fun for tales fans
So, first off, this game does not have traditional tales series gameplay. instead, it is what I would call "fire emblem" style gameplay, in other words, turn-based on a grid. I also saw some other reviews stating this is a port of a mobile game and I can believe that considering there are no areas you can freely run around, instead you select missions from a map. that said, the gameplay is fine and let's be honest, is anyone playing the tales of the world games for any reason other than seeing their favorite characters interact? that part is perfect, you start the game with Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia and Asbel from tales of graces and those happen to be my favorite protags from the series. character interactions are spot-on, funny and occasionally heart-warming just like the writing in the main games. now, if you are like me and trying to practice the Japanese language: this game is probably better for intermediate learners than beginners since it uses kanji and there is no furigana. however, the font is very readable and all text boxes are voiced! so if you read along carefully you can identify unknown kanji quickly. and since the battles are turn-based you can take as much time as you want to look things up. I recommend this game, especially to fans of the tales series.