Placed in the typically odd-named Sylvarant, the game pits you with several protagonists right from the start. While the story will centralize around Lloyd Irving, a classically brazen and hot-headed youth, all nine of the games main characters will get a fair share of the limelight. While most of them could be related to characters in other RPG’s, they’re all distinctive from one another and are very likeable.
The game's story is quite good. It may not be as epic or as spectacular as some but it has enough going for it to span across two Gamecube disks and many gameplay hours. Without giving too much away, the basic gist (as always) is for the characters to save the world. In this case Lloyd teams up with his best friend Genis, his teacher Raine and a mercenary swordsman named Kratos in order to escort “The Chosen One” to the Tower of Salvation. Here she shall sacrifice her life in order to save the dying world…
What is he going to do with her?
Enough stereotypes? Well the good news is that the story is full of never-ending depth. Look beyond the surface and you’ll have an experience unlike any other that has been available on a Nintendo system for a long time. Main story, side-stories, skits, twists and some great moments, Tales of Symphonia has the lot. The biggest problem is that there is a lot of morality shoved down your throat, just like in any typical anime. But this is a small concern.
The gameplay in Tales of Symphonia is similar to the story, in once you scratch the surface you’ll find an unparalleled depth. Along with one of the best battling engines ever created, deep characters and item management, incredibly absorbing boss battles and two huge worlds to explore make it a top gameplay experience.
Firstly, there are no random battles here. All enemies can be seen in solid form and all can be avoided or engaged. The only random part is you don’t know exactly what enemies and how many will be in the group. The battle system is one of the best out there for action RPG’s, the Multi-line Linear-Motion Battle system. It works on the basis that you battle by moving back and forth as if you were in a 2-D platformer. However, you aren't confined to a 2-D area. The whole battle takes place on an isometric 3-D platform and with multiple enemies on screen there can be a lot of chaos.
Movement, attacking and item selection are all a breeze. Your attacks are centralised on the B-button. As simple as it may seem, weapon-orientated characters like Lloyd and Kratos are able to pull off some stupendous combos while spell-orientated characters like Genis and Raine will be able to conjure up to five different spells with the correct settings. Spells can also be summoned manually through the battle menu, as well as item distribution. The battles also contain a jump and block button, with the latter being especially handy in boss encounters.
You control one character at a time. For the maximum enjoyment, it's good to use a variety of characters just to get a feel of how unique they all are. The game also supports basic multiplayer but it can get a little hectic and obstructive for those who aren’t the main designated character.
The best thing about battles is that its there is no you-hit-me-than-I-hit-you, it’s an all out smack-down fest that can literally last 2 seconds. The average battle should last about 30 seconds to a minute. The furious pace of the battles sets this title apart from anything else. Not only is Tales of Symphonia is definitely one of the most efficient titles available at the moment but more importantly it’s one of the most fun as well.
To top it off, there are some of the most fearsome and challenging boss encounters imaginable. They last longer than the average battle but are just as furiously paced and much more relentless. They really push your skills to the limit and force you to strategize heavily. Multiple game-overs may roll by but the end result is definitely worth the satisfaction.
The game doesn’t end outside of the battle system. Character options are definitely in abundance. You can change their focus from strength to technical which will affect the kinds of moves that each character learns as they progress through levels. Your group that consists of 4, and each player that isn’t being physically controlled can be set a specific strategy such as all out attack or avoid and heal. There are more strategies than you can poke a stick at and most characters will have different and unique strategies. Aside from collecting the usual experience points, the players also collect “grade”. This is earned from impressive battle displays such as stringing together huge combos or finishing the job quickly. It can be used in-game as a type of currency or at the end of the game to buy some very intriguing rewards.
The battle system at work
Outside battle, there are three parts to the game. These being the overworld, the towns and dungeons. The overworld is mainly used as a vehicle to get from town/temple/any focal area A to B but it does provide numerous battle opportunities and there are many items to collect along the way. Eventually, you’ll receive a boat and then a type of plane. This plane is well placed at a point in the game where there is some backtracking required to various distant places. Even though it controls strangely, by that time you’ll be too strong for most enemies and it saves A LOT of time at the back end of the game.
The towns are pretty much your standard fair where you’ll buy, trade, heal and stay as well as interact with many different NPC’s. A few towns will house some interesting mini-games as well. The best thing about the towns is that no town is the same. They all feel distinctively different and most will play a part in the story. The variety is a welcome, township range from vast citadels to three shack villages, from high in the mountains to right beside the ocean.
Dungeons, forests, mountain ranges and other dangerous areas are a bit of a standard affair - not bad, but nothing spectacular. Other than defeating enemies and bosses, you’ll take part in some standardized yet interesting puzzles. You’ll receive an item early on called the sorcerer’s ring. It changes function in every dungeon and will determine how you need to solve your puzzles.
The game’s depth is highlighted by the subtlety of your actions. There are several different endings and plot outcomes, simply based off the most basic of decisions. Unless you play through the game a second time EXACTLY as you did the first, you are bound to have a different experience at different points.
Tales of Symphonia is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to visual presentation. The game opens with a stellar anime opening, only to leave the player cold with only two or three similar cinematics throughout the rest of the game. Cut-scenes are a little underdone, with not much action happening in between. However, it’s hard to notice with the engaging nature of the story. Technically, the game isn’t nearly as pretty as other available RPG’'s, and is particularly harsh in the overworld. It’s devoid of detail, textures, polygons and with a poor resolution, it leaves the player with an ugly mess that wouldn’t have looked good on the N64. The monsters are represented by grey blobs and forests by green smudges.
However, where it loses on the technical side, it makes up for it in a huge way through the artistic side. Driven by the talent of Kosuke Fujishima, Tales of Symphonia retains the artistic splendor of well-drawn anime. The characters especially bleed with artistic majesty, personality and uniqueness. The towns are a mix of pre-rendered and fixed 3-D objects that further add to the games personality. While you won’t find any dynamic lighting or advanced bump-mapping or anything like that, Tales of Symphonia doesn’t need it. The cel-shaded characters and 3-D pre-rendered areas make for a fantastic backdrop, full of feeling and personality.
The battles seem to have been given the most attention. The rest of the game pales in comparison to the fantastic animations and sequences that are the hyper-paced battles. Characters and enemies are vividly detailed and the amount of chaos and action that occurs on the screen with little to no slow down is absolutely stunning. It adds to the already fantastic gameplay mechanics, with everything you could ask for, from huge stylistic bosses to awesome summon spells.
The audio portion is very strong. The game has plenty of voice acting and it for the most part it’s done pretty well. There are several professional voice-actors; some even have previous gaming experience in Cam Clarke (Metal Gear Solid) and Jennifer Hale (Eternal Darkness). However, the placing of some of the voices could have been a bit better. There is no building of feeling or creation of tension, it pretty much bursts onto the scene. This is the fault of the localization team, but it doesn’t detract from the game in any major way.
The turtles are invading! Stop them!
The soundtrack is exceptional. It captures the mood of the relevant scenarios with virtual perfection while avoiding the repetitious nature of anything related to anime. The rest of the sounds all fall contently into place. Nothing as remarkable as the soundtrack but it gets the job done.
On a final note, the game will last anywhere between 50 and 80+ hours. The later assuming you undertake all the side-quests and collect everything there is to find. Though the best part is that you’re deeply engrossed for the whole journey.
In conclusion, where the game lacks in visual and presentation prowess of other more fancied titles and it might seem like it’s a shallow RPG clone, this is when it’s time to dig below. When you look, you’ll find a fantastically deep and satisfying fantasy world. Frankly, the battle system is worth the admission price alone. For Gamecube fans, this is your RPG salvation, there is no other game on your system that can compete with the overall experience that it Tales of Symphonia.
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