Deep and innovative? No. Solid fun? Hell, yes.
User Rating: 8.2 | Tales of Destiny (PlayStation the Best) PS
So it's not the shiniest game on the block, so what? Tales of Destiny has what a lot of more innovative games tend to lack: Just Plain Fun Factor. Gameplay: Real-time, 2D battles that take a very long time to get old. You only directly control the main character, but like most action-RPGs, you can give general tactical commands to your party, as well as being able to use their spells and skill attacks by selecting them from a pop-up menu. It's a pretty easy system to get the hang of, and individual battles range from easy to fairly difficult, depending on your level. Plot & Characters: I, for one, quite liked the plot. The Swordians, your characters' intelligent swords from an ancient era, add an interesting twist to the backstory, and while there's nothing hugely surprising or new about the plot, it's executed very well, with excellent pacing. The characters were a big draw, for me, especially the subplot with Leon Magnus. The fact that your main character tells you off when you try to loot townspeople's homes is amusing, too. ^^; Graphics: Nothing spectacular, but there's nothing particularly wrong with them, either. If you can handle FFVI, you can definitely handle Tales of Destiny. There are some nice touches, too, in the way your character leaves footprints in the snow, and reflects in mirrors and puddles. Sound: Nothing special, really, but the music didn't leave me scrambling for the mute button, and the Japanese battle voices are much easier on the ears than a lot of dubbed games tend to be, especially since they're done by some huge names in voice acting, like Midorikawa Hikaru, Hayami Sho, Inoue Kikuko, Seki Tomokazu, Amano Yuri and Imai Yuka. Value: Grab it used, it's a pretty good amount of fun for your buck. Tilt: I've actually replayed this game a couple times, and I enjoy it every time. Yeah, it's not groundbreaking, but it's fun, and it doesn't do a whole lot wrong.
