In this my review I would like to evaluate this game in the story points, gameplay, graphics and sound. Please understand that I here do not necessarily value it put everything to mention what this game has to offer, but addresses the issue as I felt special features of this game.
The story itself is not necessarily my opinion worth mentioning a short outline of the story also find in the product description on Amazon, so I this disregard of a recapitulation. But what do I have come to talk is the fact that the game takes a surprisingly long time to really get going. It took me about 20-25 hours until the story was really exciting, which is also one of the main problems of this game. The Tales of series is already known by that story, although mostly based on stereotypes, but in spite of all captivating. As the story but takes so long to really get the ball rolling for me expressed this powerfully on the fun. When you have exceeded this 20-25 hour mark recalls the story of striking Symphonia, which is nothing to be bad, but that simply confirms my statement that the story is based on the past. At the end Suffice it to say that it seemed to personally rushed me a little. I can not really explain this to the full extent to spoilers without, but it feels something like as if you had taken the story of Symphonia and 30-40% would have removed it. The finale itself I found also very spectacular, Vesperia knew how something staged properly.
The characters I see in a game to be essential. They are the carriers of the story and give it a personal touch. If you can identify with the characters, if they grow on you one, then you have automatically a very different relation to the story and what happens to the characters themselves. For the troops in Vesperia I had just those relating to the troops from Xilia, well, less. The characters were me not "matter", but a real connection to them, I have never felt. That may of course be different in each, but I personally liked them less compared to other Tales of games. The main aspect of the story, friendship is shown to exaggerate mE after. I found it just a little ridiculous that the friendship between the characters had to be continually Confirm by repeatedly things to be said on the format "Yohe, we are super pals". Fortunately, there is but the half of the game less.
The game offers the option to choose different main characters. I chose for the male protagonist Jyde. Since I do not Milla've selected as the protagonist, I can of course make no valuation on this part of the game, however, can say so much: There are min. 3-4 instances where these two characters are separated and therefore they experience different things until they are reunited. As far as I can but the judge has not all too great influence on the story, you probably get to hear some other details with the other Protaginsten, the main parts but you're gonna get with it independently. I will definitely be playing with Milla by play times, to see what I missed here, for direct neumaligen playthrough it does not motivate me.
Now we come to another important point, the gameplay and the most important of them: Fighting. Players who are familiar with Symphonia and Vesperia will feel immediately at home. Four characters at the same time struggling with some monsters by relying nourish in a round-defined 3D area in a straight line your selected enemy and enforce in either normal or Artes attacks. Especially on trifles was filed locally. As far as I was known introduced in Xilia that you finally anytime a fighting member of the troupe can now replace by a reserve member. This can especially help if members were petrified and you need a healer. What is new, at least the partner system. You can connect at any time with one of the other three warring members. This has several implications. For example, both positive and negative changes in status to be shared. Important, however, are two different things. By connecting with another figure it grants special advantages in battle. Alvin can break through the opponent's defense, while Leia is able to steal items from enemies. In addition to filling in a bar when you go full tilt in connected mode on opponents. This bar has 5 bar. Fills a completely on you can act a special Arte, which corresponds to the associated figure and to lead a connected Arte made with this figure and the next bar fills up. If all five bars are filled and then acts a special Arte you can to end use of the bar link Artes composites of a series, which considerably facilitates battles against bosses.
It should be said that tactical finesse in the rarest of cases is required. You press every now and then on X, then surrenders a little O and the opponents. It is worth mentioning in particular that late in the game you never fall into the position seriously too much TP (uUnkte for use of Artes or "magic") will consume. Many different skills that you learned later, and many new healing and refreshing items make the game might be a bit easier than it should be. Especially with Jyde is the slaughter of entire enemy hordes breeze.
Now I would like to focus on the tour of the world. Players who like me loved Symphonia and Vesperia will be annoyed at the lack of preparation to end overworld map. Instead, you can teleport to another a card relatively quickly in the game from one place. To me, that traveling the world is always one of the most important and beautiful aspects of an RPG on an overworld map. The world works by simply organic and believable. Instead, the individual dungeons and cities over areas are connected, which, however, usually only visually different from each other. One can find treasure chests and loot bags, and each area is infested with numerous enemies to slaughter and levels. The level design itself has not really impressed me. It has never really the strength of this series, but the predecessors have made this clearly better. The absence of the overworld map that bothered me, especially early in the game, after a while I liked it but that will allow me to avoid unnecessary backtracking.
But brings us to the topic of skills. This is learned here by Liliumpunkteverteilung. With each new level points are awarded, which can be used in a spider web-like structure. You start from the inside and then proceeds. It then distributes the points earned on specific accounts points which immediately confer advantages such as higher strength or psyche or enter a more KP, TP or points for finishing skills. If you have a full box with these so-called WP filled a gwährt either a new or a new Arte ausrüstbare skill. The Liliumorb increases as you unlock special skills or major Artes. Theoretically, you have but either way fill all points, so I therefore propose to a clear pattern is easy to learn everything. The alder end to give a skills etc. advantages as elemental resistance or character-specific skills such as more air jumps for Milla in fighting Nice system and definitely better than Vesperia, but here but more tactical depth is promised as the end exists.
Should also be mentioned that the shop system was changed fundamentally. Instead in every city now so to find new weapons or armor that which does not exist otherwise, it is now even drive progress on players. The harboring of monsters or chests loot can be given to the various shops, so that they reach a higher level. This one turns better equipment freely and gained access to new auxiliary items. Older items are also offered discounted at higher levels, so it recommended stopped to wait with the purchase, especially in the beginning because the money is still very scarce. This system can love or hate, with me is both the case for me is both are the case. Well, of course, that it's up to the players themselves what items he gets, so no need to wait until you reach a new city. However, there are already some 10 hours of play time a place where you can easily come to very good loot. Since I'm the type who likes to pack such opportunities with both hands, I was very quickly equipped with good equipment and all subsequent drops were my current equipment always inferior to 2-3 level, even on hard I could many bosses crack under a minute, also the upper intermediate. Although no Gamebreaker, but facilitates this passage the game anyway.
Well enough of the gameplay, we are talking again about the graphics. Although I am not an expert in this regard, but möhte say that they do very well I like. While the outer areas act lean a little part, the cities, however, I found very pretty. Strangely this only that people and other objects is aufploppen a little late, now and then it happened to me that I ran for 2 seconds against an invisible wall until finally the horse wagon appeared in the picture. The effects in the fights go in order, in too much action but it can ever lead to small slow-downs, but this was in most other Tales of games also like that. But what was an eye opener for me are the Aniamtionen, while I'm talking mainly from those outside the fighting. This Warein its predecessors just stiff and little presentable. While I was still partly could understand at the GC version of Symphonia I thought it was still very weak, that at Vesperia on the Xbox 360 and PS 3 has done in this direction little to nothing. This is with Xilia now over, now all animated and really nice to look at in-game cutscenes. For Tales of standard a clear advantage.
Now, however, a critical part of the game for me than the graphics, the sound. For me, a good sound so make up for a lot. Even if the story is not staged so phenomenal or breathtaking when the sound is what is happening to some extent appropriate accompanied accept everything epic proportions. This is unfortunately not the case with Xilia. Although I found that the action has been accompanied tidy, but no longer. None of the compositions remained me really I hang head, it just was not "special" case. Of course, music is a matter of taste, no question, but to me she was personally a little too bland. The sound effects are okay. Now to another aspect of the sound: The sync. In order to clarify an advance, I prefer animes in the original Japanese version heard, it sounds to me just "natural" on, even though I have no knowledge of Japanese phonetics. With a bit of familiarization time I could get used to the English version of Vesperia and liked at the end even the speaker, the same is the case with Xilia. Well, almost, you have to say. Connoisseurs of the game will already know, I'm talking about Millas voice. The voice actor has, I think, called a lousy performance. Especially in the first 20 hours, I could not hear her lisp simple. Even their "lack of emotion" that is owed her Charakterin, I felt just as "energized" and not as a emotionless. If one of the Sophie of Graces f, which I alluded to recently, compares to recognize her voice but clearly the difference. Later, it no longer occurred to me so on and it has become perhaps really better, but may overlook the MMN not. I can understand why many prefer to hear what is shown instead want to read, but the option to change the language would have been nice. Show games like Valkyria Chronicles, that you can combine both options in a sound.
positive points of the game:
+ Fast and yet stimulating combat system with interesting nuances
+ Graphics are presentable
+ Finally well animated in-game cutscenes
neutral points of the game:
, the new shop system
, the new skill system
, Lack of top world and instead possibility for fast reciprocating Herre Sien
negative points of the game:
- Story is very slow in transition
- Disappointing end
- Friendship aspect of the story is too much rubbed under his nose
- Disappointing soundscape and lack of opportunity auzuwählen the original language
- Game time is less than predecessors
Conclusion: If the game is now a disaster? Not at all! Fans of the Tales of series will have fun with this offshoot, newcomers I would still recommend maybe first time to start with Symphonia and Vesperia. The game is a Tales of the limitation that most aspects that made its predecessor so great, are weaker here. I am in my review now not eingagangen to every detail (keyword side quests), but these are my points raised MMN key.
