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TALES OF XILLIA (PS3)
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Publisher: Namco Bandai Games.
Developer: Namco Tales Studio. Released: August 2013 (Europe). Genre: JRPG. Posted 26th September 2024. By Shane Battams © 2024 |
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Tales of Xillia proved something of a relief for JRPG aficionados as the 2000s saw a relative decline in the genre’s fortunes. Final Fantasy XIII left most long-time fans cold, other series were missing in action and new attempts at establishing competitors to the major series had fallen flat. After a Japan-exclusive port of Tales of Vesperia, Xillia marked the first PS3 instalment to be localised for the West. A sturdy effort which can feel a touch vanilla at points, this effort nevertheless should please fans of the series and JRPGs in general thanks to a fast-paced combat system, colourful presentation and likeable characters.
Tales of Xillia revolves around a two-pronged narrative focusing on trainee medical student Jude Mathis, and Millia Maxwell, a magically potent successor to a deity. Their meeting sees an infiltration into a laboratory, where a powerful weapon The Lance of Kresnik drains Millia of her powers. Consequently, Millia and Jude travel across the land, which is on the precipice of war, to destroy the Lance, recruiting a party along the way including mysterious mercenary Alvin and young girl Elize who is accompanied by a plush brought to life. Admittedly, it’s a pretty unremarkable story, though certainly solid, and while it takes a while to enter second gear, later chapters do prove more engaging. The midpoint sees a transformative event which shakes up the story tremendously and keeps you guessing. The only qualm is with the two-character perspective. Picking Jude first is definitely recommended, as Millia’s side sees key events occur off-screen but leaves both sides feeling somewhat confused at times.
A recognisable JRPG archetype, but Tales of Xillia's characters help elevate the game's familiar themes
It’s more the characters that make this game enjoyable. Jude and Millia prove enjoyable protagonists in different ways. The former is young, yet not naïve, and has some genuinely thought-provoking lines that avoid feeling forced or cringe-inducing. The latter, which some critics dismissed for dry voice acting, represents a godly figure in a mortal world, and the lack of knowledge of human behaviour and tact can be hilarious. Their bonds and personas are developed by a series staple Skits, which feature genuine humour, concise yet deep writing and well-crafted anime animation which brings these stills to life. While some can suffer from modern JRPG tropes, such as the irritating plush animal Teepo being gratingly voiced, most are likeable and voiced well, a genuine break from the norm of seventh-generation JRPGs translated to English.
Playing Xillia proves a sturdy if somewhat straightforward instalment. Compared to previous games, there are some simplified elements which can show mixed results. This Tales lacks a world map, not unlike its immediate predecessor Tales of Graces, and instead, the world is made up of towns and seaports linked with paths with roaming monsters and plentiful treasures to find. The areas themselves feel a touch small, as while paths are often divided into several areas, they are small and rather limited in terms of exploration. Some hidden areas do encourage exploration for unique items, but they require little brain-matter to uncover, eschewing puzzles almost entirely. Other aspects feel more limited here, such as the cooking aspect from previous games, which is essentially boiled down to pre-made shop items to add buffs such as extra XP. Speaking of, upgrading weapons from Graces is also gone. Instead, found materials are used to upgrade five brands of shops: items, weapons, armour, accessories and food, and levelling them up unlocks more items to buy, which feels less rewarding than upping lower gear into better ones.
Playing Xillia proves a sturdy if somewhat straightforward instalment. Compared to previous games, there are some simplified elements which can show mixed results. This Tales lacks a world map, not unlike its immediate predecessor Tales of Graces, and instead, the world is made up of towns and seaports linked with paths with roaming monsters and plentiful treasures to find. The areas themselves feel a touch small, as while paths are often divided into several areas, they are small and rather limited in terms of exploration. Some hidden areas do encourage exploration for unique items, but they require little brain-matter to uncover, eschewing puzzles almost entirely. Other aspects feel more limited here, such as the cooking aspect from previous games, which is essentially boiled down to pre-made shop items to add buffs such as extra XP. Speaking of, upgrading weapons from Graces is also gone. Instead, found materials are used to upgrade five brands of shops: items, weapons, armour, accessories and food, and levelling them up unlocks more items to buy, which feels less rewarding than upping lower gear into better ones.
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Xillia really shines in its fast-paced combat, retaining the action focus of previous games with some healthy improvements. As enemies roam around areas, you can opt to face them head-on or sneak behind which deals damage at the start if successful. Once in battle, you control a single character while AI governs three others, and you can mix strikes and defence with magic attacks and item uses. New to the series is Character linking, which allows you to tether with one of your trio of allies. These bring benefits unique to each character. For example, Millia can trap stunned foes temporarily in a barrier. But Artes see a bigger boon, as special attacks can link with certain characters and you can perform a more powerful variant. Filling a meter on the lower screen, meanwhile, lets you chain multiple linked Artes together. These flashy moves can end a battle sharpish, and Xillia’s short battle times are a huge plus for those who feel bogged down by battle systems in competing games. It’s honestly a blast, and only grows as you learn more Artes and recruit further party members.
Tales of Xillia also looks great, boasting a colourful style which is bolstered by seventh-generation hardware. Characters look fantastic, bearing great detail and solid animation during in-engine cut-scenes. The world is vibrant, monster designs are plentiful and detailed and explosive combat attacks dazzle. Interestingly, exploration runs at 30fps while combat doubles performance up to 60fps, though the latter can suffer slowdown during crowded encounters. Occasional anime clips are fantastic, especially the intro with the awesome “Progress” from J-Pop star Ayumi Hamasaki. Speaking of which, the audio side is pretty decent. The aforementioned voicework can have peaks and valleys, but the localisation is generally rather good. The soundtrack is perhaps a step below previous games, lacking memorability in some spots. That being said, some tracks stand out like the bombastic menu theme and the litany of battle themes. Combat strikes and specials sound the part, while jingles for aspects such as item collection avoid becoming grating.
Tales of Xillia also looks great, boasting a colourful style which is bolstered by seventh-generation hardware. Characters look fantastic, bearing great detail and solid animation during in-engine cut-scenes. The world is vibrant, monster designs are plentiful and detailed and explosive combat attacks dazzle. Interestingly, exploration runs at 30fps while combat doubles performance up to 60fps, though the latter can suffer slowdown during crowded encounters. Occasional anime clips are fantastic, especially the intro with the awesome “Progress” from J-Pop star Ayumi Hamasaki. Speaking of which, the audio side is pretty decent. The aforementioned voicework can have peaks and valleys, but the localisation is generally rather good. The soundtrack is perhaps a step below previous games, lacking memorability in some spots. That being said, some tracks stand out like the bombastic menu theme and the litany of battle themes. Combat strikes and specials sound the part, while jingles for aspects such as item collection avoid becoming grating.
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An initial run through Xillia will likely take around thirty hours, depending on how much you explore the world. A litany of sub-quests, which range from fetch tasks to simple scenes revealing more of the world, add a bit more incentive to explore. A quest involving six ultra-powerful monsters and a hidden dungeon to unlock prove worth seeking out at least. New Game + proves a great feature, especially with two playable characters. Feats completed reward Grade points, and these can then be used on a NG+ run to add new boons or bring over certain stats. You can carry over your level-ups, double XP earned and add combat buffs such as a faster charging meter using Grade, and it can make a second run through quicker. The two stories do have a lot of crossover elements, but cutscenes and an entire chapter unique to one side do encourage another go around.
Tales of Xillia proves a reliably straightforward role-playing game, one which should please both series and genre aficionados, even if it’s unlikely to replace your favourites from both other series and Namco’s long-running franchise. The storytelling can be uneven, and the simplification of some aspects feels unnecessary and perhaps makes exploration less enticing. However, fast-paced combat, likeable characters and a vibrant presentation keep you engaged even if other aspects falter. Compared to many JRPGs of the same periods, Xillia proves a good time, even if it’s unlikely to win over anyone who lacks enthusiasm for the genre.
Tales of Xillia proves a reliably straightforward role-playing game, one which should please both series and genre aficionados, even if it’s unlikely to replace your favourites from both other series and Namco’s long-running franchise. The storytelling can be uneven, and the simplification of some aspects feels unnecessary and perhaps makes exploration less enticing. However, fast-paced combat, likeable characters and a vibrant presentation keep you engaged even if other aspects falter. Compared to many JRPGs of the same periods, Xillia proves a good time, even if it’s unlikely to win over anyone who lacks enthusiasm for the genre.
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VERDICT
"Tales of Xillia proves a reliably straightforward JRPG with fast-paced combat, likeable characters and a vibrant presentation, even if uneven storytelling and simplified elements are to its detriment." OVERALL: 7/10 |
OTHER SEVENTH-GEN JRPG GAMES REVIEWED
Lost Odyssey (2006, Xbox 360)
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Final Fantasy XIII-2 (2012, PlayStation 3)
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