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Tales of This and That





0
 09.22.2013 6:43am
Thread Creator

Lews
Lord of the Morning



For anyone else who might also be thinking of doing so, I'm looking to get into the -Tales of- series and need a recommendation on where to start.  

I've played a little of Symphonia on Gamecube but just wasn't into it at the time and ended up selling it.  Oh, and I did really enjoy Legendia but it was a rental and I never got around to buying it.

I do realize they're all pretty much seperate stories but is there a certain one you would recommend I start with?  Maybe a hierarchy of -Tales- games showing which you preferred over the others?

This whole notion came about when I noticed that the On Demand version of Vesperia for the 360 is on sale for $15 and contemplated getting that or Kingdoms of Amalur, which is $20.

I've pretty much decided on getting Xillia in the future but I've had my eye on both Vesperia and Graces F for a while and I would rather play some of the older ones before jumping right into Xillia.  I have all the systems, so recommend away if you please, and thank you in advance.




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0
 09.22.2013 1:46pm


Crono
Crono can cross dimensions too!



You're going to get a lot of different answers from people on where to start unfortunately.  Most people will say that Symphonia, Abyss, and Vesperia are the best.  My personall opinion is that Abyss, Vesperia, and Graces should be played in the order released otherwise the battle refinements may feel awkward going backwards in time (mainly I think Vesperia -> Abyss would be the biggest system shock even though Graces has the most far removed system IM0). 

Vesperia probably has the most streamlined experience with a grade A cast of characters.  I still prefer Abyss but it has several glaring factors like awful loading times that can stale the experience if you let it. 

Don't forget the 2D games as well though.  Get your hands on the translated PSP vesion of Phantasia if you can as it's by far the best out there.  And don't be afraid to use a guide for sidequests.  Tales games are known for having frustrating time frames on its best sidequests.



Currently Playing: Dark Cloud 2: 3 hours.
Also Playing: CT, FF VI, Solatorobo, Secret of Mana, Halo 4.
Just Finished: Fable II: 7 hours.




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0
 09.22.2013 3:56pm


reido
(\/)(o,,,o)(\/)



Abyss is the best, but it's also VERY LONG.  Vesperia is also very good, and probably the easiest to get a hold of.  Symphonia is great but doesn't age all that well.

I haven't played anything newer than Vesperia, though I hear Xillia is good too.




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0
 09.22.2013 5:37pm


Old Juan
filled with hate



If you have a 360, get Vesperia. PS3, I'd go with Xillia over Graces but as of right now both are readily available. The 3DS has Abyss. Sometime in 2014 there is going to be a Symphonia collection that will be released on the PS3 that has both the PS2 version of Symphonia which was never released outside of Japan and Symphonia 2 which was released on the Wii. There is is lot to choose from.

I'd say start off with Xillia. That game will give you a good enough gage on whether or not the series is going to for you or not.




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0
 09.22.2013 9:25pm


Fincher
Deep Water Horizon



Abyss is one of my absolute favorite games.  Vesperia is great.  I haven't played the others.



Currently playing: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Picross DS
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0
 09.22.2013 10:51pm


Clowd Cole
Dangerous Zombie



Abyss has Jade
Vesperia has my Rita
Xilla has the best combat

They are all amazing games. 



Buggle Up! Danger! Danger! (Genocide!) Death the Crisis! Dangerous Zombie!






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0
 09.23.2013 2:32am


JSG
Registered Member



Destiny and Phantasia are my favorites, although I'm not sure if Phantasia ever got released in the US outside of fan translations.




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0
 09.23.2013 2:35am


Crono
Crono can cross dimensions too!



It had that AWFUL GBA release.  Seriously, stick with the translated PSP version; emulate if you have to.




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0
 09.23.2013 2:37am


Clowd Cole
Dangerous Zombie



The GBA version had a glitch in the final fight where you couldnt finish it. 




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0
 09.23.2013 7:13am
Thread Creator

Lews
Lord of the Morning



Thanks for the suggestions!  I think I'll go Vesperia then Xillia.  And if I still need some -Tales of- gaming I'll try out Graces F.  




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0
 09.23.2013 7:13am


tenken
Hooligan



My first Tales experience was Tales of Symphonia. While I had fun with it (battles were a blast, as I played the whole game through with a friend), I felt the story drug on longer than it needed to, but at the same time I just didn't gel all that much with the cast. When Abyss came out, I was curious, but with my experiences with Symphonia still fresh in my mind, I was wary of being burned. It took a generous college friend letting me basically test-play 2-3 hours of Abyss to convince me to take the plunge, and I'm so glad I did, because it wound up being one of my favorite games of the generation. Really interesting world setup, intriguing plot, and an absolutely fantastic cast make Abyss a game not to be missed. I've run into a number of people since then that don't like Tales of the Abyss because its main character, Luke, is a self-centered ass at the beginning of the game (not to put too fine a point on it). He is, and I feel that because the game starts him there, his climb to be someone you as the player may actually find sympathetic and relatable is all the greater for it.

I don't own a 360, so I sadly haven't had the opportunity to play Vesperia, though most people I know say very good things about it (some say it has the series' finest cast to date, which really makes me want to get my hands on it). I would definitley grab Vesperia if you have the chance; it's not everyone's favorite, but it's the one Tales game I don't think I've ever heard any signficant negative sentiment about, which says quite a bit.

Tales of Graces was originally made for Wii, but released for PS3 with an extra "epilogue" chapter as Tales of Graces F. The game is mostly innocuous, though it features what I've come to see as the Tales' series lazy sense of world design in full force, and a cast that's okay but certainly nothing spectacular.

I'm just about to start Tales of Xillia, so I can't really say how it'll be!  But honestly, my history with the Tales series basically boils down to me continuing to purchase and play Tales games hoping each next one can surprise and excite me the way Abyss did. If you want to start somewhere, I'd say start there. Depending on what you're hoping for out of these games, it may make it harder to get into subsequent ones, but I figure, give yourself the best possible chance to become engaged, and I think Abyss delivers excellently in almost every area that matters for an RPG.

If you like Abyss, you can venture out into the series with Vesperia or Xillia (or Graces if you can't find those), or the upcoming HD remaster of Tales of Symphonia headed to the PS3. Either way, graphically Abyss will look the oldest of your choices at this point, but Symphonia will probably feel its age battle system-wise.  I've always found battling to be pretty fun in Tales games, though, so whichever game you pick, if action battles are your thing, you'll probably dig the combat.




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0
 09.24.2013 10:42am
Thread Creator

Lews
Lord of the Morning



I've been wanting to try Abyss for a long time but it's always been a little too pricey for me.  I don't mind the main character being an ass at first because at least he has SOME personality other than the generic hero.  What I'll probably do is catch a few walkthrough videos of the early parts of the game just to make sure it's something I'd want to get into.  I hope Xillia is as good as I've heard it is!




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0
 09.24.2013 1:47pm


reido
(\/)(o,,,o)(\/)



Lews--
Check Amazon.  I grabbed my PS2 copy for a lowly $20.  There are used copies up right now for as low as $24; new as low as $28.

Amazon is like a haven for hard-to-find jRPGs.  I got Persona 4 for pretty cheap that way too.




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0
 09.28.2013 9:31pm
Thread Creator

Lews
Lord of the Morning



Ah, ok thanks :)

I usually use Half.com for my used games but Abyss was a few dollars more than what you listed on there.  I always figured Amazon to have higher rates than Half but I was wrong this time!  




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