I was jumping with joy when I first heard that Tales of Symphonia, the game that introduced me to and got me hooked on the Tales series, was getting a HD remake on the PS3.
It was the first Tales title to make it over here, so getting to see what all the fuzz was about was incredibly exciting. What we got was an action-packed, trailblazing joyride set in a world that felt truly alive at the time, and I was immediately spellbound by the beautiful execution and adrenaline filled battles.
I’ve played the game from start to finish at least 6-7 times in all of these years that I’ve been a fan of it, and I’m prepared to run through it at least 2-3 more times with this HD release. The fact that its sequel is included on the same disc really only sweetened the deal for me, as getting just the first one would’ve been worth it in my eyes. However, is it worth YOUR time? Let’s have a look.
Since these games are a few years old (10 years in the case of the first game), I feel a full-on review isn’t necessary; you can find plenty of those in other places. Instead, I’m gonna take a look at how well the games hold up today and if they’re worth it from both a long-time fan of the originals’ perspective and that of someone who never got to play Symphonia but still likes the series. By the time you’re done, you’ve hopefully reached a decision on whether this package is worth your time and money.
Following in the wake of more technologically advanced titles such as Xillia and Graces isn’t easy for this little re-release, since the battle system in Symphonia could arguably be called bare-bones in comparison.
It was the first game in the series to utilize a 3D battlefield, but it still had a rather rigid grid system in the background. Your character is snapped onto a straight line whenever he/she targets an opponent, and there’s little to be done to break free from it. Tales of the Abyss, the next entry in the series, fixed this issue by allowing you to make use of 3D space and position yourself as you please, and I definitely miss that feature every time I see Lloyd aimlessly jump up and down in front of the giant flaming monster of the hour in a vain attempt to re-position himself.
However, since the game wasn’t built with free-run in mind, this rarely becomes a problem since you can just as easily jump over an enemy if you wish to hit it from behind (abnormally big or long monsters like the aforementioned flaming monster being exceptions to this strategy).
With free-run and all of the other convenient systems still in the works for future titles when Symphonia originally leaped onto the scene, it’s safe to say there’s a fair amount you have to un-learn in order to fully appreciate this title. For example, the AI is dumb as bricks compared to newer titles, so don’t depend too much on them. It’s decidedly old-school, and it hurts me a bit to say that it hasn’t aged particularly well in the combat aspect. The story and characters are still very good however, so you’re very likely to get your fix of Tales goodness there if the battles are a bit too meh for you.
Everything is as you’d expect it to be, given that this is predominantly a visual upgrade. Gameplay has been mostly untouched, save for a few extra skills here and there, and the story is the same (as far as I know). However, there’s one thing that’s been bothering me since the moment I started it up.
The version the HD release is working off of is the Japan exclusive PS2 version, so all the added content in that version is naturally included in this one (like the aforementioned extra skills). However, that also means the frame rate got invited to the party. You see, the Gamecube version that I’m used to ran at 60 fps, whereas the PS2 version runs at 30 fps since the PS2 was weaker. I don’t see why this is, since DotNW runs at a perfect 60 fps throughout, and that’s a Wii title! They could’ve at least beefed up the frame rate to 60; I’m sure the PS3 can handle that. A 10 year old game with a few upgraded textures and character models shouldn’t run at 30 fps on a current gen console. Period.
A pretty minor issue, I confess, as I’ve since gotten used to the lowered frame rate. It doesn’t interfere with how the game flows since button inputs are still registered perfectly well. It’s just… it would’ve been nice.
As for DotNW, this is mostly a visual upgrade. From what I can tell, very little has been added. Apart from a few extra items that changes a character’s appearance in battle (these weren’t present in the Wii version, as far as I can tell), it’s exactly the same game. Given that the game was originally on the Wii, Namco Bandai did a nice job salvaging the awful controls the nunchuk and wiimote naturally bring to any game. Everything’s been mapped to the buttons you’d expect (guard with square, attack with cross, use artes with circle etc.) and it feels a lot more natural than the Wii version.
Since this game isn’t that old, at least not compared to Symphonia, I’d say it holds up really well. It’s got the aforementioned free-run system as well as a pretty fun monster catching mechanic that awakens the Pokémon nerd inside me. The updated graphics also look really nice, though it looks pretty much identical to the version I briefly tried out on a Wii emulator with increased resolution and texture quality.
So, to wrap up:
Symphonia is very much an old-school title, and as such its battle system probably won’t excite you as much if you’re more used to the titles following this one (Abyss, Vesperia, Graces etc).
However, I think the story aspect will be enough for long-time fans who missed out on this game when it first came out. For the veterans who have played this game before… eh, I’m kinda 50/50 about it, to be honest. Unless updated graphics do anything for you, just stick with the Gamecube version. It still looks and plays perfectly fine even to this day. If you’re interested in the added content (like me) then I suggest you check it out, if only to play it one more time.
Dawn of the New World is more closely related to titles like Abyss, and will definitely appeal to fans of the newer games. Fans of the original will appreciate the continuation of the story (even though it’s technically a spin-off) and hopefully the new mechanics and battle system. It should be said that DotNW doesn’t feel a whole lot like Symphonia. Sure it’s set in the same world and you run into the old cast, but all that kinda feels like fanservice. Personal opinion though, so take it for what it’s worth.
Probably the nicest addition of them all is the inclusion of Japanese voiceovers for both titles. What’s more, subtitles have been added to in-game quips and post-battle conversations, so you’re never left out just because you wanted Japanese voices. Gold star, Namco!
All in all… I’d say buy it. I think people who are new to the series should look to titles like Vesperia and Xillia instead, to see the series at its finest, but long-time fans of both the series and Symphonia should give it a chance. The package is very cheap even here in Sweden where games usually cost around $90 at launch (converted from SEK to $, take it how you will) so I can only assume it’s cheaper everywhere else.
You get 2 great games for the price of 1 discounted title, so it’s quite the bargain, really.
Got any questions about the game you’d like answered before you make a purchase? Tweet me @PyreHavoc and I’ll see what I can do.
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