Video Games : Tales of Vesperia Premium Edition

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from: Namco

: Tales of Vesperia Premium Edition
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Amazon Maximum Age: 20 years
Amazon Minimum Age: 144 months
Binding: Video Game
Brand: Namco
EAN: 0722674210218
ESRB Age Rating: Teen
Label: Namco
Manufacturer: Namco
Model: 722674210218
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Namco
Release Date: August 26, 2008
Sales Rank: 1744
Studio: Namco

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Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - First Next-Gen Tales is What You Expect...
Three years ago, I would have laughed if you told me that the Xbox 360 would be the JRPG system of the next generation. But - lo and behold - it has become just that. Ever since the "opening shots" Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey were fired, we've been subjected to announcement after announcement of both exclusive and non-exclusive RPGs coming to the platform. This fall we have Infinite Undiscovery and Last Remnant, and next year (hopefully but doubtfully given the game's history) we'll have the one and only FFXIII.


Namco-Bandai has been a part of this trend as well, starting first with the graphically pleasant but sorely lacking vapid WTF storyline in Eternal Sonata and later releasing the latest full-fledged entry in the Tales series exclusively for the console. It was Tales of Vesperia - not Blue Dragon, not Lost Odyssey, not The Idolm@ster (thank god) - that finally managed to get the original shipments of 360s to sell out. In fact, the game has caused massive shortages of the console...so much so that MS is redirecting shipments to the country (sadly, Vesperia fever will have died down by then, but it's still a remarkable achievement nonetheless).


The game itself is what you'd expect from a Tales entry. Traditional JRPG. It looks like a prettier version of Abyss, plays like the best parts of Symphonia, and all the private events are even fully voiced this time around. While the first 2-3 hours are EXTREMELY slow, the game quickly gains momentum and the drive to keep playing just to see what happens next kicks into full gear. The combat system models Symphonia and Abyss and is both deep and rewarding. Difficulties can arise when controlling AI partners (as they tend to hesitate very little before draining your inventory of healing items), and there aren't as many options for AI behavior as in past games, but in most cases a few modifications to party strategy will fix these issues when they occur. The achievements are a mixed bag. Unlike Eternal Sonata, which blocks players by withholding upwards of 600 points of content until conquering the game a second time on a higher difficulty setting, quite a few (though definitely not all) of Vesperia's achievements can be conquered on the first playthrough. Private actions are frequent - almost TOO frequent in fact - but at least you have the ability to skip them by pressing the Start button.

Despite the flaws inherent with RPGs of this type, I am confident in saying that I definitely recommend the game for fans of the series. Between the beautiful graphics, the above-average voice acting (though the lack of a Japanese track does hurt a bit), the depth of the real-time combat system, and the unfolding plot, it looks like Vesperia is shaping up to be a worthy entry in the long-running Tales series.

All that being said...there are a lot of great things about this game. But there isn't a whole lot we haven't seen before in the previous generation without the shinier graphics. Tales of Vesperia continues the Devil May Cry 4 style of Japanese next-gen development...that is, if it ain't broke, just make the graphics shinier and leave everything else as-is. For most people, that isn't a problem, but for others, the lack of anything revolutionary will be a dealbreaker.

Thus, mainstream press will hate on it. No surprises there.

That being said, the most amazing part of this generation is... Who ever thought we'd have effeminate-yet-angsty hero-types and space marines in abundance on the SAME console?!

More rants at:
[...]


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - One of the best ever
This game is one of my faves now. The story is awesome, the characters are cool, fighting is fun, and the game is huge!!!


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Great RPG for Xbox 360
This is one the best series of Tales SAGA to come for the Xbox360. The game has great graphics and animation with voice overs during dialogs.
The game battle system has been upgraded from the old series and the AI setup has been improved. The battle events are more in-depth than before. The story and environment makes this game very fun and entertaining. The characters have unique story development. I fully recommend this game and you wont be disappointed.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - This is the reason why the Xbox 360 got sold out in Japan!
If there's one thing that makes Tales of Vesperia THE game to get for RPG fans who owns Xbox 360, it's the fact that this is the game that made hell freeze over... err I mean this is the game that turned Japan's Xbox 360 scene from "collecting dust on the game store shelves" to a hot item that sold so well there are virtually no more Xbox 360s in stock anywhere. Shouldn't that be enough reason for "Tales of" fans to buy the game? In any case, this won't be much of a review if I just ended it there, so I'll continue:

This game probably has the best use for cel-shaded graphics for a next-gen game seeing as when I first saw the intro, I found it a bit hard to tell which is in-game graphics and which is an anime cutscene! Although that doesn't really hold much weight compared to the graphical prowess of other games, this is probably the only true demerit of the game, because otherwise, this is a magnificent game!

One thing that I feel the "Tales of" series has a definite edge over RPG series, it's the fun, real-time, combo-driven battle system. As mentioned in my other reviews of "Tales of" games, this is the series that makes me look forward to the next battle, and am intentionally going into one because of one thing that makes games something you look forward in playing: it's FUN! The heated, intense battles, the combos! The battle system for this game is the best and most refined of all the "Tales of" games too, given its status as its current flagship game of the series! This alone puts other RPGs to shame with their unexciting, boring battles that rely too much on flash and graphics (you know those games).

It's also quite a treat that the skits are now voiced! I actually love the skit system. It is a very interesting way to explain a lot of minor and a few major aspects of the story of each character, world, event, etc. without creeping into the main storyline's scenes themselves (seeing as they are optional to view). This both allows a person to understand more of the story or play through the game with little interruptions!

Speaking of the story, each character plays a major role to the story, unlike most games where the "hero" or "heroine" are the only ones that matter since the rest of the characters are extra fighting bodies that are just there. You definitely know something deep is rooted for each of your pary members, which makes the story fleshed out and gives this sense that you really need to know what's up and what's in store for everyone later.

Although story-wise, I'm not sure on whether Tales of Vesperia is better than Tales of the Abyss or vice-versa since I haven't finished Tales of Vesperia late (My 360 broke a couple of days before I got the copy mailed in to my house. Argh.). I still look forward to this game!

After having said what I think needed to be known, I could not contain my love for the series much longer! I LOVE THIS GAME! If I have all day, I'd lay back and play this game all day, just like I did with Tales of the Abyss! It's a no-brainer that "Tales of" fans should get! As for the rest of the fans, they simply could not do wrong on purchasing this game for their Xbox 360s! And for RPG fans who are planning to get a 360, this is the very first game you should get! Oh and be sure to get the Special Edition of the game if you can. You'll see later on heheh...

Did I mention before that I love this game? Magnificent!


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - A great game for fans of RPGs...and non-fans of RPGs
While holding on to older, successful aspects of the Tales of series (such as the active battle system, cooking, skits, etc.) Tales of Vesperia also introduces some new elements, such as the Fatal Strike and multiple Overlimit levels in battle, enhanced equipment synthesis, skill customization, and downloadable content. The game isn't hard to get into; it's peppered with tutorials so newcomers and veterans aren't lost in the updated version of the Tales battle system.

The plot raises interesting questions about the true nature of justice - why do we have institutions that supposedly protect our freedoms yet restrict us? The characters in the game confront this question and others, and they shine in terms of design, animation, and voice acting. They are also written well into the story (well, except for Repede...but he's a dog with a pipe and a scar, and that's awesome). As the story progresses a character that might seem annoying at first (*cough* the kid and the heroine) quickly grow on the player. The artistic direction, with the unified character designs, and the Gothic/Romanesque motifs and architecture sell Vesperia on a visual level.

If you're worried about being bored, don't be - the game is at least eighty hours and a couple of playthroughs if you want to get everything in the game: all the sidequests, special items, character titles and costumes. Tales of Vesperia is a game that is successful on multiple grounds, and it's not just for die-hard fans of RPGS. If you like JRPGs or RPGs in general, this is definitely a game to buy; and if you're not an RPG fan, this game would be a great introduction.

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