Tales of Legendia

A world of turmoil. A world of legends. A world of exquisite visuals and fantasy lands. A world unlike any other, where real-time battles truly are in real-time, and combat has more in common with an action game than an RPG. Since its conception the Tales series has taken a different path, showing gamers the true power of a developer who's willing to take risks and mix genres. The unrivaled gameplay served as the cornerstone for future installments, and is the defining piece of the latest edition: Tales of Legendia.

Utilizing a graphic style that doesn't mimic other PS2 RPGs, Tales of Legendia immediately stands out. It even stands apart from its GameCube predecessor, Tales of Phantasia. Legendia's battles are the first connection to the series' past, combining Virtua Fighter-style combos with Street Fighter-style special moves and classic magic spells. The three make for a fine collection of gameplay elements that will keep players entertained (and interested) through the journey's many ups and downs.

The story focuses on Senel Coolidge, a strong character who's determined to save his sister, Shirley. She is thought to be an important person that will fulfill the enemy's destiny. After a whirlwind of events, Shirley is taken hostage by unknown villains and Senel must save her. This is a rather bland premise, but it's merely an opener for a much greater tale. There are a lot of twists, turns and surprises that occur - none on the level of the Final Fantasy games, but impressive in their own right. RPG fans searching for a good story to take them away during spring break can rest easy knowing they have something to look forward to.

Tales of Legendia is a massive RPG. This isn't overly apparent until you exit the first town. It's at that moment, when you can explore the world map's many locations, that you realize how much of a fight is in front of you.

The preliminary battles are not very difficult, opening the door for newbies and veterans alike. Even with its fair amount of options, Legendia is really easy to get into. Battles are conducted in real time with enemies that are constantly on the move. While in complete control of only one character from your party, the battles feel like an action/fighting game played from a different perspective. Attacks are assigned to two buttons, one of which is for standard hits (X), the other is reserved for special moves (circle).

Both standard and special attacks are performed in the same fashion as they were in Phantasia: press the D-pad in conjunction with the X or circle button for additional effects. Combos are pre-determined by the current experience of your character, but special moves may be assigned to one of the available slots via the menu screen. The moves assigned can then be executed by pressing the designated D-pad sequence, followed by the circle button. (Example: up, down, circle.)

hSince it's only possible to have full control over one character at a time, the other party members are given basic strategies that they are to follow in battle. Players may change the strategy at any time without the worry of having to sacrifice a turn in exchange for that decision. The change immediately goes into effect and you get to keep on battling. Have your comrades attack the enemy you're attacking, tell them to stay back – simple choices like that. Meanwhile you'll be free to charge forward and unleash a pummeling blast of fists, punching and kicking until that painful, poison dust-dropping creature loses its luster.

In the tradition of most other console RPGs, Tales of Legendia's battles are typically random. You are more likely to encounter monsters in certain locations (woodsy areas on the world map seem to have battles more frequently). While random matches can turn a good time into boredom during an RPG's most vigorous moments, Tales is a lot like its predecessor – the battles pull it through.

I find it a little troubling that more and more RPGs are going the route of improved battles and lower-quality stories, so it was a nice surprise to become immersed in Legendia's characters. Their designs are no more original than its competitors. In fact, a lot of the characters look like they came from anime. But it's what's on the inside that counts. Legendia's characters are rich with unique personalities. They have varying attitudes about life, love, and survival.

Almost every word of dialogue is spoken, an advancement that was not possible prior to the release of PlayStation 2. Overall the acting is acceptable on a video game level, which is still low compared to the premiere form of storytelling (film and TV). Some of the acting is higher in quality than I expected. Senel is well voiced and is instantly likeable, as are Will and Chloe.

The same cannot be said for some of the other characters, particularly the smaller characters whose roles do not impact the outcome of the story. Most of the characters, even the good ones, have a line or two (or several) that sounds better on paper than it does when heard. Sincerity is lost on the player when something comes across as being hokey or silly. This has been a major problem with this current generation of RPGs. There have been a few great ones released for PS2. This is one of them. But as attached to the characters as I've become, I cannot say that attachment is as big as I had with the top-tier, voice-over-free RPGs of the PSone era.

Gameplay: 8.0
Tales of Phantasia 2.0. Legendia is a more-of-the-same RPG for anyone who thought Phantasia's lengthy quest just wasn't long enough. There's so much freedom in being able pick your target, strike it at will, and dodge every retaliation attempt. You can't name too many other console RPGs that allow you to do that. When Namco says this game is "real-time," they mean it.

Engrossing, enjoyable, and big on replay value. Phantasia diehards can't miss it.

Graphics: 8.2
I'm not as impressed by graphic detail as I am by the creativity that went into designing Legendia's environments. They're out of this world. It was awesome exploring them. Exploration was one of the best things about this game.

Sound: 8.5
Another great soundtrack from Namco. Tales of Legendia's battles are sweetened by a collection of pumping battle music. The story, on the other hand, is enhanced with tunes that are a bit on the emotional side. There are so many great songs in here that it's likely there will be at least one you won't soon forget.

Difficulty: Medium
Later battles present a greater challenge. Don't be intimidated if you haven't experienced this series before. If you have played through a previous Tales game, Legendia will give you a fun (though not excruciating) challenge.

Concept: 8.3
Tales of Legendia plays wonderfully. That said, it plays very much like Tales of Phantasia and does not include any significant innovations. The story is good but flawed. This is a great RPG that could've been better.

Overall: 8.3
If you haven't hopped on the Tales bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for? Tales of Legendia is a great way to enter the series. It's exciting, engaging, and is unlike any other real-time RPG on the market. The gameplay is almost identical to Tales of Phantasia, so if you've played that game then you know this one is good. Rent it if you must, but why bother? It's going to take you a long time to uncover every secret – you might as well take the plunge and buy it now before Blockbuster's "no late fee" turns into a $50 charge to your account.