Namco Tales Studio Tales of Symphonia

Two worlds exist, unaware of each other. Mana, or life force, is shared by both worlds and while one world thrives, the other suffers and falls to the brink of death.

Plot

Lloyd Irving (that’s you!) lives on Sylvarant, a dying world where nothing is as it seems - a fact he hasn't yet realized. With a strong set of justice, incredible bravery, and a particular loyalty to his friends, he joins them in a very important quest: a journey to save their world. Lloyd's close friend, Colette Brunel, is the Chosen One, destined to save the dying world as a descendant of the Mana bloodline. The chosen are an angelic cross destined to become the host body of a god. You will find your magic casters in Genis and Rain Sage - the village intellectuals, and both are talented magicians. Their personalities differ and you'll grow to love them.

Together, they set on this dangerous journey together - to unlock the seals of the world and bring the balance back to their dying town on Sylvarant.

Graphics and Audio

The game is a bit cartoon-like with big-eyed anime characters during battle. However, the anime style cut scenes are top-notch. The music gives a heroic feel to the battles and differs throughout the many different dungeons. The travel music changes as you move but gets annoying when you pass through the same place a few times in a row. You adopt an overhead view reminiscent of old Final Fantasy games as you explore the map.

Game Play

The real-time fighting has been a staple of Tales games since the beginning. The system has been refined to allow for blocking and combos. The skill list is impressive but can take a long time when you have to use the same move 50 more times to unlock the next one. The weapons system is well refined and the use of Grade requires you to complete battles quickly in order to purchase better items. The chatter that comes with your attacks is a bit annoying but the unison attacks are very cool. Abilities can be upgraded through the use of Ex. Gems; these grant effects such as increased movement speed and evasion. They also can speed up the casting time of spells and make the longer spells allot better. These all increase the deepness of the game but you can buy most weapons without suffering. Life bottles, which heal your party, are very hard to find and expensive to buy so you must spend time to make sure that you don't waste them.

Final Thoughts

The 80+ hours of Tales of Symphonia flies by as you move from one world to another and meet a rich cast list. As you find the truth about the human ranches and fight to save both worlds from the terrible decline that sucks the life from them. Loyd and the gang live up the Tales standard and deliver a massive RPG for the lacking game cube.

Official website at http://tales.namco.com/symphonia/.