With Tales of the Rays’s closure this 12 months, there’s now no method apart from replaying previous video games to recapture the spark of what made the Tales recreation collection so particular. The decline of the Tales collection, even when we glance previous Bandai Namco’s failings, has been a sluggish and regular dying, and it desperately wants a hefty injection of latest blood or one thing comparable if the Tales collection ever desires to revive its previous glory.
Bandai Namco has an issue. Followers of its many basic collection and franchises—Digimon, Tales, Gundam, The Idolmaster, .hack, Klonoa, Katamari, Tekken, and extra—might need differing opinions on this. The sheer variety of unbelievable collection Bandai Namco has the rights to means the corporate will be unfold skinny. However the Tales decline has been occurring for years now, with Rays serving as the ultimate dying knell.
As a toddler, I a lot most popular Tales over Sq. and Sq. Enix’s Remaining Fantasy or Dragon Quest collection. Maybe it’s the heavier deal with characters (attributable to mechanics like skits), or maybe it’s the linear battle system that felt extra action-focused than the usual turn-based fight. Symphonia was my first Tales, however I didn’t actually get pleasure from what was occurring (I performed it recent after beating Remaining Fantasy X the primary time so the story felt like a poor rehash). So I popped in Rebirth and holy macaroni, it blew my socks off. It felt so totally different from something different recreation to little Stephanie that I used to be hooked. I couldn’t get sufficient of the characters or the battle system or the skits. I wanted extra.
Whereas issues sort of took a flip from Xillia, you might all the time count on a couple of issues from every Tales recreation. References to Bandai Namco’s different properties like Pac-Man, skits that includes 2D anime sprites, a linear co-op succesful battle system that introduces a brand new ingredient with every title, synth within the soundtrack, morally grey villains, tropes that the story introduces straight however deconstructs in its storyline, a two-parter story… There are extra however these are what I rapidly consider when I attempt to think about a Tales.
Now, I discussed Xillia earlier and whereas I don’t blame Xillia for every part that went fallacious, it was the start of the Tales Darkish Ages—an period I’m unsure we’ll ever escape if even the intense ray of hope often known as Berseria couldn’t finish it. Xillia’s utilization of each Inomata’s and Fujishima’s character designs was presupposed to be particular for the anniversary title. Then each title saved doing that. The storyline felt just like the writers didn’t get time to complete earlier than they needed to submit it. The Hyperlink System is enjoyable in each concept and apply. However tying Mystic Artes to them takes away an vital weapon in a personality’s arsenal within the coliseum’s solo mode.
Even earlier than Xillia although, followers weren’t pleased with Baba-P. Granted, a number of followers are even much less pleased with Tomizawa-P lately both. Folks complained in regards to the vigilante storyline in Vesperia. I didn’t see lots of people complaining about Graces (exterior of people that by no means performed a Tales recreation with a CC battle system earlier than; sorry, however the grievance of Judith in Vesperia “unlocking” aerial fight and the dearth of it in Graces is simply not legitimate, particularly when Future Remake—which makes use of CC—was the primary to make aerial fight a factor). However that’s as a result of nobody actually talked about Graces. These had been small potatoes in comparison with the true ultimate boss although: Zestiria. Coincidentally, identical to how Xillia was an anniversary title, Zestiria was one too.
Disregarding from the horrible Alisha vs Rose discourse that plagued the fandom earlier than launch, the sport suffered from poor optimization. The digital camera was movement illness galore because of combating on the open world. The story felt like half the size of a traditional Tales recreation. The shilling which may have ruined Yuri or Milla for some felt worse with Rose. I preferred Rose. However even I used to be sick of how the narrative bends itself backwards to include her and the way particular she is. It was the identical concern with Milla. I saved ready for backlash to her extremist methods past a couple of strains from Gilland and Alvin. However nope.
It’s such a disgrace that Zestiria‘s and Come up‘s horrible reputations have prevented individuals from taking part in Berseria! Berseria was so good! Bandai Namco was sitting on treasure, however I don’t know if there’s sufficient goodwill among the many core followers to choose up a brand new Tales recreation at launch anymore. Possibly if Bandai Namco takes a leaf out of Berseria‘s ebook and makes one thing near that once more. Sadly, the sport business (exterior of indie markets, perhaps) is in fairly a pickle proper now. The event cycle for video games is so lengthy lately {that a} single flop can tank a studio. And even disregarding the present oversaturation of the sport market, the goal gross sales to fulfill higher-ups or break even simply aren’t possible.
Maybe in one other world, if Tales of Crestoria had come out as a console recreation quite than a short-lived cellular recreation, the Tales studio would nonetheless be thriving. That Bandai Namco, notorious for its dealing with of cellular video games, tried but once more with Luminaria is baffling. Sadly, evidently on this timeline, there are not any tales that Bandai Namco want to inform.
