Tales of the Abyss

1. frantisek

   Feb 14, 2012

   10

   Tales of the Abyss, the first game in the series to make use of the free run system for its 3d battles, is probably the best entry in theTales of the Abyss, the first game in the series to make use of the free run system for its 3d battles, is probably the best entry in the franchise so far and has aged very well. The world of Auldrant is extremely well portrayed, and the plot is convincing, deep and enthralling till the ending credits, with a solid, likeable cast that will often surprise you with their interactions and they way they develop during the game's events.
   
   The game is also filled to the brim with optional scenes that will make a lot of difference if you want to fully understand what's going on, and the Tales series' skits are a nice way to have a constant feedback from your party members. All those features make the game extremely lengthy, too: with all the side material this game can last even more than 100 hours.
   
   The battle system is also great, and makes use of the 3d arena by allowing you to freely move your characters and build up combos of skills and magics in extremely fast paced action battles. The PS2 version had some issues, like the unnerving loading times and glitched world map, but this 3DS port completely solved them, making this the definitive way to enjoy this game.… Expand

   • 19 of 19 users found this helpful
2. TacticalRanger

   Sep 20, 2013

   10

   I loved this game. At first Luke was really annoying but towards the end he became one of my favorite characters along with Tear and Jade. HisI loved this game. At first Luke was really annoying but towards the end he became one of my favorite characters along with Tear and Jade. His relation to Ashe (which I will not spoil) is perfectly executed. The plot is very deep and the world is very interesting and unique. The combat is good but I really enjoyed the story and characters. The Six-God General were all great characters and how the Score (prophases written telling the entire future) plays out was very interesting. The music was also very good my favorite song being Meaning of Birth. The 3D aspect isn't that good but I really only turn the 3D on during cutscenes so I didn't mind… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
4. Cale

   Feb 8, 2013

   9

   Going in, I'd never played any of the Tales series. I am now rectifying the situation. I actually found myself savoring the game as IGoing in, I'd never played any of the Tales series. I am now rectifying the situation. I actually found myself savoring the game as I played, dragging out my first full playthrough to just over one hundred hours. The combat system (once free running is unlocked) is outstanding, reminescent of Star Ocean 2, only less cumbersome as long as you stay within the 8 provided shortcut slots when mapping abilities. The addition of AD skills as you progress seems to add a touch of realism to development, as a person who fights will pick up little things that they can do in combat that can give them a slight advantage. This adds subtle nuance to the concept of being a combat veteran as opposed to most JRPG games that use just a levelling system. The story was engaging, almost immersive at times, and proceeded at a pace that always seemed appropriate. The characters were very well done, Luke and Jade in particular, the first being completely believable and natural based on his past and circumstances, the second being just about the most awesome character ever to be created. The addition of alternate costumes is a feature that other games should have, as it was surprisingly nice to have the ability to change their appearance. The 3d features aren't overblown, though the text presentation could have been done a little better, as the text seemed to always be right at the top of the screen, with the characters far behind it. This tended to make them sometimes a bit of a pain to read, although I cannot think of a way that would have been better. Replay value is through the roof, as there are so many things that can't even be seen or gotten until at least the second playthrough. The many side conversations were a nice touch, providing extra comic relief, character and plot development, but could have used a way to control going through the text, making them sometimes more of an annoyance than their worth as part of the game. On occasion, you need to be able to somewhat precicely use the Mieu fire ability, and the controls are not well suited to this, making such situations easily the most annoying parts of the game. All in all, it easily makes my personal top ten of the genre, and should be a must play for any fan of good RPGs.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
5. Oceanicus

   Nov 20, 2012

   8

   Great game, of a great series, it takes you through a magical land and has quite an interesting story, however fans of the genre will noticeGreat game, of a great series, it takes you through a magical land and has quite an interesting story, however fans of the genre will notice quite some "clichés" and sometimes the game suffers from frame rate during battles, which can be a little mood-killing...… Expand

   • 6 of 6 users found this helpful
6. Incarta

   Feb 16, 2014

   7

   I tried to like this more and for a while I did. But for some reason I found myself not caring for the story or characters enough to carry on.I tried to like this more and for a while I did. But for some reason I found myself not caring for the story or characters enough to carry on. It's a good game but you'll need to be a bit more patient than I was with it.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
7. Andbrian

   Feb 13, 2023

   6

   I really wanted to love this game, but after much endurance, I quit after 18 hours. And trust me, I am NOT one to just give up on a gameI really wanted to love this game, but after much endurance, I quit after 18 hours. And trust me, I am NOT one to just give up on a game easily. Everything just felt mediocre. I thought the graphics were terrible (I played on a 2DS XL). Most of what promotes the drive to search rooms in a JRPG is the prospect of finding items/loot or someone to talk to, but I feel like I wandered through a million empty rooms with nothing in them. The battle system felt weak, just a button masher (slight team management as far as items/healing). Speaking of items, there were a ton, but I never used anything more than Apple or Orange Gels. Truth be told, I should have just bumped up the difficulty to Hard, maybe it would've provided more of a challenge. Some positives, however, great voice acting across the board along with good characters. The story was a mix. On the one hand, I did like it, it did a good job of creating intrigue. But then on the other hand, it felt too political, and many times I was like, where is this even going?! Granted, the game came out in 2005. But overall, just left a bad taste in my mouth, and it was my first Tales game, so I'm not exactly thrilled to try another one (I already own Vesperia on Switch).… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. Mooteddy

   Apr 3, 2020

   1

   **** Higuchi, I'm sorry dude, you should absolutely not direct games
   
   I played the game for 31 hours and I'm not even remotely interested in**** Higuchi, I'm sorry dude, you should absolutely not direct games
   
   I played the game for 31 hours and I'm not even remotely interested in what is happening. Every conflict is resolved absolutely randomly. There is ALWAYS some CONVENIENT coincidence happening that solves the problem that the characters are having. No moral, no risk, no danger ever surrounds your party.
   
   Every single character is driven by guilt and they all tell each other "don't be so hard on yourself. Basically, every single character has the same dialogue in regard to morals. How cheap is that???
   
   The backtracking in the game is beyond rational. The game even sometimes offers you to teleport you to the location because it knows how bad the backtracking is. Thank you? I guess? No.
   
   Pacing is abnormally bad. Something interesting happens every 10 hours. The rest of your time you spend running from point A to point B. Then to C. Then to D. Then to A. To B. To A. To A.b. . To C. To A. To E. To B. It's Fun...
   
   Not worth your time.
   
   THE POSITIVE:
   -Combat is okay, with skills that you learn...more or less random. There's a system to it, but it's meh.
   -Equipment is fun to get but most of it is just bought from a vendor.
   -Puzzles are kinda fun. More fun than the story
   -Voice acting is on point
   
   That's it.
   
   VERDICT:
   
   The game has ZERO respect for your time and expects you to play it like it's your job. The traces of the story that you get are very unfulfilling that come to a consensus every 10 hours, which isn't very spectacular in the first place. The voice acting is nice, but given the below amateur level writing, pretty wasted. The combat is kinda nice, but it's NOT "I'd play that for 50+ hours nice". A great prologue that leads to a very disappointing rest of the game.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful

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