At the core of a power struggle
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition lets you re-experience a classic but with improved visuals and new content, writes Aiman Maulana
THERE are a good number of roleplaying games these days and as exciting as it may be to play the newer ones, sometimes we can’t help but reminisce about the old ones. Now, we have the opportunity to reexperience a classic that has improved visuals and new content — Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition.
DARK HISTORY
The game takes place in the world known as Terca Lumireis, where its inhabitants relied on an energy source called Blastia. It was used to provide resources and protection for major cities around the world. In ancient times, the abuse of Blastia led to the creation of the monster Adephagos which threatened life itself. To save the world then, the Adephagos was sealed indefinitely and a new world order was established.
Fast forward to present times, former knight Yuri Lowell sets out on an adventure with his faithful companion Repede to recover his neighbourhood’s Aqua Blastia, a valuable source of water. This inadvertently leads him to the core of a power struggle in a civilisation dependent on the Blastia and the Empire that controls it.
It is up to Yuri and his friends to unravel the dark history behind the Blastia and take down the true evil that lurks in the shadows. Unlike the original iteration of the game, this version of Tales of Vesperia comes with additional content, including a fully playable Flynn Scifo and a new party member, pirate Patty LeFleur.
It also comes with additional story content that expands the original story while maintaining the overall theme. This release marks the first time the extra content has made its way outside of Japan.
PLAY WITH AN ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT
Like most role-playing games, you have your main and side quests. The main quests are mandatory and used to propel the story forward. The side quests may not necessarily be quests per se; they are optional but can yield some valuable rewards that will be useful in the journey.
For most parts, the quests are straightforward so most gamers should not have any trouble with the obstacles. However, there are certain points that have you debating your action as the game will either vaguely allude to it or expect you to explore on your own. It’s not a bad thing but it does mean that you will need to approach the game with an adventurous spirit to experience it in its entirety.
The world of Terca Lumireis was considered big when it was first released but by today’s standards, it is of decent size. There are six regions with each containing settlements and dungeons which players can explore.
While the main storyline inevitably brings you to most of these areas, there are some which you will have to explore on your own accord as they are optional. Furthermore, you can’t go to every area until later in the game as some of them have requirements that need to be met first.
In this sense, it’s more of a controlled open world environment which will prevent gamers from straying too far off. Especially when there are so many things that you can overlook such as treasure chests, hidden items and optional quests, it can be easy to get distracted from the objective.
DIFFICULT AT FIRST
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition utilises the Evolved Flex Range Linear Motion Battle System which is an upgraded version of the combat system from Tales of the Abyss. At its core, the combat system is still like a fighting game-esque action-based system where gamers can freely move around and execute attacks anytime they want without having to wait for their turn. You can use normal attacks, Arte attacks which cost TP (technical points), defend and use items.
However, you can’t simply attack continuously as there will be a small window of time after attacks where you will be vulnerable. The basic idea here is to chain your attacks by using normal attacks followed by Arte attacks for maximum damage. Gamers are granted a maximum of three hits for normal attacks, which can be increased by unlocking certain skills in the game.
As for Artes, there are two types; Base Artes and Arcane Artes. Base Artes are regular technique-based attacks whereas Arcane Artes are powerful techniques which do more damage. Arcane Artes have the unique ability to be chained to Burst Artes followed by the signature Mystic Artes when used with the Overlimit gauge. Simply put, it can be used to start off a character’s finishing move.
There are no skill trees in this game and you will have to obtain them by mastering them from specific weapons. It is as simple as using the weapon until you have mastered the skill. These equipment can be obtained by either purchasing from the shop, an item dropped from a defeated enemy, or synthesising using materials dropped from enemies.
Overall, the combat system is still robust and entertaining even by today’s standards. It’s not complicated but due to the fast-paced nature of the system, certain fights can be overwhelming at first. However, the difficulty will not be a problem when you have grown accustomed to the system and do the necessary preparations before a tough battle.
If it’s still too hard then, you can adjust the difficulty settings anytime without repercussions.
CONCLUSION
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition is a great game for those who have not experienced the game yet, as well as those who have. Despite the upgraded visuals, it is still reminiscent of the PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 era of gaming but visuals should not be the reason to play games. It should be whether the game is able to entertain you, and it certainly does if you enjoy role-playing games.
However, with the game being a little difficult at first, as well as some random difficulty spikes in later points in the game, it does force you to grind levels before approaching certain battles. If you can look past that, then you will be able to enjoy an adventure with a cast of colourful characters and an enthralling storyline.
I award Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition a 7.5 out of 10.