My brother told me this was part of a Namco sale in the Xbox Live Marketplace so I grabbed it. After only an hour or so of gameplay, I realized it was well worth the $4 price tag. I even went so far as to buy the disc from Amazon, 'cause... well, I like to have a physical backup of my favorite games. ☺
***Tales of Vesperia***
Published by Namco Bandai Games
Developed by Namco Bandai
Released 2008
JRPG
Xbox 360
JRPG
Xbox 360
*Rated T for Teen*
Alcohol Reference
Fantasy Violence
Mild Blood
Mild Language
Suggestive Themes
Synopsis?
You are Yuri, a misunderstood rebel who used to be an Imperial Knight. You team up with a rag-tag crew of fighters, using magic and melee weapons to defeat monsters and soldiers and anyone else who stands in your way. The aer (free flowing power that can be channeled into magic, more or less) is out of control, an ancient evil is returning and you must step up and destroy it, fix the aer situation, and convince the world they don't need something they've always relied on for survival. Pretty typical JRPG, really.
First impressions?
Cute. (First impressions, right? Seriously, that's it. Cute.) Anime style graphics are usually cute, at least in my opinion. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It is what it is.
I adore the opening song/video. I've linked it here, thanx to a lovely YouTuber! ♥
I adore the opening song/video. I've linked it here, thanx to a lovely YouTuber! ♥
I strongly encourage you to click over to YouTube and "like" this video, if you did indeed like it. It's always nice to support other gaming addicts in all their gaming pursuits. lol
Graphics and voices?
Cute. (Prepare yourself. You're probably going to see that word a lot in this review.)
Cuteness aside—and I'm gonna be totally honest here—I don't like the anime style, though I admit, it's growing on me thanx to this game, its movie, and hefty doses of Sword Art Online.
However, not really caring for anime is nothing more than a personal preference. I love the characters, story, and voice acting, so I really don't care what style of graphics they use to portray it. I'm hooked.
Cuteness aside—and I'm gonna be totally honest here—I don't like the anime style, though I admit, it's growing on me thanx to this game, its movie, and hefty doses of Sword Art Online.
However, not really caring for anime is nothing more than a personal preference. I love the characters, story, and voice acting, so I really don't care what style of graphics they use to portray it. I'm hooked.
Gameplay?
Ok, not cute. I like it. It's JRPG style without being technically turn-based. I actually like that. There are times I get frustrated with the turn-based style, mostly when I really want a good hack n slash, but also want a good storyline. This is like the best of both worlds, hack n slash style in a specified JRPG fight screen. It doesn't rely on button combos, and you can continually use one move to get through a fight, but it certainly helps to switch up your attacks from time to time. There's the added incentive that using certain attacks a certain number of times evolves that attack into something even better, or more effective.
While you start out as Yuri, you can actually play as each of the seven characters (after you make a certain object that allows you to do so). I recommend at least getting used to the fighting styles of each, as there is an arena where you can get some pretty good weapons for each character. Personally, though, Yuri's the only one with any real skill, though I didn't mind Raven too much. I haven't really used the others enough to get a good feel for them, but I will.
While you start out as Yuri, you can actually play as each of the seven characters (after you make a certain object that allows you to do so). I recommend at least getting used to the fighting styles of each, as there is an arena where you can get some pretty good weapons for each character. Personally, though, Yuri's the only one with any real skill, though I didn't mind Raven too much. I haven't really used the others enough to get a good feel for them, but I will.
Storyline?
Excellent. Not cute, but just plain good. Interesting. Engaging. Funny at times, and corny at others. Again, pretty typical of a JRPG.On the other hand, I liked this storyline enough to buy the movie that chronologically precedes it. ►
Complaints?
As seems to be the case with most JRPGs, there's a good bit of cheese included in this. I won't get into details, but rest assured, there are plenty of cheesy comments, cheesy facial expressions, and cheesy bits of storyline. It's not really a complaint, but it's the best I can come up with. lol
Oh, here's a big one. I want this for PC, but isn't gonna happen. I'd also like the two extra playable characters that come with the Japan release. Which means I want the PS3 Japanese release to be released here. Mostly, I want this game for PC.
Oh, here's a big one. I want this for PC, but isn't gonna happen. I'd also like the two extra playable characters that come with the Japan release. Which means I want the PS3 Japanese release to be released here. Mostly, I want this game for PC.
Overall?
A solid game with an engaging storyline and interesting gameplay. Humor, irony, twists and turns: this game will always interest. I liked it well enough to buy the disc version (which isn't any different from the digital version I downloaded), and the movie that precedes it. The movie's pretty good too and deserves its own review. Which it will get. Eventually.
My rating?
Where to buy?
- Amazon
- Gamestop
- Best Buy
- Walmart
- Xbox Live Marketplace
- PlayStation Store (Movie: Tales of Vesperia - The First Strike)
- ...or try your local used games store. ☺
Until next time...
