Tales of Zestiria Reviews
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.
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.
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.
That doesn't make Tales of Zestiria a bad JRPG. It has its dull passages and a tendency for endless exposition, but it's still brighter, more colourful and more immediately fun than any of the recent Final Fantasies, and it's arguably the best thing the genre has thrown up since Ni-No-Kuni. Like many JRPGs, it gets better the more time you put in, the more you understand its systems and the more you get to know and likes its characters. All the same, this is another solid entry in the Tales saga rather than the breakout hit you might have hoped for. It will chime well with the faithful, but it's unlikely to bring any new converts round.
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.
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.
If you're already embedded in one of the other great role-playing experiences on Sony's platform, Sorey's adventure is worth looking at as a follow-up. If you're not, this is a great place to start adventuring this fall.
Tales of Zestria is a solid addition to the "Tales of" series by Bandai Namco. While this is not an excellent game it is far from being one deserving of being tossed onto the scrap heap. If you are looking for a game with a solid combat system that is not the run of the mill turn based or active time based system then this might be the game for you. However if you are looking for a game that provides a solid and consistent narrative experience you may be put off.
There's a lot to like in the world of Zestiria, and fans of JRPGs will no doubt find a lot to like here, but at the end of the day it's still just another Tales games. Nothing more, nothing less.
Tales of Zestiria is a success in all the right ways. Combat has the potential to compete in the intricacies of any fighter out there, despite the minor camera issues. Character development is awkward, but the depth is there to compete against some of the most complex RPGs in gaming history.
Predictable moments blended with some absolutely fantastic music and gameplay creates one of the best JRPGs of the year, if not the best. Still, it doesn't reach the heights of past Tales games.
Tales of Zestiria is an admirable addition to the legacy of the franchise, boasting a brilliant battle system and a very endearing cast of characters. While it does falter with a few of its fresh ideas, such as its somewhat sparse open areas and its overly complex skill management, it's not enough to detract too heavily from what is otherwise a grand adventure in an intriguing fantasy world. Get through the typically humdrum opening hours and you'll find an addictive RPG with a tale well worth telling.
If Tales of Zestiria wants to be the banner for modern Japanese RPGs, then much more effort and work needed to be done for the game to stand up amongst modern classics such as Persona 4 and Xenoblade: Chronicles.
Tales of Zesteria is a fitting tribute to twenty years of the Tales series, giving you one of the greatest JRPG adventures in recent times.