Tales of Xillia 2

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 250 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 196 out of 250
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 250
  3. Negative: 31 out of 250
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Nelsa
    Nov 2, 2015
    0
    I am not a fan. My brothers and I played through the first one and I loved it and so logically we got the second one. And I mean, we knew it wasn't gonna be as good as the first one cause sequels rarely are but this....this is just....no es bueno. We have been playing for 72 hours, we are level 63, we've already maxed out abilities on 7 characters and we're only like half way through theI am not a fan. My brothers and I played through the first one and I loved it and so logically we got the second one. And I mean, we knew it wasn't gonna be as good as the first one cause sequels rarely are but this....this is just....no es bueno. We have been playing for 72 hours, we are level 63, we've already maxed out abilities on 7 characters and we're only like half way through the game, at least that's what it seems like, and it's sooo boring. And annoying cause the creator decided they didn't want people having fun cause they changed things up in a way that's just irritating. Like the main character is locked on the party throughout the game, now combine that with the linked system, you can't change party members on the world map, now combine that with the fact that only Leia can steal, and the main character has a super mode that takes over the entire battle, now combine that with multiplayer....you see a pattern? These things, while probably 'meh' when playing solo become a huge irritation when playing in a group. And the game designers didn't stop there. Now take that already horrible mixture and throw in a bratty 8 year old that won't shut her freaking mouth, a freaking loan shark who calls you CONSTANTLY even in timed areas, and a main character who has the emotional complexity of a slug who never talks and you have to make decisions for and you have the **** sandwich that is this game. There are so many draw backs, if it weren't for the fact that I loved like 66% of the characters in the last game, Idda already bailed. Also, there are quests where your party is Ludger, a pair of characters and then a free character, the pairs are always the same, so you don't get the fun interactions you might get from Alvin and Elize, plus that would make more sense than sending both mages together. It's just...it's bad.
    Plus, just random complaint, why did the name the child Elle when we already have Elize who's nickname from Teepo was Ellie? That just seems like poor planning.    … Expand
  2. Shinwa_Sohma
    Aug 23, 2014
    4
    First of all I must say the Collector's edition was a generous offer which, I'm sure, pleased and met the fan's expectations. This review is intended for the overall gaming experience (or...I should say, lack of it).

    Tales of Xillia will always be one of my favorite games ever. I adored the story and the characters (specially the two protagonists). It was an interactive gaming    First of all I must say the Collector's edition was a generous offer which, I'm sure, pleased and met the fan's expectations. This review is intended for the overall gaming experience (or...I should say, lack of it).

    Tales of Xillia will always be one of my favorite games ever. I adored the story and the characters (specially the two protagonists). It was an interactive gaming experience where. I would be playing for long hours and have the feeling all those guys were with me because of the fantastic interactions with each other and their surroundings, the skits were phenomenal, the humor was quick and more mature, and I could feel the character's personalities. Oh... I should add that I loved the fact the all had A VOICE, thank you very much.

    I was looking forwards to Xillia2, and I was convinced that because Xillia was such a perfect power house that was no way anyone could screw things up but they managed to do it in epic levels. A silent protagonist was a very poor choice (again, in my personal opinion), it feels/looks/sounds utterly ridiculous in the gameplay, the interactions were murdered, the skits were brought to an infant level, to the point I feel I'm playing a pre-teen girl game with no content.

    If the company regretted the great choices, levels, set of of characters tones/personalities, and the awesomeness of the skits and interactions in the first Xillia, that is too bad, but I hope the changes weren't made to meet a younger, or less mentally appreciative audience. Those changes successfully brought Xillia2 to shameful and ridiculous levels.

    The strong points were kept with its beautiful and unique to Xillia art style and worlds, great opening music, and being able to play with the characters from Xillia back in that Universe.    … Expand
  3. vahn
    Apr 1, 2019
    2
    Yeah, I'm definitely late for this, 5 years in fact, but this is because I couldn't bother to review this game back when it was new and I was extremely hyped for it. Xillia was "officially" my first tales - even though I had Vesperia but I never managed to actually play it back then - and I loved that game so much: I loved the combat, I loved the Lilium system, I loved the charactersYeah, I'm definitely late for this, 5 years in fact, but this is because I couldn't bother to review this game back when it was new and I was extremely hyped for it. Xillia was "officially" my first tales - even though I had Vesperia but I never managed to actually play it back then - and I loved that game so much: I loved the combat, I loved the Lilium system, I loved the characters (except Milla. **** Milla), I loved the setting, I loved the graphics, I loved the linked system...I just loved it and I'm just now replaying it for the first time in 6 years! My review of Xillia 1 might be a bit off but I truly enjoyed that game, so much that I'm even going to attempt the platinum I loved it so much.

    But Xillia 2 is just...not good.

    Let's start from the very first thing you see when you start the game: what the **** happened to our characters? they look TERRIBLE, and I don't mean "Yeah they don't look as good" NO I mean they look terrible, their design is atrocious, HORRIBLE, UGLY! Jude's lab coat is so bland it feels like it's an extra costume! Alvin just looks blander now and Leia, just, how could they change her adorable design into a journalist? And Elize?! Argh! Why is she now a chirpy, slutty schoolgirl?! She doesn't act nor look like Elize, she's a completely different character!

    On this regard, yes, time has passed since the first game, changes are normal to occur and I'm not saying they shouldn't change them, but I at least expected them to grow into better people! Jude has become boring, Leia is a loser journalist instead of a charismatic and happy nurse, Alvin is shady once again - even though I remember him stopping doing that? - Elize is just a bland school girl with the personality of cardboard...and frankly, that's it for now, because I have more for later.

    But of course, how could I forget? Now we control Ludger, a new character entirely...who doesn't speak at all. Yep, we got a silent protagonist now and...he's just okay, at best. It's really okay but I wish he spoke more rather than allow us to choose his answers. In addition, Elle, the other main protagonist, is a pain in the butt and she won't stop talking. What saves them from complete horror is definitely Rollo...I don't know why but whenever I saw him my complaints would end. It's hard to get mad when a damn big fat cat looks at you, and I'm a bird type of person!

    Okay, characters are ****ed, what's left? Oh the combat, one of my favorite parts of the game and probably the best combat I ever had in a tales so far: the linked arts and the unique talents of the character made it fun to experiment and the Lilium orb, a system similar to FFX's Sphere grid, made it all enjoyable and customizable at the player's pace. Well, the combat is pretty much the same...but the Lilium system is not, replaced for probably one of the worst progression systems of those years.

    Remember whenever you leveled you'd receive GP to use it in the Lilium Orb? Forget that now: in order to obtain everything, from skills to artes, you're now having to get elemental ore. How do you get elemental ore? From enemies and from the overworld. Why is it worse? Because you can only grow certain elements at once depending on the Extractor, meaning that you can play 20 hours without obtaining any of the important artes like resurrection or pixie circle or anything. I played Xillia 2 for over 20 hours, 20 hours of boring grind - since combat is practically meaningless and you can grind the ores by just running out and in of the map - until I simply call it quits. I hardly quit games so soon because of boredom and it's usually a Square Enix game, but this time Tales of Xillia 2 beat them to it. I didn't even bother to get the last 3 characters like Milla but considering she was a **** in the first game I HIGHLY DOUBT she's any better in this game. At least I don't have to Boo her every 30 seconds.

    Bottom line, I just don't like this game...I replayed it twice but the feeling I get is the same: it's boring and the plot is just needless. The questing system sucks and it's now tied to a "debt system" where zones are unlocked the more you pay and then you get the Rollo minigame which forces you to wait for REAL-TIME for his return and it is required in order to get certain items for quests. I just couldn't get more than that time and the more I played, the more I wanted to return to Xillia 1. And I did, despite the flaws it has (mostly Milla. because **** Milla)

    Apologies for the swearing, but this game pissed me off so much that I couldn't do a review years ago, and now I finally said my piece: **** this game, play Xillia 1.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best PS3 Game of 2014
16
#16 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2014
14
#14 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 59
  3. Negative: 3 out of 59
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Nov 15, 2014
    85
    A Japanese style RPG with fast'n'furious real-time combat. There's a lot of stuff to do and nothing deviates too much from the tried and tested Tales of -formula. Maybe it should, though. [Nov 2014]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Oct 29, 2014
    40
    The formula needs an update. [Nov 2014, p.94]
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Oct 25, 2014
    74
    The combat system is one of the best features of the series. It has nothing to do with the classic turn-based battles and resemble three-dimensional team fighting. Heroes are free to move around the battlefield, they know how to put the blocks, dodge, and not only execute fierce battle tricks but carrying out deadly team combos. All this looks very spectacular and saves from the boredom in those frequent moments when player runs out of desire for more grinding. Unfortunately local grind is a must – without it one never will be able to kill some bosses. [Nov 2014, p.106]
See all critic reviews »