Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology

 PSP
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
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  1. 1UP
    60
    A colossal waste of an opportunity. The game throws together over 10 years' worth of characters from eight of the previous entries in the series, but for some inexplicable reason it sends these fan favorites not on a grand adventure but on a series of tedious fetch quests.
  2. AtomicGamer
    65
    In the end, though, I really can't recommend this game to anyone other than those that are already fans of the Tales games.
  3. Cheat Code Central
    56
    Categorically speaking, hardcore RPG fans are likely to get bored with the gameplay rather quickly. Casual and newbies will get the most bang for their buck with this game as it brings them into the RPG genre gently. Best played in small doses.
  5. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    67
    What's more, the game's confining mission-based, dungeon-crawl layout may turn off fans accustomed to the series' traditional expansive, expressive worlds. [Aug 2007, p.83]
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  6. G4 TV
    60
    It’s a bit too easy to get bored thanks to an overload of boring tasks.
  7. Game Almighty
    71
    There is a lot here to like if you're willing to look past the redundant quests and better yet, Radiant Mythology is a good entry point for newcomers to the series.
  8. Game Chronicles
    95
    With over 300 quests and level of customization you can do to you character, I wouldn't doubt if this game is one of the best RPG’s to hit the market this year.
  9. Game Informer
    70
    From action-style combat scenes to cutesy animal sidekicks to world-saving dilemmas, this is a Tales game through and through. I’m pretty sure that’s not a compliment anymore.
  10. Game Revolution
    58
    Completionists and series fans might dig nailing every single quest in a town and uncovering all the most powerful Artes, but the average gamer will find Radiant Mythology a pretty typical anime cliché.
  11. GamePro
    85
    Honestly, Radiant Mythology does absolutely nothing new, especially if you've played Tales games before, but I found myself have a lot of fun hacking and slashing away through beautiful dungeons.
  12. GamerNode
    65
    For a PSP RPG, it's pretty good, but for a Tales game, it's below par. Tales fans will love the references to other characters in the series and the humor, but the non-Tales crowd may get flustered at all the in-jokes.
  13. GameSpot
    60
    Tales fans will enjoy the familiar faces, but for everyone else, Radiant Mythology is just another formulaic RPG.
  14. GameSpy
    80
    A solid RPG for the handheld and one that definitely blows one-dimensional RPGs like Untold Legends and X-Men Legends out of the water with its sheer depth and levels of customization. It can get repetitive at times and you'll occasionally get overwhelmed with micromanaging your inventory, but the pay-off is generally worth it.
  15. GamesRadar+
    60
    It’s all in good fun, though - like a high school reunion. Characters from Tales of Eternia, Tales of Destiny, and even Tales of the Abyss parade across screen constantly, and even if you’ve never played those games, the ensuing crossover comedy is interesting to say the least.
  16. GameZone
    77
    With literally hundreds of quests to take on and a number of characters to recruit along the way, Radiant Mythology will keep gamers really busy.
  17. Gaming Age
    58
    Don't come in expecting an epic/grand/moving story, and keep in mind that this game is made for the big Tales fans.
  18. GamingTrend
    63
    With boring quests that really don’t make you feel like you are a part of saving the world, there isn’t any real excitement to the game.
  19. Hardcore Gamer
    60
    Kingdom Hearts meets a boring MMO meets Tales, and the result is strictly for hardcore fans of the series. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.61]
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  20. IGN
    75
    This is extremely frustrating because you're supposed to be a hero and not an errand boy. Still, with amusing cutscenes involving different Tales characters and a solid battle system, fans of the series will more than likely be satisfied. That is, if they're not too busy harvesting potatoes.
  21. Modojo
    60
    More games should take a look at Tales of the World to see how pleasant a streamlined experience can be.
  22. Play Magazine
    70
    Radiant Mythology will likely disappoint anyone expecting the intense storylines, vast worlds and well-designed dungeons of a "real" Tales title. [July 2007, p.68]
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  23. Play UK
    56
    The real-time mechanic just descends into button hammering. [Issue#158, p.94]
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  24. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    80
    Despite complicated combat, it's an addictive alternative to "Final Fantasy." [Dec 2007, p.114]
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  25. PSM Magazine
    80
    An engaging RPG adventure that's well-suited to the PSP. [Aug 2007, p.85]
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  26. PSM3 Magazine UK
    62
    It just lacks a strong personality or story. [Nov 2007, p.84]
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  27. TotalPlayStation
    50
    Unless you're a hardcore Tales fan, there's no reason to pick this game up; there will be plenty of great RPGs hitting in the next few months, so save that cash and trade it in soon for something a little more worthwhile.
  28. Worth Playing
    68
    It's blatant fan service, and it doesn't try to be anything more; while the battle system is a lot of fun and the skits are entertaining, there simply isn't enough here to keep a casual gamer interested, especially once things devolve into the endless grind of fetch questing.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Best PSP Game of 2007
33
#33 Most Discussed PSP Game of 2007
36
#36 Most Shared PSP Game of 2007

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 28
  3. Negative: 3 out of 28
  1. vahn
    Feb 11, 2013
    7
    First thing first, I'm no fan of the Tales of series, if not I'm actually a big hater of this series for many reasons, although I didn't playFirst thing first, I'm no fan of the Tales of series, if not I'm actually a big hater of this series for many reasons, although I didn't play many of them due to the fact that this series hardly reaches Europe, with some exception. But even with that said, I actually enjoyed this game a lot while playing: it's a fun game to pass time with, with an ok combat system and...passable characters, and a story in it with is nothing special but it's decent, although ruined by the constant questing, making it turn into a simple dungeon crawler rpg. I can't really compare the game mechanics from other Tales Of games due to my lack of experience with others but I will judge the game by itself instead, without comparing that much. And with that said, I can only say one thing: the game is mediocre. I can say that the graphics are great for a portable console, almost similar to a ps2, but aside from that nothing really is very good: the combat is sloppy, slow, with a lot of skills that I really found them useless and extremely weak, and I can say this clearly after playing the game with almost all of the classes, like the Ranger, the Magic Knight, the Bishop the Fighter, the Ninja and many more. Also, the movement in battle is extremely slow, with a 3-chain hit that's extremely slow to hit (exceptions of course) and I refused to think that the "dodge" was...a small jump back, without mentioning that the unnecessary addition of having a perfect guard (not sure how to call it, but it basically reduces almost 90% of incoming damage), and a magic guard (by pressing square and down). Could have been one guard for everyone in my opinion, since that in most action- rpgs I have played, none of them were this unnecessary complex in just the guard. Another big flaw is...the roster of characters. I know that this game is a sort of tribute to fans by having plenty of Tales Of characters in one universe: I like the idea and any fan will love it just for it (we recently had pokèmon and the sengoku era with Pokèmon Conquest, and that's pretty cool!). But still...they are extremely boring and totally unpleasant. I can't tell if that's how they actually behave in their respective games, but even with that they were just not fun to talk with! Maybe one of two were ok, but all of them were extremely bad to look at, and made me cringe everytime a skit was coming up, and none of them were really fun to watch, which usually meant into an instant skip. We also get some original characters like Kanonno and Mormo....and unless you're very bored, you'll hate these two from the first time you see them (Kanonno is so bland it's impressive, even if they try to portrait her as a very strong willed char and also hard working, while Mormo is basically your voice...and it's as bland as Kanonno, if not even worse). Unfortunely, the best character that I really liked...was the avatar, and that's because he/she never talks. That's how bad are the characters...I just hope it's because of this game, and not the others. Also the villains aren't that great...but that's because you hardly see them in the game, since you'll be busy doing quests in order to get money and items...which aren't extremely bad and they are at least varied, but that's basically 80% of the game, which is disappointing, without mentioning that there aren't many dungeons and many places to visit at all (3 main cities and about 8-9 giant dungeons in total. No free exploration), and the game is extremely short (can be finished in about 25 hours, even less if you avoid questing). There's also the possibility to craft stuff by making food (which is NEEDED since of the silly limit of 15 items), doing forging, making attires and tools, which aren't extremely easy to work on...and except for food, most of the others were mostly needed for quests. But all in all, I did enjoy this game, quite a lot that I played in order to unlock most of the other classes, but I wish that the rest was at least enjoyable to watch: perhaps fans of the series will enjoy the references and such, but I couldn't just enjoy the bad dialogues, the boring characters, and the slow combat system. It's not the best RPG on the psp, but it's definitely a decent game to play and to pass time with, and fans will enjoy even more due to the references. But for a normal gamer, it won't be anything special.… Full Review »
  2. ChristopherG.
    Jul 25, 2007
    9
    VERY SOLID - great farming/crafting/questing/professions based rpg. Charming characters lots of fun dialogue - NOT AN EPIC TALE however. VERY SOLID - great farming/crafting/questing/professions based rpg. Charming characters lots of fun dialogue - NOT AN EPIC TALE however. GREAT COMBAT SYSTEM... woooo its good. best in rpg yet i think.… Full Review »
  3. BasilZero
    Feb 25, 2020
    7
    Game: Tales of the World Radiant Mythology
    Genre: Action RPG
    Developer: Alfa System Publisher: Namco Bandai System: Playstation Portable    Game: Tales of the World Radiant Mythology
    Genre: Action RPG
    Developer: Alfa System
    Publisher: Namco Bandai
    System: Playstation Portable (PSP)
    Year of Release: 2007
    Length of Playthrough: 20 Hours

    Total Score: 72/100
    Value Score: 7.2/10

    • Story:6/10
    • Characters: 8/10
    • GamePlay: 7/10
    • Graphics: 7/10
    • Sound: 7/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 7/10
    • Replay Value: 6/10
    • Player Value: 6/10

    Pros
    +300 missions
    +Customizable character with the ability to change classes
    +Craft system from the Tales series has a lot of options and choices this time mixing up equipment alongside item creation
    +Decent OST
    +Guest characters can be a combination of main Tales characters or generic class characters
    +New Game+
    +Skit system and decent amount of voice acting

    Cons
    -Story is weak and bare bones
    -Voice acting of non-main Tales characters is weak and poorly done
    -Some of the missions are fetch quests and grind fests
    -Some missions/battles can be unforgiven if not properly geared/leveled or have a decent party    … Full Review »
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