User Reviews (1 - 11 of 193)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

The first successful game in the Tales series

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 21, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Gameplay: 4/5

ToS has a real time battle system. You're limited to four moves that you can set yourself and you can assign moves to the C stick so that you can use anytime during battle. The controls in battle take a little time to get used to, but once you're okay with it they become second nature to you.



Replay: 5/5

Once you beat Mithos you can play the game all over again! Things get easier after the first time through. You can use all the grade you obtained in your adventure to buy features for your second game. The best thing on there is the 10x EXP. It costs 3000 grade so I don't think you'll have it for the second game. You can also choose to keep titles, relationships, money, and even have up to 30 items in your inventory. I highly reccomend kepping your money and having 30 items.



Multiplayer: 3/5

I really hate to give it a rating like this. Personally I like single player better. The game was designed for single player but you can have four people playing at once. The bad thing is that it's only in battle. Since I've only played with one other person I have no idea what 4 player is like.



Graphics: 5/5

Graphics ROCK! These are some pretty good graphics. There is some cel-shading in there, but it's not like Wind Waker. I think it's a combination of cel-shading and LoZ graphics. The characters and world are cel-shaded and the background is like LoZ graphics.



Sound: 5/5

Sound is just....just....it's so awesome I can't think of the word! The music both inside and outside of battle is really great. One of my favourite songs on there is titled Full Force. Character voices are good. There is some language on there. Don't worry it's all mild. They don't say f*** every 5 seconds. lol The only bad part is when Zelos says SOB in Sybak. Other than that it's all good.



Overall: 4/5

Overall this is an awesome game. There are some parts where it gets pretty emotional. The most emotional part is in Exire. Story has a good ending. With all the sidequests you won't be able to do them all in one game.

Nearly Makes up for the lack of Gamecube RPGs

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 13, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Back in 2004, when Nintendo was for the most part a joke, this was one of the few games Gamecube owners could point to when teased for owning one. Like most JRPG's the story and characters are entirely cliche, but the world is such a fun one to explore that one can overlook the plot twists that are easily spotted hours before they're revealed and go with it. It's also one of the very few rpg's that have co-op and to my knowledge its the only one to allow for 4 players, something which all action rpg's really should have. The game also has lots of fun minigames and sidequests which are different from the standard find-the-item types, such as one where a character becomes a waitress to get extra gald, a character who is a famous ladies man who is able to get free items from talking to female NPC's, or the cooking part of the game, where you search the world for a chef in order to get recipes, which allow you to make different foods at the end of each battle and heal the party by eating them instead of just using a potion or heal spell. Between the price being under $[...], gamecubes being available for $[...] and being playable on the Wii, you really have no excuse for not trying this game.

best RPG for the GameCube

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If you are new to the "Tales" series, this game is a great place to start. With colorful graphics and innovative battle system, this game and series stands out in a crowd. The only real problem I can see is if you are used to typical turn-based RPGs, this game's battle system may take some getting used to. But other than that, it's a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

If you care about storylines the stay away from this review

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: July 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

OH my God shoot me in the head for buying this game where do i start. I'm an old RPG fan every since Final Fantasy X hell i've played them all. well i was looking for just one more good RPG ya know. I thought this one could "take me back a few years". No NO NO it didn't do htat at all now let me tell ya why in 5 easy reasons.

1. The storyling is a rip off of Final Fantasy X I mean it's almost the same thing. it's about this girl who has to sacrife herselft to save the planet but then she and her rag tag party are double crossed about some fool wearing a night grown. Look if you guys have played Final Fantasy Z or even FFIX since it kind of rips off that storyline too becuse of the 2 planet crap, then don't buy this game. the only twist is that Kratos turns out to be Loyd's dad.......... woooooooooooooops looks like a spolied it for ya.

2. All the characters execpt one "Kratos" are really reallying annoying. the 2nd main character "the girl that has to save the plantet" might be one of the if not the most annoying game characters i've seen in my life.

3. Graphics are not that good. Look i've got nothing against cell shaded i mean i'll be the first to tell ya that when the wind waker came out i loved it but this game is just half baking it. it's like there kind of doing ot then again there kind of not. it's like looking at a saterday moring anime carton on fox kids channel.

4. I've got nothing aginst reading the text in games i mean FF1-9 was all about that. what i don't like is how they "the characters" talk at the same time. I guess i can let that slide thought i've seen a lot of games do this now like star ocean 3

5. look just don't buy this game you've got to trust me it has it's moments like whne ..... ok i don't know but there is one good thing about this game taht saves it almost. the figthing system is pretty cool and easy you are in a 2D background but you can move around the combos are easy to use and your team mates really do help out in the fight in this game so thats pretty cool. ok I'm done

The Gamer that LOVES Tales of Series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 05, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have some words to say...first off I am thirteen, my friends older some younger some the same age, and we all ABSOLUTELY LOVE TALES OF SYMPHONIA (ToS for short). It's a great rpg, with lots of magic, sword fighting, shielding, elemental defense, healing spells, elemental offense, many items, a great money system (this game uses gald, not gold, gald), hundreds of unique awesome weapons some elemental some magic some regularly killer lethal and some just fun (like a broom!!), and lots and lots of different armor and clothing (not to mention amulets and jewels etc.). The battle system is really interactive, and it's NOT TURN BASED, up to four players can play, so you can have a great time battle by yourself with computers helping you, or with friends pwning the monsters that get in your way. For a Gamecube game, the graphics are pretty good, the fighting absolutely fun and suspenseful, the storyline quite unique and different while still being superior, and then the characters mostly all awesome, while some can get on your nerves in a funny way. So I would rate this game a 10/10, as well as Tales of the Abyss and all the other Tales of games out there (except for Radiant Mythology, that was a pure disappointment), did I mention there are 3 ways of transportation to get around these 2 HUGE maps? Yeah, the story is long, fun, and there are many small optional mini games and side quests (some side quests long and fun), and then there's the main storyline you follow once you get bored wandering around the two worlds meeting people etc.
Overall Review:
Graphics: 9/10 (really good for an old GC game, actually not that old)
Music: 8/10
Battle system: 10/10
Story Line: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Side Quests: 9/10
Armor and Weaponry: 10/10
Magic/special attacks/unison attacks/ basic hits: 10/10
single player: 10/10
multi player: 8/10

It's a good game, if you like or want a game with fighting, sword banging, magic, technique, non turn based battles, realistic fighting, enjoyable music and graphics, elemental spells, wandering ability (you don't have to go to the next spot in the story line immediately, you go when you feel like it), and amazing characters etc., THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR GET THIS GAME!!

P.S. I also forgot to mention you can get TITLES which switch around your stats a bit without leveling up, and some titles change your costume so you can look different when you walking and in battles, and in cutscenes (swimsuits, disco/fun outfits etc.), yup, pretty awesome.

Good Combat, Blah Everything Else

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Tales of Symphonia nails the combat system. It's addictive, original and well-animated. Unfortunately, the puzzles, characters and plot are cliched and unmemorable. Pity because it's such a beautifully animated game.

Characters talk too much (every thirty seconds you'll be dragged into a conversation, even in the overworld). I don't need to hear about every character's favorite color while I'm trying to save the world?

Save the world? These characters are too busy finding dragons for a little boy, cooking for restaurants and just generally mucking about to make you think that they're really focused on their goal. The battle system is nice, but only fans of vapid Japanese anime need apply.

beyond awesome game!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 21, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have the gamecube in the household. and my brother wanted tales of symphonia for christmas and told me i would like it. i got my mom to get at target for $20 for christmas. i wasn't too interested but decided to play since it is partly mine. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST GAMES YOU WILL EVER PLAY!!!!!!!!! i recently replayed for the 4th time and ended up staying up to 3:30 am, which i don't do. i love the battle system, and the story line is amazing. and i love the music. one of the best rpgs i have ever played

One of the Best RPG Games Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game twists and turns you through an adventure that will sometimes shock you. You start off as a reckless young boy with his friends sets off on a journey to save all mana and when you think you know whats right then it takes a couple of turns and completly changes your mind. I played this game for a while but turned it down when I couldn't get past a part because there was a lot of talking and just got bored. Then I picked it up again and adored it! This game is worth the money! It took me forever to beat it and was sad when I did. If you don't like hard battles, great adventures, and a quest greater than to save your world than I suggest you don't buy this. Long live Tales of Symphonia!

Epic game with a marvelous story!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

When I saw this game at blockbuster, it looked fun so I tried it...OH MY GODDNESS! Though the game is long, you really get into it and like all the characters you meet and fight with. The animated graphics are fun, but I wish there more real anime like scenes, since there's only a few. Each character doesn't act like another, so that's a plus. But oh yeah, this game is LONG and can be difficult. If you're impatient, buy the guide also, even if you want to get extra stuff.

Also, the story is as epic as the Zelda games! You play as Lloyd, a somewhat dim-witted but emotional and brave character; you help protect the next Chosen, Collette. Other awesome characters come along, and you can learn awesome magic attacks and do group attacks that really help. It does take a little while to develop strategies when fighting, but it really grows on ya once you get more attacks and weapons. Now I found out they're making another for the Wii, so that'll be sweet! Its not too late; grab a gamecube and buy this game (and guide) and get lost in Symphonia, you won't regret it!

It Will Appeal to Some (namely huge Tales fans), but Definitely Not Everyone

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: March 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Some of the Tales of...titles seem to generate comparisons to the Star Ocean series. While the two are completely different games, I, too, began to see similarities...and then the similarities grew as I progressed through this title.

Graphics

Cell shaded. The locales are quite nice, but some of them do appear rather flat and stale at times. The graphics during battle run very smoothly and are quite nice. The detail of the characters and monsters are quite nice.

Gameplay

You will love the combat engine. There are a few mini games scattered throughout the game that are quite easy to pick up and play. Also, navigation isn't too difficult; though, being on foot for almost the entire game on the world map can become quite tedious. The game has a short learning curve. You can easily compare it to Star Ocean.

Story

When is picks up, it gets good; however, when it slows down, its really slow. Even some of the main missions seem out of place as at times they do very little as regards to progression in the story. At times, the story does drag...The story, for the most part is solid, but not all that original. The story itself is somewhat predictable.

Characters

Entertaining, but not a bunch I would opt to travel around the world with. Some character's personalities are a little dry while some of the others are just plain annoying. Some of the characters are almost one-dimensional as there isn't much to their personality--story wise, there really is only one character who goes through a massive change.

Overall

There are some sidequests...and they take you way out of your way to complete them. It would have been one thing if your character had a faster means of transportation across the world map. With the amount of random encounters, its bound to annoy anyone who just wants to get the mission done. The story has a very light-hearted sort of feel; while not necessarily geared towards kids, the plot and progress may turn some players off as they may see it as somewhat immature. The game is good, but similar to Star Ocean in many aspects.

The Good:
-Short Learning Curve
-Enjoyable Cast of Characters (some)
-Nice Graphics
-Fun Combat Engine

The Bad:
-Considered an "inferior" Star Ocean
-Some parts of the game drag
-Appears to be geared towards kids
-Music is repetitive and forgettable

The Ugly:
-The character portraits during dialogue

---------------------------UPDATE---------------------------------------

The game is good in its own merits; however, if you're anything like me, you still won't find this game as appealing as other role-playing games out there. Being one of the few GOOD Gamecube role-playing games out there, I see it not ranking as high among others.

My BIGGEST personal issue (which may apply to some others and may have to do with your style of RPGs) was its poor pacing. The game fleshes out a story I have come to like; however, there are breaks in the game where the story doesn't pick up for hours. I've logged a good 20 hours into the game and have just come across a shocking turn of events in the game; unfortunately, I'm back to running from town to town running through a series of events that are detracting from the MAIN and FAR MORE INTERESTING story.

I could get past running through the same labyrinths/dungeons/Ranches twice--once to progress the story, the second time to obtain a summon (pertaining to the dungeons/labyrinths), but the world map isn't the most pleasant to stroll through as random encounters are far too often (the onscreen enemies often come out of nowhere and attack you slowing down the progress). The worst part of exploring the labyrinths and dungeons would be the respawning enemies patrolling its floor.

Some of the dungeon's puzzles the game could have done without...it's as if they threw them in last minute. The overall objective of some of treks through these locations could have done away with some of the redundant puzzles (since there are so many enemy encounters) and the ring used to solve puzzles was more of a nuisance.

It's a tough call with this game as I introduced myself to this series when I purchased my gamecube a little while back. It starts off good, it progresses well for a little while, it gets better, then it begins to drag. It picks up the pace very well with a very, very interesting plot twist or turn of events, then it drags again. You solve some puzzles--some pointless and some clever, you go through a series of events that are seemingly out of place, and so forth. The most disheartening part of the game (to me) was trekking the world map as I wanted to immediately jump back into the story. Newcomers MAY or MAY NOT enjoy this game, long time fans; however, will love this game.

+Pros:
+The story is GREAT
+Engaging and Fun Battle system
+

-Cons:
-Pacing is very poor and the progression of story is spaced out because of side-events, obtaining summons, and random characters
-There is probably one or two characters whos personalities may wear thin with players
-Revisiting the same areas twice can be a drag
-No vehicle...scaling the world map can be a pain for the first...15 hours

??:
-Graphic style may or may not appeal to everybody
-Some may or may not be turned off by the character interactions

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions