New Review Posted: Tales of Symphonia

Daniel Weissenberger · 09-09-2004, 01:59 PM

Jason Karney explores the Tales of Symphonia and has quite a bit to say about them:

"One of the memes bantered about in various gaming media lately is that the Japanese videogame industry is dying. I've always loved Japanese game design and aesthetics, especially in the role-playing genre (RPG). There is something alluring in seeing Tokien-esque fantasy, spaghetti Westerns, or mech-laden science-fiction as viewed through Japanese eyes. Yet even my sense of wonder and adventure was beginning to fade, and my willingness to see the next spiky-haired innocent youth save the world (unofficially trademarked by Square Enix) sorely tried by the lack of innovation in RPGs. I've always been comfortable with the turn-based battle system that lets the console tally up my super-mega-special finishing attack (as soon as I've made sure to drink a healing potion). But I admit that the system has begun to wear thin, and the emperor perhaps needs new clothes. Enter Namco."

The rest of his thoughts are available here: http://www.gamecritics.com/review/talesofs/main.php

EnduroGamer · 09-09-2004, 09:53 PM

Holy crap that was an unedited review.

Brad goes on hiatus and now we make up words in the first sentence of the review?

Danny didn't even notice "One of the memes" in his quoted sticky. Can someone tell me what a meme is?

Daniel Weissenberger · 09-09-2004, 10:16 PM

I actually had to look it up - it's a cultural idea passed around through osmosis rather than specific instruction. Like when everyone in the world decided to pretend that they never found Arnold Schwartzenegger funny, despite the ridiculous success (and overlal greatness) of Twins.

technomancy · 09-09-2004, 10:43 PM

What is a meme? Play Metal Gear Solid 2! Seriously. That's the whole theme of the game.

Examples of stupid pop-culture memes.
Examples of internet memes: "All your base", "ate your balls", "tourist guy".
Other example of memes: "Whazzzzzzup"..

See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memetics

technomancy · 09-09-2004, 10:45 PM

haha. And I just noticed that the Wikipedia entry specifically mentions Metal Gear Solid 2. Wikipedia is great

Jason Karney · 09-10-2004, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnduroGamer

Holy crap that was an unedited review.

Brad goes on hiatus and now we make up words in the first sentence of the review?

Danny didn't even notice "One of the memes" in his quoted sticky. Can someone tell me what a meme is?

Holy crap that was harsh. Especially since meme is a real word.

--Jason

Hypatia93 · 09-10-2004, 09:56 AM

Jason,

I was never interested in Tales of Symphonia before your review; but now? It sounds like a blast to play! I just wish I had more time. Frankly, I think the best measure of a review is whether it makes you want to (or discourages you from) picking up the title. That's because the review gives you enough information about the substance of the gameplay, yet still manages to cover its idiosycracies and any esoteric nature of the game that may or may not be present. This review did precisely that. Good job, old fellow!

Question for ya (well, when you get around to SO3):
How does ToS compare to it?

Oh, and btw, I knew what a "meme" and "memetics" were.

Kin Korn Karn · 09-10-2004, 10:47 AM

Any fan of RPG's that make you want to keep playing them into the wee hours of the night should pick up ToS. It is without a doubt the most enjoyable RPG I have played in years.

EnduroGamer · 09-10-2004, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason

Holy crap that was harsh. Especially since meme is a real word.

--Jason

Ooh, that wasn't harsh. I actually just copied and pasted my Carve comments here and the meme thing just seemed like something funny to comment on since the first couple times I read it, my brain kept reading it as "theme" (which actually also goes with the sentence).

I was hoping that people would see the Carve post and then this one and get a laugh out of it. DIdn't mean to piss on your parade, Jason. It was, afterall, a really good review (I didn't think I needed to tell you that) and I must say that I've been holding out on buying this game until GC posted the review. Now I think I will buy it, although those screenshots that were posted don't do the game any justice from what I've seen online.

Jason Karney · 09-10-2004, 11:07 AM

I actually just copied and pasted my Carve comments here and the meme thing just seemed like something funny to comment on since the first couple times I read it, my brain kept reading it as "theme" (which actually also goes with the sentence).

I wondered if you were going for that humor effect, actually, when I saw both. But it's sometimes hard to tell in print.

I was hoping that people would see the Carve post and then this one and get a laugh out of it. DIdn't mean to piss on your parade, Jason.

S'alright, and thanks.

--Jason

Infonick · 09-10-2004, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hypatia93

Question for ya (well, when you get around to SO3):
How does ToS compare to it?

I like ToS much more than SO3. ToS just has a lot more personality. The battles are also faster in a good way and ti doesn't take nearly as long to get into the game.

Hypatia93 · 09-13-2004, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Infonick

I like ToS much more than SO3. ToS just has a lot more personality. The battles are also faster in a good way and ti doesn't take nearly as long to get into the game.

Thanks for the help. I figure if I end up getting ToS, then, I won't do it until later after they've ported it to the PS2 (which is supposedly happening later this year).

Kin Korn Karn · 09-13-2004, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hypatia93

Thanks for the help. I figure if I end up getting ToS, then, I won't do it until later after they've ported it to the PS2 (which is supposedly happening later this year).

There is still a bit of debate about it coming to PS2 from Japan. The Japanese PS2 version is a reality. Many believe that it will not make it past Japan, however, as (apparently) Nintendo funded the translation for ToS for voice acting, etc., and so it is yet to be seen whether Sony will do the same.

I personally wouldn't hold out. ToS is a great game either way. If they even did bring the PS2 version over it would only be slightly improved (looks at animated cut-scenes).

Hypatia93 · 09-13-2004, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kin Korn Karn

There is still a bit of debate about it coming to PS2 from Japan. The Japanese PS2 version is a reality. Many believe that it will not make it past Japan, however, as (apparently) Nintendo funded the translation for ToS for voice acting, etc., and so it is yet to be seen whether Sony will do the same.

I personally wouldn't hold out. ToS is a great game either way. If they even did bring the PS2 version over it would only be slightly improved (looks at animated cut-scenes).

Well, it's not even that, really. I've just come to discover that I rarely like GC games. (I think it has something to do with the controller -- the triggers are /so/ stiff, and/or the control schemes, and/or the content -- which doesn't affect this title.)

Additionally, I really don't have the time to play it, but if it comes out on the PS2 then that would give me more of an incentive to pick it up (for the reasons listed above).

But thanks for the advice, Kim. I'd love to be able to play games for a living, and thus, have more time allotted to play them.

Boy · 09-14-2004, 05:33 PM

I'd like to thank Jason for this review. I just bought the game today, choosing it over SH4, Crimson Tears and a preorder of Monster Hunter. All three of said games were on my "to-get" list since I'd first heard they were in development, and ToS was completely off of my radar. His review was the main catalyst for my choice. The fact that he mentioned he wasn't too fond of Tales of Destiny, but really dug this game is probably what convinced me the most, as I wasn't fond of Destiny either. Thumbs up.