Valinor90 Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Dear psnprofiles community and fans of the Tales video game series, I need your help and advice. While scanning through the latest sale on the PS store, I found some an offer that caught my attention immediately. Since a long time im waiting to get back in some JPRG's! Lucky me, almost all the games of the Tales series are currently under 10 Swiss francs and are just waiting to get downloaded ? however I have no idea where to start!!! Is there a particular entry in the series that is especially interesting for a newcomer to get to know the game mechanics? Or do I need to play them in a certain sequence to understand the overall story? Tales of Berseria (PS3/PS4) Tales of Graces f (PS3) Tales of Symphonia (PS3) Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (PS3) Tales of Xillia (PS3) Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3) Tales of Zestiria (PS3 or PS4) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndresLionheart Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 You should probably start with Symphonia, since it has a good battle system for a newcomer. It's simple yet fun. It doesn't have free run, the mechanic that lets you run around the battlefield in 3D, so going back to it after playing any of the others can feel weird. The story is very nice, too. After that one you can go to any other that is not Zestiria or Dawn of the New World. Those 2 can be skipped altogether. The stories are standalone, aside from the ones that have the same name, obviously, so that is not an issue in picking which one to start. Xillia has the best battle system from these. It's fast and has very few limitations. Berseria has one of the better stories and its battle system is also very free flowing, although a little less than Xillia. Graces f comes third in battle systems. The story is okay but a lot of people don't like the characters that much for some reason. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyonmyan Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Make sure to skip Zestiria, my dude, it's not worth it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordguwa Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) as someone who has played xillia and the sequel i think this one is the easiest have played symphonia but hadn't had much luck with it. if i knew the enemy list by area i could probably pull off playing it, just so many things to multi-task and at least 4-5 types of playthrough's. Edited August 24, 2018 by kingdrake2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndresLionheart Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 10 minutes ago, kingdrake2 said: as someone who has played xillia and the sequel i think this one is the easiest have played symphonia but hadn't had much luck with it. if i knew the enemy list by area i could probably pull off playing it, just so many things to multi-task and at least 4-5 types of playthrough's. He didn't ask about trophies. He only wants to know which one is a good start for someone new to the series. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willreaper41 Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) Don't worry about the order, for the most part they aren't really connected except by loose mechanics and what not. Besides, there are more than that and a semi-related side series. Personally I would go with Tales of Graces f, it seems to be more newbie friendly so to speak. The others are a bit more complicated and Symphonia New World just flips the entire script for some reason. Edited August 24, 2018 by Willreaper41 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shinku_Tachi Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 You're golden with any in that list except for Xillia 2 (should play Xillia 1 first before playing that) or Zestiria and Dawn of the New World (I wouldn't recommend either of those two to anyone). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eigen-space Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) Probably start with Graces. Of the recent releases, it's the one with the most consistency for positive ratings. I personally started with Xillia, which hooked me from the get-go. Visuals are sharp, battle system is fun, characters are great, the entire story actually makes sense (some Tales plots get a little convoluted), and the soundtrack is great. Best opening movie as well. Zestiria is definitely considered to be the worst due to it's battle system and sometimes gappy plot (I personally like it). Symphonia seems to be the most polarizing among fans, and the opinion people form seems like it's highly dependent on when you first played it, with the biggest fans of it being those that initially played it on GameCube (I'm personally not a fan of this game, with it being my least favorite entry... though I haven't played DotNW). Note-- Definitely get Berseria. It's hands down the best title, though it's not necessarily the best place to start the series as it has a slightly different tone than most other games in the series. You don't need Zestiria for it either despite that Berseria is in the same universe, though it is fun story-wise to play both of them in quick succession imo. Edited August 24, 2018 by eigen-space 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undead Wolf Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I would suggest starting with Tales of Xillia, since not only is it a brilliant game, I feel like it's a bit less complicated and easier than some of the other titles. It's still one of my favourites in the series too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champ147 Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I personally started with Symphonia back on the Gamecube. So Symphonia is a good one, after that I would say Graces or maybe Xillia. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDavidson Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I was once a newcomer not so long ago and starting with Xillia ain’t a bad choice, that’s what I did. To be honest I haven’t played any other (simply because it’s hard to get into JRPGs with limited game time), but do own most of them since. What is said here by others is pretty much universal from what I’ve been reading on other forums. They’re all good but Symphonia is hard to go back to after playing others and Zestiria is the odd one out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlchemistWer Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 2 hours ago, nyonmyan said: Make sure to skip Zestiria, my dude, it's not worth it. Best answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vrisnem Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I'm glad you made this thread because I've been wanting to try this series too but found it a little intimidating to know where to start. ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratchet2425 Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I personally started with Xillia 1 a few years ago, and loved everything about it (especially the combat system). In general the stories of these games are different from each other, but games like Xillia 1 & 2 are linked (obviously), Dawn of the New World is a sequel to Symphonia, and Zestiria & Berseria's stories are in the same universe but you don't have to play one before the other to understand either. I found a video about this exact situation a couple months ago that I think describes where to start better than I certainly could: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xillia Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I 100% agree with everything that @eigen-space said. Start with either Graces or Xillia. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautifulTorment Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I also have to say Graces is the best and probably the second most accessible next to Xillia 1. The first Xillia is a little simpler but still very good. I would suggest Graces or Xillia, you can't go wrong with either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Lava_Yuki Posted August 24, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 24, 2018 I played them all and also both the vita titles and old JP titles, and out of the ones you listed, besides Xillia and Xillia 2 and Symphonia + DOTW, they aren't connected. Berseria takes place before Zesteria but the connection is indirect, although there are a few characters that pop up in both so it's better to play ToZ before ToB in my opinion. The easiest by far was Xillia, so it's great for a newcomer if difficulty level is something you are worried about. But if you have no problem with action games, then story-wise it's average imo, not the best and very short but if you're looking for an easy start into the series, it's a good one to go for. A 50 hour short and sweet plat. My no. 1 will always be vesperia, I played it on the PS3 and it was by far my favourite game. It has so much to do, probably the most out of the entire series with 9 playable characters (instead of the usual 6 and 4 in Zestiria), 2 instead of just 1 post game dungeon, and a bucket load of sub events/ side quests, mini games, challenging but time consuming trophies needing 100% in everything (took me 127 hours to plat), and the characters are great. Yuri is one of the two most popular Tales characters, Leon from Destiny being the other. If you are looking for a great all round title with lots of extra stuff, a challenging set of trophies, lots of characters to really create your own party and decent enough story, Vesperia is the one to go for. If you don't know Japanese, I hear the english one is coming out on the PS4 soon which I'd say is a must if you get into the series. Plat is about 120+ hours, but requires extreme precision due to the sheer number of missables from the very start, so this needs a guide by your side for the plat. Xillia 2: only good if you play the first game. Great mechanics, darker and more mature story line with player choices throughout and three different endings. It also has a large number of party characters like ToV, and the debt system and trophies are extremely boring and grindy (took me 120 hours to plat), but it has the best story in my opinion. The game also goes into the other characters backgrounds a lot via side quests which the other Tales don't do as well. Symphonia: Excellent and emotional story and characters, but it's really old and dated with 2D graphics and a super old school battle system. It's best play this first before you get to used to the superior graphics and battle systems of all the other Tales, as it can be tough to go back afterwards. It is also the most difficulty and time consuming plat, and the only one I did not manage to get. Zesteria: No comment, i hated this game with a passion and had to force myself through the story before selling it. Can't say anything more. ToS DOTW: Even worse, I couldn't even play this for more than an hour. It was so cringy with lovey dovey scenes that I was too embarrassed to go on. Far too childish, and I didn't like the battle system which was like FF13-2: Two human characters and then monster catching to fight with you. But the corny scenes and skits were just too much for my eyes and ears. Graces F: This was my very first Tales. To put it short, it's a very cute fluffy game with themes of love, friendship, marriage/ romance and family. I thought it was nice and cute, but if you're not into the fluffy stuff, you might not enjoy the scenes. The battle system however is one of the best in the series, it actually my favourite battle system so if it's gameplay mechanics you're after, then it's good to play. The dungeons are all puzzle based as opposed to just exploring. It's an ok plat with a lot of farming, but it took me 70 hours. Berseria: I loved this game, it was like a mix of being the anti-hero from Vesperia and the darker/ more mature story from Xillia 2. Themes are revenge, and battles are fast paced focussing on combos and going in for the kill as opposed to defensive or recovery, as the recovery artes in this game suck. The story is very different from the usual hero scenario, so it's a refreshing play and the characters are a funny mix. It's got a good battle system, although the MC Velvet is so overpowered compared to the other characters who are a lot weaker, so there is imbalance there when you want to play as the others. But the game is great overall for both story and gameplay, so would really recommend it on the PS4. It's an easy but grindy plat, took me 100 hours. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladesoframen Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 If you plan to play all of ones you listed, I would start with Symphonia first, just because it would feel incredibly dated if you go back to it after another game (I think it is the first game with a 3d battle system), even going back to play Phantasia felt better with its 2d battle system. If you want to play the entire series, then I guess you should just start with Phantasia so you can see the progression of graphics. If you want to just get used to the series, almost any of the ones you listed above except Zesteria and Dawn of the New World. I have heard ppl playing Xillia 2 without 1 and still enjoying it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valinor90 Posted August 24, 2018 Author Share Posted August 24, 2018 WOW I'm truly speechless....Thanks every single one of you ? I really appreciated all the effort you have put into your advices! This shows me one more time why I love the forum here so much. Just gamers helping gamers, showing what they love and let other enjoy it too...you cannot wish for more ? This thread will definitely help me a lot during my decision-making!!!!!! Now I can't wait to get home and hope onto the online store^^ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoxasOnFire Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I agree with Symphonia. I mean you have the original Teen Titans cast as most the actors lol. Then maybe wait for Vesperia, it's out soon and is a great one. I enjoyed the xillia series quite a but but those 2 are my favs. Berseria may too them if the story gets better. But symphonia will blow you away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N7Spartansw0rd Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 You can start with Berseria, its great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tankor_smash Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Graces was my favorite. I could see starting with Symphonia or Xillia for all of the reasons that other people have mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantes_994 Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 Honestly, wait for Vesperia, then play Berseria and Xillia, those are the top 3 on the ps3 and 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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