Much like the previous game, it’s charming, wonderful, and rewarding all at the same time. Locations are memorable and exploration is almost always rewarded with a treasure chest or two, and the game's skill system, which lets you customise your characters with various boosts learned through equipping and wielding specific weapons, is straightforward and effective.Tales of Xillia 2 is the sequel to last year's successful Tales of Xillia on the PlayStation 3. Moving on, how does the gameplay hold up over ten years later? Well, we won't lie: we found ourselves wishing for any kind of minimap when traversing towns and dungeons, and going back to a zoomed-out world map when moving from place to place feels archaic in 2019, but aside from that, Vesperia's traditional JRPG gameplay loop has aged well. All in all, the discrepancy isn't a deal-breaker, but it's a damn shame. Fortunately, you can play through the whole game with the Japanese voice track, but it's obviously not an ideal solution for those who want to hear the story acted out in English. Several secondary characters have also been thrown into the hands of new voice talent, and some don't even try to hide the fact that they sound completely different. Yuri's not the only character who suffers, either. It sounds fine until you eventually catch on, and then you'll never be able to stop yourself from thinking "hey, this isn't Troy Baker, this must be a new scene!" Needless to say, it takes you out of the experience. For example, in the original, Yuri is voiced by the one and only Troy Baker, but according to Baker, he was never asked to come back for the Definitive Edition, and so we're left with a replacement actor doing his best Troy Baker impression. That in itself is a good thing, but it leads to some jarring inconsistencies. What's more, the scenarios that were added in the PS3 re-release have all been freshly dubbed in English. This is largely down to janky cutscene animations that haven't aged all that well, and patches of awkward dialogue and voice acting that scream "this game was first localised in 2008". Right or wrong, the party's journey raises some surprisingly thought-provoking themes.īut for all the praise Vesperia deserves due to its characters and engaging plot points, there's no getting away from the fact that its storytelling can be hit and miss. Yes, there are designated baddies scattered throughout, but there's a greyness to Yuri and the gang's actions that keeps things interesting. It gets to a point where you're not even sure whether you're actually playing as the good guys. The fact that the main cast butt heads so regularly gives them a dynamic that you don't often see - especially in JRPGs - and it's refreshing when one of them has to put their foot down and tell it like it is. Estelle, a noble who's spent her whole life reading books behind castle walls, is indecisive and incredibly naive, but Yuri and the gang's stern support guides her through a great character arc. Yuri's surrounded by a party that you can't help but care for as their motives clash and their relationships bubble. ![]() Yuri, the game's protagonist, remains one of the best realised heroes in the series, his aloof exterior hiding relatable insecurities, a dangerously dark streak, and a passion for dumb jokes. It tells a story that deals in a fair amount of cliches - world altering crystals and all that, obviously - but it's the characters that you stay for. It features a primary cast of misfits that are all lovable in their own way - a band of stubborn weirdos who just want to find their purpose in the world. What sets Vesperia apart from its kin is its rather unique personality and feel.
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