Gaming Tales of Vesperia Review

[Sifter3000]

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/xbox-...peria-review/1

It sometimes seems the games industry churns out JRPGs quicker than you can say "androgynous teenage hero with suspiciously spiky hair". On occasion though, there are jewels hidden amongst the emo haircuts and world-threatening disasters. Tales of Vesperia is a JRPG that stands out from the crowd

[Narishma]

The game is not exclusive to the Xbox 360. An enhanced version slated for release on PS3 later this year. At least according to Wikipedia.

[Jipa]

For an outsider, all the games in the whole genre seem absolutely identical and just as appalling.. I was already about to quote something from Yahtzee's review, but then found out it wasn't the same game. Oh well.

[sear]

Seriously? Final Fantasy VII? I'm not knocking the reviewer, but the two games have completely different battle systems, as far as I know... it sounds like Final Fantasy VII is the only Japanese role-playing game Mark's ever played, and thus is the only thing he has to compare it to. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[SinxarKnights]

Ahh looks really good. im PC exclusive though looks like i will miss out on another great game.

[Mentai]

Daaamn, it took 10 months for this to get a PAL release? I was under the impression the gap between regions had been largely reduced these days. I guess those are the joys of console gaming.
That aside, I would buy this if I hadn't given away my 360. Probably pick it up for PS3 once that system becomes affordable.

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by sear

Seriously? Final Fantasy VII? I'm not knocking the reviewer, but the two games have completely different battle systems, as far as I know... it sounds like Final Fantasy VII is the only Japanese role-playing game Mark's ever played, and thus is the only thing he has to compare it to. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The battle systems are different but the characters are similar, and I think Mark commented were drawn/conceptualised by the same artist.

[Cutter McJ1b]

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi

The battle systems are different but the characters are similar, and I think Mark commented were drawn/conceptualised by the same artist.

The main similarities are in the way the game plays, excluding battle system as talked about in the review. Even then though, the way the camera pans around the characters and the celebration stances at the end are the same.

The music and level design, the way your character navigates the backdrops, the world map system and navigation, menu system sound effects and navigation, the way your party all mixes into just one character when you're running around, the way cut scenes are initiated and the way you interact with the NPCs are all just like FFVII. All of these points mix together making a game that feels very similar to it.

[Gunsmith]

looks like another worth purchase for my ps3.

[docodine]

Looks great visually, but I'm completely done with JRPGS.. They consumed my life from second til eighth grade.

[kylew]

Originally Posted by Cutter McJ1b

The main similarities are in the way the game plays, excluding battle system as talked about in the review. Even then though, the way the camera pans around the characters and the celebration stances at the end are the same.

The music and level design, the way your character navigates the backdrops, the world map system and navigation, menu system sound effects and navigation, the way your party all mixes into just one character when you're running around, the way cut scenes are initiated and the way you interact with the NPCs are all just like FFVII. All of these points mix together making a game that feels very similar to it.

As I read the review I also got the feeling that the reviewer's experiences of RPGs was FFVII. It's so much of a cliché to compare all RPGs to it really.

The only reason that it's cited at the 'best' is because it's generally the first most people played. I'm not saying that it's rubbish, but people need to get over it in my opinion.

What makes it seem even more apparent that it was the only RPG he played is that he stated it had similarities to FFVII, yet a lot of RPGs are similar. All FF games work in pretty much the same way.

[Cutter McJ1b]

Originally Posted by kylew

As I read the review I also got the feeling that the reviewer's experiences of RPGs was FFVII. It's so much of a cliché to compare all RPGs to it really.

The only reason that it's cited at the 'best' is because it's generally the first most people played. I'm not saying that it's rubbish, but people need to get over it in my opinion.

What makes it seem even more apparent that it was the only RPG he played is that he stated it had similarities to FFVII, yet a lot of RPGs are similar. All FF games work in pretty much the same way.

Thanks for your input.

Text is an imperfect medium at the end of the day so it's easy to make mistakes with. You can get an idea in your head at the beginning of something you're reading and then bend what you read around that idea until it makes sense and affirms to you that you were correct in your assumptions.

RPGs have made up the vast majority of the games (computer games and otherwise) I've played for the past 16 years and will likely continue to do so until I die. The reason I compared it so much to FFVII, is because it plays a lot like FFVII

[Sifter3000]

The only reason that it's cited at the 'best' is because it's generally the first most people played. I'm not saying that it's rubbish, but people need to get over it in my opinion.

Your opinion, not shared by everyone.

What makes it seem even more apparent that it was the only RPG he played is that he stated it had similarities to FFVII, yet a lot of RPGs are similar. All FF games work in pretty much the same way.

What, you want a list of all the games a reviewed game is similar to when we do a review? I think that would be slightly impractical. When you review Crysis, you're not going to list every FPS it has borrowed from, just the one that's most germane - so Far Cry when you're talking about Crysis, and for Vesperia, FFVII.

FVII was used as a counterpoint *because* of its importance to many gamers, as it's considered by many to be the best JRPG - this is a point you even admit. There'd be no point comparing Vesperia to a more obscure title most people haven't played.

Sounds to me like you've got an issue with FFVII's popularity...

[kylew]

Originally Posted by Sifter3000

Your opinion, not shared by everyone.

What, you want a list of all the games a reviewed game is similar to when we do a review? I think that would be slightly impractical. When you review Crysis, you're not going to list every FPS it has borrowed from, just the one that's most germane - so Far Cry when you're talking about Crysis, and for Vesperia, FFVII.

FVII was used as a counterpoint *because* of its importance to many gamers, as it's considered by many to be the best JRPG - this is a point you even admit. There'd be no point comparing Vesperia to a more obscure title most people haven't played.

Sounds to me like you've got an issue with FFVII's popularity...

I don't have an issue with it's popularity, I just think that a lot of people need to get over it. I know, as well as know of a large amount if people who have only played 7 out of the many out who say it's the best. There seems to be this cliché or trend that comes with a lot of people who played it.

I see that I've been proven wrong but I still maintain that it reads as if it was written by some one with mo knowlege of JRPGs outside of FFVII. The thing is, most good to great JRPGs follow the same pattern in terms of how the game is played. To compare it to FFVII is something too many people appear to do.

With regards to citing far cry when reviewing crysis, I'm not too sure I agree really. Though maybe that's because I didn't like far cry all that much. Don't get me wrong though, FF games are pretty much my favorite series going, with JRPGs being my favorie 'genre' that I've 'invested' thousands of hours in over the years.

If anything I was responding under the assumption I had made thinking FFVII was the only other RPG played. More to do with the fact that these people I know or know of then have issues with other RPGs because it isn't FFVII and whoake comments like 'is it better than FFVII though' as if it's the only worhty JRPG going...

/end rambling

[kylew]

[quote=Sifter3000]

The only reason that it's cited at the 'best' is because it's generally the first most people played. I'm not saying that it's rubbish, but people need to get over it in my opinion.

Your opinion, not shared by everyone.

It's not really a case of that being opinion. The PS1 brought FF games to a more mainstream audience with it being on the PS1 as well as it opening up gaming to a new generation.

The PS1 is the reason most people's first FF game was VII.

In my opinion the PS1 is what brought video games into a boom. Games were cheaper than usual with them being on discs and really easy to pirate with discs being relatively cheap especially compared to cartridges.

I started with the SNES, megadrive and amiga my self, i never had my games due to them coasting a load.

I remember sonic 3D cost about £60 from toys r us.

PS1 games were so much more affordable. Nearly everyone I knew had one with a fair amount of games.

[CardJoe]

The comparisons to FFIIV work purely because the game is so popular. It'd be just as easy to point to Chrono Trigger or Opoona or any other JRPG and make the same comparison because, as you point out, a lot of them are based on the same overall structure. However, those comparisons might fall down because those games aren't as well known as FF. It's popularity makes it a convenient reference point that most gamers can understand and infer from, whether they've played the game or not.

Example; I've never played FFIIV (shocking, but I'm a PC gamer), yet I still know exactly what Mark is talking about because I'm aware of other games which are built on the same model.

[kylew]

Originally Posted by CardJoe

The comparisons to FFIIV work purely because the game is so popular. It'd be just as easy to point to Chrono Trigger or Opoona or any other JRPG and make the same comparison because, as you point out, a lot of them are based on the same overall structure. However, those comparisons might fall down because those games aren't as well known as FF. It's popularity makes it a convenient reference point that most gamers can understand and infer from, whether they've played the game or not.

Example; I've never played FFIIV (shocking, but I'm a PC gamer), yet I still know exactly what Mark is talking about because I'm aware of other games which are built on the same model.

I'm just moaning because some people act as if FFVII is the only JRPG that exists when there's loads of great ones out there.

looks like I'm just being grumpy.

[Cutter McJ1b]

Originally Posted by kylew

I'm just moaning because some people act as if FFVII is the only JRPG that exists when there's loads of great ones out there.

looks like I'm just being grumpy.

Yes I thought so

But seriously, if you play Tales of Vesperia, I'm confident that you will agree with the Final Fantasy VII-ness of the game.

Also, if it cheers you up, I'll write a blog post about another massive favourite of mine, Phantasy Star Online instead of FFVII which I was planning on doing

[logonui]

FFVII... looks and sounds more like Star Ocean TTEOT to me.

Might have given it a go if it wasn't on XBox