A classic series returns The newest installment of the Tales RPG series keeping the established gameplay formula that fans love
Next Gen sights and sounds First Tales RPG game with high-definition graphics, broadcast quality animation, and Dolby surround sound
Evolved real-time battle system New refinements and additions to the trademark Tales real-time battle engine making for the most action-packed, dynamic RPG fighting ever
Fan favorite character designs Characters designed by famous manga artist, Kosuke Fujishima, responsible for popular series Ah! My Goddess, Sakura Taisen and Youre Under Arrest
Immersive look and feel Detailed environments, animation and an artistic style so good, its like playing a cartoon
Dramatic story Gripping tale of a young hero on a quest for justice, trust and friendship filled with unexpected twists and turns at every step
A decade of Tales The first game celebrating the Tales 10 year anniversary
description
A power struggle begins in a civilization dependant on an ancient technology, the blastia, and the Empire that controls it. The fates of two friends traveling separate paths intertwine in an epic adventure that threatens the existence of all. Tales of Vesperia marks the first Tales RPG release in HD with detail and graphics never before seen in the series. Now, real-time battles are more exciting than ever with over limits, the ability to unleash fatal strikes, combinations and burst artes. The next evolution of the revered role-playing series comes to the Xbox 360®.
Showing the last 5 reviews, out of a total 22 reviews. Please note that opinions expressed in any review are those of our customers and do not necessarily match those of the Play-Asia.com team.
Tales of Vesperia On all counts, Tales Of Vesperia should end any arguments, if there are still any, on whether Microsoft's console can deliver the RPG experience that was once the domain of the PlayStation. The Tales Of Vesperia series, from publisher Namco, is unique in its RPG elements in that during battles, players retain full control of characters. Instead of the usual turn-based fights, characters can move around a battlefield and attack enemies any time, in real time. Like the Final Fantasy series, each Vesperia game is a new story and Vesperia has the honor of being the first available for the high-definition console. Using a mix of anime-style cut-scenes, Vesperia is a beautiful game. It does not aim for details but focuses on giving life to characters through their individual mannerisms and expressions. This is a nice change from the usual stoic 3D renderings. Another difference is that, save for the boss battles, there are no random encounters that force you to fight. Enemies appear throughout the game. If you prefer grinding, you can actually pick fights by identifying creatures and, in so doing, tailor battles that suit your skill level. During battles, characters can use regular attacks and Artes. Artes are character-specific moves that can be combined with normal attacks. Constant use of Artes leads to the mastery of new and more powerful moves - from range attacks to group attacks. There are also special skills to be picked up by using certain weapons. Picking up new and more powerful skills is important because the battle is not about strategy or deciding who attacks and casts spells. As players have free roam of the battlefield, there are elements of action games here as players can flank slower moving creatures from the side and easily dodge attacks. Despite the many choices, game control is a breeze as many functions can be pre-set - from the selection of weapons and choice of skill to the actions of teammates. For those interested in the storyline, there is extensive dialogue between characters, though translation has always been one big flaw. The English dialogue is awkward, but this is a trapping of many games translated from Japanese. Still, with side quests galore and a smooth soundtrack, Tales of Vesperia is one story worth repeating.
Tales of Very fun with shiny box Tales of Vesperia is a very fun game. In my opinion, it is the best game in the series.
The Limited Edition of Tales of Vesperia comes in a shiny metal/plastic box combination. Included is a special soundtrack that contains some tracks from several Tales of games…including those from the PlayStation2 Tales of Destiny. It isn’t a bad limited edition, except that you have to pay $10 extra for a small soundtrack, a shiny metal box, and about 5 pages of extra drawings… in other words, it’s a pretty bad limited edition. Namco should have included an art book with at least 30 pages.
Gameplay: Vesperia’s battle system is more fun than Abyss. Fatal Strikes make battles quicker. Also, computer monsters aren’t as stupid… except Estelle is a pretty stupid party member.
Music: Most of the music is good. Except that one song that is a ripoff of the music they play in circuses/ clown places. Seriously. At least that song wasn’t by Sakuraba(I hope). Yay for Sakuraba.
Characters/Story: Yuri is the best Tales of main character EVER. Hes sarcastic and not one of those whiny or “ZOMG WE HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD/AVENGE [insert random archer’s name]”. Plus he fights for JUSTICE. But so does Flynn. Except Flynn is mostly non-playable. Estelle was cool in the beginning of the game, but as soon as Phaeroh appears, she sucks. So does her computer. Repede is the best non-human character. He’s fast in battle AND he smokes a pipe. Kids don’t follow his example- follow Karol’s instead. Karol is the one of the many funny characters in this game, except he gets abused the most. Judith, Rita, and Raven are cool. I like Vesperia’s characters more than other Tales of characters.
Another Great Tales of... ...as well as just a great jRPG in general. Tales of Vesperia will keep you hooked from the beginning to end with beautiful visuals, charming characters, and fun gameplay. The story is also lengthy, and while it isn't the best ever, it is written well enough to keep you interested.
Tales of Vesperia starts out with Yuri Lowell, who definitely isn't your typical protagonist, trying to recover a stolen "aque blastia". "Blastia" is this story's source of everyday functions. In his pursuit he later meets the female protagonist Estelle, who was trying to escape from a castle, and then the story twists and turns from there.
You'll meet many more characters, all with their own unique personalities. I personally thought Tales of Vesperia's cast was very well-done and is one of my favorite jRPG cast of characters. You'll be attached to them in no time, especially with the help from Skits, which are now fully voiced.
If you've played other Tales of games, the gameplay will feel familiar, but is still different enough for something new. It is still a real-time battle system and they've kept free-run, but they've upgraded it so it's not easily as exploitable. Once you're able to get more artes and skills, battles become incredibly fun with all the different combinations of artes you can do. It's complex enough to almost pass as a fighting game system.
Lastly, maybe this is needless to say, but the graphics are a huge improvement from previous Tales of, and are just lovely. Many have said that "it almost feels like you're playing an anime." I agree, although it would've been nice to see even MORE anime cutscenes than from what it already has.
Tales of Vesperia is very lengthy, and will easily eat 50-70 hours on your first playthrough. After you beat the game you get access to a Grade Shop, which lets you play a second playthrough with bonuses and things like that. Even if you don't do a second playthrough, there are plenty of sidequests to do in your first, so you won't be bored even after beating it.
If you're a Tales of fan, I don't think I even need to tell you to get this; it's a fabulous addition to the series. If you aren't, well, here's a good place to start being one. :D
The Limited Edition comes in a steel case with extra pages of original artwork in the instruction booklet. They're nice if you're willing to pay an extra $10, but not completely necessary. Nothing gameplay-wise is affected if you get the Limited Edition or not.