Tales of Zestiria Review (PS3, PS4, PC)

            Ah, Tales of Zestiria. Practically every recent title in the series, especially this one, has seen some form of controversy or another among the fans. I’ve spent the time up until the American release with nothing but mixed feelings about what I’ve been hearing in regards to this title. Now that I’m about 15 hours into the game, I can confidently say that Tales of Zestiria is one of the best modern titles in the series (except for maybe Graces or Vesperia).

A Look at the Modern Tales of… games

            Many would say that after Tales of Vesperia, Namco’s JRPG series began to decline in quality. With Zestiria just recently released, let’s take a quick look at these games and their flaws.

Tales of Symphonia Review (PS3 Chronicles Version)

Tales of Symphonia for the Nintendo Gamecube is often regarded as one of, if not THE best game in the Namco's Tales franchise. And in 2014, it (alongside with its sequel, Dawn of the New World) received a remaster for the PS3 called Tales of Symphonia Chronicles. During the transition, it also received several new bonuses that were previously exclusive to the Japanese PS2 version. Despite the battle system showing its age, Tales of Symphonia is still worth playing.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Review (PS3)

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch was yet another JRPG that was unlikely to see release in the U.S. and Europe. Its first incarnation in Japan was a turn-based RPG for the DS that came with a large book known as the Wizard's Companion, which contained information needed to progress further in the game. A PS3 version was later made that changed the story and battle system drastically. Fast forward to 2013, and the PS3 version was released in the U.S, with Collector's Edition including the Wizard's Companion despite it being stated that it was the biggest obstacle to localization. However, what's really notable about this title is that it was developed by both Level 5 (the developers of Dragon Quest VIII) and the legendary Studio Ghibli. And the game they produced is an unforgettable experience.

Tales of Hearts R Review (PS Vita)

            In April of 2014, something that nobody saw coming happened: Tales of Hearts R was announced to be coming to the West. Considering the fact that the Vita was and is doing poorly worldwide, as well as the niche status of the series, it’s a miracle the game made it over to begin with. And though its flaws prevent it from surpassing the likes of Xillia 2, it’s still a worthy entry in the series.

Tales of Xillia 2 Review (PS3)

            WARNING: There will be minor spoilers for both Xillia 1 and Xillia 2. One year later, and now we finally have the sequel to 2013’s Tales of Xillia. This particular entry brings back a lot of things from its prequel, right down to the exact same environments, but it brings a lot of new things to the table that make it vastly superior in my opinion.

Project X Zone Review (3DS)

            First of all, I apologize for my lack of activity on this blog. I’ve been caught up in a bunch of stuff lately, so I haven’t had the time to properly sit down and write a review. Project X Zone is a 3DS crossover between Capcom’s, Namco’s, and Sega’s franchises. People were hyped for it when it was announced for localization… but now that the hype’s been LONG gone, the game’s been mostly forgotten, and for good reason.