Tales of Xillia

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 515 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 429 out of 515
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 515
  3. Negative: 40 out of 515
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  1. ocinom
    Aug 8, 2013
    9
    Another satisfying game from the Tales Team. I would appreciate if they included the option for Japanese Voices but never the less this is game delivers the patented Tales experience
  2. C3realkillah
    Aug 8, 2013
    9
    Tales of xillia is in my opinion the best in the tales series I was disappointed with Vesparia as it played awkwardly and looked really cartoonish. Xillia has great anime styled graphics, likeable characters, a good story (which I relly need to play more of) and overall badass dynamic real time rpg styled combat. Seriously the combat alone in this game is enough to warrant a purchase. It'sTales of xillia is in my opinion the best in the tales series I was disappointed with Vesparia as it played awkwardly and looked really cartoonish. Xillia has great anime styled graphics, likeable characters, a good story (which I relly need to play more of) and overall badass dynamic real time rpg styled combat. Seriously the combat alone in this game is enough to warrant a purchase. It's not as complex like star ocean the last hope but it has its own level of style and strategy. The only thing i didnt really like was how the world is very mysterious and not a lot gets explained also some of the va is bad (one girl has a lisp which is AWFUL!) and the graphics though being anime like dont stack up to this generation of graphics which is to be expected because it took forever to release outside of Japan. Overall if anyone likes RPGs or jrpgs in general or just games with a good story,solid fun combat, or even anime I recommend giving this game a shot! The negatives are few and pale in comparison to the rest of what this fantastic game has to offer. 9/10… Expand
  3. Roxas0
    Aug 8, 2013
    10
    I have seen someone is downvoting Xillia with alt accounts, the average user score went down from 9.2 to 8.7 in some minutes!

    Anyway, I have played half of Tale of Xillia and it's already my best jrpg on PS 3, better than Ninokuni and Final Fantasy XIII. The bosses are a lot of fun, and I've connected a lot with the heroes of this game. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a jrpg so    I have seen someone is downvoting Xillia with alt accounts, the average user score went down from 9.2 to 8.7 in some minutes!

    Anyway, I have played half of Tale of Xillia and it's already my best jrpg on PS 3, better than Ninokuni and Final Fantasy XIII. The bosses are a lot of fun, and I've connected a lot with the heroes of this game. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a jrpg so much, it's really polished like a classic from the past generations.    … Expand
  4. Bashton
    Aug 11, 2013
    10
    I'm in love with this game, I have bought it some days ago and I've already tackled more than thirty hours! It's the best Tales game ever released, by far, and possibly the best jrpg on the PS3 system. I love the characters, the story is rich and full of surprises and the fights are fast and have a lot of depth.
  5. ryuzaki57
    Aug 8, 2013
    9
    Being the first Tales of lead-developped for the PS3, Tales of Xillia looks like it comes from a different dimension from Graces or even Vesperia. However, while most of the towns and effects (water and attacks in particular) are among the finest in the genre, field maps have all the same minimalist aspect. Anime-style cutscenes are really getting old horrible in ToGF, those ones improveBeing the first Tales of lead-developped for the PS3, Tales of Xillia looks like it comes from a different dimension from Graces or even Vesperia. However, while most of the towns and effects (water and attacks in particular) are among the finest in the genre, field maps have all the same minimalist aspect. Anime-style cutscenes are really getting old horrible in ToGF, those ones improve a little in Xillia but they make no sense given that the formidable game engine makes wonders in real time cutscenes.

    The battle system is what I liked the most in Tales of Xillia. If I had to quantify it, it would easily make 50% of the (immense) pleasure I had playing the game. Battles in ToV were immersive, awesome in Graces, and ToX actually manages to trenscend both. You choose two characters within the four on the battlefield, one lead (the one you control) and one «partner» who directly assists your lead. The interesting thing is that each character has a special ability as a lead and another as a partner. For exemple, Jude can heal his lead while he will dodge and counterattack as a lead. Furthermore, you can switch between characters in every possible way, leaving room for quite dynamic strategies, which ultimately is very important since all ennemies don't behave the same. But the most striking aspect of Xillia's battles is the link attacks as your overlimits jauge gradually fills, lead and partner will be able to launch powerful joint attacks. Always very impressive, sometimes hilarious or totally over-the-top, they make battles more offensive-oriented and far more spectacular and fiercer than ever. Of course, you can always complain that sidestepping is gone, or that TPs are a pain (not that much actually), but believe me, you forget all that once you start linking link attacks. Of course, the excellent voice acting and sound effects help a lot. Another very good thing is that the auto-item system has been refined to perfection you can now decide the quantity, the priority order and what your allies are allowed to use. To be completely exhaustive with the battles, I must stress that the game is sligthly less difficult than Graces in difficulty «Second» except for an horrible difficulty spike in Millia's story. Luckily, you can switch to another difficulty setting anytime, which allows you to overcome the aforementionned spike (otherwise trust me that the disc would have flown by the window).In Second, Xillia remains a decent challenge with really unforgettable boss fights, but appears a little more humane than ToGF, which was discouraging at some points.

    The story seemed to be the weak point of this iteration. The problem is that it takes something like 40h to get some steam. In the first half of the game, the various events don't really make sense as a whole. In the late stages of the game though, the narration grows really strong and fully coherent, with one of the most revelant message about ecology ever. The personal destiny of each character is efficiently developped as well, which kinda makes up for the slow start. I found the character design of the playable characters pretty good, better than Graces but not as much as Vesperia which had set the bar very high. But where Tales of Xillia is amazing is on the antagonist side Gaius and his buddies are so cool that I though it was a shame to have them as the bad guys. Millia's story took me 70h to complete (including numerous sidequests), I have barely tackled the post-game dungeon and there's still Jude's story Xillia is really generous in the content it offers. Musically speaking, ToX is quite fine, but could have done with more variety.

    Best graphics, best battle system, great characters, great scenario you have here the best Tales of to date.    … Expand
  6. RonaldR
    Aug 10, 2013
    10
    I'm near the end and boy if it wasn't a fantastic ride. While I love jrpgs I hadn't enjoyed the genre so much in years till I tried Graces last year, and I fell in love in a matter of hours. Xillia is even better, with its revamped graphics, Link Artes and fantastic cast of characters, and the plot so far has been great and fast paced. I recommend it to everyone, this isn't just for jrpg fans.
  7. Drake35
    Aug 7, 2013
    8
    My review for Tales of Xillia

    I will also do a video review online I usally do that better.

    Graphics 8.2
    Sound 8.4
    Controls 81.
    Extra's 7.5
    Story 8.0

    Overall 87
  8. Justhere
    Aug 7, 2013
    9
    My first impressions with "Tales of Xillia" were, admittedly, all over the place. I myself have played a variety of these games in the past, ranging from Symphonia on the Gamecube to Vesperia on the 360. I also delved into a section of the game that's not usually used. Multiplayer. I played this game along with a friend and got approximately 5 hours into the game at the moment. These areMy first impressions with "Tales of Xillia" were, admittedly, all over the place. I myself have played a variety of these games in the past, ranging from Symphonia on the Gamecube to Vesperia on the 360. I also delved into a section of the game that's not usually used. Multiplayer. I played this game along with a friend and got approximately 5 hours into the game at the moment. These are my thoughts.

    Tales of Xillia immediately made me feel right at home in the narration. It felt like a Tales game alright, so veterans like myself will notice distinct similarities. That being said, I was surprised when I was given a choice between the main protagonists, Jude and Milla. We chose Jude and moved on. As we got into the plot side of things I won't say anything about it my friend was easily confused. He hasn't played a Tales game before, so it should be noted that this game isn't really a good game for newcomers to use. That's not really the game's fault though; only so much can be explained in so little time.

    When it came time for combat, the basic tutorials were easy to understand so that even my friend could get the basics down. It utilizes a mixture of traditional Symphonia battles with Graces f's CC system, and the flow is pretty good. X button uses simple attacks that cost 1 AC while gaining TP, and the O button uses Artes, which use both TP and 1 AC. Simple combos feel good as you pull them off. When more characters are added to the arsenal, you're introduced to the "Linking" system, which allows you to pair up with a teammate to fight an enemy together. This opens up more combo potentials, and also brings in "Linked Artes" think of them as two people merging a normal arte together to create a stronger arte.

    Then we were introduced to co-operative fighting after getting my own tush thoroughly kicked I'm surprised that not many people talk about this, because the combat in this game just feels so much better when another player or multiple are helping you fight. You can strategize with people, not AI. It adds a whole new element to the game that I simply love. My only gripe about co-operative play is that you can't link with another human player. When you try to, the second player loses control of his character and the AI takes over. Being able to co-ordinate attacks and artes together would've been a great addition and would highlight the multiplayer aspect, but it's sadly missing.

    As for characters and art style, I have no objections here. It certainly feels like a "Tales" game while the graphics are significantly improved. I only met three playable characters in my travels and grinding, and all of them interact with each other well. I've heard people say that Milla's voice acting doesn't fit the character well, but I personally don't see a problem with it.

    Also, I like the new shop system. You find materials and donate them to the store, which in turn gives you discounts and new items. It makes grinding and searching for all of those materials feel useful and not a waste of time (That was one of my main problems of Graces f. The synthesis system for creating items that did nothing except sometimes becoming something valuable just felt like a chore. )

    I see Xillia as a fantastic addition to the "Tales" series. I really hope that Xillia 2 lives up to this game's quality. The multiplayer combat is fun and should really be noticed more. I can't give this game a perfect score, but it's damn near close.    … Expand
  9. Runeforged
    Aug 8, 2013
    9
    As a long time fan of the Tales series I was really hoping Xillia would be much better than the mediocre Graces. I bought a PS3 specifically to enjoy the Tales series and Graces was really not the epic experience I had in mind. Still, I pre-ordered Xillia and now that I have 23 hours on it I can safely say it is one of the best entries in the Tales series. Right up there with Vesperia andAs a long time fan of the Tales series I was really hoping Xillia would be much better than the mediocre Graces. I bought a PS3 specifically to enjoy the Tales series and Graces was really not the epic experience I had in mind. Still, I pre-ordered Xillia and now that I have 23 hours on it I can safely say it is one of the best entries in the Tales series. Right up there with Vesperia and Symphonia.

    There really isn't anything truly wrong with the game. You could nit-pick the graphics being too low res here and there or some corny moments in the story but there are no glaring flaws that act as a detriment to the fun you will have. Xillia had the best iteration of the Tales battle system yet seen. The focus on Linked attacks add's strategy and boy when you pull them off the resulting flashy attack will make ur jaw drop and eyes glitter with yummyness.

    I think some of these critic scores are from people who never much liked Tales in the first place and they just don't 'get' it. The reviews they post are completely biased based on their general dislike for JRPG's.. Don't listen to them. If you are a Tales fan this is easily a must own. If you have not tried the series this is a great starting point. The emphasis on fun is really what makes Xillia stand out among other Tales games, do yourself a favor and pick up this gem. You won't regret it.    … Expand
  10. giancarloflow
    Aug 8, 2013
    10
    excellent, brilliant, wonderfull, is a great game of the tales. s one of the few games I have imported from Japan in my life, and it was totally worth it. The Tales franchise has had its ups and downs, but Xillia is definitely the high point for the series when you think about visuals, systems, story and characters. nice job
  11. SetsunaSeiei
    Aug 6, 2013
    10
    Tales of Xillia is one of the few games I have imported from Japan in my life, and it was totally worth it. The Tales franchise has had its ups and downs, but Xillia is definitely the high point for the series when you think about visuals, systems, story and characters. The world of Rize Maxia is beautiful and vibrant, the characters are well detailed and pleasant, the battles are fastTales of Xillia is one of the few games I have imported from Japan in my life, and it was totally worth it. The Tales franchise has had its ups and downs, but Xillia is definitely the high point for the series when you think about visuals, systems, story and characters. The world of Rize Maxia is beautiful and vibrant, the characters are well detailed and pleasant, the battles are fast rewarding and better than ever thanks to the linking between couples of characters and the way you gain skills in a Sphere Grid makes that even more compelling than in previous games. Cities are a joy to see, and even normal fields are big and full of paths you can take.

    Xillia also has two different adventures depending on who you decide to play as in the beginning (Jude Mathis or Milla Maxwell), and even if the story doesn't change too much I felt more interested in a second run than in most other Japanese RPGs. Now that the game is in English, I think fans of RPG and Tales alike will end up loving it just as I did.    … Expand
  12. zeone222
    Aug 6, 2013
    10
    Tales of Xillia is a great game despite the flaws that it has. It actually makes many improvements that the franchise needed to adopt in order to become more modern such as the inclusion of a movable camera and the removal of dialogue boxes and virtually everything becoming a cutscene. These little presentation changes allows Xillia to be a great package overall and while it's difficult toTales of Xillia is a great game despite the flaws that it has. It actually makes many improvements that the franchise needed to adopt in order to become more modern such as the inclusion of a movable camera and the removal of dialogue boxes and virtually everything becoming a cutscene. These little presentation changes allows Xillia to be a great package overall and while it's difficult to overlook the flaws it does make, the game definitely does more right than it does wrong. If you're an avid RPG gamer and are looking to delve into a very interesting world with characters that are extremely well-developed and a combat system that is action packed to boot, then you should check this game out. NOTE: This game is only released in Japan meaning Japanese efficiency is highly recommended. It is possible to play with translations and little Japanese but you might not receive the full experience possible.… Expand
  13. adrenilinmatt
    Aug 8, 2013
    10
    Absolutely stunning entry into the tales series. It's the same with every takes game, amazing characters, and a beautiful world. Which this has the best of. Im loving it so far, best one since vesperia. Another successful tales game. Cant say I expected any less at all.
  14. Joerpg84
    Aug 6, 2013
    10
    Great characters and story, innovative battle system with the new linking ...prefer this style graphics compared to previous tales! Definitely one of the better JRPGs I have played...even more than Ni No Kuni
  15. John_Milton
    Aug 6, 2013
    10
    While I'm not particularly attached to the Tales of series as a whole, the hours I have been able to spend with this wonderful game have convinced me Xillia should be played by everyone: Tales of fans, Jrpg fans and even those who have abandoned Jrpgs in the last years due to the genre's disappointing presence on consoles.

    Its freshness and ability to capture the best of its genres    While I'm not particularly attached to the Tales of series as a whole, the hours I have been able to spend with this wonderful game have convinced me Xillia should be played by everyone: Tales of fans, Jrpg fans and even those who have abandoned Jrpgs in the last years due to the genre's disappointing presence on consoles.

    Its freshness and ability to capture the best of its genres while innovating its form make it one of the most captivating Japanese games in recent memory. The story is really well written and engaging, having that distinct Japanese flavor without being too cliched, while the combat system brings the series to a new height and offers players a deep, strategical experience that makes every battle a pleasure.    … Expand
  16. dorchas
    Aug 7, 2013
    10
    I have always been a Final Fantasy fan, but Tales of Graces last year made me a believer in Namco's rpg series. While Graces was easily the best game I played in years, the time I have spent with Tales of Xillia (so far I'm at chapter 2 in Jude's scenario) has been so good and rewarding I think it will be my next top dog for quite some time. I especially appreciate the story, the music andI have always been a Final Fantasy fan, but Tales of Graces last year made me a believer in Namco's rpg series. While Graces was easily the best game I played in years, the time I have spent with Tales of Xillia (so far I'm at chapter 2 in Jude's scenario) has been so good and rewarding I think it will be my next top dog for quite some time. I especially appreciate the story, the music and the overworld you travel in, those are big improvements over Graces. I haven't even finished the game and I already wish I had Xillia 2 to start immediately after it.… Expand
  17. ZackKarpel
    Aug 6, 2013
    10
    this game is beyond too much fun. I have not had so much fun in a game in YEARS and that's saying something. I am a tales fanatic and after the disappointing failure of TO:graces f i am happy to say this game is an absolute MASTERPIECE! I hope you all enjoy this game as much as i do.
  18. Guitarist500
    Aug 7, 2013
    10
    It has a perfect battle system that is surprisingly better and fluid compared to previous entry Tales of Graces along with a better story that is actually a close call to becoming my personal favourite in the series. Although Tales of Xillia is the first in the main series to not feature Hibiki Aoyama/Shinji Tamura, Motoi Sakuraba changes the music direction in a much more mature, darkerIt has a perfect battle system that is surprisingly better and fluid compared to previous entry Tales of Graces along with a better story that is actually a close call to becoming my personal favourite in the series. Although Tales of Xillia is the first in the main series to not feature Hibiki Aoyama/Shinji Tamura, Motoi Sakuraba changes the music direction in a much more mature, darker turn that is very welcome. This game is simply the most fun and addicting 'Tales of' game I've played for quite a while. ...And how could anyone not love and adore Milla?… Expand
  19. Alphoxiel
    Aug 25, 2013
    10
    Deep cast. Brilliant art. Dark story. Lovely humor. 10 Deserved game.
    It feels as if playing marvel vs capcom in battles. The story went in a great pace.
    I just found a lone tales of xillia copy from bestbuy, thinking wow it's the limited edition version and i like jrpgs, but should I spend 60 bucks? nawwww--who am i kidding. Played it, then mind blew.
  20. ryuuhei
    Aug 16, 2013
    10
    Although I have not been very fond of the Tales of series, I thoroughly enjoyed this game and it stands among not only as my number one RPG, but also somewhere in my personal top five favorite games of all time. I played through both stories alone and with a friend (more on that later). It is possible to change the difficulty at anytime outside of battle, which makes any necessary grindingAlthough I have not been very fond of the Tales of series, I thoroughly enjoyed this game and it stands among not only as my number one RPG, but also somewhere in my personal top five favorite games of all time. I played through both stories alone and with a friend (more on that later). It is possible to change the difficulty at anytime outside of battle, which makes any necessary grinding a breeze, but there was only ever one point in both playthroughs that I actually grinded, and the combat flowing so easily (It is NOT a turn-based game, it's all real-time) meant I never lowered the difficulty past the "Moderate" setting (above normal, but under hard). As a side note, the multiplayer is NOT online, you can only turn on a second-fourth controller and set the characters in that slot to "Manual" or have the other players press "select" once or twice and they can drop-in and out at any given point in battle. Not necessary, but a neat feature that only increased how much fun I had with this.… Expand
  21. tallanx
    Aug 30, 2013
    9
    Really good game. I've lost a lot of sleep during a busy period at work, got told of because I was late a few days in a row. All because I couldn't stop playing. All the stuff you normally expect from a Tales game are here, fun combat, undine, skits etc. I'm not finished yet, but the story so far is quite interesting. Although as usual, the first hour or so you get confused by all theReally good game. I've lost a lot of sleep during a busy period at work, got told of because I was late a few days in a row. All because I couldn't stop playing. All the stuff you normally expect from a Tales game are here, fun combat, undine, skits etc. I'm not finished yet, but the story so far is quite interesting. Although as usual, the first hour or so you get confused by all the unfamiliar in-universe terms they use in the dialogue. That's to be expected from RPG games.

    But no game is perfect. The negative points I can think of are that while the actual voices fit most of the characters quite well, the delivery could use some work in some places/lines. Milla's way of speaking can be a bit annoying, but it makes sense when taken in context of the story.

    The shop expansion system is both great and bad. It's great because it allows me to grind really good equipment really early on. And it's bad for the exact same reason.

    The battle music can get annoying after a while, but I will always find that to be the case no matter what game I'm playing because I often like to grind and outlevel the monsters. When I'm playing normally and not deliberately grinding, the battle music is fine.    … Expand
  22. logaems
    Aug 23, 2013
    9
    The biggest surprise of the year for me. I didn't expect much & what did I get The best battle system for an action jrpg on ps3, great funny characters, good chara design & a good story.

    Very few low points: - Average graphics - Some weird interractions between characters ("I want to kill you" then "Lets be friends" in 5 seconds ...) I played FF13, FF13-2, Eternal Sonata but ToX    The biggest surprise of the year for me. I didn't expect much & what did I get The best battle system for an action jrpg on ps3, great funny characters, good chara design & a good story.

    Very few low points:
    - Average graphics
    - Some weird interractions between characters ("I want to kill you" then "Lets be friends" in 5 seconds ...)

    I played FF13, FF13-2, Eternal Sonata but ToX is my reference for PS3    … Expand
  23. ExCyReX
    Aug 24, 2013
    10
    I first played tales of graces and it was amazing, normally i'm not in 2 this kind of games but it just blew me away. And now after playing tales of xillia i just can't wait for the next title. Story line is great, i love the combat system. It's just amazing.
  24. boshi
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    i'm not usually amazed by games from the tales series. i disliked dawn of a new world,. and thought graces F and vesperia were alright. this game is by far the best tales game, that i've played. the music is good, gameplay is fun, and the story is great albiet a little confusing at times
  25. MisterNoodles
    Aug 31, 2013
    8
    First of all I would like to say this game is freakin' awesome! It is so good I can't wait for Tales of Xillia 2 to come out. With that out the way I can begin this review. Story: The story is amazing and truly something you wouldn't expect. It can be kinda predictable at times, but beyond the that the story is solid and well thought out. The character development is some the best I haveFirst of all I would like to say this game is freakin' awesome! It is so good I can't wait for Tales of Xillia 2 to come out. With that out the way I can begin this review. Story: The story is amazing and truly something you wouldn't expect. It can be kinda predictable at times, but beyond the that the story is solid and well thought out. The character development is some the best I have seen in any game. This game takes all the good and cool characters' personalities from all the other Tales games and makes them fresh and new. And don't even get me started on the development these characters undergo. During the final fight you can see how every single party member has changed and it just adds on to the epicness that is the ending. Plus both Jude and Milla have quite different storylines which are both worth playing through. The game has a lot of sidequests and events that go off from the mainstory. It even has some quite humorous moments riddle in throughout the game. So overall the story was amazingly well executed. Gameplay: Now the combat isn't hugely different from the other Tales game, but needless to say it is still pretty fun and enjoyable. I loved the return of the old skill system and the skill tree is amazing! Plus the whole switching of characters that are off the battlefield is extremely cool and well done. The overworld isn't the greatest and could have been more opened up and needed a little bit more variety. The difficulty isn't extremely hard, but there will be a few boss battles that take extra 2 or 3 tries, unless you play on hard or unknown. But all that said the gameplay is still fun and rarely get's boring. Music/Graphics: The music in the game is great and really sets the mood for the adventure. Graphic wise it could use some improvements, but it came out originally in 2011 so it can be forgiven, plus graphics don't really make a game that much better or worse in any circumstance. Overall the music and graphics are great and work well for the game and everybody's gotta love those animated cutscenes. Improvements: The game has made many improvements over Tales of Graces F. Story wise and gameplay are a great deal better in Tales of Xillia. The leveling systems is more complex, more character development, a lot more sidequests, cutscenes are better, and the new mechanic of linking artes is amazing. There are many more improvements, but I won't get into those or we'd be here all day. Negatives: Now there aren't many negatives about the game besides two. 1. The games mainstoryline feels shorter in comparison to the other by about 5-10 hours. I beat the game in about 37 hours with half the sidequests completed. Tales of Graces F is 50 hours long, but it has extra 10 hours of gameplay due to DLC. Overall it isn't a huge difference, but I really wanted an extra 3 hours. Though if you count both Jude and Milla's story it's about a total of about 74 hours so ya. 2. This ones a bit more nitpicky, but when your allies die in say a boss fight and you don't revive them they don't gain XP. This can become annoying, because in my game Rowan died during a boss battle and fell two levels behind everyone. This made him less useful in the final battle. In the end of the day though Tales of Xillia is probably my 2nd favorite Tales game and my favorite game of 2013. It is fun, addicting, and well worth the money. 10/10.… Expand
  26. BasilZero
    Dec 8, 2021
    9
    Game: Tales of Xillia
    Genre: Action RPG
    Developer: Namco Tales Studios Publisher: Bandai Namco System: Playstation 3 (PS3) Year of Release: 2013 Length of Playthrough: 46 hours Total Score: 87/100 Value Score: 8.7/10 • Story: 7/10 • Characters: 8/10 • GamePlay: 8/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 8/10 • Length: 9/10 • Replay Value: 10/10 • Player Value: 8/10    Game: Tales of Xillia
    Genre: Action RPG
    Developer: Namco Tales Studios
    Publisher: Bandai Namco
    System: Playstation 3 (PS3)
    Year of Release: 2013
    Length of Playthrough: 46 hours

    Total Score: 87/100
    Value Score: 8.7/10

    • Story: 7/10
    • Characters: 8/10
    • GamePlay: 8/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 9/10
    • Replay Value: 10/10
    • Player Value: 8/10

    Pros
    +Great combat system
    +Great visual design
    +Good music and sound effects
    +Good voice acting and cast of characters
    +Plenty of side quests and a decent post game dungeon
    +Decent length for a tales series game - takes about 45-50 hours

    Cons
    -Boring and generic maps and dungeon designs
    -Story falls flat at the end with no sense of satisfaction    … Expand
  27. Kenmei
    Jan 20, 2014
    9
    This was the game that revived the interest in the Tales series in Japan and, to a lesser extent, the US. The game tells the tale of Jude Mathis and Millia Maxwell, with two branching storylines, depending on which character you choose to follow. While the majority of the game is the same, there are certain points that change depending on which character you started with. The story isThis was the game that revived the interest in the Tales series in Japan and, to a lesser extent, the US. The game tells the tale of Jude Mathis and Millia Maxwell, with two branching storylines, depending on which character you choose to follow. While the majority of the game is the same, there are certain points that change depending on which character you started with. The story is great and, while the characters are nowhere near as good as they were in Vesperia, the cast does an admirable job telling the story, which is probably the best story in a Tales game in a long time. There are some things that that don't hold up well, including some of the voice acting (espcially Millia's VA who has a permanent lipse throughout the entire game), and the fact that it doesn't do a good job telling you where to go to move the story forward, at times. I got lost a couple of times trying to find the next point in the story and that should not happen in today's gaming world. Still, there's a reason why this game is lauded in the Tales series, as it's easily the best JRPG to come out in the US last year and something I highly recommend everyone play, especially with the release of Xillia 2 later this year. The Tales series is one of my favorite in gaming and I definitely did love this game. It's just not perfect like alot of people will make it out to be.… Expand
  28. mongoman
    Nov 22, 2013
    9
    This is a long satisfying RPG that slowly grabs hold of you and never lets go. The characters are interesting, the story is interesting, the graphics are good, and the controls are super easy to learn. At first I was dumbfounded by the battle system (this is my first "tales of" experience) but I quickly got the hang of it and now its second nature. I honestly cant remember enjoying a RPGThis is a long satisfying RPG that slowly grabs hold of you and never lets go. The characters are interesting, the story is interesting, the graphics are good, and the controls are super easy to learn. At first I was dumbfounded by the battle system (this is my first "tales of" experience) but I quickly got the hang of it and now its second nature. I honestly cant remember enjoying a RPG this much since the PSone glory days. you choose between one of two characters to play as and each character lives the story from a different view, so you essentially get a different playthrough the second time around. I gave this game a 9 because I'm not a fan of constant grinding to level up in preparation for a boss fight but the battle system here alleviates a ton of the frustration, also the some of the character development options in the menu system are very confusing. I was twenty hours into the game before I realized several powerful moves had been unlocked for my characters to use in battle.Overall its a great game and definitely worth the money.… Expand
  29. Friendzie
    Jan 7, 2014
    9
    This is the cream of the crop for JRPGs in recent years. The story doesn't degenerate into some weird spiritual battle against some ultimate evil. In fact, the last boss of the game is not even a bad guy, really. He's just a guy who slightly disagrees with you about how to best help the world. Great game that defies many cliches. The battle system is a lot more active and engaging than theThis is the cream of the crop for JRPGs in recent years. The story doesn't degenerate into some weird spiritual battle against some ultimate evil. In fact, the last boss of the game is not even a bad guy, really. He's just a guy who slightly disagrees with you about how to best help the world. Great game that defies many cliches. The battle system is a lot more active and engaging than the average RPG, as well. I'll only take off one point for the way battles can occasionally feel like you're just mashing buttons, but overall this is a solid game worth owning for any RPG fan.… Expand
  30. KyoSiegfried86
    Oct 15, 2013
    9
    Tales of Xillia is pretty important to the Tales saga, finally combining both studios and changing something. Xillia feels the true next-gen Tales game.

    -STORY- Xillia's story is.... ok. It will pretty difficult for you to not find clichès all over the plot, and characters are what an anime/manga fan has already seen tons of times. They're ok, still, all of them have a good importance    Tales of Xillia is pretty important to the Tales saga, finally combining both studios and changing something. Xillia feels the true next-gen Tales game.

    -STORY-
    Xillia's story is.... ok. It will pretty difficult for you to not find clichès all over the plot, and characters are what an anime/manga fan has already seen tons of times. They're ok, still, all of them have a good importance in the plot and have their own reasons to come along.
    Story can be seen through the eye of one of the two protagonists: the choice is at the beginning of the game. In 90% of the game, the two protagonists are together so you'll see the same exact thing. However, in that 10% of the game, you'll going to learn something better about the past of the protagonist chosen or other characters involved with him. Choosing Jude can be better for the first run, since it is always present during important speeches in the game.

    -GAMEPLAY-
    Xillia has changed something to the Tales saga's popular recipe: now the camera is manual. You'll explore big areas, populated by monsters (you can see and evade them), and there are tons of secrets, passages, treasure chests all over the place, giving you a lot to explore. Development system is pretty unique,too: every time you level up, you'll gain particular points to spend in a spider web-like menu, where you can freely upgrade your stats and learn artes following the web connections: this is good, you can give priority to the stats/artes you think are most useful. Companion AI is pretty good too, since you have to chance to customize it in a very simple way, yet very complete.
    And now, battle system: the battles are a mix between Vesperia/Abyss and Graces, you can move freely, still the camera prefers the one on one approach; fighting is easy, and there are a lot of combinations between normal attacks and artes, giving you a lot of combo to invent and have fun. This button mashing type of fighting is balanced by a good strategy option offered by the link: with this feature, you can have characters work in pairs, giving special abilities like guard break, time stop etc. all enemies has a weakness to exploit using this link system.
    However, the game is really easy (on normal), and you'll probably find to effectively use this feature only during boss fights.
    There's a flaw, however, and it regards the shop system: shops are divided in categories, you can upgrade each category by giving them objects (easy to find objects), when the shop level up you'll have the possibility to buy new equipment or have discounts, This is really good, except for the fact that leveling the shops (finding the objects) are SO easy that you can destroy the game difficulty in just a couple hours.
    Tales fans might be upset to know that cooking is gone... now you just buy food just like any other object.

    -GRAPHICS-
    On the graphic note, Xillia is meh. It's worse than Vesperia, and better than Graces F. However this may be due to the fact that the game finally uses manual camera, but somehow the graphics seems a bit outdated. Technically the game has a pretty stable frame-rate, you'll get only some issue during really really chaotic situations.

    -SOUND-
    Sound is just ok. Music is good, but there aren't lot of tracks so it repeat itself quite often. Voice acting is a mixed bag, but overall good. You can play with Japanese voices too, so it's not really a problem, I guess.

    -GAME LENGTH AND REPLAY VALUE-
    Game story is pretty long, and if you play it while exploring the areas you'll finish the game in probably 60-70 hours. There are a lot of sidequest, most of them pretty useless, but some of them really helpful. Overall your experience will be 100+ hours.
    You may want to replay it, too, by choosing the other character at the beginning (they have a small different ending).

    -CONCLUSION-
    Somehow, Xillia can be seen as the best Tales of ever created. However, some flaws in the shop system, and a well-known plot ruined the title of "best". It deserves a 9 imho.    … Expand
  31. Rupeestyle
    Oct 14, 2013
    9
    Tales of Xillia is by far one of the better PS3 JRPG's I've played. It has me craving the second game coming out next year. This game is assorted with all sorts of beautiful things that I will explain with a bit of sense. I find myself an avid JRPG player as of late, and the first two things that always catch my interest are thee art and music.

    The music is amazing. I'm glad the    Tales of Xillia is by far one of the better PS3 JRPG's I've played. It has me craving the second game coming out next year. This game is assorted with all sorts of beautiful things that I will explain with a bit of sense. I find myself an avid JRPG player as of late, and the first two things that always catch my interest are thee art and music.

    The music is amazing. I'm glad the collectors edition came with a CD. I can listen to my hearts content. The anime style cut scenes and the drawings within the booklet were great as well. The game-play art was a bit sloppy sometimes but, way better then most other games.

    What really caught my interest was the In depth battle system. That matched with the leveling system and pairing up your characters how you want them left room for so many things.

    The sky system was also very unique and amazing. I felt like Metal Gear Solid was leaking back into my life. So fun watching them all. Great in depth character developments as well.

    The dislikes of this game was the story was prolonged a few times. But, once you reach the end of the game it doesn't even matter anymore. The story was so incredible and heart felt as expected of the Tales Series. I highly suggest people to go out and get a hold of a copy.    … Expand
  32. Plasmaneedle
    Jan 16, 2014
    9
    Tales of Xillia, like any of the previous entries in the series, is a truly great experience with a awesome blend of combat and RPG gameplay interesting locales and well developed characters.
  33. DeRagonSlayR
    Nov 2, 2013
    8
    A great game for what it is, which is a real time JRPG. So that mean long story and a ton of loot.

    I know i'm late to the party on this one especially since I joint meta critic recently but no one can honestly call this a bad game. so assuming that any of the positive reviews were written by people who care about both writing and videogames, i'll just say the only thing keeping this    A great game for what it is, which is a real time JRPG. So that mean long story and a ton of loot.

    I know i'm late to the party on this one especially since I joint meta critic recently but no one can honestly call this a bad game.

    so assuming that any of the positive reviews were written by people who care about both writing and videogames, i'll just say the only thing keeping this game from becoming a 10 for me is the fighting. it uses a good system but it reminded me of "Star Ocean: until the end of time" so much that I just wished they used their system.

    Ok so if you don't know about the combat system, each monster represents a bunch of monsters you can fight. and the you go to a battle arena where you fight it, and when the fight is done you get your EXP. Loot, ECT. and then you turn up where you met the monster in the over world...(for lack of a better term)

    The first thing about the system they used is, you fight in a 3d plain but you naturally move side to side to and from you target, like a regular 2d fighter. you can free run holding a button but it takes getting use to. They did this so you can combo your moves like you might in a fighting game so down would be duck and up would be jump, and you can do low and jump attacks when your not in free run. they choose to do this so you can have a large arsenal of attacks and special attacks you can take to each fight. This is a strong feature but it makes handling multiple targets a pain for a while until you have more party members that can agro. While this is good to start with it, the normal attacks don't have much weight. You can make a few good combos with your normal attacks, that can keep an enemy down, but there isn't that much variety with normal attacks. You kind of need to keep using combos that keep the enemy on the ground or in the air, because normal attacks don't push back or anything, Allowing them to murder you horribly

    The second layer of the system is artes. Artes are abilities that cost mana, and there are a lot of them and you can bring a good amount to each battle. They bring a lot to the combat, but I prefer them so much, i'd rather just not use normal attacks ever, but you can't because you can run out of mana pretty quickly. On top of that you game mana through using your normal attacks.

    The third and final layer. is linking/linked artes.. Linking means you fight along side another character and you share buffs and healing you cast on yourself. This adds a little more to the normal attacks because you can do one or two different combo with each character you link up with, but sadly it doesn't change that much of how the attacks feel. The linked artes however are awesome. Basically you do an arte with the other character you're linked with, and it turns out super moves, But in order to do them you need to fill a combo meter, and that means using basic attacks. you can use Artes too to fill the meter, but you may not have the mana for the big linked artes later on.

    Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the fighting. It was just made in a particular way that I didn't enjoy as much as other games. I thought up of ways to change it, but it would either make the game too easy, or kill the variety of artes you can have in a battle, and that variety is why it's as strong as it is, and something the devs were clearly striving for. The system is well thought out and has a ton of depth in it, especially later on in the game.

    BUT... If you feel the way I felt about the game, and have a PS2 some where, pick up star ocean: until the end of time, and you'll see why I reference it.    … Expand
  34. Ebelon
    Nov 8, 2013
    9
    I love tales games for their awesome 4 player coop and the updated character models are warm welcome. I hope the series sticks with new style for the nest tales game. The only issue I have is that some of the fields feel bland but I don't really care cause the cities look amazing and the fluid combat gets all the attention. 9/10
  35. Ryatta
    Nov 22, 2013
    10
    A game that shows the Tales Series is the new Final Fantasy, combining the best aspects of Symphonia and Graces to make a hugely enjoyable game that's epic and down to earth in scope but never looses it's light heated feel and comic timing when it comes to character interactions; it's the JRPG of the year
  36. TouniZu
    Dec 10, 2013
    10
    Tales of Xillia was my first experience with JRPGs on the PlayStation 3 and because of it, I can't wait to find other games and see if any of them get even close to the greatness of this title.

    The battle system is well done and doesn't require much learning unless you want to play the game on a pro-level, for people who just play the game casually, the battle system is forgiving enough    Tales of Xillia was my first experience with JRPGs on the PlayStation 3 and because of it, I can't wait to find other games and see if any of them get even close to the greatness of this title.

    The battle system is well done and doesn't require much learning unless you want to play the game on a pro-level, for people who just play the game casually, the battle system is forgiving enough to let you just have fun, and leaving the default settings on will usually keep you alive unless the battle is meant for higher level characters.

    The story and characters are well thought out and surprisingly relate-able, even though they are stereotypical at times and all have some sappiness to them, they all seem like they could be real people who just go the extreme. The story itself without spoiling anything is a pure work of art, the plot twists were well done and can grip you so much you'll lose track of time.

    The art style of Tales of Xillia is something that any JRPG fan would like, although the characters reactions do seem a little awkward at times and could be made better, but the characters themselves are gorgeous and the enemies in the game are innovative and good-looking. The landscape changes constantly in the game and always gives you something to look at.

    Even though the game has some grinding in it, it is very little compared to other JRPG games that I have come across, and even when you are grinding it doesn't feel tedious because the games battle system feels fun and you have many of the games skits to keep you entertained while doing it.    … Expand
  37. outlived
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    I was really exited to play a tales game on next gen and seeing as vesperia was Xbox only, I went out and picked this one up instead. I forgot how good this series was and would recommend this to and jrpg fan.
  38. Rykoupad
    Jun 28, 2014
    10
    One of the best games in the series. A truly awesome game experience. The Linking System it's thus far the best gameplay mechanic in the whole series. The story it's pretty much similar to other entries of the series specially Phantasia and it have a great cast of characters
  39. plime
    Aug 22, 2014
    9
    To be honest, I can understand why some people have hated this game, but it seems that the main issue is that the game takes a while to get going.

    I don't know anybody who has finished Tales of Xillia and called it anything less than great; sure, the game's plot takes quite a while to get going, but the combat engine had me hooked from the beginning and once the plot kicks in I was    To be honest, I can understand why some people have hated this game, but it seems that the main issue is that the game takes a while to get going.

    I don't know anybody who has finished Tales of Xillia and called it anything less than great; sure, the game's plot takes quite a while to get going, but the combat engine had me hooked from the beginning and once the plot kicks in I was blown away.

    Let's just say this; any game that can throw in a plot twist 30 hours in and still surprise its audience is an incredible game!    … Expand
  40. Dransed
    Jul 1, 2014
    9
    The game is awesome. Excellent fight system, beautiful places, many side quest. This game will give you many hours if you play it in hard mode. I gave a 9 just for one reason: You will see the same kind of monster along the game with different skin and/or size.
  41. NiclName
    Sep 17, 2014
    10
    Absolutely stunning entry into the tales series. It's the same with every takes game, amazing characters, and a beautiful world. Which this has the best of. Im loving it so far, best one since vesperia. Another successful tales game. Cant say I expected any less at all.
  42. zampsportu
    Sep 11, 2014
    9
    While maintaining a great visual impression as Graces, the strongest point of the game is its fluidity, story and battle system are great and hours pass by without noticing. Specially enjoyed the linking system and the customizing of the characters. I am becoming a huge fan of the Tales series.
  43. chris_1_s
    Sep 19, 2014
    9
    I have to say i went into this game not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. The game started off kind of slow and boring, but after a half hour i was starting to enjoy it quite well. The story was ok but where the game really shines IMO is the characters and humor. There was not one character i hated in this game and i grew to like them all. Other than the previous pointsI have to say i went into this game not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. The game started off kind of slow and boring, but after a half hour i was starting to enjoy it quite well. The story was ok but where the game really shines IMO is the characters and humor. There was not one character i hated in this game and i grew to like them all. Other than the previous points gameplay was good and the visuals and art style was great.… Expand
  44. BaronMonaco
    Oct 21, 2016
    9
    Tales Of is one of the strongest J-RPG series in our days, does this episode serve its reputation ? Let's see.

    Technically the game is, like most japanese games on this generation, far from the highest standards, environments are empty and the textures are pretty bad, only the characters look good. On the other side, there's absolutely 0 bugs which is an achievement considering the size    Tales Of is one of the strongest J-RPG series in our days, does this episode serve its reputation ? Let's see.

    Technically the game is, like most japanese games on this generation, far from the highest standards, environments are empty and the textures are pretty bad, only the characters look good. On the other side, there's absolutely 0 bugs which is an achievement considering the size of the game and a very steady framerate even when the screen is full of characters fighting each other and using magic. So despite being visually disappointing the game is reliable and without a doubt made by good professionals.

    The gameplay is classic Tales Of formula, the fighting system (in real time) is similar to a fighting game( with each direction you'll do an other attack), like any good RPG you have a total control of the gear you'll assign to each character, you'll level up and gain more powerful abilities etc. There's nothing new here but it works very well and the game is fun to play during all its length.

    Concerning the story it has a lot of twist and after a cliche beginning it really gains momentum and you'll always want to see more of it. Too bad we can't have the japanese voice over as the english one is pretty bad and doesn't help to create a link between players and characters. The side quest aren't interesting for the most part but at least they are here and will provide more hours of entertainment for completionists. The game story should last around 40 hours, which is very good, even more when keeping in mind that it gets better over time and if you want the 100% it will last around 100 hours as you will have to at least do a second playthrough choosing the other main character. Because I forgot to say that when starting the game you have the choice between two characters and some passage are different depending on that choice. Either way you'll spend quite some time on the game.

    In conclusion Tales of Xillia is a very good J-RPG with a great story and gameplay, sadly it lacks innovation and visual wonder to make it a milestone (like Tales of Symphonia), but if you like this genre you shouldn't be disappointed by this one, if you don't it it's a good choice to begin as it is not too hard.    … Expand
  45. FantasyCritic71
    Nov 17, 2014
    9
    Awesome Amazing Masterpiece every positive word in the dictionary describes this game.

    The characters are cool mostly Alvin Gaius & Milla. The Soundtrack gets good later on in the game with the Battle Themes getting more & more epic. The Gameplay is fun and entertaining love it although I do wish there were more Abilities for some characters. The Story starts off a little    Awesome Amazing Masterpiece every positive word in the dictionary describes this game.

    The characters are cool mostly Alvin Gaius & Milla.

    The Soundtrack gets good later on in the game with the Battle Themes getting more & more epic.

    The Gameplay is fun and entertaining love it although I do wish there were more Abilities for some characters.

    The Story starts off a little confusing and slow but quickly gets better & explains everything you need to know.

    The Character Interactions and Skits are always fun to listen to the English Voice Acting is great too. Although some people say Milla sounds like a robot I don't really mind her voice it fits to me.

    This game has alot of cliche stuff in it like 2 Opposing Empires a do gooder protagonist(Jude) the Happy Go Lucky Girl(Leia) The Shy Girl(Elize) The Mercenary(Alvin) even though he's my favorite character. 2 Worlds just like in Tales of Symphonia but Tales of Xillia delivers all these Cliche things in an amazing way which makes it awesome its cliche but also not cliche you'll understand if you play it.

    When you play it be sure to do Jude & Milla's Story so you can understand the full story. As of right now this game is $30 and its worth the price. Tales of Xillia 2 is $40 and I unfortunately haven't played or brought it yet but 1 day I will.    … Expand
  46. Manutd1218
    Jan 5, 2015
    10
    Honestly I don't see how these games aren't more popular I spent hours and hours on this game going through both stories and it never gets old. My ps3 broke so I bought a ps4 and it just pains me to not be able to play the sequel and zestria.
  47. deadlysilentbob
    Apr 24, 2015
    9
    Me and e tales series had a rocky start. However im glad i picked this game up. im kinda hooked on it at the moment so ill keep this breif.

    possitives: excellent graphics, likeable characters, choice of protagonist (traditional wussy boy who finds himself on the journey or a bad ass busty god woman who is made of win), good music, excelent shop leveling system.good fast travel system,    Me and e tales series had a rocky start. However im glad i picked this game up. im kinda hooked on it at the moment so ill keep this breif.

    possitives: excellent graphics, likeable characters, choice of protagonist (traditional wussy boy who finds himself on the journey or a bad ass busty god woman who is made of win), good music, excelent shop leveling system.good fast travel system, and enviroments are varied.

    negatives: sometimes the facial expressions seem a little... off, could use a little bit more backstory to the world and each of the characters.

    Buy this game as its a sterling example of a what an rpg should be.    … Expand
  48. LDSAFOL
    Sep 5, 2016
    9
    First Tales,of,game that I actually found myself able to play. The inclusion of a difficulty setting and improved and simplified combat made it better for someone more used to turn-based battle systems. It started off a little slow for me but as soon as it picked up I was glued to the end and felt a wonderful feeling of satisfaction at game's end. A must have for Tales of fans and a goodFirst Tales,of,game that I actually found myself able to play. The inclusion of a difficulty setting and improved and simplified combat made it better for someone more used to turn-based battle systems. It started off a little slow for me but as soon as it picked up I was glued to the end and felt a wonderful feeling of satisfaction at game's end. A must have for Tales of fans and a good started game for those new to the series.… Expand
  49. Editman3
    Apr 8, 2017
    9
    This game was awesome me and my brother enjoyed this game it may not be as great as Versperia or Symphonia but still a good experience for our first Tales of game I really liked it so much gameplay is Fantastic and has a great story between 2 Main characters is a great treat for me and the party members interactions was funny overall a good experience for a first timer like me :)
  50. WhatsUpWithIt
    Aug 13, 2019
    9
    Pros:

    -Well written characters and story

    -Amazing addition to the combat system

    -Beautiful environment, especially Fenmont

    -Classy Tales of OST

    -Near perfection dub, except Milla

    Cons:

    -Split story

    -Milla's dub

    -Little to none unlockable costumes

    -Titles aren't really titles
  51. naxmax9
    Nov 27, 2013
    9
    Great game i have it it's kinda boring at first cause I hate the way Luke is so snobby I liked it at the middle it started to get really fun and exciting.
  52. Shinwa_Sohma
    Aug 23, 2014
    10
    Tales of Xillia was a pleasant surprise, and it is a game that will always have a special place in my heart. I loved the characters, I adored their personalities, I utterly enjoyed the constant interactions which reinforces their particular personalities and added to the story content, beautiful art, some great music, fantastic story and development and the choice of a second play throughTales of Xillia was a pleasant surprise, and it is a game that will always have a special place in my heart. I loved the characters, I adored their personalities, I utterly enjoyed the constant interactions which reinforces their particular personalities and added to the story content, beautiful art, some great music, fantastic story and development and the choice of a second play through with the other protagonists (making the overall experience very rewarding to the add on of the story, its Universe, and characters).

    I loved the battles and battle system (once I got used to the link battle system), and the Lilium Orb to chose ad control the character's battle skills. This game was very interactive, and had a great script. The language and tone of the characters were very unique and more mature (which was a great change and it was not met at the same levels at Xillia2). Overall experience, hands down LOVE this game!!    … Expand
  53. igolrum
    May 31, 2021
    10
    My favorite game in the series. (I know Phantasia, Symphonia1+2, Abyss, Vesperia, Graces, Xillia1+2, Zestiria and Berseria). Best overall character roster. There wasn't a single character I didn't like among the playable and major antagonists.

    The story is very good too and doesn't have any things just work out unrealistically well for or power of friendship moments, like some of the    My favorite game in the series. (I know Phantasia, Symphonia1+2, Abyss, Vesperia, Graces, Xillia1+2, Zestiria and Berseria). Best overall character roster. There wasn't a single character I didn't like among the playable and major antagonists.

    The story is very good too and doesn't have any things just work out unrealistically well for or power of friendship moments, like some of the other titles in the series.

    WARNING: Make sure to play Jude's side first, though. Milla's side really should be locked before having finished Jude's. It spoils one of the major moments on Jude's side if played first.    … Expand
  54. Belonski
    Jan 24, 2023
    10
    Criminally underrated, especially by reviewers, but even by users aswell. The story, world-building and characters are all great. The combat system, and the teaming up mechanic is also one of the better ones in the series.
    One of the very few games I cannot even think of any negatives. Only a few more things that would be nice to have, like learning more of the backstory for some of the    Criminally underrated, especially by reviewers, but even by users aswell. The story, world-building and characters are all great. The combat system, and the teaming up mechanic is also one of the better ones in the series.
    One of the very few games I cannot even think of any negatives. Only a few more things that would be nice to have, like learning more of the backstory for some of the less developed members of the Chimeriad. My favorite game in the series.    … Expand
  55. aaronnmp96
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    Incredible game, you have two very well run campaigns, both are quite different and You don't know the whole plot until you pass both, but the way it is you do it without being forced
  56. duncanaus
    Sep 24, 2013
    8
    It's not quite up there with the highest highs of the Tales series, but Xillia features beautiful graphics and enough twists to the basic gameplay to keep things interesting. I enjoy RPGs that allow you to go off the beaten path and spend hours leveling your party up, and this one provides that and more, with a lot of monsters to fight and secrets to find.
  57. Boca
    Sep 11, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the first Tales game that I have ever finished. I LOVED this game. If you are a JRPG fan and on the fence about playing this, stop reading and go buy this!

    The characters are very likable (except Leia in my opinion). You really see growth in each character physically and mentally. The story is phenomenal. It starts off a little slow, but this is usually the case with tales games (this is the first I actually finished but I have played Vesperia and Abyss). About midway through the game things really pick up and it becomes impossible to put down the controller.

    The fighting mechanics is the best in the series so far. Linking with party members and chaining links is some of the most fun I had playing a jrpg. Seriously, fighting is such a pleasure that I found myself grinding just for the sake of fighting more monsters. Unfortunately, my grinding caused the game to feel a little easy. I was playing on normal and die hard fans will definitely want to turn the difficulty up.

    *MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW*

    I have only good things to say about this game, but my only real gripe is its conclusion. I really felt that the ending was built up to be an epic finale. I was pretty surprised that the final boss was not much of a challenge at all and the story ended flat. I have only finished the story with Jude and I didn't feel like I cared when Milla decided to become Maxwell. This is maybe because I didn't see Milla's side of the story, but I think that there shouldn't be a "wrong" decision when choosing a main character. I think I'd prefer it if you can see both sides in one playthrough.

    Another negative point is the voice acting. Sometimes the voice actors seem to try so hard to make characters show emotion, but with robotic expressions their performance felt off. Characters in this game also talk veeeery slooowly. It didn't help that the script can get a bit cheesy. I know this is a tales staple, but it something that I never really liked. Thankfully, I somehow found myself really getting attached to the characters. I love Jude and Elize.

    I tend to highlight negative aspects more than positive ones. I apologize if this sounds too negative. I actually really enjoyed playing Xillia. This is a remarkable game and an enjoyable journey for anyone who gives it a fair shot.    … Expand
  58. Lionite
    Jul 28, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a great game. The combat is fun and a real challenge in hard mode. I stopped playing for months so I put the combat to easy to finish the story for Xillia 2. The characters are good, not perfect though. Leia can get a little grating and her love interest with Jude wen't nowhere. Alvin was great, his conflict and betrayal were some of the best moments in the game, and his duel with Leia was really great as it showed a protective side to Leia that we hadn't seen, and her being shot by him was a shocker. Rowa just complained the whole way through about his age and I never really used him. Elise, Jude and Milla are all great though. I cared for Elise to much and wanted to know more about her and I quite liked the very underplayed love Jude had for Milla. But the ending of the game was crap. She just decided to be a god? Uh okay but at least they spared Gaius and Muzet instead of just killing them which allot of other JRPG's end up doing. The graphics are great and very anime which I adore. Not going to play Milla's story as I will save it for a second play through.… Expand
  59. Kirito324
    Nov 25, 2013
    8
    Tales of xillia is a wonderful game it has just like all the other tales games the Double Raid Linear Motion Battle System where you can free run wile in battle it is another tales game with different plot and characters but the one thing that really need to fix it they'd dam ending that was just heart braking and terrible
  60. T-Razor
    Sep 16, 2014
    8
    This was my first Tales game I ever played, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. You'll get a good 50+ hours out of it. Pretty good game if you are new to the Tales games.
  61. NexusTsunami
    Jan 23, 2017
    8
    Um es kurz zu machen. Ich habe fast alle "Tales of" Spiele gespielt die in Deutschland lokalisiert wurden (sogar eine Fanübersetzung von Tales of Phantasia). ToX bietet die typische Tales Erfahrung... Für mich persönlich weniger überragend als Tales of Vesperia, hat es doch diesen typischen Charme, die interessanten Charaktere und das serientypische (und überaus spassige) Kampfsystem derUm es kurz zu machen. Ich habe fast alle "Tales of" Spiele gespielt die in Deutschland lokalisiert wurden (sogar eine Fanübersetzung von Tales of Phantasia). ToX bietet die typische Tales Erfahrung... Für mich persönlich weniger überragend als Tales of Vesperia, hat es doch diesen typischen Charme, die interessanten Charaktere und das serientypische (und überaus spassige) Kampfsystem der Spielereihe geerbt. Einziges Manko: Für mich persönlich wirkt es einfach nicht so feingeschliffen wie ein Tales of Vesperia seinerzeit. Die Grafik ist nicht so zeitlos... selten wirkt das Kampfsystem in hektischen Momenten leicht überladen und mir fehlten diese, für mich Tales typischen, Wohlfühlmomente zu oft.

    Dennoch, ein super Spiel und ein solides Tales of...    … Expand
  62. Kelphy
    Aug 13, 2013
    10
    I never played the other Tales games, so maybe I'm the wrong person to review this game. I however thought of it as the best JRPG I have ever played, including the Final Fantasy series. If you are looking for an RPG to top the FF series, I suggest giving this game a try, it may surprise you.

    Graphics can be improved, but I would not deduct a point over that since they display it so    I never played the other Tales games, so maybe I'm the wrong person to review this game. I however thought of it as the best JRPG I have ever played, including the Final Fantasy series. If you are looking for an RPG to top the FF series, I suggest giving this game a try, it may surprise you.

    Graphics can be improved, but I would not deduct a point over that since they display it so perfectly.
    Gameplay is perfect, I could not ask for better.
    Story is perfect, I feel like a happier person after playing it.    … Expand
  63. RaiTheNoblesse
    Aug 23, 2013
    9
    The best "overworld" outer areas) exploration and marauding/searching for items of ANY Tales so far (and one of the best exploration and looting of any "group" J-RPG,... better than the last FF's, DQ's or other such J-RPG's.., only Xenoblade is superior)..., and being able to "turn and tilt" the camera in-game freely, makes a big diffrence comparde to previous Tales...

    The characters    The best "overworld" outer areas) exploration and marauding/searching for items of ANY Tales so far (and one of the best exploration and looting of any "group" J-RPG,... better than the last FF's, DQ's or other such J-RPG's.., only Xenoblade is superior)..., and being able to "turn and tilt" the camera in-game freely, makes a big diffrence comparde to previous Tales...

    The characters and (a few) dialoges are also among the best of any J-RPG... (the "main" engl. sychros are fitting....), the story has it's moments (and "twists")...

    Sure, there's room for improvement (the action starts of slow and is imo overall too simple, the side-quets could have more importance ect...), but Tales of Xillia is among the BEST (group) J-RPGs out there and deserves more than tha meta of about 7.8/10

    imo it deserves a good 8.5/10 (not as epic as Xenoblade, but imo one of the "closest too Xenobalde" J-RPGs today...)    … Expand
  64. Chewieflakes
    Aug 31, 2013
    9
    Great game! Too bad the voice actor for Milla is ABSOLUTE garbage. Idk what on earth they were thinking.... The rest of the voice is good though so don't worry.
  65. phoenix7
    Aug 26, 2013
    10
    The Tales of series has been my favorite JRPG series since I played Symphonia on the Gamecube. Tales of Xillia is a worthy addition to the series. The battle system is addictive you actually want to fight in battles a lot)! It's real time battles that give you complete control of your character! Of course if you don't feel like fighting, you can avoid battles (yep, no annoying randomThe Tales of series has been my favorite JRPG series since I played Symphonia on the Gamecube. Tales of Xillia is a worthy addition to the series. The battle system is addictive you actually want to fight in battles a lot)! It's real time battles that give you complete control of your character! Of course if you don't feel like fighting, you can avoid battles (yep, no annoying random encounters that plaques many JRPGs)! You walk up to the enemy on the world map to start the fight. The only exception is story related battles (eg Boss Fights). Though you gotta fight some, otherwise you'll get your hide handed to you in boss fights! The cast of characters is one of the best in the series. The voice actors seem to be into their roles really well. Though the graphics aren't the best in gaming, they are still decent. I don't play games for the graphics, I play for the gameplay and the story (heck, I'll still play NES games)! While some critics have complained that the game is shorter then previous Tales, there are reasons for this. Since the world is more linear, you won't get lost as easily (a lot of time is spent trying to find where to go in older Tales and other JRPGs). Though there are still a few spots where you can end up a little lost. The Tales Series rivals Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest in Japan, but not quite as big in the US. The Tales series is underrated at times and I believe it deserves more attention. For me The Tales series is better then Final Fantasy (FF quit being any good after 10). I highly recommend buying this gem! $60 well spent in my opinion.… Expand
  66. Sembrik
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    Most amazing game I've ever played. This really got me addicted to hours of daily gameplay. This game is one of the best and most exciting games I've ever played. Amazing story, just purely EPIC experience!
    If you could rate a game above 10, this might be the only game who deserves that. I'm just stunned of gameplay and the fun behind it.
  67. TiagoRPG
    Sep 26, 2013
    10
    Best game ever of Tales of, it even better than tales of Abyss that im my opinion was the best until now, it's awesome and a evolution in all methods of play games
  68. mogsavvy
    Oct 14, 2013
    10
    Easily the best JRPG experience of 2013 to be honest! I love the characters, gameplay, world map, battle systems, music, skits, and many many more of those details between the two worlds and I can't wait for Xillia 2 to come to the west next year!
  69. Voretechz
    Dec 6, 2016
    9
    Tales of Xillia is easily my favourite game in the Tales of franchise and I have played almost all of them. The story is fantastic, the characters are all likeable and original. The combat is fun and the characters all feel different and have a great depth of progression and upgrades. Combo attacks are so bad ass and make you feel powerful, but not OP. The story is very well done and thereTales of Xillia is easily my favourite game in the Tales of franchise and I have played almost all of them. The story is fantastic, the characters are all likeable and original. The combat is fun and the characters all feel different and have a great depth of progression and upgrades. Combo attacks are so bad ass and make you feel powerful, but not OP. The story is very well done and there is some really emotional moments that got to me. Milla catches hate from some people because of her slight lisp, but I love her voice and character. The voice acting is very well done and the dialogue is very funny at times. I laughed a lot.
    Tales of Xillia gets a 2 thumbs up from me!    … Expand
  70. mikehettfield
    Apr 12, 2016
    8
    Though i don't like anime looking, this game got me by it's music, the action oriented combat is great, if you can overpass the anime stuff is a very enjoyable title
  71. jlunghi
    Nov 24, 2015
    7
    The weakest Tales game to date, really a disappointment compared to the sequel. Still worth playing, and an ok entry point into the series in that it can only get better from here.
  72. vahn
    Sep 26, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Before saying anything, two things: 1)Despite what I'm going to say, it's still a solid JRPG. 2) I'm going to rant a little but for a good reason later on. Anyway, my main grudges with this game, as also in the others "Tales of" is always around 3 major flaw points, which are usually the characters, combat and general choices, and for general choices I mean small things that actually can be a pain. For instance, the game has still the SILLY item limits, but usually it was compensated with the food cooking "promptly" removed: now we can only buy them and they only grant buffs for a VERY limited amount of battles for an insane cost, which makes the food completely pointless (or just too expensive). Second flaw is the save point recovering only 50% of the health...I don't see a point especially since I can't use any sort of tent or any restorative item for the team (like in old Fantasy, and some older Tales of games), resulting eventually on using your items. Which are already limited to 15. Another big flaw is the paths: you can choose 2 characters to start but both basically are the same game! Aside from some scenes and some quests you'll get the same experience and same exact parts, minus some extra cutscenes for your chosen character. Pointless. Quests also, while not being bad, lack any kind of direction on where you have to go, except the OBVIOUS item you have to get or things you have to kill. Funny how the game also gives you a sort of tracker and quest list, but just no information. In any case these flaws are pretty harmless and pointless...and about the combat...I actually have nothing to say! I always hated the combat system in Tales of games for being extremely stiffy, clunky and having some issues with unbalanced and underpowered skills (single hit artes were useless once you had multi-hit artes: they could chain-stun enemies and make enemies never attack you). In here it's actually very fluid, responsive and....FUN! Characters finally aren't restricted to their 3-hit useless combo and instead it can be amplified to hit more and more; this works also with artes, meaning that also those 1-hit artes are finally usefull, since they can be chained and can do quite some damage. Each character also is unique on their combat (Jude can sidestep, Milla can charge her spells, Alvin does the same but with physical attacks, Elize can switch "stances" using her doll, Rowen can do a sort of multi-cast, and Leia has increased attack range) and that alone is entertaining, since you'll be experimenting their skills and their combinations with other characters. The game infact gives us the possibility to link partners and create chained artes which will do massively high damage depending on which skills are used and characters. Sure the combat has one flaw, and that's having STILL no free movement (you still got to hold the L2 trigger) and the Lilium levelling System (a sort of Sphere Grid from Final Fantasy X) seems a little out of context in comparison, but all in all I loved, for once, the battle system of this series, bravo! And for last, the characters...which are surprisingly good and, strangely, not annoying as usual although still pretty stereotypical to some points although the male main protagonist (Jude) is pretty decent and harmless, although not perfect, while other sub haracters are good too and, again, not too annoying, not even the stereotypical super-lively-and-childhood-friend-that-obviously-has-a-crash-on-the-main-character, which I'm impressed really. With one exception, and this is the reason of the vote, and that is the female main protagonist, Milla. I know that her voice isn't great (I want to believe it's the character's fault, and not the Voice Actress), I know that she's annoying because of her mission as the Lord of the spirits (and I approve on her mission), and I even knw that she's like this because of the lack of any human contact even to her friends, making her a little more pitiful in a good way. But no, I couldn't hold until some parts: she is, to me, the absolute WORST main character I ever had the displeasure of control and play as! Reason? She is purely and simply careless in a very selfish way, so much she wouldn't actually care of her FRIENDS even if they were dying, as long as her mission goes on, with no respect of the human life. And everyone ADMIRES her! NO!!! YOU DOING IT WRONG NAMCO-BANDAI, YOU DOING IT WRONG! How can we even grow sympathetic with her if she just doesn't give two cents to the others? I've played anti-heros but they'd still show a "human" side that actually we can grow to like and grow sympathetic! I can't accept any excuse of any kind (and she doesn't even change in the ending, where she basically "forgets" everything she has learned during the game!). This is the reason why it gets a 8: the game is good, but she ruins her own story by making us not care about her in any way possible. Besides, "if the main hero doesn't give a damn, how can we?"… Expand
  73. Dziver
    Sep 16, 2014
    6
    Overall I truly enjoyed the game, it's a worthwhile purchase for any RPG gamer, but it has its flaws. One of them is voice acting. Only around 25% of the voice actors are good, 50% are so-so, and the rest are just plain bad. These bad voice actors include even the male main character, Jude. Milla belongs to the so-so category. Another complaint I have is about character development. ItOverall I truly enjoyed the game, it's a worthwhile purchase for any RPG gamer, but it has its flaws. One of them is voice acting. Only around 25% of the voice actors are good, 50% are so-so, and the rest are just plain bad. These bad voice actors include even the male main character, Jude. Milla belongs to the so-so category. Another complaint I have is about character development. It doesn't matter much what you pick because you get so much points that you're able to take almost everything anyway and the next section only opens up once you've unlocked enough passives and artes. It's so linear that you might as well set it on auto-level. There are also many other things that could've been done a lot better(AI, loot system, combat related stuff, etc.) but I don't want to make the game sound any worse than it really is so I'll stop now.… Expand
  74. AJCk19
    Nov 22, 2022
    4
    Well, this game is stuck in a awkward position. It is not as good as Xenoblade Chronicles X, Kingdom Hearts, FF13, and Trials of Mana. The real time combat just isn't as good as others. However I do love the art direction and the story is deep. Even the collector's edition they released for this game was extremely rad.
  75. Vivicka
    Feb 25, 2014
    3
    The only other game I've played in this series is Tales of Eternia on the PSP which for the most part I enjoyed. Strangely, none of the problems I had with this game were present in that one but I digress.

    The worst part of this game, I believe, is the way that the levels are laid out. There are items EVERYWHERE, you cannot step two feet without bumping into something to pick up from a    The only other game I've played in this series is Tales of Eternia on the PSP which for the most part I enjoyed. Strangely, none of the problems I had with this game were present in that one but I digress.

    The worst part of this game, I believe, is the way that the levels are laid out. There are items EVERYWHERE, you cannot step two feet without bumping into something to pick up from a chest, or a tree or the ground and everything you find is worthless. All that you can do with 95% of this stuff is sell it, and it's EVERYWHERE, I need to stress this. On top of that, there are far too many monsters to fight, and there will usually be a variety of around 2 monsters in one entire area (30m - 1h of play time). On top of this, these environments are boring, in the first 15 hours that I've played, I haven't found one that I really found interesting (university, city, different city, field, town, field, forest, beach, forest, field etc.). All of this together means that the environment as a whole does nothing to improve your experience, which is worrying to say the least.

    The characters aren't too badly fleshed out, although they never truly make you connect as a player, the main character in particular is purposefully made very unemotional and bland which only serves to further distance yourself from her.

    The story is unique, but that isn't to say that's it's necessarily good. It's very slow paced (10h to get to where we were going after the start) and it just feels as though the game is padding itself to get the run time to the "acceptable" time (30 - 40h) for an RPG.

    The shop system caused me gripes too. There is a very odd system whereby you must pay the shops to sell you different things, and they are essentially the same shop in every town. I don't understand the need for this. Up until now, we had different towns sell us different equipment and that worked just fine, why change it?

    Overall, this game just feels soul-less, I couldn't understand where it was trying to go. The staple for this series has always been the innovative combat system, and thankfully it seems to have kept some of that charm which is the only part I found entertaining throughout the game (though repetitive enemies were again a little grating).    … Expand
  76. beandaddyo
    Dec 23, 2014
    4
    This game was a huge disappointment. I'm a huge fan of the Tales series, and I've never encountered a tales game I couldn't get through. It seems like they put all the development funds into graphics, and tried to hard to make likable popular characters, instead of characters with actual depth. A good battle system can carry a JRPG with bad characters... but this game doesn't have one.This game was a huge disappointment. I'm a huge fan of the Tales series, and I've never encountered a tales game I couldn't get through. It seems like they put all the development funds into graphics, and tried to hard to make likable popular characters, instead of characters with actual depth. A good battle system can carry a JRPG with bad characters... but this game doesn't have one. Sure, the web-like leveling up seems like a good idea.... but it was poorly executed. It was not only a step down from the refined battle system in Graces, it is the worst tales battle system I've ever played with. It is like a bunch of different concepts thrown haphazardly together. It certainly feels rushed.

    This game gets good reviews by some. I feel like it would appeal more to fans of Western RPGs with its increased choices and high graphics. If your the kind of person who will buy anything as long as it looks good, or if you don't care about character development and took Symphonia entirely unironically, this game is for you. Otherwise, avoid it, especially if your a fan of the Tales Series.    … Expand
  77. bigtakilla
    Aug 10, 2013
    6
    I'm gonna say this time the critics got it right. It deserves a high 70's and that's it. When I seen the previews for it, I thought it was gonna take place on a quasi futuristic magic tech environment. Turns out it's only one city that's like that and you don't stay there for that long. I think the level system is inferior to Graces, with only this spiderweb of spheres to choose fromI'm gonna say this time the critics got it right. It deserves a high 70's and that's it. When I seen the previews for it, I thought it was gonna take place on a quasi futuristic magic tech environment. Turns out it's only one city that's like that and you don't stay there for that long. I think the level system is inferior to Graces, with only this spiderweb of spheres to choose from (think FF10 but a lot more streamlined). Graces you had a choice to choose what arte you wanted, and kept choosing badges with the same arte to make it stronger. Story's good, but honestly not breaking the mold in anything. The soundtrack's good but will be forgotten (unlike Bump Of Chicken's "Karma" from The Abyss). Graphically I'd say it's exactly on par with Graces.There are a lot of angles leading to sharp edges that are supposed to be round.) I had fun playing it, so I gave it a six, but you won't get the same raw emotions that Symphonia provides, the same felling of baddassness that Vesperia gave, or the sheer scope of being a helpless child, to optimistic squire to full on unstoppable hero that Graces F allowed you to experience. Probably fourth best in the series.… Expand
  78. Rabble_Rabble
    Aug 7, 2013
    6
    After playing the Japanese version and receiving my copy of the English version a week in advance, Tales of Xillia is a minor disappointment, but an okay entry in the series.

    Gameplay: The battle system, while fun and engaging for the first couple of hours, becomes dumb down and boring like other game FRLMBS games, even on the highest difficulty the game fails to deliver a real    After playing the Japanese version and receiving my copy of the English version a week in advance, Tales of Xillia is a minor disappointment, but an okay entry in the series.

    Gameplay: The battle system, while fun and engaging for the first couple of hours, becomes dumb down and boring like other game FRLMBS games, even on the highest difficulty the game fails to deliver a real challenge. A cool feature in this game is the Link Arte system, allowing two characters to combine two artes to perform a new one, but the game has a real imbalance on who learns them, for the most part you will be using Jude and Milla link artes, with the ocassional mix of Alvin. The leveling system is boring for the most part, it is just connecting points to learn new abilities and skills, I get this was supposed to the let character build their character they way the want, but it pales in comparison to other games with the same system. The shop system is also an interesting gameplay feature, but it allows for the character to easily break the system and have access to high level equipment by the first 5 hours of the game. Quest provide some fun, but the game lacks any real sidequests and the traditional cameo battle is not present. The game for the most part is linear and maps occasionally feel as such, especially the final dungeon of the game. The world map, while not a badly linear as Graces, is still a minor linear path leading you to different areas.

    Story: The story of Xillia was announced to be a return to series tradition and succeeds in some aspects, but the story seriously suffers in the first half of the game, being a story of stopping a powerful weapon; something we have seen in other Tales games, but it gets better after the twenty hour mark, but unfortunately it swings into crunch time and the ending suffers because of it. The characters are really engaging; with the exception of Leia and Elize, all the characters have interesting back stories, even the villains.

    Appearance: The game's graphical style is major improvement from Tales of Graces f, the environments look really great, but character models are another story. The models show too many polygon errors when it comes to hair or attachments, so they often sink into the model. The anime cutscenes by Ufotable are probably one of the best in the series. The voice cast for the English dub does suffice for the most part, with a couple dull acting moments from Minae Noji and Sam Riegel. The music could be consider one of the less stellar pieces in the series, only with a handful of tracks being good.

    In the end, Tales of Xillia is a hit and miss game, but the game still somewhat manages to live up to the legacy of the series. It may not be the best Tales game, but it is certainly not as bad as Tales of Innocence. It is one worth one or two playthroughs for both stories.    … Expand
  79. Kingpotato
    Sep 27, 2013
    3
    This is by far the worst entry in the series i have played, and when compared to tales of graces F is a something that should be hidden in the basement.

    It is a usual tales affair for the most part but from the very first dungeon the game reeks of a rushed out game. It has some of the most bland environments i've seen in a current gen game coupled with the slowest paced clunky combat in    This is by far the worst entry in the series i have played, and when compared to tales of graces F is a something that should be hidden in the basement.

    It is a usual tales affair for the most part but from the very first dungeon the game reeks of a rushed out game. It has some of the most bland environments i've seen in a current gen game coupled with the slowest paced clunky combat in any tales game. You will leave a city area and find an open field filled with random droppings of "environment" such as trees and rocks but it is completely lifeless. These are copy paste cookie cutter trees and locations stuffed to the brim with monsters, unable to take more than a few steps before being forced into another fight.

    The combat itself does get better over time, but starts off as pain, clumsy and awkward and never really goes away. You'll find yourself having to eat every enemy attack because you can't dodge or block fast enough while attacking with significant downtime after each attack, couple this with the addition of mana for your normal artes (that fills far to slowly) and your left only spamming your normal free attacks indefinitely to kill the endless amount of creatures. The addition of the links does nothing to help alleviate the sheer boredom i faced during battles as the AI most doesn't know what its doing. Half the time you are attack and it refuses to attack with you and so are unable to actually use link artes the other it's off attacking a entirely different monster.

    On top of this the much favoured combo system from the previous tales game, graces F, has been down away with. No longer does the directional input with my basic attack differentiate my basic artes ina meaningful way, instead it is replaced with an auto attack like version with no discernible differences, which leaves no room for imaginative combo's with the large delay between the casting of the real artes.

    They have done away with titles and now given you orbs which apon each level you gain a point to distribute. The problem is there is no variance, no skill tree's, you can't actually make a mistake. Simple use of the auto distribute will net you the same results, which totals a very shallow system of false complexity.

    Everything else is largely the same to other series in regards to stories and characters, but with the entire combat system in such a wretched state you are left spending hours grinding boring monsters with a clunky system only to have these story moments dulled by ugly bland environments and all drip fed at a terrible pace.

    Easily the worst tales in the series, even if this game was free i would still feel cheated for the time i wasted trying to like it.    … Expand
  80. Super_Cloud
    Jan 1, 2016
    7
    I was so frustrated with the battle system on Graces f, when i played Xillia i was so happy, everything i hated was gone, it was fun once more! I like the character in the game, Milla can get annoying sometime but i still liked her, i feel like the game is too short and has a poor replay value compared to other Tales of. The OST was disappointing because nothing really stand out, the gameI was so frustrated with the battle system on Graces f, when i played Xillia i was so happy, everything i hated was gone, it was fun once more! I like the character in the game, Milla can get annoying sometime but i still liked her, i feel like the game is too short and has a poor replay value compared to other Tales of. The OST was disappointing because nothing really stand out, the game was not the best but still a good Tales of.… Expand
  81. Carlitoxic
    Jul 4, 2014
    7
    Cuando hay sequia la lluvía se valora de otra manera cuando caen tres gotas. No estamos ante un mal RPG pero tampoco ante la obra maestra que defienden algunos. Muchas cosas buenas, como su duración, su sistema de combate (bien por el multiplayer) o la banda sonora. Pero por lo demás, la historia es un poco regulera (con clichés manga por doquier), gráficos pobres y desarrollo a vecesCuando hay sequia la lluvía se valora de otra manera cuando caen tres gotas. No estamos ante un mal RPG pero tampoco ante la obra maestra que defienden algunos. Muchas cosas buenas, como su duración, su sistema de combate (bien por el multiplayer) o la banda sonora. Pero por lo demás, la historia es un poco regulera (con clichés manga por doquier), gráficos pobres y desarrollo a veces ameno y otras un tanto gris. En cualquier caso es un juego notable que bebe de los clásicos del RPG pero que aún necesita modernizarse que ya no estamos en la época de la PS2.… Expand
  82. NIntendoFan94
    Oct 29, 2013
    7
    Tales of Xillia is a sleeper hit RPG what any tales fans get and any RPG fans had a good feeling. The storyline looks rather greater and smarter experience. Controls are very obvious and most of all, It became so beloved title
  83. Karibito
    Aug 11, 2013
    7
    Having played the japanese version, i found Tales of Xillia to be a worthy addition to the series.

    +Interesting story and good world building. It doesn't avoid the constant theme of "Dualism" that is so prevalent in the series, but i believe that this time has been done in a way that respects your intellect and it sets the stage for the sequel. +The battle system is very good, but not    Having played the japanese version, i found Tales of Xillia to be a worthy addition to the series.

    +Interesting story and good world building. It doesn't avoid the constant theme of "Dualism" that is so prevalent in the series, but i believe that this time has been done in a way that respects your intellect and it sets the stage for the sequel.
    +The battle system is very good, but not the best. It is below Destiny R and Graces F but it's better than Vesperia's. It was not quite as fast paced as i wouuld've liked but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
    -The game was rushed and it shows. The game overuses certain assets like towns and enemy designs. Also, it is short by jrpg standards and has few optional quests or endgame material.
    -The two protagonists system fails in my opinion. Each one has some unique story segments in an effort to justify a required second playthrough in order to better understand the whole story.. But it feels more like something the developers thought to cover for the short length than something that has a meaningful impact.

    It may not be the best "Tales of" game but i think most jrpg fans will not be disappointed by Tales of Xillia. Last but not least, it paves the way for the superior sequel that fixes most of the issues that plague this one and adds a huge amount of content. Buy it and play it so you can enjoy next year the best game, in my opinion, in the series.    … Expand
  84. ihatecheez
    Sep 3, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. seemed really interesting at the beginning, but got boring quick. story is flat, very linear in gameplay, very easy, and some annoying characters (im looking at you teepo!). was pretty disappointed.… Expand
  85. JohnnySnowstorm
    Sep 15, 2013
    7
    I'm very happy that the PS3 has gotten a good amount of localized JRPGs over the years, and Tales of Xillia is a good fit for the system and its user base. It's a good game with plenty of content, but it also has some rather glaring issues.

    The gameplay is very smooth, but it suffers from being far too linear. The world map is very simple, most of it is just flat stretches of land with    I'm very happy that the PS3 has gotten a good amount of localized JRPGs over the years, and Tales of Xillia is a good fit for the system and its user base. It's a good game with plenty of content, but it also has some rather glaring issues.

    The gameplay is very smooth, but it suffers from being far too linear. The world map is very simple, most of it is just flat stretches of land with predictable secret areas that contain chests and sacks of supplies. The dungeons have a bit more depth but not much, there's a bit of platforming and use of objects and ladders, but there are no real puzzles or anything that need to be solved. Most of the time you're running from point A to B and killing everything in your way. My biggest issue is how bland most areas feel, not in an aesthetic sense but rather in the how everything is really easy and straightforward, it lacks any complexity and it seems like really lazy design to copy and paste the same couple of boring areas over and over.

    The combat however is highly energetic, it's mostly button mashing with most of the strategy coming from whom you link with and how you set the behavior of your party members. With the exception of two later boss fights, you'll mostly be jamming your first down enemies' throats and hammering away with combos without much regard for anything else. One thing about the combat that got to me was how irritating the amalgamation of sound becomes when you have a full party. As you link up and execute combos you will constantly hear stuff being shouted in battle, unfortunately the battle music is loud and obnoxious so you end up turning your volume way down so you don't go mad. Still, the combat feels polished, and when you get to the New Game+ part of the game and crank up the difficulty it's at least partially satisfying.

    The main story is nothing new or exciting, and as with most JRPGs it comes down to if the characters are likable or if they rub you the wrong way. I personally wasn't amazed by any of them and the cheesy humor doesn't really work for me. One thing I have to give them props for is the excellent localization effort and choice of voice actors. It's always a toss up for JRPGs when it comes to this, and thankfully Xillia does it right.

    While I won't spoil anything, I was very underwhelmed by the game's ending, especially the final battle. It was just too boring and it had very little emotional effect.

    Graphically the game goes from being incredibly beautiful in cut scenes and towns to being very bland and basic everywhere else. There is so much detail and refinement when you watch the story scenes and the conversations, but then the open world, the landscapes, and the monster design are dated and unimpressive. It certainly has its moments but it can't really compared to the more visually impressive RPGs out there.

    The musical score is rather a disappointment, and if you have the limited edition soundtrack you'll probably notice that it is missing all of the really good tracks as well. Like I mentioned before, the battle music is really obnoxious and while I enjoyed some of the slower musical pieces I have to give them low marks for constantly reusing the same tracks. I know that not every RPG can have a score spanning several CDs, but it feels really lazy when 70% of all outdoor areas use the same 2 minute song on repeat.

    At the end of the day, Tales of Xillia is worth buying if you like JRPGs, but if you're new to the genre there are better games available. I'll be preordering Xillia 2 when it comes to the US, because despite its flaws the game was enjoyable and worth the money.    … Expand
  86. TheDestroyer
    Aug 29, 2014
    7
    I am The Destroyer. I will break games, complain about the littlest detail, and tell you whether or not the game is worth buying. And my wrath begins on Tales of Xillia, a JRPG game released in August of 2013. There's a lot of things I want to say here, but can't due to the 5000 character limit.

    1. Story - The story in this game is nothing interesting, and it barely improves later on,    I am The Destroyer. I will break games, complain about the littlest detail, and tell you whether or not the game is worth buying. And my wrath begins on Tales of Xillia, a JRPG game released in August of 2013. There's a lot of things I want to say here, but can't due to the 5000 character limit.

    1. Story
    - The story in this game is nothing interesting, and it barely improves later on, and comes with the occasional potholes to boot. The good news is it still has enough gasoline in the tank to keep your curiosity in check, but if not for voice overs and beautiful animation saving its butt this would fall apart completely.
    - The sidequests are considerably "dead weight" to this game! They are extremely generic, basic, and stuff you've seen over 1000 times before, and you will most likely skip all dialogue with pride.

    2. Voice Acting
    - Many reviewers think Minae Noji, english voice actress of Milla Maxwell, lacked enthusiasm. You see an angry picture of Milla in battle, screaming loud enough to knock down bowling pins, yet she's talking as if it were an ordinary boring day. So they're part right in that the voice acting never matched. Good news is it's not the worst acting you'll ever hear, and the rest of the characters, despite it's blandish story, will speak in words that makes you wanna follow them.

    3. Graphics and Visuals
    - When the animations busted out it felt like you were watching a live tv show. Every cutscene, wither it'd be a full-on animation or regular scene, will look as epic as the last. My only complaint is that if you use a DLC costume on Milla, it might cover up things she wears during the story.

    4. Gameplay
    - Gameplay refers to the battle system, customization & level up, and various areas that you explore during gameplay. When you put it all together it's average, and let me tell you why...

    -Battle System-
    There's a stamina system put in this game called AC (Assault Counter) where you can do as many moves and Artes attacks as you want until it hits 0. Then you must wait for about a second, and your AC will be fully restored. This opens up tons combo possibilities with your X and circle button, something which you will spend hours of enjoyment doing. But be careful when setting an Arte attack that involves pushing the circle button + up, because you'll sometimes jump instead of doing the actual move. With enough practice it will eventually no longer be a problem, but there are battle problems which can't be fixed: Enemy AI's are programmed to target player 1 before anyone else in order to keep the gamer "involved" so playing as a spellcaster early on in the game is impossible. 2-player; the camera auto-scrolls around the battlefield like a disco ball, messing up everyone's position, with no way to fix it. Finally, this game goes up to 4 players, but should never be played with more than 2 people at a time. The games new "Linked Artes Gauge" system has you link with an ally during battle to fill it up in order to use supermoves & Mystic Artes. But when you link with an ally another player is using, they essentially become braindead. They will automatically become an AI and will be unable to do anything until the link is broken. Single player will be more fun.

    -Customization and & Level Up-
    - Barely any until end game. However this game does earn praise for it's material system, where you collect materials to donate to shops in order to get better items & equipment for customizing. Quite possibly the most unique system you'll ever see.

    -Areas-
    Lazy design! Too many copy/pastes! Seahavens (ports), Dungeons, Inns, and especially the EX dungeon, all unbearable to look at.
    The areas that aren't cookiecut are mostly bland and boring to explore. Treasure Chest only give easy-to-find items over half the time, so you feel like there's no real reward for clearing them out. The game's sightseeing is a sugarcoat to what you can actually explore. After 5 dungeons you will notice the same repetitive pattern you've been following the entire game.

    5. Soundtrack
    - The soundtrack might be overdoing it with it's multi-battles its got going for each character's story. But other than that, you will enjoy listening to the music that is provided.

    6. DLC
    - Other than the free DLCs, the rest are nothing but plain cash-ins - A way for Namco to earn its few extra dollars while you feel con'd with attachments and costumes that you'll only use for a few battles. $3 for a costume isn't worth the money. Do not buy any DLC! You will only feel betrayed.

    7. Personal Enjoyment
    - When the battles started, that's where the real fun began. I had loads of fun testing out Artes attack, Linked Artes, and chaining combos. That, and it's graphics are what I remember best about this game. Loses replay value though with Points of no Return.

    Overall Verdict
    My overall verict for Tales of Xillia is a 7 out of 10, a pretty good game. Pick this up if you are into JRPG games, but avoid if looking for Co-op    … Expand
  87. liquideyeliner
    Apr 20, 2015
    4
    This was my first venture into the Tales series after hearing hype about it for years, and I gotta say I'm not impressed at all. The art direction is very, very bland. The leading lady has quite possibly the most obnoxious hair style I've seen outside of Yugioh and her voice actress is atrocious. The story is very cliche.

    There are some interesting aspects of the game. You're given the    This was my first venture into the Tales series after hearing hype about it for years, and I gotta say I'm not impressed at all. The art direction is very, very bland. The leading lady has quite possibly the most obnoxious hair style I've seen outside of Yugioh and her voice actress is atrocious. The story is very cliche.

    There are some interesting aspects of the game. You're given the option to pick between a male and female lead and I would assume their story lines diverge at some point leading to a different experience. I'm not totally sure though, I only played as the male as his design was less annoying to look at than the woman with the floofy celery hair.

    The combat isn't bad, but it's shamefully easy. Also the voice acting is some of the worst I've ever heard. I wasn't able to beat the game because I got so annoyed with the cast of characters. By far the worst was this awful little blob called Teepo. Listening to this character was like someone taking a screw driver to my ear.

    I usually try to complete games, even ones I'm not a fan of, just for the sake of it, but this game was just too annoying.    … Expand
  88. Daze072401
    Feb 20, 2019
    5
    The story's plodding pace, hard-aging graphics, and awkward battle engine ultimately undercut Xillia's awesome art direction and bold narrative. It was Tales' first step into the modern JRPG world, and it sure feels like it.
  89. ChoosableOne
    Jul 29, 2017
    7
    Great gameplay but unbalanced. If you grind little, you cant beat bosses. If you grind too much, standart enemy becomes boring. Not every boss is in same diffuculty too. This was my only Tales experience. Great mechanics, you control characters every move, doing combos in real time etc. Great. But childish story and balance problems makes it a 7 for me. Definitly will try another Tales game.
  90. zera555
    Sep 4, 2019
    3
    My cousin and I were itching to play another Tales game, so we purchased this one based on the good reviews on Metacritic. Much to our surprise, neither of us cared much at all for the game. We loved Symphonia and Vesperia, but Xillia was just... dull. The main characters, by design, are uninteresting, the plot was uninteresting and felt rushed. I'm genuinely surprised this game has an 8.6.
  91. chrisdan23
    Jun 14, 2022
    6
    Leider sind die Tales Spiele über die Jahre immer generischer geworden. Dabei startete die Serie einmal sehr vielversprechend, Tales of Phantasia auf dem SNES ist bis heute ein Kleinod des Genres. Mit der Zeit ist die Serie in ihren Ambitionen jedoch nicht gewachsen und lebt vor allem vom recyclen früherer Ideen und Systeme. Vor allem die offenen Hubs und Dungeons der Semi-Open WorldLeider sind die Tales Spiele über die Jahre immer generischer geworden. Dabei startete die Serie einmal sehr vielversprechend, Tales of Phantasia auf dem SNES ist bis heute ein Kleinod des Genres. Mit der Zeit ist die Serie in ihren Ambitionen jedoch nicht gewachsen und lebt vor allem vom recyclen früherer Ideen und Systeme. Vor allem die offenen Hubs und Dungeons der Semi-Open World wirken öde und uninspiriert. Dabei schafft Tales of Xillia es durchaus eine recht interessante Geschichte zu erzählen, das Writing war tatsächlich nie eine Schwäche des Franchises, Gameplay und vor allem eben das mangelnde Investment ins Gamedesign sind es letztlich, die die neueren Titel fad, repetitiv und nach Fließbandware wirken lassen. Schade um das Potential, das die Serie mit ihrem starken Anime Bezügen und dem Action lastigen Kampfsystem eigentlich mitbringt. Tales of Xillia aber hebt sich kaum noch über den Durchschnitt der Massenware des JRPG Genres. Am Ende fehlt es an Eigenständigkeit, Liebe zum Detail und Inspiration, um Spieler wirklich nochmal für das Franchise zu begeistern.… Expand
  92. tonberry_ftw
    Jun 24, 2023
    0
    Nothing against tales series (enjoyed vesperia, abyss), but overall, this game was a waste of time.

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Best PS3 Game of 2013
23
#23 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2013
34
#34 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 65 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 65
  3. Negative: 0 out of 65
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 24, 2013
    80
    Tales of Xillia is nothing revolutionary, but if JRPGs are your thing, you'll be more than satisfied, as it has a lot more to offer than one would expect. [Nov 2013]
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 5, 2013
    86
    A great RPG adventure with action-packed real-time battles. The characters are interesting, but the main story relies too much on passive anime sequences. [Sept 2013]
  3. Critical Hit
    Oct 1, 2013
    65
    There is nothing inherently wrong with the game, nor is there anything to make me recommend it. If you love JRPGs, you might enjoy this. If not, it will probably reinforce all your negative ideas about JRPGs.
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