#33
Tales of Berseria
YoY: NEW
"Birds fly because they want to fly, they don't need a reason. Even if their wings may snap and doom them to die. They don't fly for anyone's benefits, they don't fly because they were ordered to. Birds fly...because they want to fly and for no other reason!"
After Tales of Zestiria I have to admit I wasn't really expecting too much out of Berseria. Zestiria had been a fine enough game, but nowhere near the best in the series, and with Berseria being set in the same world I didn't get my hopes up too high. Now, however, it is without question my new favourite game in the entire series, overtaking Symphonia and Xillia in the process.
Tales of Berseria is probably the darkest game in the series, with a story that has a constant undercurrent of sorrow and hopelessness running beneath the surface, and a main character who for much of the game lacks any kind of empathy towards others because of what was done to her in the past, and whose main driving motivator is to simply find, and kill the person responsible for turning her into what she has become.
Speaking of the main character, Velvet Crowe is without question the most memorable and interesting protagonist the series has ever features in my opinion. Seeing her change and develop as a person throughout the story from a caring and kind-hearted girl to a vengeful woman bent on slaughtering anyone who gets in the way of her goal gives the game its heart, and then watching as she slowly begins to find new meanings in life beyond just revenge makes her journey truly memorable. Her voice actress, Christina Vee, also does an amazing job portraying the character.
As usual, the battle system is a lot of fun, but that's more or less business as usual with Tales-games. The music by Motoi Sakuraba is great as well. Tales of Berseria was a huge positive surprise, as I definitely wasn't expecting to be as great as it was. I have many fond memories of playing various different games in the series, but Berseria has overtaken them all now.
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