Ath said:
Been playing Tales of Graces F. I went in expecting a great battle system but a horrible story and cast, based on what I'd read. 9 hours in and the battle system is definitely the most fun of the few Tales games I've played (Phantasia, Destiny, Eternia and Symphonia) but the story is much better than I expected (I'd heard that Team Destiny games can be weak with cast and story). There's a lot of things in the narrative that feel like they were recycled from other games, but I'm invested enough in it that it doesn't bother me. The cast seem OK so far, hopefully they won't get on my nerves later (heard a few grumblings about them), voice acting's fine too. It looks bright and vibrant and it seems like they did a good job upgrading from the Wii original, the music doesn't seem that memorable so far though, not Motoi Sakuraba's best.
This is, like, pretty much exactly my view after 15 or so hours. I wasn't expecting much from the story but even though the various elements have been cobbled together from other games, the plot has had good momentum and been fairly gripping so far. One thing I would mention is that the first arc gives the player a valuable insight into the characters' relationships, so it has all the more impact when you join them years later and things have changed.
As for the characters themselves, like yourself I was (and still am a bit) concerned about all the negative things I've heard said about them, but until now I've found them to be a mostly entertaining and endearing bunch. Mind you, I liked the characters in Tales of the Abyss at first and ended up hating all of those twats...
The battle system is more addictive than crack, but I find that my brain isn't able to keep up with the carnage unfolding on-screen, and consequently my initial slick dodging and countering slowly degenerates into mindless button-bashing should a battle last longer than my concentration. Still, I
want to keep fighting and keep getting better at it, and that's always the sign of a good combat system. Plus, all dem titles that need levelling up...
Max Takeshi said:
The Last Story.
It seemed to waffle on for a bit, and the slowdown is maddening at times, but it sustains interest in the chapters of 20+.
It's a pity about the game's technical issues, as The Last Story's battle system is definitely unique and a lot of fun (if far too easy for most of the game, not least because using cover renders you instantly invisible). While I wouldn't say it was a great game, I thought it did a lot of things right and ended up being a solid, streamlined RPG almost completely devoid of fat.
