Tales of Zestiria Reviews
Tales of Zestiria relies entirely upon its entertaining, colorful cast of characters to distract players from anything even remotely tedious or derivative.
Tales of Zestiria holds the series back in light of its upcoming 20th Anniversary in December. It's an uneven adventure filled with half-baked ideas. The fun, enigmatic cast and stylistic combat help Zesteria from completely falling off the RPG radar though. It's a good, but not great entry in the Tales franchise.
So then, Tales of Zestiria, senpai knows you tried really hard, but maybe with a little bit more time and polish, you could've done a lot better. Better luck next time.
Tales of Zestiria remains a worthy addition to the Tales series, thanks to likable characters and a top-notch battle system. Story pacing bogs down a bit in the middle and occasional issues with the camera and AI can negatively impact the combat. Overall, however, Zestiria does a good job in scratching the JRPG itch of fans looking for a solid game to sink their teeth into.
An ambitious but flawed RPG experience.
An excellent battle system and gorgeous soundtrack create an immersive entry that's a whole lot of fun, but Bandai Namco needs to polish their series a little more.
Tales of Zestiria is a competent and quality JRPG that doesn't try to over-extend itself. It may have a lot in common with previous series entries in terms of design, but it has more than enough of an identity on its own to make it standout.
Tales of Zestiria is a JRPG built primarily for Tales fans and those who truly want to be Tales fans.
Fans of the series, or JRPGs, should not hesitate to pick Tales of Zestiria up.
Tales of Zestiria is not bad nor is it broken but it does not offer the wonder that I once found in JRPGs. Perhaps it is like a relationship grown too far apart; we no longer work together but neither knows how to end what has become comfortable, if rote. Maybe something will rekindle the spark, but it's not Tales of Zestiria. It's not you, it's me. Sorry.
Minor flaws, but still a contender for JRPG royalty
Love Tales, hate Tales, or just don't care - Zestiria will give you exactly what you expect.
Though its graphics are a bit dated and it's not going to revolutionize the genre any time soon, Tales of Zestiria is a solid, anime-inspired RPG with a new twist on battling, a fun story, and a great central idea that pushes the Tales franchise forward.
While you might not come out this game's 40+ hour adventure with memories of the plot, you will remember the heroes, their fights and the lovely music that wraps it up to signal this as the best Tales of game since Tales of Vesperia hit the Xbox 360 back in 2009.
Not many games can capture the players attention as well as Tales of Zestiria managed to do for me. Yes, they're a couple flaws that hold back the game, but in the grand scheme of things, Tales of Zestiria has to be one of the best JRPGs of 2015.
Let down by its story, dialogue, and visuals, Tales of Zestiria is still pretty good - but not quite good enough.
Just be sure to take a look at the fan-operated wiki and study up on skill stacking, because you’ll need it when your NPCs bum rush a boss without their guard up.
Zestiria does some interesting things with its battle systems but really falls short in terms of story telling and artistic presentation. Although I feel this title would make for a better entry point into the Tales of franchise, it hardly feels like one of the more stellar games in the series. Give it a shot if you're a die-hard fan, but take caution if you're new to the Tales of games.
Tales of Zestiria sticks to a lot of the typical JRPG stereotypes with its plot and characters but it's still an enjoyable ride from start to finish. Sure the linear dungeons can be rather tedious to explore, the camera swings around uncontrollably and some of the characters are a tad on the bland side but the pros far out way the cons. That charmingly beautifully anime art style and deep robust combat system make this title another great instalment in to the Tales series, one that both fans and newcomers will love!
Tales of Zestiria, despite its pointless attempt to reinvent the wheel, holds its own very well and is a solid and enjoyable RPG. Some longtime fans may end up being disappointed due to the attempt to fix what wasn't broken, but it all ultimately fits together and works well enough. This might not be the King Arthur of the Tales series, but it's still at least present at the Round Table.