Tales of Symphonia Review

Nintendo’s GameCube has put out some great games this generation, satisfying fans of just about every genre. For action/adventure boys, they gave us Wind Waker. A strategy man? Look no further than the delightful Pikmin series. Fighting buffs can enjoy Link as their exclusive character in Soul Calibur 2. But, where’s the game for role playing gamers? With the exception of the fantastic Skies of Arcadia Legends, the Cube hasn’t been given a true RPG to call its own. Well, that would have been the case, were it not for Namco’s exemplary summer hit: Tales of Symphonia.

Tales puts you in the role of Lloyd Irving, a young swordsman living in the troubled land of Sylvarant. Due to the depleting of mana, the entire world is in danger of being controlled by the evil Desian Empire. In the hopes of rejuvenating the world with new mana, the Church of Martel plans to send out a special member of the clergy. Known as Colette Brunnel, this “Chosen of Mana” will need to travel the world and release the Summon Spirits from their slumber so that they may let loose the flow of life, returning Sylvarant to its former glory. Lloyd happens to be a friend of hers, and when a surprise attack by the Desians triggers an early enactment of Colette’s journey, the young Irving will be right at her side, ready to take on any dangers that might arise in the hopes of protecting his lady-love.

Along for the ride as well will be a host of lively characters, each with their own reasons for accompanying the Chosen. Genis and Raine Sage, two elven siblings swear by their magical staffs to assure Colette’s safety. Kratos, a mysterious mercenary, has been hired by the Church as a guardian due to his unparalleled strength. Later in the game you’ll meet Sheena, a beautiful assassin that’ll spell trouble many-a-time. Zelos, a true ladies’ man, will constantly supply comic relief through even the most serious of times. And this is only on Disc 1 of this epic 2-Disc game! I loved the plot in this game, even if the concept felt a little over-used.

The true hook of Tales of Symphonia, and the entire Tales franchise for that matter, has always been the stellar combat system. Using a mechanic called Linear Motion Battle, four characters will engage in real-time battles, targeting an enemy and then moving back and forth on a 2-D plane. It’s staggering the amount of control you have over your fighter (you can swap from Lloyd to any other character on-screen during battles) in that this element of the title is reminiscent of Namco’s fighting series, Soul Calibur. Dozens of combos can be unlocked, with even more spells being available.

Since you’ll be fighting in real-time, the other three characters in your party will be controlled by AI. At first I wasn’t sure if they’d be useful, considering other games that use this mechanic don’t exactly display a lot of intelligence. However, I was pleasantly surprised with Tales, as each character shifted right into the role I needed them to play, and working as a team became a second nature. If any of them were acting out of character, though, a slight tweak to their AI Profile would fix any problems. Of course, AI isn’t the only combat option.

Steering away from the trend of making RPGs 1-Player, Tales of Symphonia can be played by up to four people during battles, assuring for some quality multiplayer. The only flaw in the execution, though, is that the camera will always stay focused on Player 1, and your friends may find themselves off-screen. That said, this occurrence is pretty rare, and you’ll be sure to have a heck of a time.