Tales of Symphonia Remastered Review – Second Chair

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In all honestly, Tales of Symphonia Remastered is in a no-win situation. Even if the re-release offered enough features to differentiate it from the 2013 release on PlayStation 3, it cannot escape the shadow of Metroid Prime Remastered.

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Unfortunately, this is the same release from ten years ago. At the end of the day, Tales of Symphonia Remastered serves one purpose: put the game into Nintendo Switch.

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Nearly every strength in this remaster is due to the quality of the source material. The Tales series continually plays second fiddle to other major JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy or, especially recently, Persona.

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Symphonia blends the best of several genres: the action-adventure feel of Legend of Zelda, the 3D arena combat of Soul Calibur, and the cel-shaded anime style and stories of JRPGs. Together, it results in one of the best RPGs on the GameCube and one of the best RPGs of the console generation period.

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TALES OF SYMPHONIA AGES WELL IN SOME ASPECTS, POORLY IN OTHERS

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There are unfortunate challenges that come with navigating the overworld. On the plus side, being able to avoid enemies means you won’t get bored to death with unavoidable random encounters.

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One thing I can’t overcome is the game’s save points. Sometimes, you’ll lose substantial progress because you either 1) missed a save point, 2) didn’t have the necessary item to unlock a hidden save point, or 3) forgot to access a nearby save point.

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The only way to deal with this issue is to tear down and rebuild the game’s combat system with a modern combat design. The combo system worked for the gaming landscape in 2003, but 2023 games have left it behind.

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[{"selector":"#anim-d41cb493-6425-4fec-aefb-68fd701d402e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

Bleak Faith: Forsaken Review – A Bleak Outlook

[{"selector":"#anim-c2be4c66-d9f5-49d2-ae45-97059013c2b2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

Tales of Symphonia Remastered Review – Second Chair

In all honestly, Tales of Symphonia Remastered is in a no-win situation. Even if the re-release offered enough features to differentiate it from the 2013 release on PlayStation 3, it cannot escape the shadow of Metroid Prime Remastered.

Unfortunately, this is the same release from ten years ago. At the end of the day, Tales of Symphonia Remastered serves one purpose: put the game into Nintendo Switch.

Nearly every strength in this remaster is due to the quality of the source material. The Tales series continually plays second fiddle to other major JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy or, especially recently, Persona.

Symphonia blends the best of several genres: the action-adventure feel of Legend of Zelda, the 3D arena combat of Soul Calibur, and the cel-shaded anime style and stories of JRPGs. Together, it results in one of the best RPGs on the GameCube and one of the best RPGs of the console generation period.

TALES OF SYMPHONIA AGES WELL IN SOME ASPECTS, POORLY IN OTHERS

Twenty years later, it’s impressive how well the game has aged. Of course, some parts have become dated over time, such as the stiffness of the combat system and the antiquated save system.

There are unfortunate challenges that come with navigating the overworld. On the plus side, being able to avoid enemies means you won’t get bored to death with unavoidable random encounters.

One thing I can’t overcome is the game’s save points. Sometimes, you’ll lose substantial progress because you either 1) missed a save point, 2) didn’t have the necessary item to unlock a hidden save point, or 3) forgot to access a nearby save point.

The only way to deal with this issue is to tear down and rebuild the game’s combat system with a modern combat design. The combo system worked for the gaming landscape in 2003, but 2023 games have left it behind.

Click Below to Read More

Click Below to Read More

Bleak Faith: Forsaken Review – A Bleak Outlook

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