Tales of Symphonia

When I first purchased this game a few years back, it was my very first "Tales of..." game & I immediately fell in love with it. Its fast-paced game play with battles & the rest of the game play are quite enjoyable & the plot is very unique & interesting due 2 the game's numerous 'twists'.

The music itself is captivating, the artwork & cell-shading/anime cutscenes are 2 die 4 & the epileptic moves such as spell casting Indignant Judgment & Lloyd's Falcon's Crest are just remarkable evolutions from the former tales games such as Phantasia & Destiny.

When I first played this game I was skeptical as I'd just finished & liked Baten Kaitos so much; I suppose I had a bias against it even. I enjoyed it tremendously, & even was surprised at how long the game was (good thing!)

I'm repurchasing after I got a new Wii earlier this year & the sequel is coming out soon. Another play-through is definitely warranted.

Gameplay: 4/5

ToS has a real time battle system. You're limited 2 four moves that you can set yourself & you can assign moves 2 the C stick so that you can use anytime during battle. The controls in battle take a little time 2 get used to, but once you're okay with it they become second nature 2 you.



Replay: 5/5

Once you beat Mithos you can play the game all over again! Things get easier after the first time through. You can use all the grade you obtained in your adventure 2 buy features 4 your second game. The best thing on there is the 10x EXP. It costs 3000 grade so I don't think you'll have it 4 the second game. You can also choose 2 keep titles, relationships, money, & even have up 2 30 items in your inventory. I highly reccomend kepping your money & having 30 items.



Multiplayer: 3/5

I really hate 2 give it a rating like this. Personally I like single player better. The game was designed 4 single player but you can have four people playing at once. The bad thing is that it's only in battle. Since I've only played with one other person I have no idea what 4 player is like.



Graphics: 5/5

Graphics ROCK! These are some pretty good graphics. There is some cel-shading in there, but it's not like Wind Waker. I think it's a combination of cel-shading & LoZ graphics. The characters & world are cel-shaded & the background is like LoZ graphics.



Sound: 5/5

Sound is just....just....it's so awesome I can't think of the word! The music both inside & outside of battle is really great. One of my favourite songs on there is titled Full Force. Character voices are good. There is some language on there. Don't worry it's all mild. They don't say f*** every 5 seconds. lol The only bad part is when Zelos says SOB in Sybak. Other than that it's all good.



Overall: 4/5

Overall this is an awesome game. There are some parts where it gets pretty emotional. The most emotional part is in Exire. Story has a good ending. With all the sidequests you won't be able 2 do them all in one game.

Back in 2004, when Nintendo was 4 the most part a joke, this was one of the few games Gamecube owners could point 2 when teased 4 owning one. Like most JRPG's the story & characters are entirely cliche, but the world is such a fun one 2 explore that one can overlook the plot twists that are easily spotted hours before they're revealed & go with it. It's also one of the very few rpg's that have co-op & 2 my knowledge its the only one 2 allow 4 4 players, something which all action rpg's really should have. The game also has lots of fun minigames & sidequests which are different from the standard find-the-item types, such as one where a character becomes a waitress 2 get extra gald, a character who is a famous ladies man who is able 2 get free items from talking 2 female NPC's, or the cooking part of the game, where you search the world 4 a chef in order 2 get recipes, which allow you 2 make different foods at the end of each battle & heal the party by eating them instead of just using a potion or heal spell. Between the price being under $[...], gamecubes being available 4 $[...] & being playable on the Wii, you really have no excuse 4 not trying this game.

If you are new 2 the "Tales" series, this game is a great place 2 start. With colorful graphics & innovative battle system, this game & series stands out in a crowd. The only real problem I can see is if you are used 2 typical turn-based RPGs, this game's battle system may take some getting used to. But other than that, it's a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Tales of Symphonia challenges you 2 answer an immense question: Would you sacrifice your life 2 save a world? With its beautiful 3D cel-shaded graphics & immersive, emotionally charged epic story, you'll walk the line between good & evil -- as the fate of two interlocked worlds hang in the balance.