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. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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

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

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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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