#2 Tales of Symphonia / GCN
The game that ruined RPGs, (Me and Super_Boom, 2017).
I’ll keep it short (sort of), since I could go on and on about this game. I love it too much at times I feel.
This is a game that I hold very close to my heart, it was my first Tales game and my first RPG with the usual deeper focus on the story and characters, because of that it left quite an impression on me, and after over 10 years of playing this game regularly, it still remains at the top for me when it comes to the genre.
Besides my sentimental attachment to the game, on its own is still really good, a solid and engaging storyline, that deals with many themes, like racism, dealing with responsibilities, burdens, justice, etc. I think is a game in which at least one part of it can resonate with somebody from life experiences similar to the themes of the game or just the ideals presented through the characters, as such this RPG’s central theme “RPG that resonates with you”. Also the story takes a lot of cues and elements from Eternia and Phantasia, but I feel Symphonia perfects these plot points, generally the Tales of series tends to stay with some general ideas and plot devices, but Symphonia executes them the best.
One of the great aspects about the series as a whole is the character interaction, either be jokes, opinions on the current situation or just something random, it adds that extra special touch to an already really solid cast and something that the Tales series has mastered like no other; I find every character in this game quite likeable, each with their own arcs of development and I think is the most solid cast the series has had. Mad props to Zelos’ story and overall personality, it takes some challenge to get his whole tale (if you don’t use YouTube anyways) but is worth it as he becomes one very complex character and a favorite of mine and the fan base. Also it has a pretty great villain, both intimidating and sympathetic, which making an intimidating, imposing and really fleshed out villain is something this series tends to struggle with. All this mixed with a memorable soundtrack and great cell shaded style, plus a great English dub which equals and for me tops the original Japanese dub, they really wanted to push this game in the west and it shows with the talent they got for this game, just a great experience overall.
Of course the gameplay is great too, the first pseudo 3D game in the series really added a nice layer of strategy by minding the position of your character in the field, something that would be refined later in the series, but it is still quite fun and solid to play, which I actually prefer at times (some basic skills like back steps and recovery are locked behind level ups which makes combat slower at the start in later games, but are in your basic moves in Symphonia for example). Is not overly complicated on numbers, auto equip for fast item management and a pretty clear line of progression for each character, all of them are set with one job to fulfill, your healer, your mage, heavy hitters, etc. I don’t mind complexity but a simpler take can usually lead to a more fun time overall.
Dungeon design is pretty good as well, each with a unique puzzle or mechanic that makes them stand out and being memorable on their own (for better or for worse at times).
There is also a lot of nice world building sprinkled across the game, either from fairytales and legends that makes the world feel more believable, the different ambiences in the towns and how some can tell you about the state of the world just by the visuals, there is a lot of love and care into the world of Symphonia and I can’t get enough of that.
As a whole, Symphonia is a fantastic fantasy RPG with some nice twists here and there, predictable yes, but they are really well executed within the storytelling, great presentation and gameplay. I have spent hundreds of hours on this game across 9 playthroughts, enjoying every bit of dialogue, story and interactions that this game offers every time. I could spend all day talking about this game and never get tired, I just love everything this game offers.
