Strengths:A solid Japanese role playing game for the 360
Posted 1 year ago - The Xbox 360 is on quite a tear these days when it comes to Japanese role playing games (JRPGs). Hot on the footsteps of Blue Dragon, Eternal Sonata, and Lost Odysssey comes yet another stellar adventure in Tales of Vesperia. This latest edition of the Tales series, which has seen games on just about very platform the last several years save the original Xbox, is the first for next-gen consoles (and thus the first in HD). As such, it is easily the best looking Tales game ever made. Otherwise, it retains the charm that makes the Tales games such a steady, if under-appreciated, franchise.
Those who dislike most JRPGs because of their typical turn-based battle mechanic may find Tales of Vesperia more to their liking as the battles play out more like a combo-driven fighting game. You can see enemies on the field (thus no random encounters which is always a plus) and if you choose to engage them you enter a fighting stage where you have free movement of the character you are controlling. The computer will control the other characters in your party by default, though other players can hop in (only during battles) to join the fighting. Your attacks consist of regular attacks and special moves. In true RPG fashion, your special attacks (called Artes) can be modified and enhanced as you level up (and use the attacks more often). You can also obtain skills from weapons you wield. Use them long enough and you learn special skills and no longer require the weapon (you can get another to learn its skill). All of this means the battle strategy is very in-depth and remains interesting throughout the adventure.
The story is not the most unique, but it is interesting enough to keep your attention and you will truly be drawn to the characters as you progress. This game is a little less cinematic than something like Lost Odyssey (which came on 4 discs because of all the full motion video cut scenes) but it contains quite a bit of story nonetheless. Much of it plays out in dialog between the characters and in special skits that are a staple of the Tales series. Like most JRPGs the gameplay is fairly linear although there is a nice balance of that with free exploration and sidequests later in the game.
When I bought an Xbox 360 the last thing I expected was to be treated with a steady diet of the sort of top-level JRPGs that I had come to love on the Playstation 2. I have been pleasantly surprised (and kept very busy!) by these great games, however, and Tales of Vesperia definitely keeps that train rolling. This game is not just a good JRPG for the 360, it surpasses the previous Tales games on the PS2 and comes close to matching the classic Tales of Symphonia on the Gamecube as one of the best in the series.
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Tales of vesperia
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