Tales of Zestiria

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 411 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 241 out of 411
  2. Mixed: 91 out of 411
  3. Negative: 79 out of 411
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  1. ChromXsome
    Oct 22, 2015
    10
    This Game is simply awesome.
    Graphics don't make a game. The Story, the characters and the innovative (and at first VERY complex) fighting System does.
    I am 15 hours into the game now, and everytime I am at work during the day, I just can't wait to get home and Play further into the Story! The only negative Thing for ME ist the fighting System. It doesn't make use of the D-Pad which    This Game is simply awesome.
    Graphics don't make a game. The Story, the characters and the innovative (and at first VERY complex) fighting System does.

    I am 15 hours into the game now, and everytime I am at work during the day, I just can't wait to get home and Play further into the Story!

    The only negative Thing for ME ist the fighting System. It doesn't make use of the D-Pad which is unfortunate. All the skills Need to be done with the Analog Stick and the "X" and "O" button, which makes everything more complicated. For beginners it is frustrating.

    Anyways, I think it is an awesome Game!    … Expand
  2. Xervathu
    Oct 20, 2015
    10
    I've received the game on Friday, Due to living in Europe.
    Im not done with the game yet,I guess i'm somewhere halfway,
    But i really wanted to give my oppinion. Zestiria feels like a step forward for the tales franchise. Smooth transitions into combat and cutscenes and it feels like theres barely Any black/loading screens present in the ps4 version. The combat is taken straight from    I've received the game on Friday, Due to living in Europe.
    Im not done with the game yet,I guess i'm somewhere halfway,
    But i really wanted to give my oppinion.
    Zestiria feels like a step forward for the tales franchise.
    Smooth transitions into combat and cutscenes and it feels like theres barely Any black/loading screens present in the ps4 version.
    The combat is taken straight from Graces,which is a good thing because that is one of the best systems in the Tales series. Graphics look awesome, the world looks alive, the soundtrack is fantastic.
    Please dont get dissapointed by negative reviews. try it out. its worth it!    … Expand
  3. igorrocks2
    Oct 22, 2015
    10
    It was long wait and Tales Of Zestiria deliver ! Yet I hopped for something more rewarding. Since it is 20th anniversary! I hope that future games in the series will improve more. Yet I give it solid 10 because I missed it a lot.,,
  4. Quandary
    Oct 20, 2015
    10
    I was a bit worried about Zestiria because I read some criticism from Japanese gamers, but it turns out to be one of the best games I've played on Ps4, and definitely the best Japanese rpg on that console. The story is charming and has a lot of flavour, with throwbacks to the King Arthur legends and interesting ideas like the invisible Seraphims that accompany the main character coupledI was a bit worried about Zestiria because I read some criticism from Japanese gamers, but it turns out to be one of the best games I've played on Ps4, and definitely the best Japanese rpg on that console. The story is charming and has a lot of flavour, with throwbacks to the King Arthur legends and interesting ideas like the invisible Seraphims that accompany the main character coupled with charming dialogues and funny skits. The world feels vast and great to explore, yet it is never a chore like in other opern world games. The battles are probably the best in any Tales game, keeping Graces f's flair and adding unique concepts like armitization, with a great loot system to tinker with. Zestiria also has dual audio, something I wish happened with all other Tales games before, even if the English dub is rock solid. Overall one heck of a purchase, I bet other fans of the genre will feel the same if they give the game a chance. I'm already waiting for Berseria to be localized.… Expand
  5. Gamexpert
    Oct 20, 2015
    10
    I am from Europe, so i got the game last Friday, and i really cant understand these few Hate-Comments.
    This Game is unbelievable. I can really recommend it to everyone who likes any sort of JRPG, and to new PLayers of the Genre.
    The Open World is fantastic, the graphics are a little bit outdated, but thats no reason to miss this game. The Main Reason to buy this game should be Gameplay,    I am from Europe, so i got the game last Friday, and i really cant understand these few Hate-Comments.
    This Game is unbelievable. I can really recommend it to everyone who likes any sort of JRPG, and to new PLayers of the Genre.
    The Open World is fantastic, the graphics are a little bit outdated, but thats no reason to miss this game.
    The Main Reason to buy this game should be Gameplay, Story and the excellent Characters.
    10/10 Awesome game, really.    … Expand
  6. fallouts
    Oct 20, 2015
    0
    Tales games are like the Call of Duty and AC of JRPGS....I liked these games in the past but this release clearly demonstrates that they need to take a break and innovate. The combat system is decent if samey, but the story and exploration is so lackluster, the things that matter in an RPG. Get Divinity, Witcher 3 or Xenoblade CHronicles X instead.
  7. eaboo316
    Mar 16, 2017
    10
    I really enjoyed my experience with Zestiria, and thought it was a solid addition to the Tales of series. I admit, I am a loyal fan of the series, and love the storytelling and character development present in all its titles (at least the ones I have played), and this game is no exception. I thought Sorey was great as a main character, and had great development from being naive and notI really enjoyed my experience with Zestiria, and thought it was a solid addition to the Tales of series. I admit, I am a loyal fan of the series, and love the storytelling and character development present in all its titles (at least the ones I have played), and this game is no exception. I thought Sorey was great as a main character, and had great development from being naive and not knowing much about the world in the beginning, though learning more throughout his journey which culminates into the decisions he makes towards the end of the game. He was a relatable character, and watching him and the other characters grow was a pleasure. In many ways, it is a simple story, but through the side quests and the skits, there is much to learn about the characters and many great messages to take away. I remember one part when one of the characters talked about the importance of critical thinking and not buying into narratives just because it may feel convincing - there are smart dialogues in this game that talk important issues which can be transferable to issues in the real world.

    The battles were really fun - I really liked the "transformations" in the game and how you could use the mechanics of that to your advantage. The equipment attributes were really confusing at first, though once you play through it more you are able to use it as strategy for harder battles. It is difficult though to "intentionally" try to get the best equipment stats wise and the special skills you want. The graphics were great, overall. I really like this type of 3D anime style, and the environments were solid, as in most of the Tales games. I thoroughly enjoyed the music, and listen to the OST now and then. Motoi Sakuraba and Go Shiina did a phenomenal job.

    Only thing I was really bothered about was the design of a certain character's hat, it's not really that big of a deal but it bothered me...

    I thought this was a very classic, Tales title. If you like Tales and JRPGs, you will like this game. The strength of this game is in the storytelling and the fun battles, so if you primarily like to explore in games, this may not be for you.

    It seems to not be the most highly rated in the series, and I understand the general consensus of why. Though I enjoyed this just as much as every other game in the series. Tales games are consistently fun and have great storytelling, which is why I love Zestiria and the series franchise! I think I clocked about 80 hours in this game, and I didn't do much of the post-game content, so it'll keep you engaged for awhile!

    And Sorey is one of my favorite Tales characters, he's the best nerd and his optimism is contagious. ^_^    … Expand
  8. tsumasaki
    Mar 20, 2017
    10
    zestiria is a great game
    zestiria is better than zelda breath of the wild
    the music of it . is magic and awesome
    play zestiria is magic
    the boss are difficults
  9. Goodplayer
    Jul 17, 2019
    10
    Tales of Zestiria is truly one of the best video games of all time. It's a totally charming game from the beginning to the end, with handsome characters, great gameplay, good graphics, and nice story.
  10. AnimeFreak1305
    Nov 26, 2016
    10
    The graphics are spot-on.I love the voice actors of each individual characters!!! This game is absolutely-unbelievably good!! I very much enjoyed it till the very end!!
  11. leejaku
    Jan 6, 2019
    2
    Literally one of the worst games an JRPGs I've played in my entire life. Map exploring feels like a ps2 game, combat system is totally broken and chaotic due to the worst possible camera, items and skills are so confusing that having beaten many other jRPGs myself and my friend ( playing co op ) wasn't enough to understand even a bit. Play other games
  12. phoenixsaturn
    Nov 14, 2019
    4
    A game that unfortunately fails to live up to the high standards of its predecessors. Tales of Zestiria is an ugly, buggy mess of a game with forgettable characters and a frustrating plot.

    Despite now occurring in the overworld battles are nothing to write home about, mostly involving entering into Kamui form and mashing to overwhelm opponents. The main characters, Sorey and Rose,    A game that unfortunately fails to live up to the high standards of its predecessors. Tales of Zestiria is an ugly, buggy mess of a game with forgettable characters and a frustrating plot.

    Despite now occurring in the overworld battles are nothing to write home about, mostly involving entering into Kamui form and mashing to overwhelm opponents. The main characters, Sorey and Rose, cannot be removed from the battle party, and with the combination of the aforementioned Kamui mode the Tales Series' typical 4 player co-op does not function properly in this game. The transition is also buggy and you can often get trapped inside walls or behind rocks in battle mode, meaning you'll have to rely on your CPU allies to end battles and free you if you fall victim to this glitch.

    The story is incredibly frustrating, relying on tired anime plot cliches to attempt to advance it. The heroes will have you rolling your eyes while the villains will bore you with their cookie cutter molds of personality. The Tales Series' typical attempts at subverting some of the story elements are present, but executed very poorly in this installment. I would not recommend this game and would suggest either skipping right to Berseria or going back and playing one of the series' older installments.    … Expand
  13. Flypaper
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    I'd give it an 8.5 if I could. This review is coming from someone who hasn't played much Tales in the past. I'm 15 hours into the game and love the uplifting and feel good story of a truly good characters trying to save the world. There is no grit here folks. The story is 8.5 so far with a constant barrage of new information about the malevolence and where the shepherd fits into theI'd give it an 8.5 if I could. This review is coming from someone who hasn't played much Tales in the past. I'm 15 hours into the game and love the uplifting and feel good story of a truly good characters trying to save the world. There is no grit here folks. The story is 8.5 so far with a constant barrage of new information about the malevolence and where the shepherd fits into the story (along with new battle mechanics - more on that later). Its not as simple a story as some reviewers seem to claim. I enjoy the characters and want to see how they end up, which is rare for me these days in games when they make the characters so unlikable that I don't care about them.
    The battle system is surprisingly complex. It is still teaching me new things after 15 hours and I still don't get it all. So maybe it could be a little more streamlined and still be a deep experience. It is flashy and fun though with some relatively challenging bosses after easing you into the system. Save often as there are some enemies on the map that will wipe the floor with you in one or two hits. You will want to go around those (which is an option with most fights, but you won't gain levels of course). There are no random battles in this game. That's a big plus for me. I hate being interrupted unexpectedly every five seconds. The enemies in this game are well spaced enough to not feel tedious most of the time.
    Graphics get the job done in this game. It fits the anime style in my opinion. Its last gen pretty (since it was made for PS3 and doesn't even make the cooling fan blow much on my PS4). Not PS2 ugly like some claim. There are some lower res textures and its not going to wow you with its realism, but my big thing is animation. If the characters move like robots it takes me out of the story. The animation is very natural even with the in engine "cutscenes." By the way the English dub is pretty good in my opinion. Its not the best ever with some unnatural pauses and responses, but overall its not distracting.
    One thing that may bother some is the lack of real choices in this game. In my 15 hours with the game, I have made 1 choice and wonder if it really mattered. Honestly it doesn't bother me a bit. The game has a story to tell and you are along for the ride. Works for me as I don't want to tell my own story as many games want you to do. I want the developers to write a story and tell it in a compelling way. This game does that. There are mysteries to unravel and I need to get back to slaying dragons. I recommend this game to anyone who isn't too jaded to enjoy a good vs evil story, innocent and good characters like only Japanese culture can do these days. I hope this review helps make up your mind!    … Expand
  14. jirren
    Oct 29, 2015
    9
    Anyone complaining about the camera and basing a low score on that is stupid. The camera is bad at times but not very often and you can easily adjust it if you actually know what your doing. The games music is possibly the best in any tales game IMO. Sorey is very standard but he is surrounded by interesting party members and a well developed story. If you like tales games then this willAnyone complaining about the camera and basing a low score on that is stupid. The camera is bad at times but not very often and you can easily adjust it if you actually know what your doing. The games music is possibly the best in any tales game IMO. Sorey is very standard but he is surrounded by interesting party members and a well developed story. If you like tales games then this will easily please you.… Expand
  15. Gamingking007
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This game is simply amazing, I do admit they should have raised the fps and they could of done a lot better with the graphics but the rest is simply amazing! If you can get the collectors edition don't hesitate to buy it , you won't be sorry one of the best collectors edition I have ever owned and I have countless of them! Enjoy everyone !
  16. Lendra-chan
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    I believe TOZ gets far too much flak for what it's worth. A lot of this game intends for the user to infer things and explore to piece the puzzle together. It stays away from heavily overused tropes and cliches while still executing a trope of its own. I believe it was really well executed and the fighting system, though is indeed difficult to get used to at first, makes battles enjoyableI believe TOZ gets far too much flak for what it's worth. A lot of this game intends for the user to infer things and explore to piece the puzzle together. It stays away from heavily overused tropes and cliches while still executing a trope of its own. I believe it was really well executed and the fighting system, though is indeed difficult to get used to at first, makes battles enjoyable and something you constantly need to think about instead of button mashing.

    Also, the fact that none of the females in your party are involved with the main character romantically is such a breath of fresh air. Both females are very individualistic and following are the other supporting character. They are all very interesting in different ways, little snippets of their characteristics revealed in the smallest areas and it makes them seem more realistic. There's no romance forced on you and where many players are frustrated that you can't romance the female characters, I'm very pleased that they kept to the realistic idea that they're amidst war and there are larger issues at hand. Plus there is the interpretation of the main character's relationship with his childhood friend as well.

    A lot of new things are introduced in TOZ and I'm very pleased with it. Certainly there were tedious parts of the game play and aspects that probably could have been better dealt with like close quarters fighting and the aesthetics of some of the ruins, but I far prefer an interesting and intricate plot and characters. I heard so many complaining about the plot and characters being flat, and perhaps it's because I played it with Japanese audio and English subtitles, but none of them seemed flat what so ever. On the contrary, everyone was very vibrant in their own ways, and the plot was one giant puzzle that had its pieces skewed everywhere, which is very believable for someone in the main character's position; flung into an unknown world with only a few clues to start a massive journey. You're rewarded for being ambitious and exploring, which is very true to the main character's interests and character, so he's not someone you can 'self insert' yourself into. You need to be diligent like him and observant and explorative. I greatly appreciate characters being true to themselves.

    Long story short, TOZ smack talking became a bandwagon ordeal and too many players became caught up in comparing it to earlier titles instead of taking it as a game of its own. A lot of new things were introduced, even progressive and risky in terms of tradition (fighting style, romantic options, etc) and I greatly enjoyed it.

    The music is also incredible~    … Expand
  17. oathkeepings
    Oct 22, 2015
    10
    Not totally sure why this game is getting such mediocre reviews. The combat is fantastic, the graphics are gorgeous, and I personally find the story intriguing. I've fallen in love with all of the characters I've encountered so far. A lot of people are saying the story is lackluster and boring, but I really find it engaging and interesting. I think Sorey's journey as a Shepard with hisNot totally sure why this game is getting such mediocre reviews. The combat is fantastic, the graphics are gorgeous, and I personally find the story intriguing. I've fallen in love with all of the characters I've encountered so far. A lot of people are saying the story is lackluster and boring, but I really find it engaging and interesting. I think Sorey's journey as a Shepard with his friends is really fun to follow, and I haven't gotten bored of the story. I think this is one of the best RPG's on the PS4 right now by landslide, in my personal opinion. I also get some moderately strong Star Ocean TTEOT vibes from this game, not exactly sure why. I also really enjoy the voice acting.… Expand
  18. snakekill321
    Oct 24, 2015
    10
    This game is amazing. It has everythign you want in a tales game. Ye the plot os cute and paste, but the characters are so unique and memorable, the plot does have twists, and the game has an open world feel to it now. The game has four difficulty settings so if you like a challenge or even if you want to blow through for the story the option is there. Combat is done real well too,This game is amazing. It has everythign you want in a tales game. Ye the plot os cute and paste, but the characters are so unique and memorable, the plot does have twists, and the game has an open world feel to it now. The game has four difficulty settings so if you like a challenge or even if you want to blow through for the story the option is there. Combat is done real well too, combining aspects of Xillia, Graces and Hearts R. I wont admit this is my favorite Tales game, but this is a solid 10/10 game for any Tales of fan.… Expand
  19. AllUltima
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Ignore the "hater" reviews-- this is a great game with huge scope and it gets good pretty quickly. It's a shame it's rating gets dragged down from the ~8.5 or so that it deserves. Its few faults are quickly overshadowed by it's overall greatness. The more interesting characters come a bit later as well. And of course the combat is great. The only people who really won't like it are thoseIgnore the "hater" reviews-- this is a great game with huge scope and it gets good pretty quickly. It's a shame it's rating gets dragged down from the ~8.5 or so that it deserves. Its few faults are quickly overshadowed by it's overall greatness. The more interesting characters come a bit later as well. And of course the combat is great. The only people who really won't like it are those that can't stand anime for whatever reason.… Expand
  20. VsAssassin
    Nov 20, 2015
    9
    Conviction and commitment. These themes are central to the plot of Tales of Zestiria. A plot that is intriguing enough to keep you playing. Luckily, Tales of Zestiria has other strengths that make it a seemingly breath of fresh air when compared to past titles. For one, there is the battle system, which is an addicting, real-time affair. Another is the field skills which may earn you moreConviction and commitment. These themes are central to the plot of Tales of Zestiria. A plot that is intriguing enough to keep you playing. Luckily, Tales of Zestiria has other strengths that make it a seemingly breath of fresh air when compared to past titles. For one, there is the battle system, which is an addicting, real-time affair. Another is the field skills which may earn you more gold or keep your health green.

    Characters are more quirky this time. There are moments that make them a little JRPG cliché, but for the most part, they are fleshed out enough so you can care about them. They also participate in short dialogues called skits where you get to know more about each character and unveil more about the intriguing story. These skits are also surprisingly funny.

    The sound design is also very nice. There will be moments when your emotions will be heightened by great background music. The OST is also quite catchy.

    One thing I did not like much about Tales of Zestiria is the confusing weapon/skill system. For the most part, you can just ignore the attached skills to weapons. Fusing similar weapons together is a welcome mechanic to the game, though.

    Bottom line: Get this game if you are a Tales fan. If you are not, this entry in the series might just be the JRPG Trojan Horse you have been looking for. Dare I say that this game is better than Tales of Xillia and Tales of Graces F.

    Pros:
    +Intriguing story
    +cool characters
    +awesome battle system
    +beautiful soundtrack

    Cons:
    -Convoluted weapon/skill system
    -big areas with little else to do    … Expand
  21. FantasyCritic71
    Feb 6, 2016
    7
    I've played numerous Tales Games now Symphonia, Abyss, Vesperia, Graces, Xillia & Xillia 2 and from my experiences with those games I can safely say that this one is a little disappointing but still pretty decent.

    ~ Story ~ The story stars our hero Sorey as he journeys beyond his tranquil village of Elysia to become the Shepard and save the world from the malevolence with his    I've played numerous Tales Games now Symphonia, Abyss, Vesperia, Graces, Xillia & Xillia 2 and from my experiences with those games I can safely say that this one is a little disappointing but still pretty decent.

    ~ Story ~

    The story stars our hero Sorey as he journeys beyond his tranquil village of Elysia to become the Shepard and save the world from the malevolence with his Seraphim friends. The story starts off a little slow but eventually starts to get interesting once Sorey teams up with Edna - The Earth Seraph. An amazing cutscene done by Ufotable Animation Studios unfolds during this part in the game and my excitement for the game quickly went up but sadly the story does not bring me any satisfaction beyond that point. There are more interesting and entertaining scenes in the game of course but nothing that wowed me or got me too excited well besides the fact that a certain character I thought was cool died but that's spoiler territory we won't talk about that.

    ~ Characters ~

    Speaking of characters, lets talk about them.

    Sorey - Your typical JRPG Protagonist goody two shoes guy with alot of passion. There's nothing wrong with his clicheness though I found him to be a pretty cool protagonist way more tolerable then Asbel.

    Mikleo - Don't care about him at all but some of his sarcastic remarks are funny.

    Lailah - I love her puns.

    Edna - Who doesn't love our cold and feisty Edna?

    Rose - She's very honest and straightforward and has a few funny moments with Sorey.

    Alisha - President of the Sorey Fanclub and Honorable Knight.She's cool although not that interesting.

    Dezel - Kratos from Symphonia with a hat.I'm kidding Dezel is alot different from Kratos although he's serious most of the time and has his eyes set on vengeance. For the most part he's a badass and he's cool.

    Zaveid - Raven from Vesperia both drunk and high wearing a Sephiroth wig. I'm kidding Zaveid is my absolute favorite character in this game he is hilarious his theme song is amazing and he is the most entertaining character ever.

    Overall - This is no Xillia or Vesperia but the characters were still entertaining to watch and fun to play.

    ~ Gameplay ~

    I'm sure other reviewers have said this millions of times but I'll say it again the gameplay of this game is very similar to Graces F. Except now you have Fusion or as they call it with fancy terminology - Artimization. This ability allows you to fuse with a Seraphim and gain the power of their elements. Only Sorey and Rose can use this ability because their humans and although Alisha is a human she cannot use Artimization. Like always you have your Mystic Artes, your Standard Attack Artes and your Special Ability Artes each game calls them by a different name but their all pretty much the same thing.

    Other Gameplay - You can fuse items in this game at shops, you can make discoveries like in Graces F characters have bonus abilities such as Mikleo's baking skills to make Desserts Alisha's prepatorial skills to make gels, Dezels windrunner skills to make you run faster and so on. Titles can be upgraded like in Graces F and items can be upgraded as well. There's tons of bonus content to do in this game enough to keep you playing for hours.

    Bad Gameplay Ideas - Skits only play at savepoints and at Inns. You can't switch out Sorey from the party nor on the field. If you have only Sorey on your team or one human such as Rose you can only use 2 characters. The Water Temple is the most annoying dungeon ever but has good music. Katz Corner has the weirdest music I have ever heard oops that's not gameplay related, anyway....

    Overall - Gameplay is familiar and good.

    ~ Soundtrack ~

    Is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

    Go Shina should Compose more Tales Games.
    Motoi did good job too though I love the Cheer Yourself Up Battle Music the remix to the Xillia 2 Song(Forgot The Name) and the Lastonbell and Pendrago Rain & Malevolence Theme.

    Voice Acting - Good.

    ~ Graphics ~

    Looks like an updated Xillia. Also has a few pop in issues and camera problems.It's even worse on Multiplayer.
    ~ Replay Value ~ Moderate ~ Overall ~ Zestiria is just another Tales Game exactly what you'd expect from the Tales Series unless you were expecting the greatness of the Big 3 - Symphonia, Abyss & Vesperia or the Xillia's. Now in my opinion I love Zestiria despite its flaw's and I think it's a little bit more fun to play then a few other Tales Games. The story is also not too bad it beats Graces F & Tempest in my opinion. Zestiria is still enjoyable and I recommend Tales fans to give this one a go.    … Expand
  22. lrobert
    Mar 19, 2017
    10
    This game is awesome... i bought it two months ago and i've been playing since that. It has a good story and great characters, and an amazing ending. You guys SHOULD buy this game if you like TALES SERIES.
  23. Hobobear
    Oct 20, 2015
    8
    Tales of Zestiria. New game to my all time favorite JRPG series aside from Valkyrie Profile. First off my own opinion is game looks and plays great. I love characters though the shepard of humanity, savior of mankind theme straight off the bat bit displeases me. Like many tales series games, i have always loved combat system of the games. this time though i must say its hideous. ItsTales of Zestiria. New game to my all time favorite JRPG series aside from Valkyrie Profile. First off my own opinion is game looks and plays great. I love characters though the shepard of humanity, savior of mankind theme straight off the bat bit displeases me. Like many tales series games, i have always loved combat system of the games. this time though i must say its hideous. Its hideous and good at the same time. What hapened to old TP/Mana combat and why they had to change it to CC and from CC to SC. thats my number one problem of the game. Also sometimes during battle your camera may get stuck on trees/walls etc depending where you fight the monsters on the map. Beside that its solid succesor of Tales series and dont have problems with it. They also decided to add in fusion gear like in tales of Graces which in my opinion is not bad idea and adds bit to gameplay. Though to play higher difficulties you need to do fusion to actually survive.
    Game also offers Battle suppor skills which can be translated straight to Talent system of Tales of abyss/symphonia which is neat.
    TLDR: Camera can make battles annoying depending where you fight. Good characters and gameplay. SC system in battle does not realy work in favor in my opinion.    … Expand
  24. Mijdax
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    This game is getting some undeserved bad reviews and scores thats why I give it a 10. Normally I would give it at least a 8 - 8.5.

    PRO: - Great and Lovely Design and Graphics (UI and InGame, even though its not on ps4 standards but that might be because of its ps3 roots.) - Interesting setting. It feels a little retro to be a "Chosen One"-Type of Hero. I kinda missed these plots :)    This game is getting some undeserved bad reviews and scores thats why I give it a 10. Normally I would give it at least a 8 - 8.5.

    PRO:
    - Great and Lovely Design and Graphics (UI and InGame, even though its not on ps4 standards but that might be because of its ps3 roots.)

    - Interesting setting. It feels a little retro to be a "Chosen One"-Type of Hero. I kinda missed these plots :)

    - Fusion and Battlesystem in General. It starts of a little slow but as you progress in the game it gets faster and faster as well as cooler and cooler (In terms of combos) and its (Thank god) not so confusing as Xillia 2 which took too much time to master it

    - Another improvement over Xillia 2 is that you are not flood with abilities and skills. Getting a new skill feels special and rewarding again.

    - CHARACTERS, Yes sorey can be a bit cheesy but hell Edna, Laylah, Rose are holy masterpieces in the series and I also love the Normin :)

    - Story, I remember wishing Graces battle system with a little more mature plot... here I got it. And besides, I am so happy that they don't hesitate to be a little more concrete when it comes to death.

    CONS:
    - Camera CAN be a hassle. But Its not as bad as I thought it would be.

    - Story, I know I know. I have it in the Pros already but I have to admit that it has a few Plotholes. It does not annoy me so far.

    - Difficulties, well well... I dont know whether its a con or not but it really annoys me that I get less EXP on Harder difficulties than normal.

    - Costumes, They seem to be a bit too saving on this end :/ Most of the Costumes are bought as DLCs

    Final Words: They have put some effort and love into this game and you basically feel it while playing it. The menus, the battle system, the characters, the animations and transitions. It all feels great and did I mention that I love the characters? Losing the forth time against an enemy and getting told that I suck while the game over screen is showing up is really the small things that brings them to life :')    … Expand
  25. Super_Cloud
    Jan 1, 2016
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had high expectation and unfortunately they were not met, the battle are great but i had more fun in Xillia 2, the story is nothing special, you become the Shepherd and you go save the world from the bad guy... There is not alot of interaction between the character compared to other tales, unless you read every skits there is not enough to make them likable. Some cut-scene in the game are really awkward, one character dies and the game try really hard to make it sad but they come and go way too fast... I really loved the music, they are great. I finished the game and ex dungeon, i liked the game but the game was really lacking, i prefer Xillia 2 alot more.… Expand
  26. consolfreak1982
    Nov 9, 2015
    8
    As a huge Fan of the Tales Series, with Symphonia and Graces being my two most beloved ones so far, im extremely satisfied with Zestiria - and its easily the best Tales of game since Symphonia thanks to a brilliant and entertaining cast of characters and a huge, connected gameworld. The biggest improvements concern the battle system, and I can say for sure that its the best in the series,As a huge Fan of the Tales Series, with Symphonia and Graces being my two most beloved ones so far, im extremely satisfied with Zestiria - and its easily the best Tales of game since Symphonia thanks to a brilliant and entertaining cast of characters and a huge, connected gameworld. The biggest improvements concern the battle system, and I can say for sure that its the best in the series, its tactical, flashy, and fun to play. There are a few downsides however, the graphics for example, while colorful, are a huge disappointment - the huge "open" areas look very empty, dungeons are always structured with same narrow corridors. The camera sure has its problems as well, especially in narrow places. Sometimes its quite unsure where to go to next, which leads to some unecessary backtracking.The Soundtrack is extremely good this time, so is the english voice over. The adventure is quite lenghty as you would expect from a Tales game, and even features replayability if you want a second or third walkthrough.
    For me, Zestiria is on par with Symphonia, and that means a lot if you know the series.
    I can recommend it to every JRPG Fan    … Expand
  27. SomeName
    Feb 27, 2016
    4
    I enjoyed Tales of Zestiria, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. Why? Because I haven't played a JRPG in almost 10 years and could find even this cliche game to be interesting. For anyone with a bit of experience/recency, this game is in many aspects too generic to be fun for the time it takes to complete.

    -Plot & Characters: The plot is literally the #1 most commonly chosen    I enjoyed Tales of Zestiria, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. Why? Because I haven't played a JRPG in almost 10 years and could find even this cliche game to be interesting. For anyone with a bit of experience/recency, this game is in many aspects too generic to be fun for the time it takes to complete.

    -Plot & Characters:
    The plot is literally the #1 most commonly chosen idea in all of game development: save the world. It doesn't get any deeper than that. The characters can be endearing and likeable at times, but tend not to develop much from their archetypes. There are also some serious plot holes/non-nonsensical decisions made by the characters that given the simplicity of the story, are very hard to forgive. Overall, this is one of the blandest plots I've seen in a game.

    -Gameplay
    The gameplay alternates from combat between overworld. The combat is enjoyable and ranks somewhere inbetween an MMORPG and a proper fighting/adventure game (such as Dark Souls). However, it takes little to no skill, mostly as there are too many fighting units, resulting in spell/skill cliusterf*** that allows you to win battles just by mashing buttons. Even the toughest bosses can go down without landing a hit, just because you can stagger/stun spam them to death. Then there is also the fact that there are too many battles vs. anything else. Most of the overworld is just empty space with a few mobs for you to grind on and not much else. You can of course do quests, but they fall into the "find this" or "kill this" model a bit too often. There are maybe 4 types of puzzles in the whole game, so not much there. Generally, this part feels very MMO-like where the ideas ran out a lot earlier than the content so the developers just made everything bigger and re-skinned the monsters a few times.

    -Art/Music
    This is just about the only moment the game redeems itself. The art is nice and colourful and many segments are animated, but not animated to the point of being an eternal cutscene game. My favourite though, is the music and hearing it is probably the only thing that kept me playing until the end.

    -Other
    --The game does have good loading times (on my PC, at least).
    --The combat framerate is low, but consistent most of the time.
    --The gear system was designed by mad people and just about nobody will ever bother trying to use it optimally.

    In summary the game has some strengths, but its main gameplay is just too generic. It's combat is better than than that of some JRPGs, but the grindy nature ruins that. I also have no idea why they bothered with an NG+, because the linear/0-decision aspect of the game gives it little replayability.    … Expand
  28. Darkkillia
    Oct 1, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This Game very good but I hope camera Blocked off make Story Boring Nothing annoying wish No bad language this game tales of zestiria Awesome But But Custom Outfit Not free I wandering New Update cool Hairstyles… Expand
  29. natanfk
    Feb 20, 2017
    3
    This game is just BAD. The story and the characters are absolutely boring, and it has a very stupid religious message. The combat system (actually, every system in this **** game) is confusing as hell, and the game tutorials just make it worse. Graphics are terribly outdated. You'll probably win all battles, but you won't know what the hell you're doing. Translation to portuguese is veryThis game is just BAD. The story and the characters are absolutely boring, and it has a very stupid religious message. The combat system (actually, every system in this **** game) is confusing as hell, and the game tutorials just make it worse. Graphics are terribly outdated. You'll probably win all battles, but you won't know what the hell you're doing. Translation to portuguese is very bad, and I couldn't change it to english (you can only change the audio). Exploration is nonexistent, there are some very big maps with nothing on it, they are there just to be big. Also, the price is WAY too high for what this game is worth. This is my first "Tales of" games, and seeing this **** I'm don't intend to play any of the others. The only good things are some fun battles and voice acting.… Expand
  30. Vectus
    May 11, 2017
    10
    I think the hate this game gets in undeserved. looking at the story as a call back to classic ps1 and snes rpgs its a nice welcome call back in a sea of convoluted messes that jrpgs have become and the game play while not the best in the series is quite amazing when experienced as a single player
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Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
5
#5 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 59
  3. Negative: 1 out of 59
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 3, 2016
    63
    Tales of Zestiria is just bad and lazy entry for a 20 year old series. [Jan 2016]
  2. GameCritics
    Feb 5, 2016
    75
    Tales of Zestiria had a good chance to surpass Vesperia as my favorite Tales title, but the weak plot left me wanting more. On the other hand, the combat system is currently tops, so that's a plus. Overall I still enjoyed my time with it, and would recommend it to Tales newcomers. Just come to it for the combat (and not the story) and everything will be roses.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Dec 16, 2015
    70
    Beyond its puddle-deep characters, Zestiria is a decent addition to the series. [Christmas 2015, p.86]
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