Tales of Legendia may not be like the recent new Tales games, despite the mixed reactions, it is still worth getting!
Genre: RPG
Developer: Namco
System: Playstation 2 (PS2)
Total Score: 83/100
Value Score: 8.3/10
• Story: 8/10
o Tales of Legendia's storyline takes place in a moving island (which is in reality a ship) named the Legacy. The main characters Senel and Shirley arrived in the Legacy by a twist of fate after being attacked by sea monsters. What begins as a simple kidnapping by a stranger and stalking by another leads to something greater. Senel finds allies amongst some people in Werites Beacon and begin their journey to rescue Shirley. The storyline expands over to a much bigger role as Shirley's fate is instantly intertwined with every single person's fate in the Legacy. But it doesnt end there as the storyline expands even further after the first initial storyline.
• Characters: 9/10
o There are many characters in Tales of Legendia, but for such a big game, the character cast does not seem as strong as most other RPGs or even the other Tales series. Due to the fact of the low number of towns and the actual characters that are intractable compared to the other Tales series, the main characters' character development is well made and each of them has a big role which is used to assist each other. Despite the shoddy appearances of some of the characters and the more than often re-used character sprites for certain enemies, Legendia's cast fits well with the small world that it encompasses within the Legacy.
• GamePlay: 8/10
o Tales of Legendia's gameplay style is similar to the old traditional Tales game series. More like Tales of Phantasia than Tales of the Abyss, the battle system is based upon a 2D platform style that goes from left to right. Jumping is a bit nerfed in this game unlike the other games but can still be used. Leveling up system is the same for experience and base levels wise, however to learn certain magic spells you would have to grind off certain enemies to learn certain spells via requirements. The battle system is more menu based than other Tales games and there's alot of text while in battle that can be seen. One new feature introduced in the battle system in this game is the Climax Mode where there is a blue bar at the bottom of the screen, when this bar is full, you can activate it with the L1 button and time will freeze allowing you to hit free strikes on the enemy, whenever before the end of the climax bar is completely depleted (or barely even depleted) you can initiate a climax combo to deal massive damage depending on who you have in your party. Outside of battle wise, the game plays much like any other Tales or any other RPG game. You travel around from one location to another, talk with NPCs, buy items and equipment from shops, inn rests, etc. The food system is back in the game however is far limited. You can only carry 10 food items in total and you can only make food in the bakery. You get recipes from a new character introduced in the game and not from random chefs. The game has a arena system similar to the other games however you won't be going near there anytime soon in the beginning. The game also has a customization mode where you can create certain equips but that is only after you finish the main storyline. The game has a diary so you can see where you were in case you have not played the game for a while, a full in detail bestiary (only unlockable if you use magical lens to indentify enemies), a item list amongst other things.
• Graphics: 8/10
o If Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy IX was remade for the PS2, this is how the game would look like, no doubt about it. The graphics are colorful and vibrant but the character models are made in a cheap way, it isnt as detailed as Tales of the Abyss or any other game. Sometimes at first the models seem out of place for the game's environment. You can tell they were lazy in the animation department as when a character sleeps (which is often seen through many characters many times), their eyes are opened, just shows you how lazy they are in the development. For a heavy anime fan, this game is a dream come true cause it has that feeling of a old school anime much more than other Tales games.
• Sound: 7/10
o Although most of the game is fully voiced, there are a few problems with the audio itself. For one most of the characters voices are just out of place, generic or just plain annoying, but that is a matter of taste though. Another thing to note is that the 2nd part of the storyline, there is absolutely no voiceovers, another obvious sign of lazy development. Sounds in the game seem far too generic and seem like it's a improved port of the PS1 Tales games which another thing seems to be a poor lazy choice from development.
• Music: 8/10
o Although a lot of the music is enjoyable, there doesnt seem to be any memorable tracks except for a few. The main theme song is used several times in different versions kinda like God of War uses different types of the same song. Although none of the theme songs warrant a exciting battle theme, one thing that can be agreed upon is the music overall in the game is soothing and relaxing, still worth getting the OST regardless.
• Length: 10/10
o The Tales games have always been known to have a lengthy storyline in a huge world. Tales of Legendia is no different. However where Tales of Legendia and its other brothers/sisters in the series differ is the progression of the storyline and the length of it. There are two main storylines within the game although the second one is completely optional it is still recommended cause it answers some plot holes from the first one. The first game should take you no more than 35 hours and the second storyline adds an additional 15-20 hours to the overall game clock. All in all it is quite worth it, you are in for a long adventure when playing Tales of Legendia.
• Replay Value: 7/10
o Although some may say the second storyline is a extended replay value content, I will not be addressing it as such. Although that does not mean the game doesnt have replay value, it does as much as the usual Tales game. For starters, the main aspect in a recent tales game is the "New Game+", which is offered upon completion of the second storyline. Depending on how well you did throughout the game's battles you will be given grade points which can be used to trade for several bonuses or de-bonuses for a new playthrough similar to other Tales Games New Game+. The arena mode is yet another replay value content that is common in other Tales games, although the arena in this game does not have old tales characters, the enemies you face are still quite challenging and may require you to grind a bit more.
• Player Value: 8/10
o Tales of Legendia's storyline and length are amazing, although it may fall a bit short when it comes to actual character list, battle system and graphics. New Game+, Arena mode, extended storyline and a few "Feel Good" moments in the game will captivate you to play the game till the end and perhaps more. This game is still worth getting and you will have a long adventure waiting for you when you start this rare game!