Never played a Tales again so tell me about them. How well do

>>376022007
Berseria is terrible

>>376022007
Berseria is great, best rpg ive played in recent memory

They're all the same game but with slightly different battle systems.

Oh, and the soundtracks just keep getting worse and worse because Sakuraba is basically a zombie now.

>>376022007
They have active combat, in some games you can make crazy combos. If you have a 360 you could always try a demo of Vesperia.

I didn't like Berseria that much. If you want to kill time, play some of the oldies like Abyss, Vesperia, Graces f, Xillia 1/2 and Zesteria. Oddly enough, thats also my ranking from best to worst in that order.

Abyss and Vesperia have good stories, and Graces f has good ganeplay. It's Xillia and onwards I dont like much due to bland open areas and recycled content.

>>376022007
Symphonia is the best.

>>376022007
Vesperia is the only one I've been REALLY invested in and I really enjoyed it.

Symphonia is the one most people played bc "Classic" gamecube game. But I really couldn't bring myself to play it longer than a few hours.

>>376022007
Literally stopped the right before the final boss. Not the game's fault since I got bored of the gameplay since I played Dragon's Dogma before. However:
>Velvet is literally Sasuke, expect every cutscene to have V E N G E A N C E stapled in.
>While the characters are fun, most of them just tagged along because because.
I played Zestiria and I have to say Armatization > Demon form.

>>376022007
Worst game in the series

>>376022143

In terms of mechanics they are all JRPGs but

Tales:
-action games with large variety of combat moves and focus on combos
-plots have a resolution
-diverse cast of mostly anime trope (but likeable) characters
-linear progression
-no meaningful choices
-lots of end/post-game content and side-quests
-inconsistent quality between entries
-cosmetic DLC or early unlock DLC

Final Fantasy:
-mostly linear outside a few entries having more freedom in activities between story checkpoints
-turn-based, action or hybrid
-tons of spin-offs with different genres
-had a fulfilling plot resolution before FFXV (important story elements are now DLC or cut)
-quality of characters is inconsistent in and across games
-lacks meaningful choices outside a select few moments
-depending on the game has sidequests or optional content locked until end-game or pointless sidequests are filler for content (or DLC)
-small quality drop after PS1 era
-huge quality drop after PS2 era
-important content that used to be included in the base game is now DLC

SMT:
-turn-based "monster collection" dungeon crawler (Persona has VN elements)
-recycles plot elements regularly but with a twist
-spin-offs play mostly the same but have different themes or focus (outside P4DAN and P4A)
-is not just the Persona franchise
-mainline SMT has choices that affect alignment and route (subsequently plot and bosses differ per route)
-mostly linear progression with branching story (Persona 3/4/5 are completely built around a linear progression of time)
-stable quality between games
-rereleases of games happen frequently with added content varying between more plot or gameplay enhancements (owners of the base game have to rebuy the game)
-optional content and end-game bosses
-DLC varies between cosmetics, plot, bosses or helpful tools


Not sure if I missed crucial info but this should give you an idea.

>>376022007
Best game in the series. The cast is extremely strong both as individual characters and in their interactions with each other.

>>376022007
>How well do they compare to other series like Final Fantasy and SMT?

You'll grow to love Tales characters much more because of all the fun skits they have. Also the battle system is way more engaging and fun due to actually being real time battle system instead of some turn based game.

Can't say the story is all that great tho, it's alright. Still worth playing through.

>>376023718
OH, forgot I also really enjoyed Abyss on the 3ds.

>>376022007
For a long while their claim to fame was being action RPGs back when turn-based games were much more prevalent in the genre. Nowadays that isn't as unique, but the games are still pretty good.

They're definitely worth looking into at least once, be it legit or emulation. Just keep in mind a huge chunk of the series never left Japan, so you'll either have to take those as they are or play the handful that have fan translations.

Also if you want to start from the beginning, I cannot stress enough: stay the HELL away from the GBA port of the first game, Phantasia. It may be tempting because it's one of the only overseas releases, but you're better off translating the SNES or PS1 version. Seriously, the GBA version is a trainwreck. Just look up any game footage and you can immediately see everything wrong with it.

>>376023865
This is a good and surprisingly objective post for /v/. Capping it for possible future use.

>>376023471
>recommending zestiria over Berseria
>liking Abyss more than Vesperia
You're fucking insane, anon.

>>376023360
I thought sakuraba stopped doing the soundtracks. He did fine with SO5.

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>>376023802

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Compared to SMT?

Paifully generic

Compared to FF?

It will feel extremely low budget.