Tales of Graces f (Video Game Review)

Tales of Graces f is part of an on-going series of games simply known as Tales. The original Tales of Graces (12th in the Tales series) was released for the Wii back in 2009, but only in Japan. ToG f is a re-installment of the Wii version and the only one available in the US.

Unlike many RPGs who throw you right into the midst of battle at the start, Tales takes a much more serene (and adorable) route. You start off playing the main characters (Asbel, Sophie, Cheria, Hubert and Richard) as children. While essentially a slower start than your probably used to, this group of youngsters running around and battling small animals builds into a much larger storyline for the future as well as background for these characters.

Action has always been the heart of any Tales battle. While many role-playing games use a standard turn based system, Tales of Graces is more of a free-for-all. It may seem a bit chaotic at first, with enemies and characters running around the map, but it’s one of the most unique battle systems I’ve experienced. It keeps you immersed in the fight rather than having to stop and choose spells and abilities from a menu.

Characters have two different fighting styles to choose from. The A-style artes which are pre-set, or the B-style artes which you can personally set, and the player is able to freely switch between the styles in battle.

Each character has a combo tree (Assault) that unlocks over time as well as special abilities (Burst) that can be mapped to inputs of your choice. Each skill has plenty of uses (healing, damage, etc.) as well as its own set of properties that make it useful for specific enemy types. Chaining all these attacks together can cause some serious damage, not to mention you look damn good while performing them.

Weapons, armor, and even certain items can also be “dualized” with another to create more powerful ones through the art of alchemy. Who knew a meat pie could be worth so much? This can be quite taxing though as many items require you to trek back and forth through previously visited terrains and go through many a battle for rare drops.

With humorous, fun-loving characters, a gripping story and fast-paced battles, Tales of Graces f is shaping up to be one of my top RPGs. The anime styled FMVs (full-motion video) are gorgeous, the soundtrack is soothing to the ears, and the characters suck you in like a tween to a Twlight book.



Overall Rating: 4 out of 10 (Reviewed for PlayStation 3)

Meghan Schubert 2012-05-25