it is the first RPG in some time where I would be happy to spend another 30 hours on it. But that is not to say it is for everyone!
Plot
The game is set in a fantasy world, where aer is a key force in life, the power of aer is harnessed into Blastia which protect all the cities by creating barriers to keep monsters out. Blastia can be used for a number of things and some use them while fighting to use magical artes, other blastia are used for evil and some are even able to create the weather.
The game initially starts around a former Imperial Knight named Yuri, who lives in the lower quarter of the capital city in the empire. Yuri is a rogue 21 year old who causes all sorts of problems to the knights for the benefit of the lower quarter, and often finds himself in prison for a few days at a time. He initially joined the Knights to try change the Empire from the inside, try sort out the corrupt people who were making other people’s lives a misery. He left failing to do it from the inside but his best friend Flynn remains in the Knights to try help the cause.
The game starts with the lower quarter having one of their Blastia stolen and causes the area to flood, if the Blastia core is not returned soon, the lower quarter would be done for. Yuri sets off to where a Mage is believed to live near the Castle, someone who is stealing Blastia cores and planning something bad with them. A series of events sees him wind up in jail, unable to get the core back. Helped by a stranger, Yuri leaves his cell and continues his quest to get the core back. While trying to escape the castle, he meets an 18 year old lady named Estelle; she is looking for Flynn and seeks Yuri’s help to get her to his room. She has an urgent message about assassins trying to kill him, when they get to Flynn’s room he is not there and Yuri is mistaken as Flynn, the assassins attack trying to eliminate him. Once you win your first boss battle and continue out of the castle, you come close to the Mage who stole the Blastia core but he gets away. So with your faithful companion Repede (a dog who has a pipe and uses ninja blades to attack!) and Estelle, the well spoken noble who can use healing magic, you head off into the world on a joint quest to retrieve the stolen Blastia core and catch Flynn so Estelle can relay her message.
Now I know all that seems pretty in depth, but it is only the first chapter of the game that takes about 15 hours, there are 3 chapters and the game just develops more and more into a fascinating story that takes you through so many new places and on countless side quests to aid your friends and help people in need. The above plot description does not go near the amount of detail in the game, but I have tried to let you know the sort of thing you can expect without spoiling anything. For me, the story in this game is at times rather cliché but then offers something new a few hours later. Most of us playing RPG’s will have seen the basis of most plots out there but this one is told very well and always has something new for you to explore or do and for me that is important because the game never goes stale!
Characters
For me this is a key part in any RPG, if you hate the characters you don’t really care too much about what is going on around you. I personally think 90% of the characters are witty, interesting and offer the player plenty of depth. Of course it is everyone’s opinions on if they like a character or not, but I noticed each character has mystery about them that is made clear as the story unfolds, which links back to keeping you interested in the game. If there was nothing left to know you would get bored very quickly and move to another game. This is a problem I have found with many RPG’s in the past few years. So it was refreshing to be captivated by the characters and the story around them.
A very nice aspect to the game is the humour, when you win battle your team will say a few words, and some of these will make you laugh, be it the stupidity of one character, or a perverted statement. This was just a great little addition that helps the games strengths. If you play this game you will notice it early on how Estelle’s naive nature causes her to say stupid things but the more hardened Yuri will be sarcastic back. It happens in the dialogue as well, not just after battles. So a nice little addition in my opinion.
Battle System
For me the best battle system I had ever played in an RPG is the Active Time Battle, like the early Final Fantasy Games, I am sure most of you are aware of that system. Tales of Vesperia has taken on a more modern battle system. You see enemies on the map and touch them to activate battle, you then control one player (you can have 3 friends over to be the other characters, or the CPU takes control). The battles are more Real Time, you can move freely around the enemies and attack or use special moves known as Artes which reduce your TP. By successfully hitting with the melee button you regain TP or use items. Each character fights very differently and most people have their favourite to be. You can guard oncoming attacks and counter. So you have much more freedom than other RPGs and I actually really like it. I will always like the ATB system but this battle system allows you to fight in new ways and lets you build a strategy. You could be a lower level and take on stronger enemies due to being clever in how you fight. So I do like this system as a change, for me it is on par with the “classic” RPG battle system.
Overall
I think it is pretty obvious for most of you that I really like this game, I don’t think I have been this engrossed in a game since early Final Fantasy games. That is a massive statement and I love all aspects to the game. I enjoy battling so much I am way over levelled; the graphics and design are more cel shaded and suit perfectly with anime cut scenes that make your jaw drop.
I am trying hard to think of a negative about the game and all I can come up with is that there no is massive mini game (like blitzball etc) but there is synthesising and plenty other little things to do that could take you hours. While I can’t really put a downer on this game all I can say is if you’re a fan of JRPG you need this game, it ticks all the boxes and will have you spending over 40 hours in front of your Xbox, just hoping the game does not end!
10/10
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