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 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.

Bioshock Infinite Review (360/PS3/PC)

            Soon after I finished Tales of Xillia last August, a friend of mine let me borrow Bioshock Infinite for the Xbox 360. I found myself absolutely immersed in its world, and needless to say I really enjoyed the game. I enjoyed it enough, in fact, to purchase my own copy of the game on Steam a few months later. Now, let’s take a look on just WHAT exactly makes this game so great.

Tales of Zestiria Impressions

            I admit that I haven’t been really keeping up with info from Tales of Zestiria recently, but what I HAVE seen interests me.
UPDATE: Battles REALLY ARE seamless! There won't be any transitions between battles, and the terrain also affects the battle. Now I'm even more hyped for the game.

Tales of Xillia Review (PS3)

            Namco’s Tales series is an Action RPG franchise that started with Tales of Phantasia, released in Japan in 1995. Since then, the series has become one of the most popular RPGs in Japan, just behind Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. In America, the series is much more niche and obscure, with many titles being skipped over completely and unreleased here. However, Namco seems to be striving to change that fact, and we now have Tales of Xillia, released back in August of 2013, and its sequel coming in the same month this year.