In 2000, Tales of Eternia was released on the PS in Japan, and the following year in America as Tales of Destiny II (Ie. nothing to do with the actual Tales of Destiny sequel featuring Kairu and gang). Like all Tales of series, this game was an instant hit, so much so that it received its own anime and manga titles - both successes in their own right. Sadly, this title never did reach the shores of the rest of the world, which was really shocking news then for RPG gamers everywhere.

After 5 long years, the nice chaps at Namco finally decided to recreate this wonderful title on the PSP. It sure took them a while, but gamers like me aren’t complaining now that we have the chance to experience possibly the most popular Tales of game ever. Make no doubt about it, this game is not only a success, it’s going to be a classic for a long, long time to come.

Classic, Addictive Tales of Battle System

If you’ve played a Tales of game before, you would know what to expect of Eternia. But for the uninitiated, the battle system is real-time and battle scene takes place on a straight line (ie. Two dimensional), where you control one character while the AI takes care of the rest. The battle system is more action-oriented compared to other RPGs, meaning you actually press a button to slash a character, defend yourself or initiate a combo. This is unlike the traditional turn-based RPG where you choose an option like “Attack” or “Magic” and watch the game character does it for you.

During battles, every action that you do takes up TP, which is replenish-able by using items or just waiting till end of the fight. Because of this, battle strategies become extremely important because you don’t want to run out of TP and become sitting ducks, especially during boss fights.

In my opinion, Eternia is also a little harder than some other RPGs because of the bosses and the necessity to block. In this game, no longer can you smash the attack buttons and expect to win a boss fight unless you are grossly over-leveled. Bosses are true to their names and can be extremely tough. You’ll have to outwit them tactically or out-muscle them by leveling up your characters. I remember meeting my first boss at level 16 and finally killing it at level 20, though I’m sure if I were better at setting tactics I would have kicked its ass at level 17-18. This makes the game challenging, but in a fun way.

Character leveling is nicely balanced in Eternia. You start off with a little stick the game calls an “axe” as well as some basic moves, and slowly make your way up to top-notch equipments that cost a bomb, and super moves that you won’t be able to do without at the later stages. Your main protagonist has a range of equipment to choose from, each superior than the others in certain areas; and this makes choosing your style pure heaven or a splitting headache depending on how you like customisation in a game. In the end, it’s fun to watch your characters become more powerful with each level. You’ll be enticed to level up, which is a good thing because you will be doing a lot of it in Eternia.

Why Can’t They Make More Stories Like This?

Oh man, the story of Eternia is great. Compared to the later Tales like Legendia and Abyss, the storyline of Eternia is by far one of the more, if not the most, superior in terms of plot and characterisation. The story starts off cliché enough, Reid is an ordinary teenager who hunts for his village while his friend, Farah, works at the fields. But things quickly take a turn when a mysterious girl appears from the sky and crashes into a tower near town. As the duo tries to help the girl, they are attacked and as a result, the girl is cast out by the village elders. Of course, Reid and Farah tag along and thus begin their glorious adventure that is Tales of Eternia.

The characters are probably the strongest point of Eternia. They have varying, genuinely-likeable personalities; and their styles are reflected by the moves assigned to them by the game. Also, they are not one-dimensional like those from some of the later Tales of games (ie. Coolidge from Legendia comes to mind). All in all, I believe you’ll actually enjoy controlling Feid and helping his friends save the world, instead of smiling sinisterly whenever they fall to one of the tougher bosses.

To me, Eternia resembles one of the last great stories under the Tales of series. Though the series continued to be a hit on the PS2, the drama and superb storytelling associated with the Tales of franchise seems to have fizzled out by the time it hits Tales of the Abyss, which is a shame in my honest opinion. It could just be me, but game developers might be trying just a tad too hard to rush through their work in a race to release the next big thing. Seeing how the old RPGs like Eternia and FFVII tend to stay longer in the minds of gamers, perhaps a little more patience might do well for both the industry and gamers alike.

Truly Timeless

The graphics of Eternia are pretty outstanding. Though I did not play the original PS version and do not know how much graphical upgrades were given to the title, Eternia does not look at all like a game made in 2000. Perhaps it is the colourful world or the highly detailed characters, or simply the fact that the game animators had spent a heck of an effort on this title; but I suspect gamers will be playing this title a decade from now and still not feel that the game is outdated in the graphical department in any way.

As of all Tales of titles, the opening movie gets a special mention. I don’t know how they do it but time after time, the Tales of developer manages to get it right in setting a particular “feel” with their anime-style openings. In my opinion, it’s still a little off compared to the unmatchable opening of Tale of Destiny II, but as far as anime-style game movies are concerned, you seldom get anything better than the Tales of franchise.

Generally, the sounds of Eternia aren’t bad but they are not outstanding. Offhand, I can’t think of a memorable piece of music in Eternia (aka “Aeries’ theme of FFVII) but this doesn’t mean that the things you hear is BAD in any way. The characters are vocalised too and it really gives your party members a certain charm and appeal. On the flip side, battle sounds get a bit repetitive and I do wish there were more variety than hearing the hero go “Argh! Argh!” all the time.

In a Nutshell, Go Get This!

For a game made some 7-8 years ago, Tales of Eternia has given me far more enjoyment than many contemporary RPGs. Along with FFVII, Tales of Destony II, and perhaps the older Persona games, this is one RPG to keep so that you can relive it every few years from now.

Due to perhaps the need for more memorable music and sounds, PSPHyper gives this a Near-Perfect 4.5 out of 5.

Posted in PSP, Reviews on Monday, May 28th, 2007 at 11:17 am |
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