Hello everyone, my name is Rpg Soul and this is my new blog discussing games I've loved and hated over the years. I'm mainly an rpg player while sometimes playing the occasional 'every other genre'. Here's how the posts on this blog will work, I will discuss setting, character and plot (if there is any) and finally my over all view of the game along with a rating ranging from 0 to 5 souls (based heavily on my opinion). So let's get started!
For my first post, I will be discussing a game that I have been excited about since, well it was first announced. Tales of Zestiria! This game came out to mixed reviews from fans and praise from critics. In fact my brother warned me against buying it because of some of the things talked about in forums by longtime fans of the series.I will start with the plot segment which will remain vague and spoiler free.
Plot: So Tales games have never been very adventurous with their plot, they stick to an almost formulaic way of telling a story with each installment having a pre-determined checklist almost(and characters for that matter). So without giving everything away, the game starts with our protagonist living in seclusion (ala Milla from Tales of Xillia) He loves exploring ruins and learning more about the world before it was taken over by demons called 'Hellions'. After meeting the presumed Heroine of the game, him along with a buncha angels no one but him can see are taken upon a typical boy saves the world adventure.
Opinion: I like the plot of Zestiria, it's cheesy as hell but fun. Tales has always been this amazing story-telling vehicle and this one is no different. The twists and turns are fun to uncover and the characters (more about that in detail later) keep you invested in what they're doing. All in all i give it 3/5 Soul.
Setting: Not much to say about the setting, as with all Tales games, it's set in a fantasy world with monsters roaming everywhere. The graphics are beautiful and the world feels big with tons of npc roaming even the smallest towns. 3/5 Soul.
Character(s): The characters in Zesteria while still playing to the usual archetype set by the tales of old, played them at their best. I will mostly be talking about the main character as I feel a good or bad main character makes or breaks a game. Here, we have the horribly named Sorey. His Tales archetype is the same one Milla had in Tales of Xillia but done a lot better. He's sheltered but not boring, he also has elements of the usual shounen manga/anime main character feel. Honestly, in the first few scenes I wanted to hate him as I do most typical Shounen main characters but it shocked me that I didn't. The biggest reason for me is that he doesn't just rush into dangerous situations. He's careful and smart and unlike Milla (who's personality outside of being clueless about the 'modern' world and eating was as interesting as a wall painted white) he felt more fleshed out and real.
Next I'll be talking about two other characters (So I can leave the characters that appear later for you to discover on your own) Mikleo and Alisha. So Mikleo is your standard male Tsundere you'd find in any dollar store yaoi manga shop. He's cold to everyone but Sorey but later warms up to everyone. Honestly, aside from the fact that he provides us the ability to wield a bow (not a spoiler, it's in every trailer for this game ever!) he's the blandest character in the game. Maybe it's just cos I'm just not a huge fan of tsunderes?
And finally Alisha, the most controversial character in the game. The reason so many fans were disappointed in the game. She was in every promotional poster and trailer for the game and was gone for the majority of the game and honestly, I don't see what all the hoopla is about. She's nothing special and her contribution to the narrative and her interaction with the rest of the party during her short stay were pretty meh.
Despite slamming two of the three characters I've reviewed I am giving the characters 4/5 Soul because honestly, the characters that come later and the interaction they all have is incredible!
Next up....
Battle: Okay so what can I say about the battle system in Tales of Zestiria other than it's amazing.
It has a learning curve of sorts, as with all Tales games. It's like meeting a friend you saw a few years ago and finding out they had a nose job but loving them anyway. Also this is the first game where the transition into battle from the field is practically seamless. Gone are the days where the screen would go black and the field would disintegrate into the battle. This time around you get to DNA digivolve with your Angelic party members!
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| Digimon World 2 |
Over-all this is the best a Tales battle system has been since Tales of Graces f and the best part about it is how epic the battle looks and feels. I hope to see more of this battle system in future Tales games. 5/5 Soul.
Overall: I enjoy Zestiria a lot more than I thought I would. I like the characters overall, the plot and the setting. I came into this mindful of all the mixed reviews and some clear hatred for the game and came out feeling happy and content. After the shitfest that was Xillia, I'm happy to come out of a tales game feeling like I accomplished something. A mega amazing 4/5 Soul overall!
Stay tuned as I review Tales of Xillia next and it's not going to be pretty!
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