Being a gamecube lover, Symphonia introduced me to the series. I loved the combat. I also loved Vesperia and Abyss. I did not love Arise.
When it is hitting on all cylinders, Tales of can be a great game. The strength is usually in the characters and their relationships, specifically the small day to day slice of life you get when traveling around with your companions. The combat also usually gets really fun too later in the game.
I loved the Graces f remaster so I'll try to be here for what they have coming down the pike.
This series is like my dragonquest. It is what I return to when I need to remember why I love jrpgs in the first place.