Skits in Symphonia take the form of squares with each participating character’s face on them. It’s the reason why Tales of characters are so beloved, because you get to experience, incrementally, how bonds between them form over time. Poking fun at each other, making each other laugh, or debriefing after a heavy moment, other RPGs rarely show these tiny interactions but they’re bread and butter for this series. These short, mostly optional scenes can pop up at any time, and the best ones involve the characters interacting with each other in relatable ways. Much like the series’ traditional action combat, Tales of Symphonia also features skits. The good thing is that this is a 20-year-old game, and decades of guides and forum posts can lead you down the best AI strategies for how you want each character to perform, but it’s a shame the game doesn’t make it easy. Most battles won’t take long enough to get to that stage, but many boss fights tend to drag on with cycles of reviving and re-reviving your teammates. For low-HP mages like Colette and Genis, this inevitably leads to KOs, causing you to revive them just long enough for them to get knocked out again. They will constantly waste their strongest TP-costing abilities first, leading them to run right up to the enemy to melee some TP back. Further, while you can slightly tweak your party’s AI in the settings, even during battle, their self-preservation skills are poor. This system works great when you’re up against a single baddie, but makes it easy to get bombarded by enemies coming at you from all angles, since they’re not beholden to the semi-2D plane you’re on. You’re locked onto a single enemy at a time, and can only walk towards or away from them, almost like a side scroller. Unfortunately, battles make the game show its age fairly often. Other elements like team-up Unison Attacks and collectable EX-Gems let you customise each character’s abilities how you want, letting you discover new abilities by experimenting with these systems. There’s even up to 4-player couch co-op in battles, which I can only imagine will be a frustrating exercise in patience you will only try once, but it’s a nice inclusion. There’s a satisfying crunch to fighting, as enemies satisfyingly recoil every time you land a good hit. Genis’ stern big sister Raine is the party’s healer. Boy genius Genis is the party mage, blasting spells from a distance. Lloyd is the most beginner friendly character, so all his Techs are close range attacks and crowd control moves. You can choose which character to control in battle, as they all play differently. Each character has a 2-3 hit melee combo, which can be followed up with Techs, unique abilities that cost Technical Points, or TP. Being the first Tales of in full 3D, Symphonia’s combat isn’t as spry as it once was, but is still enjoyable. The Tales series, more than anything, is known for its fast paced yet strategic action combat. Monsters will be fought, dungeons will be delved, and the plot most certainly will get twisted. When Lloyd’s best friend Colette is declared the new Chosen, they and their friends embark on the journey together. You play Lloyd, a cocky, rebellious teen living in a town free from Desian influence. But once in a generation, a Chosen one appears to embark on a journey to save the world by waking the sleeping goddess Martel. Symphonia is set in a world named Sylvarant, where an evil race of half-elves known as Desians have conquered much of the world, enslaving and torturing humans. However, it’s not a perfect transition, and made me wonder why it’s called a “remaster” at all. The Switch version of Tales of Symphonia Remastered is the first time Symphonia is on a handheld console, and it feels right at home. I put several hours into the Steam version back in the day, but found myself unable to finish – office chairs were not designed for long haul RPGs like this. I was able to play – and have a great time with – more recent titles due to their easy availability on PlayStation consoles, but until now Symphonia was most readily available on Steam. Originally released for the GameCube in 2003, Symphonia is the fifth game in the Tales series, most recently culminating in the excellent Tales of Arise. Tales of Symphonia Remastered is an RPG classic that’s a welcome sight on modern consoles.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |