TALES OF SYMPHONIA
Yes, Tales of Symphonia! My favorite game on my favorite system. Tales of Symphonia came out on July 13th, 2004 for the Gamecube (and is also available on the PS2). It has a high rating by readers, raters, and players alike. A jam packed RPG containing two disks, I would recommend this to anybody who loves a classic RPG. I'm going to tell you a few things I love about this game.
Now mind you, I don`t know EXACTLY what it is about this game that I adore to pieces. I have played so many RPG`s in my time.. but there is nothing that can even stand up to the godliness that is Tales of Symphonia. Maybe I`m a bit of a fan girl for the game and never tried to understand it, but really, when you love something, how easy is it to ever explain?
This is in no way, shape, or form a REVIEW. I don't like to think of myself as a review person.. because I'm honestly not good at it. (I'm never stern enough to review good and bad parts of a game..) I am just going to be sharing with everybody why it is that I love the game (because generally people want to know what it is that makes the game your favorite), and it might just inspire you to pick up and play this magnificent work of art.
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5 Things I Love:
1. Battle System: The battle system in the third person, in real time. Turn based systems are good for the strategic type, and I have played multiple RPG's with different battle systems. I can say for certain that real time combat is my favorite. Being in third person you not only feel like you get to watch the whole thing happen before your eyes, but you're also the one controlling it. It's fast, it's fun, and there's nothing better then beating the snot out of monsters without having to wait your turn! Hell, who has time to think? I actually WANTED to grind and run into every single enemy because the battle system wasn't unbearable for me.
2. Characters: CHARACTERS, OH MY GOD.. YES CHARACTERS. Seriously. Don't even get me started. Maybe I freak out a bit too much over the characters.. but oh man.. Sure, you have some of the "typical/stereotypical" characters you find in many games. But even if that is the case, you can relate to them in some way or another. If you can't relate to them, you can at least empathize with them and say to yourself, "Yeah, I can see why you would act/feel that way." There is not one main character in this game that had me saying, "Shut up, shut up, shut up, I hate you sooooo much." With most games (or maybe that's just me), you generally have at least ONE character that's like that. But not this one! Every character has something to bring to the table, and they all compliment each other beautifully. The developers also did a phenomenal job linking some of the characters together (when you find out things later on in the story line). All of the characters are all very well rounded, and very developed. Hell, you know, even the bad guys aren't so bad. The main characters are the best by far, but really, the game didn't do such a bad job on the baddies either. Most of them are much more complex then they seem at first.
3. Storyline: Storyline.... is what I live and breath for. I have a hard time playing a game without storyline, which is why games like Minecraft are uninteresting to me. Storyline is for me, what makes a game a true masterpiece. I think it's because everything has been done before.. and gamers are constantly looking for something unique and captivating. I'm not going to give any spoilers about the storyline itself, but I'll tell you what it is that I love about the idea around the storyline. It starts with a simple idea.. one that's easy to follow. It slowly adds on (keeping you entertained at the same time mind you), and then BAM you get hit with HUGE twists and turns. Now, generally, I get lost at the twists and turns trying to piece everything together. But.. the thing I admire most about the storyline is that it adds on throughout the whole game, but it never confuses you. You get character development, storyline development, twists and turns.. and all of that good stuff, but it's all very well explained and executed. The best thing? It never stops with the storyline development... and it never stops keeping you guessing, or theorizing. HUGE plus for me. There is nothing more that I hate then when a video game just... stops with the story line and only focuses on game play for the next little while making you wonder when it is you're going to get more development. Sure, they do go a little quickly for some.. but I think its perfect. The storyline is one of my favorites in any game in the face of the earth, and they made it easy for my dumb ass to understand. The two go hand in hand.
4. Artwork/Design: This game... is beautiful. Sure, it's not the most "graphically" beautiful thing compared to today's standards.. but you still have to appreciate it. The bright colors are what do it for me (did I mention I like bright colors?) Just like with the Wind Waker.. I'm a sucker for the beautiful, bold, bright colors. The colors really do set the mood, because they stand out so much. I think it adds emotion to what's going on in the story. You're listening to what's going on.. but you're also seeing it. I'm not much of an artsy person, and so this section may not be described as technically or as clearly as it maybe should be. it's hard to put into words what I'm trying to express... but do you know what I mean? The design of this game is great too. All of the areas you visit are all vastly different from the last, and each place leaves you with some what of a memorable picture of the area. The world is creative, bright, and diverse. There are no towns or dungeons that are really a gigantic eye sore, and I think the creators and designers worked very hard to make the artwork and colors flow nicely with what's going on in the story. Does this make sense? I don't know. JUST KNOW I THINK THIS GAME IS NICE LOOKING, OKAY?!
5. Music: Now.. I know a lot of video games have nice music. So I guess this one is tough to say that I love it over all video games. Nonetheless, I think it deserves mention. I think the thing that catches my attention most about the music is that it's always so suiting. The music always feels so.. natural. Like it belongs. It's not overdone dramatically to make you pay attention to it... you just take note of it naturally, you know? There's not a lot of "recycling" (putting the same track into a bunch of areas) which I appreciate. It makes each area unique and special, and the tunes just add emotion. It makes an area more dramatic, more devastating, or cheerier. I think good music really adds to a game, and I very much enjoyed the music that were incorporated into this game. Again, I'm not a huge music "expert", but just know that again, this game has some very fitting music.
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There it is guys.. I know it seems like I just wrote a damn essay, but I could easily go on. I have spent over 800 hours of my life time playing this game (although arguably, I think it was paused for a good chunk of that time), and I never get any less tired of the game each time I pick up that controller. Every time I pick that controller up.. and I see the game come up on my TV.. I smile all over. Maybe this is a creepy fascination with the game I have, or maybe I'm simply crazy. All I know is that, as a gamer there are games that you like.. and games that you dislike. Then... there are games that you love. Games that make you want to play the next game, and the ten more to follow. The games that you love.. inspire you to keep going. To find the next game to make it in to your "I love this game so much" list. Tales of Symphonia made me fall head over heels in love with the RPG genre. It has touched me in ways I never thought possible, and there will never be enough words to describe how much I love it. I will keep searching to find my new "Tales of Symphonia" - a new game that makes it right up there on the list of things that are more to me then just a video game. It's like reading a good book.. or watching a really inspiring movie. Sure, it's just a book.. just a movie.. or just a video game, but there are connections that you make that nobody could rob from you.
I don't know if I'd ever do a Let's Play of this game.. because I hold it so sacred. I feel that I could never do the game justice, and that my work would never be good enough. I think that when you love something.. you tend to critique yourself harder then you normally would because you want to give back to something that gave you so much. I'm still in a toss up about it.. maybe in the future when I am 100% comfortable with my abilities as a Let's Player. Either way, I've wasted enough of your valuable time. I know this was incredibly long, but thank you so much to anybody who bothered to read this whole thing! Kudos to you!
Leave something in the comments telling me what your favorite game of all time is and what it means to you! Am I the only one who has a crazy obsession with a game like this? Probably. But if not, I'll feel a little better about myself! Thanks everybody.
