There aren't many RPG's on the cube. Sometimes it seems that PS2 has a new one every week. Well good news for you cube owners, Tales of Symphonia (ToS) is a perfect example of quality over quantity.
Starting of with the battle system, all I can say is wow. I cant remember a RPG where I looked forward to fighting like I did in ToS. You can see all the enemies on the map, so no random battles, but fighting is so fun I hardly ever tried to avoide the baddies. Because you actually move around and attack the battles actually feel like battles. Combo your moves together, dodge an incoming magic attack, block and counter attacks, it's a big change from the ATB system. The normal enemie fights are usually over quick if you know what your doing, but boss battles are long and intense.
While combat is great, most people play RPG's for the story, and ToS delivers here aswell. While at first the story may seem all to familiar with the adventures of a certain summoner and her trip to bring an era of peace, well thats because it is. But don't worry, it will soon take a change for the better. The odd thing about the story was throughout the game I felt that I knew exactly what was going to happen next, and I was usually right. But right when what I thought would happen happens, something comes out of left feild and smacks me upside the head. Reflecting on the story reminds me of a magician. While your busy looking at the obvious, their getting ready to hit you with something you never saw coming.
Add to all that your usuall optional side quests for uber equipment, some mildly entertaining mini-games, new game+ feature, 3 costumes to unlock for each character, and the ability to affect relationship levels so you can buddy up with whomever party member you like best and you've got a great game with great replay value. Don't miss this one!
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