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Tales of Xillia |OT| - Teach me about Bazongas!

Rhapsody

Banned
I feel Vesperia uses a style and technical level that they were more capable of working with.

Xillia tries some things that have greater potential than Vesperia in terms of scope and detail, but I feel that overall its visuals aren't as polished and consistent in regards to art and how it affects performance. The next game will probably (hopefully) be better, but Xillia has a lot of rough patches.

No Tales game is really going to be a showcase, so it helps a lot if they use an appealing style with a good level of consistency throughout the game. Aside from things like animations, Vesperia's visuals may end up having better longevity.

Yeah. Honestly, Xillia would be pretty nice if they were just consistent. I liked the main characters' models and movements and I loved how pretty the first city was. Everything else looked like a nicer Abyss or something.

Regardless, it was still a nice graphical leap for a non cel-shaded Tales. Even if Vesperia looked nicer.
 

FSLink

Banned
in story or gameplay?

I'd say both.

Yeah. Honestly, Xillia would be pretty nice if they were just consistent. I liked the main characters' models and movements and I loved how pretty the first city was. Everything else looked like a nicer Abyss or something.

Regardless, it was still a nice graphical leap for a non cel-shaded Tales. Even if Vesperia looked nicer.

Yeah, it's definitely not as "optimized" as it can be. Vesperia is really just an HD PS2 Tales in how it's designed, towns are the same but nicer looking, cutscene direction, etc.
Xillia tries some new stuff and sometimes succeeds. They really need to go back to Cel-Shading for the next title; it says something about Vesperia's visuals when I complained about the anime FMVs because it looked worse than the in-game stuff. (...well that and Production IG was seriously on some auto pilot mode or something for Vesperia)
 

Eusis

Member
in story or gameplay?
Exploration: MAYBE similar enough.
Battles: Definitely not.
Story: Almost certainly not but you may find it boring anyway. I tend to find Tales games boring in that regard, though the casts can be pretty solid. Ni no Kuni seemed boring on both plot/characters fronts from what I played.

It's apples and oranges: both are sweet fruits but that's about where it ends.
 

Eusis

Member
That's good even if it comes at a performance cost. Fixed camera angles suck.
I felt like we should've been rid of them for the most part LAST generation. I guess FFX and generally rigid Japanese development meant we had to deal with it for quite a bit longer.
 
Not me! Fahey's reviewing it. I've got Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.

Review scores are arbitrary and meaningless. The text is all that really matters.
I agree. But they matter for the metacritic score and like you mentioned, publishers unfortunately give it a lot of importance.

I don't really care though. I checked the summary of IGN review and it looks really good to me. Ni No Kuni is my GOTY for 2013. From the review, the story and battle is interesting, which is the most important part for me. Every die-hard JRPG player should care the least for graphics so having sub-par graphics is no issue if the other elements of the game are good.
 

Sorian

Banned
I agree. But they matter for the metacritic score and like you mentioned, publishers unfortunately give it a lot of importance.

I don't really care though. I checked the summary of IGN review and it looks really good to me. Ni No Kuni was my GOTY for 2013. From the review, the story and battle is interesting, which is the most important part for me. Every die-hard JRPG player should care the least for graphics so having sub-par graphics is no issue if the other elements of the game are good.

I would say the metacritic score matters but, in this case, it's almost always a sure bet that we are going to get future Tales of games, at least with how things have been lately.
 

demidar

Member
I agree. But they matter for the metacritic score and like you mentioned, publishers unfortunately give it a lot of importance.

I don't really care though. I checked the summary of IGN review and it looks really good to me. Ni No Kuni is my GOTY for 2013. From the review, the story and battle is interesting, which is the most important part for me. Every die-hard JRPG player should care the least for graphics so having sub-par graphics is no issue if the other elements of the game are good.

Yeah, in a rational world I would be perfectly fine with Metacritic, but because of undue importance placed on it (rewarding developers for objective scores on a subjective product sounds like the stupidest goddamn fucking thing ever) I would be fine with it going away forever. Or maybe publishers will find something even worse to tie bonuses too, who knows.
 

Cornbread78

Member
If you've ever liked a Tales game then yes, you can be excited.

If you've never played a Tales game but like classic RPGs then yes, you can be excited

Please be excited

ok, I'm excited then. Baba, you hear that? Npw give NA your Tales Vita games will ya..
 

Yuripaw

Banned
Man I'm psyched! I already saw a copy of the Collector's Edition that someone else preordered at work tonight, and I'm surprised to see how big it is! It's a massive box! I didn't get a chance to preorder one myself at the gamestop store, but I still ordered one online and I got the slowest shipping, but it still is gonna arrive Wednesday according to the tracking number. That's fine by me, because I won't get a chance to play it til Wednesday night.
 

Eusis

Member
Has any Tales game ever gotten a guide? Maybe Symphonia did but I don't think I've ever seen one for the others.
Abyss did I believe. Dunno about any newer than that though.

EDIT: Oh hey, we got one as recently as Vesperia. Doesn't look like there's one for Graces f, granted that came off as a smaller deal but it probably still means there's nothing. Figures games like CoD will reliably get guides but not RPGs, but I guess most of us will just go online, nevermind that it doesn't help how some of them have been completely terrible.
 

MilkBeard

Member
Xillia worse than Star Ocean 4 confirmed.

I'm kidding of course but with J RPGs especially, review scores don't affect my purchase or anticipation at all. Having said that, I'm glad IGN reviewed it and gave it a reasonable score, more publicity means more sales means more Tales.

Star Ocean 4 and Tales of Xillia were reviewed by two different people. Ryan Clements reviewed SO4, and he's generally pretty lenient, I think. That, and the fact that playing with subs on the international version makes it a much more enjoyable game to play. Still, I do think 8.5 is too high for SO4. I reviewed it a while back and gave it the equivalent of a 6.
 

grandjedi6

Master of the Google Search
Has any Tales game ever gotten a guide? Maybe Symphonia did but I don't think I've ever seen one for the others.

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Has any Tales game ever gotten a guide? Maybe Symphonia did but I don't think I've ever seen one for the others.

Every JRPG ever used to get a guide. But they seem to be few and far between these days aside from guides for shitty action games that you don't really need a guide for.
 

MilkBeard

Member
Weird, there is a store that is selling the game today, which is one day early. I already reserved it at Gamestop and I got my text that it will be in tomorrow. The wait is tough, knowing that it's sitting in their store.
 

vall03

Member
Apparently, the game is now available in the local retailers in my country, although its a Region 3 release. Still thinking whether to get it or not, and its a bit annoying that theres no regular/standard game. Don't want/need the extras.
 

MilkBeard

Member
Apparently, the game is now available in the local retailers in my country, although its a Region 3 release. Still thinking whether to get it or not, and its a bit annoying that theres no regular/standard game. Don't want/need the extras.

The extra stuff is free.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
You're always so fast at getting games. Will get mine later, after lunch lol

I'm glad it's a holiday in my company. Hahaha.
 

wilflare

Member
Apparently, the game is now available in the local retailers in my country, although its a Region 3 release. Still thinking whether to get it or not, and its a bit annoying that theres no regular/standard game. Don't want/need the extras.

are you like SingaporeGAF too?
lol. I decided against getting the Region 3 release... and got the Region 1 on Play-Asia for the same price (after the coupon)

not sure why I ended up getting it... but dang hope this helps in better sales = more localizations in the future

(Tales of Vesperia please)
 

vall03

Member
are you like SingaporeGAF too?
lol. I decided against getting the Region 3 release... and got the Region 1 on Play-Asia for the same price (after the coupon)

not sure why I ended up getting it... but dang hope this helps in better sales = more localizations in the future

(Tales of Vesperia please)

nah, Philippines. Our local stores here get R3 copies early during release most of the time. My only concern for regions are the DLCs, are there even any worthwhile DLCs for Xillia? Do costumes change the battle theme?
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
nice that they named it Day One Edition :p
could you help me check if you get the same Character Profile Booklet. Based on my local forums, the Region 3 release has an artbook instead ?!

post more unboxing shots please!

Just the character book:

 

Eusis

Member
Oh nice, no rating logo and it even has that little strip to make opening the plastic wrap easier (hate how that vanished entirely in NA, though I guess most people ignored it and they finally gave up and just dropped it.) Though it figures they apparently HAD to put something in that lower lefthand corner and had to remind everyone it has rumble.
 

weevles

Member
Nice. I preordered from Amazon with Prime, but being in Hawaii, they haven't shipped it to me yet. Looks like the boat to Hawaii isn't until next week. :p
 

Voror

Member
Video review for Xillia done!

EDIT: Everything is ready to roll out. =D

Looking forward to it!

Picking it up tomorrow morning, though unfortunately this week I'm working double shifts so I don't know if I'll have any time to get started. We'll see I guess.
 
Dude, please don't tell me this is another Arc Rise Fantasia where bad voice overs could ruin a really good RPG!

I just heard Milla's voice!

Please tell me I'm wrong!

Tear's voice would've been perfect for Milla!
 

Voror

Member
Dude, please don't tell me this is another Arc Rise Fantasia where bad voice overs could ruin a really good RPG!

I just heard Milla's voice!

Please tell me I'm wrong!

Tear's voice would've been perfect for Milla!

Apparently hers is the worst one if comments are anything to go by. I would never expect that bad in a Tales game, especially in this day.
 
Apparently hers is the worst one if comments are anything to go by. I would never expect that bad in a Tales game, especially in this day.

Heard the Japanese version. By the way, NEVER look up anything on Youtube for this game! Spoilers like crazy! Of course we all know this, but still, almost spoiled some stuff for me, "whew!"

Anyway,
the Japanese voice seemed to have two different voices. Is the English the same? I'm guessing it's the spirit Milla and the human Milla?
 
Heard the Japanese version. By the way, NEVER look up anything on Youtube for this game! Spoilers like crazy! Of course we all know this, but still, almost spoiled some stuff for me, "whew!"

Anyway, the Japanese voice seemed to
have two different voices. Is the English the same? I'm guessing it's the spirit Milla and the human Milla?

That sounds like spoilers.

WTF dude.
 

kayos90

Tragic victim of fan death
Heard the Japanese version. By the way, NEVER look up anything on Youtube for this game! Spoilers like crazy! Of course we all know this, but still, almost spoiled some stuff for me, "whew!"

Anyway,
the Japanese voice seemed to have two different voices. Is the English the same? I'm guessing it's the spirit Milla and the human Milla?

Uh... what the fuck? Spoiler tag that shit properly?

Also, it's the same VA in Japanese.

EDIT: Thank you for fixing it.
 
That's still part of the game story. No one has even played through the intro yet because barely anyone has the game. Just spoiler it, it doesn't even take 2 seconds.

Don't be an ass.

I apologize. It wasn't my intention to spoil anything.

I was just a little disappointed that the voice acting wasn't great for the English version and wanted to see the difference between the Japanese version.

Sorry.
 

kayos90

Tragic victim of fan death
I apologize. It wasn't my intention to spoil anything.

I was just a little disappointed that the voice acting wasn't great for the English version and wanted to see the difference between the Japanese version.

Sorry.

Not sure where you're hearing about the bad voice acting part.
 
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