Tales of Symphonia is a game that is very special to me. I would even go as far as to say that it is my favorite game on the Gamecube. When I was growing up, I mostly played Gamecube and Wii games. ut before you say that nostalgia is why I like this game, my counterpoint is that I did not play this game until 2016. I was 15 at the time and I saw this game for sale at my local used video game store. The name was familiar to me but I actually knew nothing about it other than the fact that it a really good RPG whose main character was someone people wanted in Smash. In fact, I was expecting it to be a turn-based game. My only previous experience with the series was that I had played Project X Zone and that game features characters from the franchise. It was actually a nice surprise to find out that Symphonia had an action RPGesque battle system. One of my small issues with turn-based games is that they are far too numbers based and player skill can't change the outcome of an encounter too drastically. You are either strong enough to fight the enemy, or not. In Tales of games, especially the later ones that have perfect dodge mechanics, it is possible to defeat an opponent you probably shouldn't be able to on paper by playing skillfully. This doesn't mean I hate turn-based games though, Chrono Trigger, Persona, Dragon Quest, they're all amazing games that I love as well.
Tales of Symphonia may not be my favorite game in the franchise but it is definitely top 5. The reason I decided to talk about this game, in particular, is that it introduced me to what I consider to be my favorite game series. If I did not play this game I would have never played Xillia 2, Vesperia, or Berseria, my respective top 3 in the series.
I know I love this game, but the question is why. I could simply say I like the characters, story, and gameplay but I think it is hard to recommend a game to someone based on those facts alone. Just because I like something does not mean everyone will. So what I decided to do was look at the game from a more objective standpoint. This playthrough marks my third time playing the game and the second time without a new game plus file. I wanted to write about a first-timer's experience as much as possible and see how the game does in directing new players. Ever since I started studying game design, I have become obsessed with how games direct players and teach them how to play, both directly and indirectly. This is especially true of games that do not have a straight tutorial. To this end, I played the game while taking a break every hour or so take notes on things I either liked or disliked.
On that note, let's start with the game's opening. The opening narration is well voice-acted compared to other games from 2003. The characters are then introduced in a very natural manner and you learn a lot about each character's personality in just a few seconds without needing a giant wall of text. Lloyd is a trouble-maker who cares about his friends, Genis is smart and responsible, Colete is clumsy and the chosen one, and Raine is strict but caring. This is all shown in one cutscene at the local schoolhouse. I like this choice of starter environment because it tells the player right off the bat that these characters are children and will learn a lot over the course of the game. This first cutscene is also not very long and the player is introduced to the conflict that the game is based around, the world regeneration. The player gets to control Lloyd very quickly and the first battle happens shortly after. There is no formal tutorial before this fight so the player has to teach themselves how to fight. This runs parallel with the fact that Lloyd himself is self-taught. I love when game narrative overlaps with gameplay this way. Not until beating the first boss and meeting the character Kratos does Lloyd/the player receive the combat manual. Speaking of Kratos, the way he is introduced is spectacular. He shows up to help defeat an enemy that Lloyd could not, already showcasing the difference in their strength. I also love that he has many of the same artes that Lloyd does, making him seem like he is what Lloyd has the potential to become if he becomes stronger. The overall character dynamic between Lloyd and Kratos is superb and I like how they made the gameplay reflect this.
Now, as for the parts of the beginning that I do not think were handled as well. there are only a few. First, in order to reach the sanctuary, the first dungeon, the party crosses a small bit of overworld. This is a little nitpicky but I feel that since the sanctuary is supposed to be very close to the village of Iselia where everyone lives, it would have been better to just have the two areas connected directly by a screen. I feel like the first time the player sees the overworld should be when their journey officially begins. This makes it so that the awe felt by the player and character is the same when they see how big the world is for the first time, As for the dungeon itself, it is a good length for a first dungeon and has a good albeit simple puzzle. However, and this applies to a lot of the dungeons, the music that plays is very boring and just drones on and on. Apart from that, I would have liked it if that dungeon had a boss at the end of it. A small cutscene showing the party synchrony gradually growing would have been nice.
With that, I think I am going to leave the rest of this discussion for another day. If you liked reading about my opinions for some reason then consider following me on Twitter for updates on when I write a new part. The current plan is to write about the Sylvarant arc and then maybe start talking about some other games before continuing. So I will bid you adieu. Until next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment