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Tales Of Symphonia Review - Gamecube

Isn't it great that the Gamecube is in the middle of an RPG onslaught? The N64 was...well, lacking in the RPG department, but nowadays things finally seem to be changing for the better. Tales of Symphonia is a little gem that most gamers would tend to overlook, but it's well worth a checking out.

Tales of Symphonia is set in Sylvarant, a world suffering from a lack of mana. This depletion has resulted in more monsters around the place, and more humans being enslaved by the evil Desians. The only way to rejuvenate the mana supplies is by the Chosen One (a new one's conveniently born each generation) praying at numerous seals. The Chosen One will then be transformed into an angel, will climb the Tower of Salvation and wake the goddess Martel. Martel will then regenerate Sylvarant. Simple.

Well...not quite as simple as you might initially think. Tethe'alla is a world that mirrors Sylvarant, and Sylverant's well-being will result in Tethe'alla's destruction. As you progress through the world, it become increasingly apparent that for every action there is a reaction.

One of the most appealing (or unappealing, depending on whether you're a die-hard RPG traditionalist) is the battle system. It's real-time, and you'll have to be quick on your feet if you don't want to be mercilessly slaughtered. Attacks can be mapped to your character, and performed with the A button (in various directions), or the B button. A button is physical attacks, like with your sword, and the B button is used for magic attacks. Attacks are learnt through repetition of a technique. Once mastered, a new skill will often become available. Obviously, magical attacks deplete mana, but handily, physical attacks will restore it one point at a time.

Battles are great fun. I have to admit, I not always the biggest fan of turn-based stuff, so this concept greatly appealed to me, and no doubt will attract gamers that may have shunned it were it in true RPG style. Your party members, who can be set to various degrees of control, are pretty clever. You can assign them tactics like 'hold back' or 'attack from side', as well as control mana use by telling them to 'use only mana', 'use little mana' and so forth. For item use and other option, hitting Y pauses the battle and brings up a menu. A meter then comes up and counts down the time the item will take, during which time the user will be vulnerable to attacks. Obviously, a simple potion is quicker to use than to revive an opponent.

The world of Sylvarant is huge, and filled with monsters. Again, straying away from the traditional RPGs is being able to see the enemies on screen. That's right, there are no random encounters. On one hand, you can dodge the creatures if you're hurrying along, or low on health, but on the other hand, you may ignore levelling up and stat-raising. This is where (continued next page)