Tales of Hearts R Reviews
Tales of Hearts R doesn’t have the most original story and the characters are mostly well-meaning but occasionally stereotypical. The game’s localization feels a bit lacking without an English dub as well, considering the amount of work that was clearly poured into the translation. However, the beautifully remade visuals, stellar combat and development system and on-point voice acting more than compensate for the admittedly superficial shortcomings. If you own a PS Vita and are on the lookout for a great new game to add to your library, Bandai Namco has a lovely polished gem for you to purchase.
When I started playing Tales of Hearts R, I found myself almost sighing because it seemed so similar to everything else on the JRPG market. However, this sense of familiarity makes the title more accessible to fans of the genre, and the game starts to reveal more of its layers as time goes on. There is a camaraderie for the heroes built around trust and affection for one another that really resonates and gives the narrative a certain warmth that I enjoyed through to the end.
The game's progression, while unhurried in nature, stays true to the orthodox route of the conventional JRPG, keeping things engaging primarily by way of its kinetic, multi-faceted battle system.
Tales of Hearts R is not a bad game. It's just not a good one either. It just is.
Tales of Hearts R isn't the pinnacle of Tales games, but it is a lovely re-imagining of a classic entry. The iffy 3D combat may be a put-off for some, but the new anime sequences, improved graphics, and extra content all work together to make up for it.
That said, these are niggles that are more than made up for by a stellar battle system, a breadth of great content, and the Tales series’ trademark vibrant, anime-like art style. Tales of Hearts R won’t convert anyone, but fans of Japanese RPGs would do well to pick this up.
Tales of Hearts R is a wonderful and well crafted J-RPG, and is the perfect pick up for those that love the Tales franchise that has been out of reach for Western audiences for far too long. It delivers a deep and meaningful story, wrapped up in a great package. The only issue is that the story at the beginning is too slow paced for newcomers to the series, which sadly may turn them off before the core of the story kicks in. Overall, though, this is a very high quality game that cannot be recommended enough to those looking for a strong J-RPG to sink their teeth into.
Tales of Hearts R is a solid and enjoyable JRPG, especially for a portable offering. It has a number of flaws, both on its own merits and in comparisons to its bedfellows, but it's still an enjoyable JRPG romp. It suffers from poor pacing and is generally unexceptional. If you're a JRPG fan looking for a Vita game, it's one of the better JRPGs available for the system. If you're a Tales fan, it's worth your time even if it is weaker than its console counterparts.
Perhaps the greatest compliment that one could pay to Tales of Heart R is that (even with all the boob talk and Japanese innuendo) it manages to feel almost wholesome; perhaps there are nostalgic elements bubbling away under the surface, but the truth is that the game wears its heart on its sleeve ' well, in the title in fact. Tales of Hearts R doesn't feel like it intentionally set out to rewrite how elements of the genre work, but by the end of the game it somehow feels as though it's succeeded in doing so. It's a lovely experience, and if you're one of those gamers that live and breathe handheld RPGs then you really need to make the time to check this one out.
Wow. I haven’t enjoyed a game as much as I am enjoying Tales of Hearts R in a long, long time. It has all of the classic elements of RPG gaming that the genre’s fans love, and an incredible battle system that stands high as a possible industry standard. The story is more than passable and the world is a large one, rife with discovery and exploration. There is nothing to not like about Tales of Hearts R, so I didn’t want to complicate the matter by rating it “appropriately” due to its being like so many games from before. This game is absolutely great, and everyone who loves RPG games should play it, without hesitancy. I hope that young gamers find this game at their local retailer and take a chance on it. Everyone should have the pleasure of enjoying this game. Without a doubt, this game deserves to be recognized for what it is: an absolute masterpiece.
This isn’t a game to play primarily for its story, considering that several others with whom I discussed the happenings could barely remember anything substantive, but actually playing through the dungeons was enjoyable.