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[Giolon]

English has been pretty good so far, and it features Ray Chase as Artorius so it's the better choice.

And Christina Vee's Velvet has been aces. I haven't seen her do a character in this range before, and it really suits her. Her rage screams are amazing.

As far as series list for me it's:

1) Tales of the Abyss
2) Tales of Berseria* <------ temporary rating, boosted largely by the cast and gameplay. About 50% through the story, and it's not particularly interesting aside from Velvet's set up.
3) Tales of Symphonia
4) Tales of Vesperia

 

[straylize]

I like you. Would personally put Rebirth first, but in general I really miss 2D Tales. I wish there'd be a realistic chance for it to come back.

Destiny just always takes my top slot since I'm partial to the cast and the world, but Rebirth's combat is GOAT. I miss the 2D games so much, I wish they'd at least remaster them.

All these people with Graces in their top 5 :/

Team Destiny combat > Team Symphonia combat, the combat system alone is enough for a lot of us to turn a blind eye to cheesy plot, though I like some of the characters during skits plenty.

So is this game friendly for beginners regarding the Tales of franchise? Only Tales game I've played was Graces on PS3 and couldn't finish it because the story and characters were complete trash.

The combat's not as good as Graces, but it's definitely a great jumping on point for an all-around package. It's the best game the franchise has put out as a whole package in close to a decade.

 

[Bladenic]

Man fighting

Spoiler

Shigure as Rokurou was so awesome. Constantly countering his moves, the awesome counter in his mystic arte, and finishing him off with Rangetsu Heron was just too good.

All while on Intense difficulty because I forgot to change it back to Hard. Also I kinda like that enemy mystic artes aren't straight up instant death. I guess it goes back to the game being overall easier than other Tales like Zestiria but I'm fine with MAs dealing lots of damage but surviving afterward.

 

[Datschge]

All these people with Graces in their top 5 :/

Still the best implementation of LMBS in 3D.

Destiny just always takes my top slot since I'm partial to the cast and the world, but Rebirth's combat is GOAT. I miss the 2D games so much, I wish they'd at least remaster them.

I honestly would be afraid of any remaster, I don't want any more of those very low budget R reimaginations that gut all systems.

 

[Rainy]

I enjoy the English VA a lot. Erica Lindbeck as Magilou is really good.

 

[cpp_is_king]

Bunch of questions, mostly related to combat.

1) I kinda don't understand the combat in this game. I mean, it's a Tales game, so what's new I guess?

But souls.

So you get one when you kill an enemy, and you lose one when you use Consuming Claw. Is that it? What if I'm just fighting one enemy? There's nothing to kill, so I use Consuming Claw once and then I can't use it again the rest of the fight?

Also, sometimes after Consuming Claw I start button mashing and she goes into this mode where she slams some whip down into the floor like 3 times. What is that?

2) What makes souls appear randomly on the battlefield?

3) During combat, on my character card at the bottom of the screen there are like 4-5 diamonds. I guess these are souls. Some of them are black (I guess meaning I don't have that many souls), some are white (meaning I can use those souls for Consuming Claw), and some are red. What are the red ones?

4) Number Two never heals me. I checked his Artes list, the number of times he's used Healer is 0. Is this normal?

5) I got the tutorial about Dire Foes, and then I actually ran into one. It completely destroyed me. But another time I saw some enemy with black shadows around him on the battlefield, and when I attacked him he was strong as fuck, basically like a Dire Foe but just wandering around instead of joining mid-fight. Are these different? What are the rewards for killing these two types of foes?

6) For equipment, I've basically just been using whatever I can come across until I master it, then swapping for something else, even if it's weaker, just so I can master it. Seems like getting the permanent mastery boosts on a lot of different gear would be much more powerful than enhancing one item really high. Am I doing it wrong or is this right?

 

[Distresssss]

You might have, it's not quite as bad as Basileus stated.

They do function, just really poorly. They only use one Soul of their SG at most, and they generally only do one attack and back off.

It's not really noticeable on normal, or near the start of the game. As you get further in the game, and if you play on higher difficulties, it becomes pretty damn noticeable and irritating.

I'm sure. I use magi and phi every fight and they are constantly attacking and throwing spells. The fourth character is always doing something as well.


Bug might not impact everyone.

 

[Bladenic]

Still the best implementation of LMBS in 3D.


I honestly would be afraid of any remaster, I don't want any more of those very low budget R reimaginations that gut all systems.

But Innocence and Hearts R were both better than their initial versions lmao low budget or not

 

[Giolon]

Bunch of questions, mostly related to combat.

1) I kinda don't understand the combat in this game. I mean, it's a Tales game, so what's new I guess?

But souls.

So you get one when you kill an enemy, and you lose one when you use Consuming Claw. Is that it? What if I'm just fighting one enemy? There's nothing to kill, so I use Consuming Claw once and then I can't use it again the rest of the fight?

Also, sometimes after Consuming Claw I start button mashing and she goes into this mode where she slams some whip down into the floor like 3 times. What is that?

2) What makes souls appear randomly on the battlefield?

3) During combat, on my character card at the bottom of the screen there are like 4-5 diamonds. I guess these are souls. Some of them are black (I guess meaning I don't have that many souls), some are white (meaning I can use those souls for Consuming Claw), and some are red. What are the red ones?

4) Number Two never heals me. I checked his Artes list, the number of times he's used Healer is 0. Is this normal?

5) I got the tutorial about Dire Foes, and then I actually ran into one. It completely destroyed me. But another time I saw some enemy with black shadows around him on the battlefield, and when I attacked him he was strong as fuck, basically like a Dire Foe but just wandering around instead of joining mid-fight. Are these different? What are the rewards for killing these two types of foes?

6) For equipment, I've basically just been using whatever I can come across until I master it, then swapping for something else, even if it's weaker, just so I can master it. Seems like getting the permanent mastery boosts on a lot of different gear would be much more powerful than enhancing one item really high. Am I doing it wrong or is this right?

1) Break Souls require 3 souls (diamonds) in your soul gauge, and consumes 1 soul to execute (and gives 1 soul to your enemy). You can gain a soul in multiple ways: killing an enemy, applying a status effect like stun, picking up a soul cube (these sometimes pop out when you perfectly time a dodge). You lose a soul when you are afflicted with a status ailment (and your enemy gains one).

2) Perfectly timing a dodge, and a character dying are two ways that I've seen.

3) IIRC, Blue = filled soul, Red = empty soul, Black = no soul

4) Healing is pretty infrequent unless you change the character's strategy to "Healing", but seems to get more frequent as you level up and progress and the characters earn more stars on their Artes reducing their soul cost.

5) The black shadow encounters are "Dangerous Encounters" created by 2 groups of enemies getting close to each other. It always makes the enemy group be your level +4 or so levels. The enemies that have like a black aura around them are strong enemies (I forget their name) that are basically bounty targets. You get a potentite for killing them as well as a cash rewards from some NPCs you may not have met yet.

6) This seems to mostly be the case in my experience, but eventually you will get potentite that gives benefits for having lots of boosted gear on a character (like +1BG for having a cumulative +5 of enhanced gear equipped).

 

[Datschge]

But Innocence and Hearts R were both better than their initial versions lmao low budget or not

No, the shitty 3D models in Hearts R weren't better than the pixel art on DS. And gutting the systems set an awful precedence regardless of how good the replacements are.

 

[Bladenic]

No, the shitty 3D models in Hearts R weren't better than the pixel art on DS. And gutting the systems set an awful precedence regardless of how good the replacements are.

Unless it's Legendia, which desperately needs a remake in the vein of Destiny > Destiny R.

 

[Datschge]

Unless it's Legendia, which desperately needs a remake in the vein of Destiny > Destiny R.

They could turn Legendia into a graphic sound novel as the soundtrack and story/characters are the only parts worth keeping anyway. =P

 

[Vazra]

If they go to good guys again please don't make the typical betrayal plot and the hero blindly trusting everyone like they do most of the time.

Also if any remakes do Tales of Phantasia

 

[cpp_is_king]

1) Break Souls require 3 souls (diamonds) in your soul gauge, and consumes 1 soul to execute (and gives 1 soul to your enemy). You can gain a soul in multiple ways: killing an enemy, applying a status effect like stun, picking up a soul cube (these sometimes pop out when you perfectly time a dodge). You lose a soul when you are afflicted with a status ailment (and your enemy gains one).

Are there any techniques to more easily apply status effects? Like potentites, or combos, or weakness exploiting?

 

[Wagram]

I know this plot is darker than the average Tales, but I still don't find it very dark. I suppose Drakengard spoiled me.

 

[FSLink]

All these people with Graces in their top 5 :/

It has one of the best battle systems, a great title system for learning skills, great difficulty scaling from Normal to Chaos, and all the party members are fun to play. Only iffy is the characters which are fixed up a bit thanks to the skits in the added f arc, and the story which sadly isn't anything interesting.

So...Hell yeah it's in my top 5.

But Innocence and Hearts R were both better than their initial versions lmao low budget or not

Hearts R? Nah lol. Changing the interesting DS battle system that was basically mini Destiny remake to an okay Vesperia battle system clone was disappointing. Add the super mediocre localization and welp

If they go to good guys again please don't make the typical betrayal plot and the hero blindly trusting everyone like they do most of the time.

Also if any remakes do Tales of Phantasia

Phantasia doesn't need another remake. It needs a port of Narikiri Dungeon X and Phantasia X so it can have a non shitty version localized (along with the fantastic NDX). Along with modern ports of Destiny remake and PS3 Vesperia so they can get localized.

Legendia and Tempest are probably the most need of a remake. Wouldn't mind a remake of Eternia either despite the port being not too long ago.

 

[kewlmyc]

If they go to good guys again please don't make the typical betrayal plot and the hero blindly trusting everyone like they do most of the time.

Also if any remakes do Tales of Phantasia

Phantasia has been remade/re-released like 3 times already.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

I always feel like the odd one out in Tales top lists, because my top ones are all old.

But Berseria sure as shit is doing it for me so far, after not caring much at all about the games since Abyss.

 

[Datschge]

Phantasia has been remade/re-released like 3 times already.

5 times actually.

 

[Vazra]

5 times actually.

Not enough.

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

I know this plot is darker than the average Tales, but I still don't find it very dark. I suppose Drakengard spoiled me.

I mean, nothing is really dark if our go-to comparison is the game with a pedophile and a baby-eater in the protagonist's party.

 

[Shouta]

But Innocence and Hearts R were both better than their initial versions lmao low budget or not

Innocence R is better than Innocence but Hearts is better than Hearts R, for sure.

If I'm gonna rank the games myself it'll probably be

1. Tales of Destiny R
2. Tales of Berseria
3. Tales of Destiny II
4. Tales of Xillia 2
5. Tales of Legendia

Graces F and Xillia would probably just be below that. It's a combined story/characters and gameplay ranking so it'll look weird for some folks. It'd be fairly different if it was just a one aspect rankining.

 

[Bladenic]

Nah, I def thought Hearts R was much more fun. Four member party, world map, more mystic artes, and better progression system. Plus the in-battle systems were better than the half assed combination attacks (literally useless) and panel system (cute I guess but nothing special). A lot of changes to the story and characters were for the worse, I'll agree there. And the sprites in Hearts were better.

But back to Berseria so I'm not completely off topic, I wonder if we'll get anymore costume DLC tomorrow and what it'll be.

 

[Community Forum]

So if I buy the "double XP" and "double item capacity" from the PSN store, I can use them during my current playthrough even though I've already started? Thanks, just don't want to waste money if they make you start over or something.

 

[Aaronrules380]

Just beat the game. It was a fun ride, and it's actually made me consider going back to Zesteria, especially as I never actually finished it

 

[Giolon]

Are there any techniques to more easily apply status effects? Like potentites, or combos, or weakness exploiting?

It's a basically chance based on (simplified):

The fewer souls you have, the higher your chance of applying a status effect.
The more souls the target has, the higher the chance of applying a status effect.
Stun is easier to apply to enemies that have another status effect on them.

I found a really detailed FAQ on all the game mechanics that goes into way too much detail:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps4/167071-tales-of-berseria/faqs/74291#section34

 

[WickedLaharl]

Some of these lists are horrible. Symphonia? Abyss? Hearts R?

Absolutely disgusting.

 

[Inuhanyou]

I know this plot is darker than the average Tales, but I still don't find it very dark. I suppose Drakengard spoiled me.

Your barometer is broken. You can't compare the absolute off kilter of the off kilter to everything else as if its supposed to follow that. Like Spec Ops the Line, Nier and Drakengard are like at the absolute limit of how melancholy and dark games can get.

It doesn't mean stuff like TLOU isn't suitably dark as it should be.

Likewise, Tales has a habit of being pretty lighthearted and unassuming for the most part which is why characters like Yuri stand out when they show up, and why games like Xillia 2 and Berseria are outliers.

 

[Dandy Crocodile]

So if I buy the "double XP" and "double item capacity" from the PSN store, I can use them during my current playthrough even though I've already started? Thanks, just don't want to waste money if they make you start over or something.

Absolutely. I started my game with the inventory expansion then bought the Grade doubler the second I got an item that required 700 grade to master.

 

[Community Forum]

Absolutely. I started my game with the inventory expansion then bought the Grade doubler the second I got an item that required 700 grade to master.

Sweet! Sold!

 

[ULTROS!]

1. Tales of Graces F (solely due to the battle system, and it's the first Tales I actually got into)
2. Tales of the Abyss
3. Tales of Symphonia


Trash


4. Tales of Xillia
5. Tales of Zestiria

Berseria might be up there but I only played 3 hours.

 

[Erwinadriansyah]

Man this game is great. Velvet is edgy as hell, but feels rightfully so. And Magilou is digital femanon 4channer troll. And all the atrocious deeds the gang did, hoo boy.

Spoiler

OOT, I have a felling that this is what Suicide Squad movie should really be like, evil, but funny, and fun.

Btw, currently playing on normal difficulty and been spamming the RT trigger claw attack followed by Velvet's automatic super moves after finishing up a combo. Kinda feel like a button masher, or am I playing this game wrong?

 

[Wagram]

Another bland area that looked the exact same as the bland area that came before it. This is lazy design. Some of the worst i've encountered in gaming.

2nd Mystic artes are fun though.

 

[Inuhanyou]

1. Tales of Graces F (solely due to the battle system, and it's the first Tales I actually got into)
2. Tales of the Abyss
3. Tales of Symphonia


Trash


4. Tales of Xillia
5. Tales of Zestiria

Berseria might be up there but I only played 3 hours.

I can understand Zestiria, but i'd probably substitute Xillia for Graces. Graces was shit IMO and the battle system def could not make up for it.

Another bland area that looked the exact same as the bland area that came before it. This is lazy design. Some of the worst i've encountered in gaming.

2nd Mystic artes are fun though.

That's what happens on a shoestring budget

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

Man this game is great. Velvet is edgy as hell, but feels rightfully so. And Magilou is digital femanon 4channer troll. And all the atrocious deeds the gang did, hoo boy.

Spoiler

OOT, I have a felling that this is what Suicide Squad movie should really be like, evil, but funny, and fun.

Btw, currently playing on normal difficulty and been spamming the RT trigger claw attack followed by Velvet's automatic super moves after finishing up a combo. Kinda feel like a button masher, or am I playing this game wrong?

Try giving Moderate or Hard a try

 

[Community Forum]

Someone please tell me if these coins I'm collecting are safe to sell.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

Someone please tell me if these coins I'm collecting are safe to sell.

They are.

 

[Community Forum]

They are.

AW YISS TIME TO MAKE SOME CRAZY MONEY

not really haha

 

[jrush64]

Do any of the main party ever call out Velvet for her behavior? No spoilers please.

 

[Whogie]

Just downloaded a 64MB patch for this on Steam. Hopefully an AI fix?

Edit: Doesn't feel better.

Someone please tell me if these coins I'm collecting are safe to sell.

Some dude on GameFAQs said anything with that icon is safe to sell.

 

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

Do any of the main party ever call out Velvet for her behavior? No spoilers please.

What do you mean?

 

[HawaiianDreads]

Just beat the game, and have to say it's one of my favorite tales games, up there with Tales of Abyss imo. Lol now I want to go back and play Tales of Zestiria.

 

[The Salt Life]

Ok the best skit so far was definitely the naming of the beetle


Edit - 15 hours in and just realized the money I get from the mini game is not gold but money I can buy more wardrobe stuff with. Everyone rocking David Caruso shades now

 

[OniBarubary]

Do any of the main party ever call out Velvet for her behavior? No spoilers please.

Yeah, like, all the time.

Also the fight choreography in these cutscenes is pretty baller.

I wish Seres stuck around more.

 

[Aaronrules380]

Just beat the game, and have to say it's one of my favorite tales games, up there with Tales of Abyss imo. Lol now I want to go back and play Tales of Zestiria.

I'm the same, except I feel like I'll get burnt out on Zesteria again if I do go back, so I'm not sure lol

 

[Rainy]

omfg that skit with laphicet and bienfu about the books (it happens in the mines) smh..

 

[Brandon F]

Do any of the main party ever call out Velvet for her behavior? No spoilers please.

I mean its clearly implied on occasion that they view her as someone that clearly has a serious agenda with someone that wronged her and she isn't someone to mess with if obstructing her goal. It's all handled quite well though and you still see shades of her true character shine through when certain situations call for it. Eleanor is probably the one that takes the most offense or interest in Velvet(though I am still early enough in to see where that goes).

Keep in mind her party all has their own agendas and shit they are working out as well. Early on the party formation is a matter of convenience as their immediate goals align(and everyone is rather hushed on their motives). Only the samurai demon sticks around as some sort of debt gratitude to Velvet, but the rest are mostly focused on themselves. Megilou especially so.

Bottom-line, if you play the game, you wouldn't even be really asking this question. The prologue contextualizes Velvet's behavior pretty well.

 

[OniBarubary]

I'm seriously disappointed Velvet isn't using Laphicet's unconscious body as a weapon during this part.

 

[jrush64]

I mean its clearly implied on occasion that they view her as someone that clearly has a serious agenda with someone that wronged her and she isn't someone to mess with if obstructing her goal. It's all handled quite well though and you still see shades of her true character shine through when certain situations call for it. Eleanor is probably the one that takes the most offense or interest in Velvet(though I am still early enough in to see where that goes).

Keep in mind her party all has their own agendas and shit they are working out as well. Early on the party formation is a matter of convenience as their immediate goals align(and everyone is rather hushed on their motives). Only the samurai demon sticks around as some sort of debt gratitude to Velvet, but the rest are mostly focused on themselves. Megilou especially so.

Bottom-line, if you play the game, you wouldn't even be really asking this question.

She's just seriously unlikable right now to me, like Final Fantasy XIII Lightning unlikable and that drags the game down for me. The rest of the cast are great and a good reason to keep playing I guess just like Sazh was in FF XIII. Magilou is awesome, Rokoru is awesome, Laphicet is adorable.

Also why is

Spoiler

Zaveid from Zestiria in this game.

 

[DalikSkywing]

New update rolled out and the games crashes if you use kaidan's fix, thanks for your bullshit denuvo.

EDIT: seems its not a only-with fix issue.