Tales of Destiny

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tales of Destiny (Japanese: テイルズ オブ デスティニー , Teiruzu obu Desutinî ) is a video game in the RPG genre published for the Playstation console by Namco on 23 December 1997 in Japan. Both the Japanese and North American versions of the game have an introductory video animated by the renowned studio Production I.G., and the Japanese version has a song accompanying the video called Yume de Aruyouni by DEEN. It is similar to its predecessor, Tales of Phantasia, in terms of gameplay, graphics, and content. Tales of Destiny is the second game in the Tales series.

History

In the past, a comet crashed into the world, throwing dust clouds into the sky and shrouding the world in cold and darkness. At about the same time, the inhabitants, the Erthers, discovered a new form of energy from the meteorite's core, which they named Lens. Combining this with further research, the people were able to create cities in the sky and live in them. Unfortunately, only a select few were chosen, leaving the rest of the people to remain on the bleak surface of the planet.

Over time, the sky's inhabitants became known as the Aetherians and their Aeropolis cities. They created a horrific weapon called the Belcrant that shot down any who dared oppose them. This caused full scale war to erupt between the two civilizations, now known as the Aeth'er Wars. However, regardless of their will and persistence, the Aetherians continued to have the power to dominate every engagement though the use of their superweapon.

In their disgust of their civilization's elitist behavior, a group of Aetherian scientists went to the surface. There, with aid from the people, they were able to create special swords, called Swordians, that were sentient. Unlike other weapons, these swords chose their masters and were able to call upon the elements of nature to do their will. Using these weapons, the people of the surface finally had an edge against the Aetherians.

Thanks in part to the Swordians and their masters, scores of Aeropolis were sucked to the depths of the ocean. In the end, the Erthers claimed victory over the Aetherians. Thousands of years later, this story has been mostly forgotten. In the meantime, the purposeless Swordians fell into a deep stasis sleep, only to awaken when grave threats rose once again.

Storyline

The story of the game begins when country-boy-turned-adventurer Stahn Aileron sneaks aboard the flying ship Draconis as a stowaway. He is found out by the crew and forced to work as a deckhand, but when a large hostile force attacks the ship, the crew is overwhelmed and Stahn breaks free during the ensuing chaos. Looking for a usable weapon to fend off the attackers, he gains access to a storeroom and discovers a "junk" sword. However, the sword starts talking to him, calling itself Dymlos and claiming to be a sentient Swordian from the Aeth'er Wars. Armed with Dymlos, Stahn fights his way to an escape pod, which he uses to escape the rapidly descending ship before it crashes into the ground.

Dymlos becomes the key to the fame, fortune, and adventure Stahn seeks as the young man meets other Swordians, quickly becoming embroiled in a battle for a relic of the Aeth'er Wars - a huge, extremely powerful Lens called the Eye of Atamoni.

Characters

Playable characters

A young adventurer who grows into a powerful sword-based physical fighter, Stahn is the protagonist of Tales of Destiny. Not known for his intelligence or his cultured background, his fire-elemental swordian is Dymlos. Learning the most special attacks of any character, including extremely effective combination Sacred Skills, Stahn has the potential to become the most powerful character. His wide array of powerful attack options makes up for his limited fire-based magical arsenal. Voice Actor: Tomokazu Seki.

• Garr Kelvin
• Japanese: ウッドロウ・ケルヴィン Woodrow Kelvin
• Age: 23

The Prince of Phandaria, Garr is a skilled archer as well as a swordsman. Igtenos is his wind-elemental swordian, but he is also a skilled archer. Wise and mature, Garr is known for his cool-headed battle tactics. In battle, Garr can engage targets from long or short range with his two weapon types. Voice Actor: Sho Hayami.

• Rutee Katrea
• Japanese: ルーティ・カトレット Rutee Kartret
• Age: 18

Armed with Atwight, the swordian of water, Rutee is a headstrong Lens hunter who travels the world looking to make a profit with her partner, Mary. She has a bad reputation in the Kingdom of Seinegald because of her money-hungry ways, but she doesn't let it bother her. Rutee has a balanced selection of technical physical and magical attacks. Rutee eventually develops a romantic relationship with Stahn. She is revealed to be Leon's sister late in the game. Voice Actress: Yuka Imai.

• Philia Felice
• Japanese: フィリア・フィリス Philia Philis
• Age: 19

A priestess at Straylize Temple studying the A'ether Wars period, Philia is isolated from the outside world until the events of the game. She has a sweet, charming personality and is very dependable, but she can also be overly fastidious. Her powerful spellcasting ability is augmented by her swordian, Clemente, but her physical attacks are weak. Voice Actress: Kikuko Inoue.

• Leon Magnus
• Japanese: リオン・マグナス Lion Magnus
• Age: 16

Leon is a master swordsman of Seinegald - the youngest in history to serve the kingdom, and a close associate of Hugo Gilchrist, the president of the powerful Oberon Company. A complex and slightly brooding character, Leon's agile swordian is Chaltier. Using fast attacks that can devastate, Leon does not waste time or effort in battle. Voice Actor: Hikaru Midorikawa.

• Mary Argent
• Japanese: マリー・エーゲント Mary Agent
• Age: 24

Suffering from amnesia, Mary is not aware of her last name due to an unknown event in her past. Mary has no swordian, but can use swords and axes as a strong physical attacker. She is generally easy-going, but sometimes flies into berserker rages in battle. Her partner, Rutee, uses Mary for her own financial gain. Voice Actress: Yuri Amano.

• Chelsea Torn
• Japanese: チェルシー・トーン Chelsea Tone
• Age: 14

The granddaughter of Garr's archery master, Alba. Even though she appears cute and innocent, Chelsea is an archer skilled beyond her mere 14 years of age. While weak in direct physical combat due to low defense, she is a good long-range attacker with her bow. Not a swordian user. Voice Actress: Naoko Watanabe.

• Bruiser Khang
• Japanese: マイティ・コングマン Mighty Kongman
• Age: 39

A powerful fighter recruitable from the battle arena, Bruiser is an optional character. Using his fists as a weapon, he is the undefeated champion of the world when it comes to battling in the arena. No swordian. Voice Actor: Tessho Genda.

• Karyl Sheeden
• Japanese: ジョニー・シデン Johnny Shiden
• Age: 26

An estranged son of an aristocratic family, Karyl is a bard by trade. He may seem a bit fragile from outward appearances, but he can play a useful supporting role in the party through songs played on his lute. When his lute songs are learned, Karyl can become surprisingly strong, but he has no swordian. Voice Actor: Koichi Yamadera.

• Lilith Aileron
• Japanese: リリス・エルロン Lilith Aileron

Stahn's younger sister and a secret character available only through use of a Game Shark or similar device; she is not normally recruitable through any known means. Her weapons are rods and frying pans that can inflict very respectable damage, and her techniques are a mixture of Bruiser's and Mary's.

Swordians

• Dymlos
• Japanese: ディムロス Dimlos

Stahn's Swordian. Dymlos was being transported to the capital of Seinegald on the Draconis flight that Stahn snuck onto, and they met when the youth was searching for a weapon after the Draconis was attacked. Dymlos has a hot temper and tends to be impatient. He grants fire-based attack spells, but is more useful in melee combat. The combination of Dymlos' fire abilities with sword techniques is especially potent. The personality written into Dymlos is that of Lieutenant Dylmos Tinbar, Division Commander of the 1st E'rther Army from the Aeth'er Wars. Voice Actor: Ryotaro Okiayu.

• Atwight
• Japanese: アトワイト Atwight

Rutee's Swordian. Atwight has been with Rutee since she was very young - Rutee can't remember when she received the Swordian. Kind and resourceful, Atwight practically raised Rutee, and acts as a calming influence on Dymlos. She is the only healing-oriented Swordian, but has a good balance of water-elemental attack spells and short-range attack power. The personality written into Atwight belonged to Medical Corps Colonel Atwight Eks.

• Chaltier
• Japanese: チャルティエ Chaltier

Leon's Swordian. Leon is unwilling to reveal how he met Chaltier, but the two are very close. Chaltier is rank-conscious, restrained, and unquestioningly loyal, even when he disagrees with his orders. He specializes in earth spells and also has some status effect abilities, but like Dymlos, he is most effective in short-range combat. The personality written into Chaltier belonged to Major Piere de Chaltier, a 2nd E'rther Army squadron leader.

• Clemente
• Japanese: クレメンテ Clemente

Philia's Swordian. Clemente was sunk to the bottom of the ocean with the former E'rther base Radisrol when the Aeth'er Wars concluded, where he remained until meeting Philia and the rest of the party. Jovial, but also fair and insightful, Clemente is the leader of the Swordians. Though large, Clemente is not very useful in melee combat. Instead, he commands a large repetoire of powerful spells of all elements, not just his own element of lightening. Clemente's personality originally came from Laville Clemente, one of the E'rther Army Chiefs of Staff.

• Igtenos
• Japanese: イグテノス Igtenos

Garr's Swordian. After the Aeth'er Wars, Igtenos became a symbol of the royal house of Phandaria, handed down from king to king. He is calm, controlled, and prides himself on logical decision-making. Igtenos controls wind-based spells but is a melee-oriented Swordian, balanced between Dymlos and Chaltier in power and speed. The personality written into Igtenos belonged to Igtenos Minarde, leader of the E'rther Army's Intelligence Unit.

• Berselius
• Japanese: ベルセリオス Belserius

The 6th Swordian. This black-bladed Swordian has a spell-casting capability that surpasses even Clemente. Berselius' original master was the E'rther Army strategist Karell Berselius, but the Swordian's personality is that of Karell's twin brother, (latered revealed in Tales of Destiny 2 as Karell's older sister,) Harold Berselius, a brilliant scientist.

Battle System

Tales of Destiny continues the trademark Linear Motion Battle System (LMBS) of the Tales series, with some graphical enhancements to the system as it was first implemented in Tales of Phantasia. Nevertheless, the combat is still very similar to the first game in the series, taking place on a 2-D plane where characters and enemies act in real time. Typical RPG conventions of HP, TP, experience, and leveling apply. Mêlée and ranged attacks are executed in real time, with spell casting requiring a chanting time that increases directly with the complexity of the spell being cast. When the chanting of a spell is complete, game-time temporarily stops as the spell animation is carried out and damage is assigned, so spells essentially act as interrupts. Special melee and ranged attacks do more damage or have more hits than normal attacks, but require technical points, or TP, to be consumed for use. Also, the battle system rewards the player with extra experience for stringing together multi-hit combos. The end result of this break from traditional turn-based RPG battle systems is a more fast-paced and reaction oriented system that behaves more like a fighting game and less like a typical Final Fantasy-esque title.

Pre-battle options include assigning spells and special attacks to buttons and button-directional combinations, changing the party's battle formation or order, and assigning AI behavioral patterns for your computer-controlled allies. Certain spells can also be taken off the active casting list for computer-controlled allies. At any one time, the AI is controlling the other characters in the party that the player is not directly commanding, taking general strategic orders into consideration when acting. The player controls one character directly at a time, but can switch to other characters and issue special attack or spell orders for any character on command using an in-battle menu system. This menu system enables the player to use items, spells, or special attacks on the fly in battle. Also, the menu system allows the use of general commands given to the entire party during battle, along with instant adjustment of previous strategy or formation orders. All of these control options were innovative at the time, especially when Tales of Phantasia was released in 1995 with identical tactical options.

External links

• Tales of Destiny at MobyGames
• RPGamer's page on Tales of Destiny
• GameFAQs entry
• Tales of Destiny shrine

Tales of Destiny 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tales of Destiny 2 (テイルズ オブ デスティニー ２, Teiruzu obu Desutinī 2^?) is the fourth game in Namco's popular Tales RPG series, a true sequel to Tales of Destiny that takes place in the same world. Tales of Destiny 2 is easily confused with the name of the North American release of Tales of Eternia, Tales of Destiny II, which was probably so-named to attract buyers of the first game in the United States and Canada. Released in late 2002 in Japan, Tales of Destiny 2 will probably never be released in North America due to a lack of sales for the North American releases of Tales of Destiny and Tales of Eternia. In carrying on the traditions of the Tales series, Tales of Destiny 2 relies on such mainstays as the Linear Motion Battle System and sprite-based characters. Like most games in the series, Tales of Destiny 2 includes an introduction and insert-scenes animated by Production I.G., and a J-pop theme song - in this case, Key to My Heart by Mai Kuraki.

History

Over 1000 years prior to either Tales of Destiny title, a comet collided with the planet on which the game occurs, ushering in a long winter. The surviving people, desperate for the light of the sun, harnessed 'Lens', an energy source they found in the remains of the comet, to create Dycroft, a flying city (Aeropolis in English version of Tales of Destiny). Eventually the residents of the flying cities came to dominate those who remained on the surface using a powerful weapon called Belcrant, and the War of Heaven and Earth (天地戦争 Tenchi Sensō, known as the Aeth'er Wars in the English Tales of Destiny) began as a result.

The team of scientists who created Belcrant defected to the side of the surface-dwellers, and developed powerful lens weapons called Swordians - sentient swords - on their behalf. The Swordian Masters who wielded them felled all of the flying cities and sunk Dycroft into the ocean, ending the War of Heaven and Earth.

The Swordians lay dormant for centuries until a conflict broke out for possession of an enormous lens known as the God's Eye (English: Eye of Atamoni), ultimately orchestrated by the defeated, but never truly killed ruler of Dycroft. Stahn Aileron, a young man on a journey for fame and fortune, happened to find the Swordian Dymlos, setting him on a course to save the save the world from impending disaster. Joined by fellow Swordian Masters, Rutee, Philia, Woodrow (English: Garr) and Leon, Stahn prevented the resurrection of Dycroft and restored peace to the world.

Plot

Tales of Destiny 2 begins 18 years after Tales of Destiny. While the exploits of Stahn and the Swordian Masters is known far and wide, it has begun to fade from the hearts of the people. Now everyone is preoccupied with the Holy Woman Elraine, who promise immediate happiness for all.

In this setting, a boy named Kyle takes his first steps in pursuit of adventure. Kyle is the son of Stahn and Rutee. As the son of two world-renowned heroes, Kyle is certain that it's his destiny, even his duty, to become a hero as well. While exploring the ruins of an ancient city near his home, Kyle encounters a mysterious girl named Reala who emerges from a huge lens. She announces that she is in search of a hero. In his attempts to become the hero Reala seeks, Kyle's destiny is set in motion. In a journey encompasing past, present and future, Kyle learns the true meaning of heroism from the heroes of old.

Characters

The main character of the game, Kyle is very much his father's son. Kyle's straightforward, simple personality (and difficulty getting out of bed in the morning) is just like Stahn. However, Kyle remembers very little of Stahn, because the famous hero left on a journey when Kyle was very young. Kyle's mother Rutee runs the Dunamis Orphanage, so the other children there are like brothers and sisters to him. He is especially close to Loni, who treats Kyle like a little brother. He has perfect faith that he will become a hero someday. In battle Kyle primarily uses swords. Voice Actor: Jun Fukuyama.

• Reala (リアラ, Reala^?)
• Age: 16(?)

A girl who suddenly appeared from within a gigantic lens - she has an ethereal quality about her, and is surrounded by mystery. Her presence is the catalyst for Kyle's adventure. Reala's personality is generally cheerful and inquisitive, but she also displays an overdeveloped sense of responsibility at times, and tends to strike out on her own, trying take matters into her own hands. Reala is physically weak, but wields powerful magic. She equips rods. Voice Actor: Ryoka Yuzuki.

• Loni Dunamis (ロニ・デュナミス, Loni Dunamis^?)
• Age: 23

Loni was raised in the Dunamis Orphanange, but left to join the Order of Atamoni. He is like an older brother to Kyle. Thanks to his rather frivolous manner he gives the impression of being irresponsible, but in fact Loni is resourceful and has a strong sense of justice. He acts as a voice of reason to Kyle, keeping the boy's overeagerness in check. Loni is tough and can deal a lot of damage, but is relatively slow. He prefers to fight with polearms. Voice Actor: Toshihiko Seki.

• Judas (ジューダス, Judas^?)
• Age: 16

A masked swordsman who helps Kyle out of sticky situations, Judas is slight in stature but has a commanding presence. Though his attitude is often jaded and nihilistic, he has an essentially practical personality. This often makes him seem impatient and demanding, but he almost seems to enjoy acting put-upon. Because he always wears a mask his true identity is unknown. His reasons for helping Kyle are a mystery. A quick, light swordsman, Judas uses rapiers. Voice Actor: Hikaru Midorikawa.

• Nanaly Fletch (ナナリー・フレッチ, Nanaly Fletch^?)
• Age: 19

This beautiful warrioress takes pride in her skill with bows, which puts most men to shame. Outwardly stout-hearted and self-assured, Nanaly often seems tomboyish, but she is also deeply empathetic and, in fact, very refined. Her hobbies are cooking and sewing, and she cares for orphaned children. Voice Actress: Tomoko Kawakami.

• Harold Belserius (ハロルド・ベルセリウス, Harold Belserius^?) (English: Harold Berselius)
• Age: 23

Herold is the creator of the Swordians, and because of her name and accomplishments is often believed to be a man, but this does not bother her in the least. The classic eccentric genius, Harold thinks of everything in terms of her research, and is all but helpless in non-academic affairs. While she often seems childish and unpredictable as a result, she is also very perceptive. She is an offense-oriented magic user who equips rods. Voice Actress: Akiko Hiramatsu.

• Elraine (エルライン, Elraine^?)
• Age: 27(?)

The Holy Woman of the Order of Atamoni, Elraine is worshiped as a living god. She takes joy in granting happiness to people, and she is able to create miracles at will by drawing power out of lens. For that reason, people flock to her with offerings of lens in order to receive her blessing. Voice Actress: Yoshiko Sakakibara.

• Barbatos Goetia (バルバトス・ゲーティア, Barbatos Goetia^?)
• Age: 32

Barbatos is a warrior who fought in the War of Heaven and Earth. His power was equal to the Swordian Dymlos, but due to his own selfish behavior, he was written out of history. Now, he fights in order to validate his existence. Who resurrected him and how is a mystery. Voice Actor: Norio Wakamoto.

Game systems

Tales of Destiny 2 employs the Tales of Series' characteristic style of combat, the LMBS (Linear Motion Battle System), in which the player controls the characters in real-time (as opposed to turn-based), and the characters perform actions on a two dimensional field. This iteration of the battle system is known as Trust and Tactical LMBS (TT-LMBS), and is designed to encourage the player to think more about coordinating the characters to make combat more efficient. One of the ways this is achieved is by the introduction of the Spirits System. Characters have a spirits bar which depletes as they take actions and refils when they defend, or are not executing any commands. When a character has very low spirits they cannot perform even basic attacks, requiring the player to let some characters fall back and allow other characters take the offensive. Tales of Destiny 2 also employs an auto-zoom feature in combat, which becomes standard in future Tales Series games. When there is a great distance between the characters, the camera zooms out, making it easier for the player to monitor the whole party, and when the characters are grouped together, or there is particularly intense action, the camera zooms in.

Like many Tales Series games following it, Tales of Destiny 2 retains the cooking system that was introduced in the PS1 version of Tales of Phantasia. Basic ingredient foods, such as vegetables, meat and bread are common throughout the game, and the characters learn recipies for making those ingredients into dishes, which restore HP and TP. This system is offered as an alternative to using ordinary healing items outside of battle.

External links

• Namco official Tales of Destiny 2 site
• GameFAQs page

Tales of the Abyss

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tales of the Abyss (テイルズ オブ ジ アビス, Teiruzu obu ji Abisu^?) is a video game that was released on 15 December 2005 for the PlayStation 2 in Japan celebrating Tales series's 10th Anniversary. On April 27, 2006, five months after its Japanese release, the game has been announced for release in North America in Q4 2006 and was shown at this year's E3.

Storyline

Aldarant is a planet composed of Fonim, a material energy found in all things. Long ago, a new kind of Fonim was discovered, but great chaos was brought with the finding. By using this newest Seventh Fonim, one could read the future. The presence of this unbelievable power caused an outbreak of terrible war and violence over it. The fighting damaged the earth and a poisonous gas known as Shouki was released. Many became ill or died from the Shouki. When all hope for salvation seemed lost, a figure emerged with a solution. Her name was Yuria Jue, a Seventh Fonimar who could see the future. She told of how they could seal away the Shouki, and put in place a future for the world for thousands of years to come. This prophecy of the future's set path became known as the "Score", and is documented on Tone Tablets which were scattered throughout the world. The kingdoms of Kimuelasca and Markt have fought over the fragments of these tablets for generations, uncovering them and hoping to discover the future before the other. Only some of the tablets have been collected, assembled, and read, and there is a legend of a Seventh Tone Tablet hidden away by Yuria in a secret location, containing the last chapter of the future of the planet.

The Score foretells of an "Unprecidented Prosperity" which is destined for the world. In order to secure that this prosperity is reached, an organization called the Lorelei Church presides over the Score and ensures that the world proceeds according to the Score's predictions. The Lorelei Church is the neutral force that mediates the two tense nations of Kimuelasca and Markt, and the church's leader, Ion, has devoted much time to keeping peace between the two.

According to the Score, in ND 2000, a child will be born who will inherit the power of Lorelei and lead Kimuelasca to this "Unprecidented Prosperity". He will be a red-haired boy of noble blood, and will be called the Holy Flame's Light. And in ND 2002, another man who seizes glory will destroy the place of his birth. It will be called Hodo. Afterwards, until one more cycle of the seasons has passed, Kimuelasca and Markt will continue their fighting.

The year is ND 2017. Luke fone Fabre, the son of Duke Fabre of the Kimuelasca Kingdom, is 17 years old. He is the Holy Flame's Light who is destined to bring prosperity to Kimuelasca. But since being kidnapped seven years previous by the Markt empire, he has been kept confined to the Fabre family mansion. The shock of the kidnapping erased all of Luke's memories previous to the event. But one fateful day, a mysterious woman breaks into the mansion, and sets off a chain of events that will change the world forever...

Features

Tales of the Abyss contains many interesting features, quests, and items available through the game.

As in past Tales games, Abyss features a cooking system unique to the series. The player collects recipies and ingredients throughout the game, and can use them to cook. Different recipies require different items and have different effects. Also, the player can increase characters' cooking stats for each recipe by having them cook the recipe frequently.

• Skits

A tradition in the Tales series, skits make another appearance in Tales of the Abyss. In Abyss, a skit is triggered by pressing the select button when a skit title and prompt appears in the bottom-left corner of the screen. On the skit screen, the anime-style faces of the characters taking part in the skit appear and interact with each other, with different expressions. The skit faces are very animated, sometimes shaking, growing larger, or moving across the screen to accentuate what is happening in the skit. Skits can range from dramatic to comedic, and across a wide range of subjects. Some skits are related to the main plot, and some can only be obtained through optional side events.

• Sword Dancers

Like in Tales of Symphonia, these optional bosses appear at certain parts of the game, and are only available to fight at that time. The Sword Dancers are usually fairly advanced enemies for their point in the game. To be able to fight each successive Sword Dancer, the player must first defeat the previous Sword Dancer. There is a rare item obtained as a reward for defeating all three Sword Dancers.

• Sorcerer's Ring

The sorcerer's ring in Tales of the Abyss is a magical item that Mieu wears around his waist, and can be upgraded in dungeons to perform different helpful actions. These include: Mieu fire, where Mieu blows a ball of fire straight forward, used to activate switches and solve various puzzles; Mieu attack, where Mieu is propelled forward to break objects and hit switches; and Mieu wing, where Mieu flaps his ears and lifts the player into the air, useful for reaching high platforms and ladders.

• Weapon Quest

As with Tales of Symphonia's Devil's Arms sidequest, Tales of the Abyss has an optional weapons-collecting sidequest. The player travels all around the world to obtain the six Nebilim weapons, then brings them together and fight Gelda Nebilim herself, a very challenging battle.

• Battle Arena

As with most Tales games, Abyss also includes a large battle arena. The player can choose to enter as a group or as a solo fighter, and in one of two difficulty rankings. At the end of the Hard Mode team tournament, there is a battle against a group of characters from past Tales games: Reid Hershel (from Tales of Eternia), Philia Felice (from Tales of Destiny), Nanaly Fletch (from Tales of Destiny 2), and Mint Adenade (from Tales of Phantasia). By completing the different Arena tournaments, the player can earn various rare items and character titles. Note: Items are not available to use during any of the battle arena fights, except for the cameo battle. So, it's best to have a curative spell handy or an ability that automatically regenerates your HP.

• Titles and Costumes

Abyss also features its own set of titles which each character gains through a series of tasks or events that have unfolded. These titles can have random effects, some of which are stat-related. In the tradition of newer Tales games, some of these titles also change costumes. Each character has their own unique costumes that they can dress into (such as Luke's beach wear: white bandana and red shorts) To get such costumes the player must accomplish certain tasks, like playing the Dragon Buster mini-game.

Battle system

Flex Range Linear Motion Battle System

The Flex Range Linear Motion Battle System is fully in real-time, and allows characters to run anywhere on the field a la the Star Ocean series. However, battles still take place on straight lines. Free run is initiated by holding L2, and once the button is released you will be on a line to the enemy you have currently targeted. This way the game manages to combine the ideas of both Star Ocean and Tales of, and thus create a new and interesting experience.

Characters can learn additional AD Skills to help them in battles. These can be equipped and unequipped at will. The game features a very large number of these skills, and the range from basic abilities, like Free Run and Backstep, to skills that make you unable to get stunned by enemies entirely. AD skills are learned by using "Capacity Cores", items that give you stat bonuses when you level up your character. Once a certain statistic has a large enough bonus, the AD skill will be learned automatically.

The game controls very similarly to other Tales games, bearing much of a resemblance to "Tales of Symphonia"'s battles, except with a much increased manouverability. Pressing O allows attacks, X Skills, □ Defense and △ button will call a menu with multiple functions, such as using items or command an ally to perform an action. This system, unlike Tales of Legendia, offers multiplayer co-op battles, and the camera for this mode is much improved over the one found in the last 3D Tales of, Symphonia. Your friends will still need to adjust to slightly awkward angles, but they will now at least always be on screen.

The game features many skills and spells to unleash upon your enemies. The most interesting addition to the system in this department is the "Field of Fonims" (FOF). Whenever an elemental spell or skill is performed, a circle will appear on the ground corresponding to the used element. Once that element has been used enough times, the circle will light up to signify that a FOF is available. If a character now stands in the circle and performs the correct skill or spell, this will be transformed into a much more powerful elemental version. Using FOF is central to the battle system and should be mastered early. Beware though, as you enemies can also make use of the circles in order to power up their attacks.

Tales of the Abyss also sees the return of the popular Hi-Ougis, incredibly destructive skills that can only be performed when certain conditions are fulfilled. Every character has one standard Hi-Ougi, and everyone in your party except Guy and Natalia has a second hidden one.

As with other Tales games, characters can also engage in Overlimits mode when their green OVL bar is full. This can be filled by completing combos and making critical hits. By pressing R2, the character goes into Overlimits and during this time they can perform a Hi-Ougi by doing an Ougi skill and attacking at the same time.

Theme song

The theme of Tales of the Abyss, Karma (カルマ) is sung by the Japanese band Bump of Chicken. A clip of the original version of the song (from their "Supernova/karma" single) is played during the opening scene and different versions of the song can be heard as later tracks. Many of these tracks are on the instrumental album "Songs for Tales of the Abyss," from Bump of Chicken's lead singer Motoo Fujiwara.

Though, it's unlikely that this theme will be carried over to the U.S version due to the Tales games in the U.S. usually having a more orchestral introduction, which in turn is often due to the fact that Japanese songs that accompany introductory or ending videos have always removed in localizations.

Voice Credits

External links

• Namco's Japanese site
• GameFAQs page
• Ultimagame's Spanish site info, video and pics
• Tales Central's Video Downloads

 

Tales of Symphonia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tales of Symphonia (テイルズオブシンフォニア, Teiruzu obu Shinfonia^?) is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2. It debuted in Japan on August 29 2003, in Canada and the United States on July 13 2004, and in Europe on November 19 2004. The game received a Japanese-only Playstation 2 release on September 22, 2004.^[1] The game sold 118,000 copies during its first two weeks of sales in the U.S.^[2] and went on to sell over 800,000 copies worldwide.^[3]

The game was produced by Namco. It is the fifth main installment in the Tales RPG series, taking place long before Tales of Phantasia (hence a distant prequel), and was the third in the series to be officially released in the U.S. in many years. One notable characteristic of the game is its art direction by Kosuke Fujishima, a renowned Japanese manga-ka (comic-book artist).

Characters

If the name is different in the English version from the original Japanese version, the English name is listed first and the Japanese name is listed second. Also, the English voice actor is listed at the end, in (parentheses).

Heroes

Lloyd Irving

(ロイド・アーヴィング "Roido Aavingu" / English Voice actor: Scott Menville)

Age: 17

Height: 173 cm / 5 feet, 8 inches

Weight: 58 kg / 127 pounds, 10 ounces

Lloyd is our hero -- orphaned as a child, he was raised by Dirk, his adoptive dwarf father, just outside the village of Iselia. His friends are Colette Brunel and Genis Sage, of whom he is very protective. He accompanies Colette as one of her guardians on her journey of regeneration. Lloyd is a slacker, a bad student and tends to goof off, but he is serious about protecting his friends and defending his ideals. He also has acute knowledge of Exspheres, a talent that comes in handy quite often over the course of the journey. The player will be able to control Lloyd for most of the game. He uses two single-edged swords, and his attacks are purely physical. He is the only character other than Presea who possesses no magical attacks.

Colette Brunel

(コレット・ブルーネル "Koretto Buruuneru" / English Voice actress: Heather Hogan)

Age: 16

Height: 158 cm / 5 feet, 2 inches

Weight: 44 kg / 96 pounds, 13 ounces

The Chosen One of Sylvarant. Colette is a kind, selfless girl who always puts others before herself. Throughout the game, Colette is shown to be somewhat of a klutz, as her repetitive tripping causes the most unusual (and usually beneficial) things to happen, from busting a hole in the wall at school to deactivating the most complex machinery. She can also appear somewhat clueless as she misses some things that are obvious to everyone else. However, she knows what it means to be kind to people and be able to forgive many things, a few of her many distinguishing characteristics. As the Chosen of Regeneration, it is her job to regenerate the world by ascending the Tower of Salvation as an angel, thereby saving Sylvarant. Over the course of the journey, it is discovered that the ritual of the Chosen is actually part of a plot put into effect by Cruxis, and that completing it will cause Colette to lose her soul and become Martel's vessel. Colette is primarily a melee fighter and fights using two chakram. Later in the game, she can learn powerful angel techniques.

Genis Sage

(ジーニアス・セイジ "Jiiniasu Seiji" / English Voice actor: Colleen O'Shaughnessey)

Age: 12

Height: 141 cm / 4 feet, 8 inches

Weight: 29 kg / 63 pounds, 13 ounces

A child prodigy from Iselia and Lloyd's best friend. Genis and his sister proclaim themselves to be elves (but are actually half-elves) in order to avoid Sylvarant's extreme racial stigma. He accompanies Colette on her journey of regeneration because of him and Lloyd getting banished from their home-town. Genis one of many half-elves ashamed of his heritage because of the way that they're treated for being themselves, especially in Tethe'alla (they were arrested and almost executed for no reason) - the world attached to Sylvarant where he and his sister come close to public execution. On occasion, Genis will get angry and say he hates humans until he remembers how great his friends really are. Late in the game, when the party meets up with Mithos, he's excited to finally have another half-elf friend, but he becomes torn between being Mithos' friend and Lloyd's. Even after it is revealed that Mithos is indeed Yggdrasill, the main antagonist, he still wants to be friends with Mithos and asks Lloyd to destroy Mithos' Cruxis Crystal after the party defeats him in Vinheim so that he can die as himself at the end of the game. Despite being very cute for his age, Genis is a genius (he has the name to prove it!). He tends to have a sharp tongue at times and has a wide emotional range, from getting mad at Zelos for being just as snarky as he, to playing mini-games with Katz. Genis is a magic-user, and fights with powerful elemental attacks and learns the classic Tales lightning spell, Indignation. He casts spells by way of a kendama, using it to help him focus and beat up enemies as well.

Kratos Aurion

(クラトス・アウリオン "Kuratosu Aurion" / English Voice Actor: Cam Clarke)

Age: 28 (real age is 4028)

Height: 186 cm / 6 feet, 1 inch

Weight: 78 kg / 171 pounds, 10 ounces

Kratos is a mysterious mercenary who volunteers to accompany Colette on her journey. Though he accompanies the party for quite some time, it is later revealed that Kratos is actually one of the four Seraphim, one of Mithos Yggdrasill's original companions during the Kharlan War, and a spy for Cruxis. He betrays the party in the Tower of Salvation, but his true motives remain unclear until much later, when it is revealed the he is actually Lloyd's father and has been searching for a way for a human to wield the Eternal Sword so that he could fix what Mithos had done to the world. He was the one who killed Lloyd's mother, Anna, because she begged him to... which leads his own story into a dramatic parallel of the one shared by Regal and Presea. It is also revealed in the game that Kratos was actually Mithos' teacher in swordsmanship back when they were traveling together. Depending upon choices the player makes, he may or may not rejoin the party later on. Kratos is a powerful melee fighter and an excellent spell caster. He wields a double-edged sword and shield, and is proficient with elemental, curative, and angelic magic.

Raine Sage

(リフィル・セイジ "Rifiru Seiji" / English Voice Actor: Kari Wahlgren)

Age: 23

Height: 166 cm / 5 feet, 5 inches

Weight: 49 kg / 108 pounds, 13 ounces

Raine is Genis' older sister and Iselia's school teacher. Raine is usually calm, but is always overly fascinated around ruins of any kind, which is likely her true reasoning for joining Colette in the Journey of Regeneration in the first place. She raised Genis from childhood all by herself, and doesn't hesitate in resorting to physical violence to teach Lloyd or Genis a lesson. Though she and Genis both claim to be elves, it is revealed later that they are in fact half-elves, and that they came from the world of Tethe'alla. They were sent to Sylvarant by their parents to escape the persecution faced by half-elves (that would be immediate death for wrong doings of any kind) and to keep the child prodigy Raine from being manipulated by the Imperial Research Academy. While on the run from the Academy, Raine fell off of a boat and nearly drowned, which is why she has a severe case of hydrophobia. Eventually, Virginia, Raine and Genis' mother, sent them both through the gate so that they could escape. The reason Raine and Genis were able to live in Iselia was because Raine told the villagers they were elves, having Genis hide his cover as well. Raine is a classic healer, also able to cast holy spells and stat-boosts. She wields a staff. Raine's best healing skill is basically Revitalize, healing all party members by 70%, but a whopping of 96TP is used in the process, so equipt the faerie ring for only 48TP!

Sheena Fujibayashi

(しいな藤林 "Shiina Fujibayashi" / English Voice Actress: Jennifer Hale)

Age: 19

Height: 164 cm / 5 feet, 5 inches

Weight: 48 kg / 106 pounds, 10 ounces

A beautiful woman from the flourishing world of Tethe'alla. Sheena is originally sent to Sylvarant by the Pope and the King with orders to assassinate Colette, but events cause her to end up joining the party instead. Sheena is tough but kindhearted, and is always accompanied by Corrine, a man-made summon spirit. She's also the person Zelos loves to flirt with most, but she usually manages to set him straight. At the age of 9, Sheena had ventured to the Temple of Lightning with people from Mizuho in order to form a pact with Volt, the Summon Spirit of Lightning. Unfortunately, Volt speaks a language that only certain scholars can comprehend, and as she couldn't understand what he was saying (specifically, his unwillingness to form another pact after being betrayed by his last summoner), Volt went on a rampage killing a fourth of Mizuho's population and causing the chief of Mizuho (her adoptive grandfather) to fall into a coma, with most of the rest of the villagers holding a grudge against her ever since. Sheena is a fair melee fighter, and fights using magic-infused cards. Sheena is a vital member of the game: she can call upon powerful Summon Spirits to aid the party in battle. Except for when she summons Corinne, she can only summon when she is in Overlimit mode.

The Summon Spirits are:

When Sheena tried to form a pact with Volt again with Lloyd's party, Volt tried to attack Sheena, but she was saved by Corrine, who was killed. Encouraged by Lloyd, Sheena fought Volt, refusing to let Corrine's sacrifice go to waste as well as conquering her fear of Volt. After this, Sheena could no longer summon Corrine; however, there is a side-quest that allows the player to see Corrine again, in an altered form, but Sheena can never again summon Corrine in battle.

She becomes the successor, to be the next Chief of Mizuho later on in the game. Her name is derived from a ninja master of feudal Japan, Sabuji Fujibayashi.

Zelos Wilder

(ゼロス・ワイルダー "Zerosu Wairudaa" / American voice actor: Shiloh Strong)

Age: 22

Height: 179 cm / 5 feet, 10 inches

Weight: 68 kg / 149 pounds, 10 ounces

The Chosen One from Tethe'alla, the other world. He is almost never serious and often is the comic relief of the group, always ready to cheer everyone up at heavy-hearted moments. Quite the ladies man, he has the ability to charm all the women and girls, who in turn give him gifts (the player will be able to take this advantage in the game). Zelos is handsome and often thinks slowly (though it is said in the game that he is highly skilled at Mathematics), and approaches most situations hoping to meet or impress any pretty girls nearby. He takes every opportunity to hit on his female team members, much to their annoyance. The first impression Zelos gives is that of a skirt chasing, irresponsible and immature guy. However, Zelos has more internal conflicts and emotional pain than he lets on (though clues are dropped throughout the storyline), possibly more severe than any other character in the game. As Zelos reveals to Lloyd in Flanoir (if one chooses to talk to Zelos), his mother, Mylene, was told to marry his father, the current chosen, by the Oracle of Cruxis, even though she did not want to. Growing up, his home life was less than comforting. His main caretaker was Sebastian, the family butler. Both his parents had affairs outside the marriage and seemed to care little for him. After his father's death, his mistress, in fact, attempted to kill Zelos when he was a child so that her daughter Seles (Zelos's younger half-sister) could become the Chosen, but his mother was accidentally caught in the crossfire. As his mother was dying, her last words to Zelos were: "You should never have been born." His younger half-sister Seles was sent away to an abbey for life, and Seles's mother was executed for the crime. It is highly likely most of Zelos's narcissist-like behavior stems from his painful childhood. Zelos's fighting style is similar to that of Kratos. Zelos has some useful spells, although he prefers to fight on the front lines if left to his own devices. His weapons are very strong and he moves fast. If you don't speak to Kratos in Flanoir, Zelos remains with you for the rest of the game- if you do speak with Kratos, he leaves your party later.

Presea Combatir

(プレセア・コンバティール "Puresea Konbatiiru" / American Voice Actress: Tara Strong)

Age: 12 (actual age is 28)

Height: 138 cm / 4 feet, 6 inches

Weight: 24 kg / 52 pounds, 13 ounces

A young lumberjack from the small town of Ozette, Tethe'alla. When the party first meets her, she is the victim of a Cruxis Crystal, a specially enhanced Exsphere. The Cruxis Crystal suppresses her emotions, causing her to behave robotically. When the Cruxis Crystal is finally removed, it is revealed that it also slowed her aging process. The rest of Ozette's villagers shun her and call her a monster for being seemingly being unable to age, wielding an axe with the body she inhabits, and for not burying her father, who had succumbed to an illness long ago without her notice. While the people aged before her very eyes, she had not been able to accompany them or even notice their progression since she was under the influence of the Exsphere. So though she appears to be twelve, she is actually twenty-eight. Because her emotions were suppressed for so many years, Presea has forgotten much about the ordinary world, and what it means to be human. Over time, she re-learns much of what she has forgotten. Although, as she says, she will never get back the time she lost while under the Cruxis Crystal's control. At first Presea is very repressed and reluctant to speak, seeing how she no longer understands the meaning of humanity, she eventually begins to engage more with the other characters. Genis has a crush on her (on first sight). Presea wields an axe in battle, and, though slower than other characters, is quite powerful.

Regal Bryant

(リーガル・ブライアン "Riigaru Buraian" / American Voice Actor: Crispin Freeman)

Age: 33

Height: 189 cm / 6 feet, 2 inches

Weight: 85 kg / 187 pounds

A convict sent by the Pope of Tethe'alla to capture Colette. He ends up joining the party because he recognizes Presea. As it turns out, Regal is actually the president of the Lezerano Corp., a major corporation which is quite influential in Tethe'alla. He and Alicia Combatir, Presea's sister, were lovers, which is why he recognized Presea. Alicia was a victim of Exsphere research, and was turned into a monster because of it. Regal was forced to slay her. He could never forgive himself for this, so he voluntarily went to prison. Regal always wears handcuffs to symbolize his crime and his promise that he will never use his hands to kill again. Regal is a kind and gentle soul, and a very talented cook (unusual, given the only free appendages he has are his feet, which become something of a joke at one point). Regal is a unique fighter, supplementing his melee capabilities with a small amount of healing magic. He fights exclusively with his feet, and uses greaves to enhance the power of his kicks. He is clearly the pinnacle of manliness (as one of his titles, aptly named 'Testosterone' states.)

Allies include

• Marble the old woman that Genis befriends,
• her granddaughter Chocolat,
• Altessa the dwarf,
• his sidekick Tabatha the living doll,
• Dirk the foster-father of Lloyd,
• Orochi the Mizuho ninja, along with rest of the Mizuho people,
• Botta and the rest of The Renegades,
• Neil, who used to serve the crooked Governor-General Dorr,
• Seles the half-sister of Zelos,
• and Martel, the goddess

Villains

Mithos Yggdrasill

(ミトス・ユグドラシル "Mitosu Yugudorashiru" / English Voice Actors: Brianne Siddall/James Arnold Taylor): Mithos is a friend of Genis's who turns out to be Yggdrasill, the mightiest of the angels -- who rules over Cruxis and the Desians. Mithos, resembling a 14-year-old child, was a great swordsman who trained under the guidance of Kratos. He had strong ideals about peace and unity, but his sister's death made him lose track of whether the world, or her life, was more important to him.

Yuan

(ユアン "Yuan" / English Voice Actor: Chris Edgerly): Yuan is a double agent. He is the leader of the Renegades, an organization that tries to stop Cruxis and their plans. Yuan is also one of the Four Seraphim of Cruxis. He pretends to be loyal to Mithos so he can learn Cruxis's plans and thwart them. 4,000 years ago, Yuan journeyed with Mithos and his companions in the past to end the Kharlan War and was engaged to Martel before she was killed. She asked Mithos and Yuan to make the world a better place and to stop the half-elf discrimination before she died. Mithos tried to do this, but not in the way Martel had imagined. Yuan knew that Martel didn't intend for her wish to be fulfilled in the way Mithos attempted and thus tries to stop him. Later on, he helps the Chosen's group defeat Mithos.

Remiel

(レミエル "Remieru" / English Voice Actor: Wally Wingert): Remiel is an angel of Cruxis. He guides Colette on the journey of regeneration, and tells Colette (after her asking) that he is her true father. However, he later reveals that he had not told the truth and that the "inferior beings" (Lloyd's group) had made that up themselves. After being defeated by Lloyd's group, Remiel begs for Kratos's help, but Kratos refuses, saying "I was once of the inferior race… a human. Does the ultimate being seek help from that which he despises the most?". Remiel subsequently dies.

Pronyma

(プロネーマ "Puroneema" / English Voice Actor: Masasa): Also known as Twilight Pronyma, Pronyma is the leader of the five Desian Grand Cardinals. She works for Yggdrasill and is usually seen with him. Ever one to look out for her own safety, Pronyma fights by summoning dark, humanoid monsters to attack up close, while she casts black magic from afar. Kvar believes that she is stealing data from the Angelus Project, but this, in fact, turns out to be Rodyle. Yggdrasill unhesitantly kills her after she called him Mithos while begging for him to heal her after she lost to Lloyd's group, the honor of using his real name having been reserved for his former companions. Pronyma is the only Desian Grand Cardinal to not have her own Human Ranch. Pronyma has many spells at her disposal, a few of these are shadow versions of the spells you and your allies receive.

Forcystus

(フォシテス "Foshitesu" / English Voice Actor: Andre Sogliuzzo): Forcystus, the Gnashing Gale is the first Desian Grand Cardinal that Lloyd encounters. Controls the element of wind. Leader of the Iselia Human Ranch and is considered a hero for the Desians. One of his arms is a strange golden metal capsule; it appears to be some form of projectile weapon that he uses in battle. He is able to eject violent gusts of wind from it. At the end of Disc 1, Lloyd kills Forcystus.

Magnius

(マグニスさま "Magunisu" / English Voice Actor: Chris Edgerly): Magnius, the Lord of Hellfire is the Desian Grand Cardinal in charge of the Palmacosta Human Ranch. Controls the element of fire. He uses Governor General Dorr to collect Gald for the Desians. Magnius wields a huge axe and fire-based melee techniques. Lloyd and company kill him after infiltrating his ranch. Rodyle was tricking both him and Kvar. Magnius collected Gald and tried to assassinate the Chosen's group for Rodyle, claiming that he was deceived.

Kvar

(クヴァル "Kuvaru" / English Voice Actor: Chris Edgerly): Kvar, the Fury Tempest is the Desian Grand Cardinal in charge of the Asgard Human Ranch. Controls the element of lightning. He is often considered the cruelest of the Grand Cardinals, as well. Kvar is a highly-skilled wizard who employs small robots to distract his opponents, while he blasts them with spells at a safe distance. Anna, Lloyd's mother and wife of Kratos, was involved in the Angelus Project, an attempt to create a Cruxis Crystal independently of the dwarves. The Exsphere, which she was used to grow, was picked up by Dirk and later used by Lloyd. Kvar and Magnius are both tricked by Rodyle. Kvar had been deceiving Yggdrasill for a long time, and was killed by Lloyd and Kratos.

Rodyle

(ロディル "Rodiru" / English Voice Actor: Daran Norris): Iron Will Rodyle is the Desian Grand Cardinal in charge of the Remote Island Human Ranch. Controls the element of earth. He uses Magnius and Kvar to get Gald and slaves to help him with the Mana Cannon. Rodyle does not work for Yggdrasil (since he tricked his leader) and does whatever he wants. He works with the Pope of Tethe'alla and Vharley. Rodyle deceived Presea for a long time by using the Cruxis Crystal on her and was also responsible for her sister's death. Rodyle dies after using a Cruxis Crystal on himself in an attempt to kill Lloyd and crew.

Abyssion

Abyssion is a hidden villain who can be found in Flanoir. If you speak to him he will tell you about the Devil's Arms and give you the Nebilim and the key to a series of black chests. When you find eight of the nine Devil's Arms, he tells you that he will await you in the Temple Of Darkness, where he will seal the nine away. Upon finding the final one, you speak to him there and hand over the weapons, only to discover that he is reviving an evil sorcerer and has absorbed his powers. The Book that appears when the Devil's Arms are collected is called the Necronomicon. When you fight him, he is arguably the toughest opponent in the game, the only that can be considered tougher is the boss at the end of advanced team Colliseum; Abyssion has changed during this battle because the nine Devil's Arms have become part of him, mutating his body and giving him immense power. As a final act of spite after his defeat, the soul of the sorcerer Nebilim possesses Presea after the fight, but Colette saves her. Many people have trouble starting the quest for the Devil's Arms, to make Abyssion appear in Flanoir you need to inspect the wreckage of the enchanted stone 'Bacura' that tries to attack you in the Toize Valley Exsphere mine; getting you the first Devil's Arm and prompting Abyssion to give you the key to access the rest of the Devil's Arms's chests.

Botta

(ボータ "Boota" / English Voice Actor: Robin Atkins-Downes:) Botta is Yuan's lieutenant who sacrifices himself to save Lloyd and the others when Rodyle tried to kill Lloyd and the others by trying to self- destruct his Human Ranch. When you fight him, he uses a sword-type weapon with earth-based melee attacks. Although apparently a villian in the beginning, Botta's aformentioned sacrifice conforms him into more of an anti-hero.

Other Characters

Martel

(マーテル "Maateru" / English voice actor: Kim Mai Guest) Martel is Mithos's sister. As in the case of Raine and Genis, Martel took on the role of raising her younger brother, so when Martel is killed, Mithos is absolutely devastated, and is determined to bring her back to life by creating a Chosen One that resembles Martel enough so that Martel's soul may be transferred into the body. Near the end of the game, Mithos succeeds in transplanting Martel to Colette, but Martel admonishes Mithos for allowing thousands of people to suffer for four thousand years in the name of her resurrection, and returns to the Cruxis Crystal, a powerful Exsphere, that links her soul to the seed of the Giant Kharlan Tree. When the Tree is resurrected at the end of the game, Martel and Mithos's souls join together with several other souls to create the Summon Spirit Martel, using Tabatha, a humanoid doll that resembles Martel, as the medium. This spirit appears in Tales of Phantasia, along with all the other Tales of Symphonia summon spirits with the exception of Celsius.

Storyline

Tales of Symphonia begins in a small village named Iselia, located in the north-western region of the land of Sylvarant. Lloyd Irving, a seventeen-year-old male, and Genis Sage, a twelve-year-old male, are best friends and attend the same school as Colette Brunel, the Chosen of Mana. Every so many years, the Chosen has to accept an Oracle and undergo a challenge to restore prosperity to the world. When Professor Raine Sage, the schoolteacher and Genis' sister, decide to accompany Colette on the journey of regeneration, Lloyd is determined to join the pilgrimage as well. However, a mercenary, Kratos Aurion, appears in Iselia one day before the start of the journey. He insists that both Lloyd and Genis would prove to be nuisances to the pilgrimage and that they remain in Iselia. Lloyd and Genis walk towards Lloyd's home after this. On the way there, Genis stops by a Human Ranch, a ranch owned by the cruel Desians. There, Genis and the reluctant Lloyd give some food to an elderly woman named Marble. It is here that the player learns about Exspheres, as Marble has one without the all important Key Crest to protect her from it. Because she stops working for a short time, the Desians start flogging her. The enraged Lloyd and Genis save her, but they are recognized as being from the village by the manager of the Ranch, General Forcystus. They burn down Iselia later and use Marbles Exshpere to transform her into a savage beast and forced Lloyd and Genis to fight it. They win and removed the Exsphere. Genis later equips it properly. The night before Colette's departure, Colette, Kratos, Genis, and Raine visited, Colette speaking privately to Lloyd. Lloyd exhibits his enthusiasm for the upcoming regeneration of the world, however when Colette gives her take, she appears to be hiding something. Colette tells Lloyd to see her later on the very next day, however upon speaking to her father Frank, and her Grandmother Phaidra, Lloyd discovers Colette lied when he read a letter from her confessing that she wanted to protect him, and was ultimately saying goodbye. When Colette, Raine and Kratos depart from Iselia, Lloyd and Genis are forced to follow them after unforeseen circumstances involving the Iselia Human Ranch, in order to fight along Colette's side.

Complications arise during the journey. Several times, a mysterious assassin attempts to assassinate Colette. This assassin, Sheena Fujibayashi, eventually repents and joins the party. She explains that she is from Tethe'alla, a parallel world, and that Sylvarant and Tethe'alla compete for mana. While one world flourishes, the other suffers. Colette also suffers from a condition referred to as Angel Toxicosis, which arises shortly after the release of a seal, removing one of her sensations with each while heightening a few others. Before the group must go to the Tower of Salvation, Colette is left unable to hold down food, feel pain, sleep, and speak, while having increased senses including sharply improved hearing, vision, and (later on as we see, particularly during the party's first encounter with Zelos) strength. The group also has to go through numerous battles with the Desians and Human Ranches on numerous occasions, as well as having to get involved with complex issues faced by a few of the many people in Sylvarant. After facing peril after continuous peril, the party must bring Colette to the Tower of Salvation and, much to Lloyd's utter anger and dismay, be offered as a sacrifice to Yggdrassil to become the next body for his sister, Martel.

Themes

Many legends and works inspire the game’s story. A prominent contributor is Norse mythology. Mithos Yggdrasill's name is taken from Yggdrasil, the world-tree that was believed by the Norse to support and nourish the world. Obviously, this concept of a world-tree is manifested in the Great Kharlan Tree. Kratos Aurion's name taken from Cratos, the personification of strength and power in Greek mythology. It is also possible it may be taken from the Latin word Kratos, meaning power. Zelos Wilder's name is also taken from Greek mythology, Zelus being the brother of Cratos and the personification of dedication and emulation. The Hindu/Buddhist tradition was utilized in the naming of several of Sheena's weapons and also one of Raine's (Vajra, Yaksa, Asura, Acalanatha, Hanuman). Islamic mythology was drawn upon for the names of Efreet and Bahamut. Japanese mythology contributed the legendary sword Kusanagi, which is the equivalent of Excalibur in the Western world. Also, the jewel and the mirror also recieved from the Sword Dancer are the other two legendary objects of Japanese mythology. Even obscure characters such as Sephira of Spanish mythology make brief appearances. Pagan themes are evident in the concept of the Goddess Martel and the general nature themes present in the game. The universal theme of death and renewal can be seen in the seesawing parallel worlds and the Chosen ritual and is specifically mentioned during one encounter with a unicorn. Typical high fantasy elements abound in the game as well, such as dwarves and elves. There are also elements from the Bible; the Seraphim came from the angel caste system, and the theme of achieving salvation is highly advertised by the Church of Martel. The Desians are briefly mentioned as the "Fallen" in one instance, which is a reference to the dualistic views of "good" and "evil" as taught by Christianity. The analogy of two parallel worlds originating from one and split asunder by a character from a team of four adventurers may be a reference to The Longest Journey, in which four Draic Kin split a world into two.

The game also carries a strong undercurrent of overcoming discrimination and racism. Half-elves are distrusted and despised by humans in both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. In Tethe'alla, half-elves are considered to be inferior and are at the bottom of the caste system, while in Sylvarant, a group known as the Desians, who wreak havoc upon the world, are pretty much the only half-elves there.

Game mechanics

Battle

Like the previous games in the Tales series, Tales of Symphonia uses a new version of the Linear Motion Battle System that almost every Tales game uses.

Unlike many traditional role-playing games, the Tales of Symphonia battle system is real-time. All four characters in the battle can be controlled by players, or by the game's AI, which will make decisions according to player-controlled tactical guidelines. Battles can be paused at any time, and AI-controlled actions can be overridden with menus. Battle movement is relative to enemy characters. Players target enemies through a Zelda-style targeting system, and can move towards and away from that enemy, but not from side to side. The A button controls attacks and B controlling special moves; if "Guard" is mapped to R, the game plays quite similarly to Super Smash Bros. Melee. Guarding is of much greater importance in Tales of Symphonia than in previous Tales games, as Symphonia characters take more damage when un-Guarded than do their series counterparts, and Guarding prevents "flinching" (being stunned after being hit by attacks) by blocking the attacks in the first place. Also, pressing the "Guard" button in midair will ensure that you land on your feet.

The battle system's "special attack" move is the Unison Attack. They can be used when the Unison Meter, a blue bar above the characters' status displays, fills completely. In a Unison Attack, each character uses a Technique (special attack) at the same time. The available techniques are the ones mapped to the B button; the other three characters take over the A, X and Y buttons for the duration of the Unison Attack. If characters use certain Techs in the same Unison Attack (for instance, Colette's "Hammer Rain" and Lloyd's "Sonic Sword Rain"), they combine into a Compound Special Attack ("Stardust Rain"), similar to Chrono Trigger's Double Tech, and cause additional damage.

Another new addition to the Linear Motion Battle System is "overlimit." Characters enter overlimit after having received a certain number of hits from the enemy (which vary depending on character). However, overlimit does not enable special attacks (save one exception); instead it removes "staggering," allowing the character to perform actions without interruption and reduces the amount of damage the character takes. For spellcasters, it also reduces the amount of time to cast a spell. This is especially practical for spellcasters, who are normally prone to having their spells interrupted by enemy attacks. Sheena cannot summon (with one exception) unless she is in overlimit. Some enemies can go into overlimit as well and when they do, they tend to have no casting time at all.

Cooking also affects when a character enters overlimit; a character who eats something he enjoys enters overlimit a little earlier than he would have had he not eaten it while eating something he dislikes requires more hits to enter. This is the reason why some characters enter overlimit the moment they enter battle.

The only exception is Genis's secret/ultimate technique (with an anime cutscene) that can only be used when in overlimit. Lloyd and Colette also have their own secret techniques which may be activated in certain conditions.

Leveling Up

Although Tales of Symphonia uses the typical experience point system, of characters gaining strength and abilities with the accumulation of EXP, several player-controlled factors determine which strengths and abilities the characters gain.

Each character can equip up to four EX Gems of varying strengths; each Gem can be set to a specific ability, from strengthening stats to providing out-of-battle bonuses (for instance, Zelos' level 2 Personal skill lets him charm items out of women), and certain combinations create bonus abilities. The nature of the EX Gem skills selected also determine whether the character will learn 'technical' or 'strike' Techniques, which alters the nature and sometimes the quantity of the Techniques available. EX Gem abilities, and the resulting technical-strike balance, can be altered at any time.

Each character also has up to 25 Titles, which are earned at certain levels, by completing certain events, or by completing certain challenges, and reflect aspects of the characters' personalities or their achievements. Colette, for instance, gains the title of "Chosen", whereas Raine is quickly labeled with "Archaeological Mania." Most titles determine which stats the character will increase in when they level up, but a few (such as Lloyd's "Beach Boy") provide no bonuses and instead change the character's costume.

Later in the game, you gain access to the Colliseum in Meltokio, progress through the ranks to find some of the best titles in the game, those that provide the most stat growth upon level-up.

Cooking

Tales of Symphonia also takes a novel approach to character recovery. The RPG standbys of inns and recovery items exist, but characters can also learn recipes from an eccentric character known as the Wonder Chef. If the character possesses the required food items, he or she can prepare a dish that will have beneficial effects upon the party, such as recovery of hit points and technical points, curing of ailments such as poison, or temporary boosting of character status. However, sometimes a recipe may be cooked unsuccessfully, resulting in wasted ingredients and greatly reduced benefits to the party. Mastery of each recipe is represented by a row of star icons; all characters start with only a few stars filled in, but the length of the row itself may also vary by character, representing personal taste and proficiency. The running gag concerning Raine's notorious lack of cooking skill is represented by the fact that many of her recipes max out at 2 stars of a possible 7; ironically, or perhaps understandably, her brother Genis is the best overall cook in the game.

Skits

In addition to cut scenes, various skits between the characters can be viewed while on the overworld, in towns, and in dungeons. They involve animated character portraits, subtitles, and, in the Japanese version, full voice acting. There are two varieties: those that are accessed by pressing the Z button, and those which are tied to physical locations on the overworld map. A few are mandatory, but are called up automatically by game triggers. Overworld-map skits have the added bonus of affecting Lloyd's relationships with other party members. Skits concern anything from character development (Colette keeping a stiff upper lip) to side details (Sheena raging at Zelos for his womanizing ways) to sheer tomfoolery (Lloyd asking Regal if he cooks the way he fights: with his feet).

Grade

Grade is awarded after battle. Grade is based on how well you do in battle, that is to say, it is based on many different factors. For example, the higher-hit combo you manage to get per battle, the higher amount of grade you'll receive. If a character dies, you'll lose grade; time of battle also determines the amount of grade received after each battle. In normal and hard modes, the max amount of grade to gain/lose is 20. People have reported that that number triples in mania mode; you can gain or lose 60 grade per battle in mania mode! Grade can be used to purchase items for customization and EX gems, or to buy bonuses when starting a New Game Plus.

Trivia

Several Easter eggs exist in the game, these include:

• Presea can gain the title "Dream Traveler", which will change her outfit. Her new outfit is identical to that worn by Klonoa, the star of his own game series.
• By wearing certain pieces of equipment, Zelos can gain the title Gilgamesh. This is the name of the hero of Namco's Tower of Druaga, and the equipment used to obtain the title is the equipment used in that game. In addition, the description of the title is a direct reference to events in Tower of Druaga.
• In the Toize Mine, there is an enemy resembling a rotating stone square called "Bacura". This enemy is actually from Namco's classic shooter Xevious, and has made cameos in other various Namco titles.
• In the game you are able to select which playable character you see moving around the maps and cities (the avatar). Each character interacts with the surroundings differently. For example: Colette can name dogs. When Zelos (a ladies' man) speaks to a female NPC, she will often hand him money or items (with personal ex-skill equipped). When Lloyd examines a locked door in one particular part of the game, he says that it's futile to attempt to open the door because it appears to be locked while Kratos examining the door would say "it would appear to be locked."
• A statue of Pac-Man (Namco's mascot) can be found in Flanoir. Examining the statue will confirm this.
• There is a GameCube in the Renegade's Sylvarant Base. This GameCube is identical to the limited edition ToS GameCube console that was only avalible to winners of a contest at Namco's official ToS website. (In the PS2 version of the game, the GameCube has been replaced with an unidentifiable machine.)
• If you finish the Colosseum's Advanced Party Matches, you will fight an exhibition match against Meredy, Garr, and Farah - characters from previous games in the Tales series (Garr/Edward from Tales of Destiny, and Farah and Meredy from Tales of Eternia).
• If you go into battle with Zelos or Presea's formal costumes, they will change their weapon to something ridiculous. Sheena's successor, will grant you the highest hand in a Japanese card game as her weapon. These weapons have no special effects, just pixel swap.
• There's a couple on a ship that will reenact a scene from the 1997 movie Titanic.
• The music featured in the opening of the North American GameCube version is surprising similar to the field music from the RPG video game Golden Sun: The Lost Age

Theme songs

Each version of the game has its own opening theme. The opening theme for the original Japanese version of Tales of Symphonia on the Gamecube is Starry Heavens, by the Japanese band Day After Tomorrow. For the Playstation 2 version of the game, Soshite Boku ni Dekiru Koto, also by Day After Tomorrow, takes its place. The opening theme for the American (Gamecube only) version of the game is not written or performed by Day After Tomorrow, however. Like the title of the game, it is "symphonic".

Links to Tales of Phantasia

Evidence that Tales of Symphonia is a prequel to Tales of Phantasia includes the following:

• The similarities between the world map of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla in Symphonia, and the world map of Aselia in Phantasia.
• The name of the world in Phantasia, Aselia, and the name of Lloyd's hometown, Iselia.
• The names of the moons in Phantasia, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. These names are the same as those given to the worlds in Symphonia.
• One of Lloyd's final weapons, the 'Material Blade,' are two of the three components necessary to forge the Eternal Sword in Phantasia, the Flamberge and Vorpal Sword.
• The possibility that Suzu Fujibayashi in Phantasia is a distant descendent of Sheena Fujibayashi in Symphonia.
• The existence of Ymir Forest as home of the Elves in both games.
• The fact that the final enemy in Phantasia, Dhaos, has angel wings in his final form; just as the 'angels' of Cruxis do in Symphonia and that the energy comes from Derris Kharlan.
• The renaming of the Great Kharlan Tree in the finale of Symphonia, where it is implied that Lloyd renamed the tree Yggdrasill in honor of the fallen hero/villain, Mithos.
• The similarity of the names of the heroes - Lloyd's "Irving" is very similar to Cless/Cress's "Alvein," given that Japanese pronunciation does not differentiate between the letters "r" and "l," giving "Arvein." It's possible that the name "Alvein" was an attempt at translating the English name "Irving" into the Japanese character system, a translation later done differently with Lloyd's "Āvingu."
• The existence of Martel in Phantasia, as well as the other summon spirits.
• The location of the summon spirit Origin, who appears in a forest behind the home of the Elves in the Ymir forest in both games.
• The book Abbysion uses is called the "Necronomicon" which is also the name of Klarth's book/weapon he starts with in Phantasia.

PlayStation 2 version

Namco originally planned Tales of Symphonia to be a Nintendo GameCube exclusive. In Japan, however, the game was released for both GameCube and PlayStation 2. In the PlayStation 2 version, among many other special features, there are 2 more anime cutscenes, several additional optional story scenes and side quests, some new monsters, more Techs and Unison attacks for characters to learn, and each character has an additional bonus costume. Unfortunately, there are some problems due to the limitations of the PlayStation 2. The load times for the PS2 are longer than in the GameCube version. Also, it is the general consensus that the quality of the graphics and audio aren't as good as those in the GameCube version, although some feel that it makes little difference.

• PlayStation 2 Version Screenshots
• PlayStation 2 Anime cutscene screenshots
• Costumes Exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version of Tales of Symphonia

Notes and references

External links

• Official English Website
• Official Japanese website for the GC version
• Official Japanese website for the PS2 version
• Temple of Undine (fan site)
• Tales of Symphonia at RFGeneration.com
• Game Rankings Rating
• IGN: Tales of Symphonia (GCN) PS2
• Tales of Symphonia at Nintendo.com
• Starry Heavens - Fansite with character profiles and fanart.

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