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Overall 8.9    Graphics 8.3    Sound 6.3    Addictive 8.3    Story 8.7    Depth 9.3    Difficulty 8.7


Diamond In The Rough   scout360pyro
 Tales of Phantasia does not do much to draw you in at the beginning. It has a rather brief and confusing opening that uses voice recordings rather than text to explain, and given the GBA hardware that means whatever is being said is mostly incomprehensible. Nothing in the battle mechanics is explained at the start, nor does it get explained later on in the game. It is possible to screw yourself over very quickly if you do not understand certain functions of this system, such as the fact that you can aim melee attacks upwards to target airborne enemies. Timing definitely plays a critical role in battle, and sadly this is not explained to the player either. But even so something about this game interests me, despite the many problems I see with it. I look at this game and see hidden potential, a very large amount of hidden potential. The actual game mechanics are very well made, and allow for a surprising amount of variation and freedom with game play. The problem is that the graphic design is as every bit as bad (in terms of menu design, color scheme, fonts) as the game play is good. The game play and mechanics of the game are good, but the graphics are washed out, and the on screen text at some points is REALLY poorly done color wise... white letters on light backgrounds? Anyways, this game has some real potential to it, but it needs a bit of a makeover. I like the battle system though, well, once I figured it out, that is. The best way I can describe the system is that of a RTS Platformer. You can pause to select items, skills, or strategies, but you control the movement and attack direction of your character. You can also have certain skills hot keyed to the B button and the D pad. Different attacks have a certain pattern of movement to them, and you need to be aware of the timing involved. Fortunately, the game by default makes this as easy as possible to understand. It results in the attack movements seeming rather slow, telegraphed, and choppy, but it teaches you the timing of things better than if it was smoother and faster. A menu setting allows you to speed this up slightly to increase the battle difficulty. In some ways the battle system actually reminds me somewhat of the melee battle style sometimes used by Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones arena mode, only with a far greater variety of skills, people, attacks, and movement allowed. The game's movement system, though it sticks to four directional movement on the actual “rooms” of the game, also allows you to run and even drag/move certain objects around the level, allowing for hidden mini-puzzles on some occasions. I think the drag mechanic is rather interesting, and it reminds me of the game boy color Legend of Zelda games where you could drag and push blocks around, though it is nowhere near as heavily used here as it was in Zelda. The running aspect, though it many might remember it best from the Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire versions, was used as early as the SNES with Chrono Trigger, and it is a joy to see it being used here. There is an over world map system similar to the one used by Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, and the early Final Fantasy games, though it is most like Golden Sun in appearance. I like that you have 3 options for recovery of health and mana, or “tp” as the game refers to it. You can sleep in a bed, often purchased from an inn, use recovery items in and out of battle, OR you can choose to cook yourself a meal. If you have the required ingredients, and have not eaten recently, the cooked meal heals an overall percentage of the entire party’s hp and tp, rather than a set amount. While starting out this may benefit the player little due to the low quality meals they can initially prepare (only a ten percent restoration), I can certainly see the advantages later on as the characters get leveled up. Despite the poorly done intro, the rest of the plot is not that bad. It certainly moves faster than I expected, and does a great job of building the player up for the first major plot twist. Before you even manage to regain your composure and wrap your head around that first twist, tales of phantasia lashes out again with another twist, swift and brutal. The interesting thing is that the rapid pace of this allows for some new characters to be introduced with little issue, and integrates them more effectively than most rpg games ever manage. Someone was definitely putting a lot of time and effort into this game, that much is certain. It may be a bit rough on the surface, but underneath there is far more depth than you would expect. I almost wonder if the lack of tutorials was on purpose, because the game was designed to challenge the player to figure out the mechanics themselves. The battle controls are rather instinctively familiar to those who have played platformers, and remind me of some of the translated Japanese rpgs I have seen, such as Star Ocean, in that they are meant to give the player less time to react than a traditional turn based or even event based battle style would. Overall : 8.7 Despite the problems I have with certain features of the sound, story, and graphics in this game, I have to rate this highly. The baseline mechanics that form the foundation of game play are amazing and unique, and if it were not for the poorly chosen “decorations” of the game, I would be rating this 9.5 or higher. The level of detail in the graphics is amazing, the battle system surprisingly challenging and addictive, and the plot deceptively well laid out despite a rather shaky start. There is hidden depth to this game underneath the unappealing exterior of its introduction, and I cannot stress enough the need for interested players to look beyond it before they decide whether the game is worth playing or not. Graphics : 8 The game has a nice level of detail in its textures for the backgrounds and the sprites, better than Chrono Trigger even. The world has moving parts within its background, and has an excellent level of detail. I especially like how the bookcases are done. The way they show a glass door over top of the books is a really nice effect, and helps add depth to the scenes. Potted plants, loose books or papers on desks and tables, detailed rugs and carpets, a lot of work goes into interior and exterior design of the towns and buildings of this game. They make use of light and shadow from windows, different materials and styles for the floor in different sections, such as using a cheaper looking cobblestone for a basic hallway where there is little room for decoration, and switching to more ornate stone or wood tiling for rooms. The forests are beautifully made, and give off a kind of mystical feel as you walk through them. Even in the battle screens the forests are detailed in the background, to show a sharp contrast to fights that happen in open fields, where the background is a blue, slightly clouded sky. The thing is the graphics are a little TOO bright. Not enough darker coloring is used, and it ends up making me feel like I am playing with sun shining on my screen. Because the in game letters are completely white, it can make it especially hard to read them when they are displayed without a menu box as a backdrop. On top of that, the menu system is a bit irritating in that you cannot see how much money, or gald, you have (as far as I can tell). You need to go find a shop keeper and check with them, or keep a mental tally of your general wealth. This makes grinding for money a bit irritating at times. If it wasn’t for this I would rate the game a solid ten for graphics. Sound : 7 The quality of the games music and sound effects is good enough for GBA hardware, and the characters in game voices as they perform their techniques are not too bad, seeing as how they are more for effect rather than trying to convey actual, important information to the player. But the quality of the voices used in the intro is slightly worse than that, and for the game to rely on THAT to introduce the player to the game is a terrible idea, because it is very difficult to understand what is being said. It acts as a major turn off to players looking to try the game out, and drives me nuts as I try to understand what the developer’s reasoning was for doing things this way. Addictive : 8 The battle system, as I mentioned earlier, is a very interesting and dynamic thing. It gets the player actively involved and on their toes, and is unlike anything I have ever seen before in an rpg game. It does have an option to let the character move automatically, which you can toggle with a key, but even then the movement is interesting enough that you still won’t get bored. It also helps that the game’s ai for your character is not much brighter than the ai for the enemies, which encourages players to keep a close eye on things if they do decide to put it on autopilot. Story : 7 Honestly I would normally rank the story at an eight or higher, but the way it opens in the introduction cost it those extra points. First impressions are important, and for all of the time and thought put into the actual game’s plot and progression, the opening does not measure up. Horrible opening aside, tales of phantasia does a great job of trying to get the player emotionally involved from the very beginning. It works by getting players attached to various characters with heart warming dialogue and character development, before ripping them away with all the cruelty life can offer. Then, as our grief turns to anger, they provide a target that treats us as nothing, further angering us. Very quickly you become uncertain of who to trust, as supposed allies betray you without warning, and the bonds you share with those who fight with you only deepen as you find that the only people you can truly rely on are those at your side. Depth : 9 This game is a lot deeper than I thought it would be. The battle system alone has a surprising amount of depth and potential, with the combination of platformer and rpg elements. There are deceptively intricate levels of placement and timing at every level of combat, though you do not need necessarily need to master them to succeed in this game. Different techniques, equipment, and various items and methods of recovery make the game interesting outside of battle as well as inside it. The characters can gain various titles as they level up or complete hidden side quests, adding yet another layer of depth into this game. Difficulty : 9 Tales of Phantasia certainly is challenging, though it keeps from being TOO challenging for the player, provided you figure out the basics of combat early on. Different enemies attack different ways, and at different intervals. Because of this, depending on the combination of enemies, as well as what they are trying to do in particular at a given moment, a great deal of quick thinking and adaptability, with a bit of timing, is needed to avoid taking too much damage as you progress. It is certainly harder than most rpgs in this aspect, but it is not impossibly hard! Once you begin to grasp the full range of motion you have in movement and attacks it becomes easier to understand and adapt.
  Graphics 8   Sound 7   Addictive 8   Story 7   Depth 9   Difficulty 9
      Review Rating: 5/5     Submitted: 06-22-15     Review Replies: 3


Review for Tails of Phantasia   SagaTheShifty
This game is a port of the classic game of the same name for the SNES. This game broke the mold, being the first in a now long line of "action RPG's" Allowing you to completely control your character in random battles. The visual and sound aspects are great for a game as old as this, even Including almost unheard of voice acting. The game has a few drawbacks, The battle system, although revolutionary was still laggy, leaving you open after standard attacks. Skills helped balance it out later. The characters are colorful and come in all different styles, From a tomboy to a master swordsman. This game is worth a go if you have ever played a tales game. Even if you haven't I suggest you at least giving it a go. 9/10
  Graphics 8   Sound 7   Addictive 10   Story 9   Depth 9   Difficulty 7
      Review Rating: 4.8/5     Submitted: 09-06-10     Updated: 06-01-11     Review Replies: 1


Tales of Phantasia [gba]   popopop1279
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  Graphics 9   Sound 5   Addictive 7   Story 10   Depth 10   Difficulty 10
      Review Rating: 4/5     Submitted: 02-26-14     Review Replies: 2

A tale for the ages! When young swordsman Cress Albane returns home and finds his village destroyed, he sets out on a quest for revenge that transcends space and time. Join him in this updated classic, featuring an expanded storyline. You will learn how to master your Skills in real-time battles against powerful enemies, how to make tasty meals thanks to the innovative cooking system, and much much more!

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