ToS:DotNW-Does it live up to the Tales name?
Let me be clear-Whatever complaints I make about this game, I did enjoy it. It is not bad, nor unworthy of your money. The problem is that everything in it is dual-natured. I cannot praise something without having to add in a "but". The only exception to that rule is the music, which I found a delightful blend of the old and new.<br>
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First and foremost, the gameplay. One cannot help but compare it to the strong pace of the original Tales of Symphonia which, while not exactly blazing fast, never left you bored or uninterested. In terms of the story, this pace holds, though it seems the writers went out of their way to use every cliché imaginable. In battle, however, the game seems significantly slower paced. Some might like it, some might not.<br>
Another significant change from the game's predecessor is the monster system. It lends a "Pokémon"-like feel, even using things like evolution into higher forms. The system itself isn't bad, though it could certainly use improvement. The problem lies in that these monsters tend to draw focus from the real characters. As playable characters go, only two new ones are truly playable throughout the game, though the original eight move in and out of the party. It is often only the two main characters and their non playable sidekick, along with a host of monsters. It plays all right, but the dynamics of the group aren't as interesting.<br>
Speaking of the group, the new characters are, unfortunately, overall far poorer in quality than those one would expect from a game of such high pedigree. Emil, the main character, has a dual personality alternating between pitiful, whiny, and downright irritating to brash, rude, and entirely obnoxious. Neither of these versions are much fun very often. His newfound friend Marta is so much the personification of the "typical teenage girl" that I spent the entire game waiting for the surprise personality quirk that never came. Redeeming the cast, however, is Tenebrae, the spirit that travels with them. While not exactly a stereotype-breaking personality himself, his interactions with the others are often humorous, resulting in added dimension to decidedly 2D characters.<br>
(And on the original cast of eight, I can't say much without spoiling the game, but their personalities are decidedly different. It seems the writers had a hard time carrying them over.)<br>
Graphically, the Dawn of the New World has not done much for its appearance. It's not bad-looking, simply not very much improved since the Gamecube game. I might even believe that some locations were almost simply copied and pasted, if it were possible. It is sufficient, but the Wii can do better.<br>
The music, as noted above, is fantastic overall. Motoi Sakuraba is well-known for his work, as he should be. Sound effects are generally pleasing as well, though some have a tendency towards repetitiveness. One large problem is that the original cast of voices has been almost completely replaced. Some have better replacements than others, and it may be a serious shift for the more diehard fans of the original.
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Once again, this game is not at all a bad one. I applaud the developers for attempting to take a new direction in the series, but change is not always beneficia, and the old Tales formula certainly adds up to a stronger game than this. Still, if you want a fun way to spend some time (It is somewhat shorter than the original also), or just want to find out "the end", it's a good game to buy.Vollständige Rezension lesen
