I agree with the general feeling, Tales was one of my favorite series for a long time but the interest fizzled during the PS3-PS4 era because the games just kept getting less and less interesting.
That being said, Graces is one of the few games from that time I still hold in high regard, mainly for the battle system which is one of the best in the series.
If something recent like Tales of Arise gets a port to Switch 2, though - then I’ll be interested.
I’d recommend almost any Tales made in the last 15 years over Arise. That game looks great and has a very strong start, but oh boy it takes a massive nosedive in quality over time. The endgame is one of the biggest slogs I’ve seen in recent JRPG history.
Unless a rerelease comes with a massive reworking of the entire second half of the game I’d stay away from it.
Oh, that’s a shame. I would still consider it if it was on discount though, just to see. That’s if it ever comes to Switch 2 in the first place.
Tales of Vesperia (first released 2008) is on Switch. In fact it’s only £8 on the eshop right now, which is really cheap. I’m slightly tempted to get it and play it when I have more time. Any opinions on that one?
Depends on what you’re looking for. I’d say it’s a good old-school JRPG on the same vein as Abyss and Symphonia.
One of the main draws of this game is the cast - some of the characters were incredibly refreshing in 2008, the protagonist being the prime example - a snarky, street-smart, “chaotic good” hero very unlike the typical JRPG protagonists back then. I don’t think it has the same impact nowadays, but they were ahead of time on this aspect and it helps the game hold out compared to recent JRPGs.
The story is kinda underwhelming. I like how early game it’s more low-stakes, focused on character problems, but the final act is a mess. Combat is fine, but can get a bit boring if you don’t switch characters from time to time.
There’s a ton of side quests and secrets in the game, likely the most content of all Tales games. It’s one of those games where if you want to 100% you definitely should play with a guide.
I agree with the general feeling, Tales was one of my favorite series for a long time but the interest fizzled during the PS3-PS4 era because the games just kept getting less and less interesting.
That being said, Graces is one of the few games from that time I still hold in high regard, mainly for the battle system which is one of the best in the series.
I’d recommend almost any Tales made in the last 15 years over Arise. That game looks great and has a very strong start, but oh boy it takes a massive nosedive in quality over time. The endgame is one of the biggest slogs I’ve seen in recent JRPG history.
Unless a rerelease comes with a massive reworking of the entire second half of the game I’d stay away from it.
Oh, that’s a shame. I would still consider it if it was on discount though, just to see. That’s if it ever comes to Switch 2 in the first place.
Tales of Vesperia (first released 2008) is on Switch. In fact it’s only £8 on the eshop right now, which is really cheap. I’m slightly tempted to get it and play it when I have more time. Any opinions on that one?
Depends on what you’re looking for. I’d say it’s a good old-school JRPG on the same vein as Abyss and Symphonia.
One of the main draws of this game is the cast - some of the characters were incredibly refreshing in 2008, the protagonist being the prime example - a snarky, street-smart, “chaotic good” hero very unlike the typical JRPG protagonists back then. I don’t think it has the same impact nowadays, but they were ahead of time on this aspect and it helps the game hold out compared to recent JRPGs.
The story is kinda underwhelming. I like how early game it’s more low-stakes, focused on character problems, but the final act is a mess. Combat is fine, but can get a bit boring if you don’t switch characters from time to time.
There’s a ton of side quests and secrets in the game, likely the most content of all Tales games. It’s one of those games where if you want to 100% you definitely should play with a guide.