They say that this game is going to be more open-world, compared to the more linear story lines in previous games. I would like to see how this will turn out.
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 4:06 pm
Okay, so this is TOO long coming, but I said I would type up the transcript of the GameInformer Preview of the game and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Spoiler tag for safety's sake...
Though the Playstation 4 has taken center stage, he Tales series is content to keep chugging along on the PlayStation 3. These games don't often break the mold for RPGs, but great character interactions and the evolving action battle system keep fans entertained. With Tales of Zestiria, Bandai Namco is striving to use the PS3 hardware better than ever before.
Zesteria already looks to be the most polished Tales' entry yet. The load imes between battles are almost entirely absent, and the backdrops for battles are no longer static, but reflect where you are in the world. If you have an encounter in front of a tower, it appears during battle. The graphics are crisp, with more detailed character models and lighting and shadows, which makes the world feel more alive.
While plenty of enhancements are bringing the series forward, producer Hideo Baba also says he wants to get back to the series' classical roots. For the first time since 2008's Tales of Vesperia, the setting returns to swords-and-sorcery. Baba also indicated that the common theme of this entry is "passion;" the title is derived from the word "zest."
The story follows childhood friends Sorey and Mikleo, a human and a seraph, respectively. Baba hinted that co-existence, a common Tales' theme, would surface with their relationship. Their friendship extends to the battlefield: Sorey can use a seraph's power to transform in battle, and Bandai Namco went all out with the animations for the battle transformations. They make you feel like you've upped the stakes.
When Sorey isn't using a seraph's power, the seraph fights alongside him like a regular party member. Only three party members are on the battlefield when Sorey transforms with a seraph, otherwise it's the typical four-member party. The dilemma is choosing between extra hands versus extra power. The seraph system already seems more complex than Ludger's chromatus ability from Tales of Xillia 2, and I'm excited to see how deep it extends to battles.
In our hands-on time, we spotted four different seraph allies, each with a different elemental alignment that gave Sorey access to different artes. Because of seraphs' ties to elemental weaknesses, it's clear they play a huge part in your success. I especially noticed this in boss battles. If you're not damaging an enemy's weak point, combat can be a lengthy affair, so it's important to test out different elemental attacks until you find a weakness.
The fields aren't as cluttered as Tales of Xillia. Classic treasure chests can be found, as well as plants for harvesting. You can also talk to party members while exploring these fields. Sometimes you receive dialogue options, and other times they give you items they've tracked down for you.
The battle transformations along with visual and technical upgrades are steps in the right direction. Now I'm curious if the new characters will break the Tales mold and not fall into the typical anime archetypes we've seen repeatedly in the series. Here's hoping that Zesiria takes the huge leap forward the franchise has been missing with it's PS3 entries.
Got the game on Steam, I am enjoying it; the music is epic.
Also kinda small world; the girl that voices Edna follows me on twitter xd
Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 11:34 pm
I have the PS4 version on the way, but, uh... no PS4. I REGRET NOTHING!
Anyway, I've heard that the camera is a bit wonky. I was concerned that the new battle system would be confusing, but reading the online manual gave me an idea of what's going on. I'd definitely recommend checking that out; it's on the Namco VIP corner for free, among other places.
They got rid of some things and added some new things.
- Don't need magic lens to fill Monster List, it just fills itself when you fight
- There is no MP, you have a gauge that empties slowly after every arte you use, then you can defend or stop moving to refill it.
-Cooking isn't really a thing anymore, you go to the Inn's to have food for battle bonuses
- No costume titles, but the titles themselves level up and change
- you can add 3 accessories change their color, size, placement, ect
- Some costumes change the battle music (example, wearing Yuri's outfit will play Vesperia battle music)
- you can change some of the characters hairstyles
- You can only control Sorey on field, but you always have an ally following you (there's a plot reason for this)
- No Sorcerer's Ring, but something similar
- You can actually track sidequests (which is incredibly useful)
- The reason for camera issue complaints is because in battle you do not go to a battle stage, its like Chrono Trigger where you fight literally where the enemy touched you, so you can have walls or pillars in your way.
- No flying ship or anything like that, you can teleport to other save points you have unlocked (even dungeons)
- the maps are free roaming (kinda more Zelda-ish), and there's tons of stuff hidden around, treasure, herbs, areas of interest.
I'm actually happy with some of these changes, the series I felt was getting kinda stagnant, it's always good to try to mix things up a bit to keep interest.
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