The Tales of Series | Shonen Anime in RPG Form (Complete Series Overview)

[Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] in a few of our previous videos we've briefly talked about some of the similarities between jrpgs and anime i mean come on they're both from japan oftentimes the in-game graphics and or character arts are heavily anime inspired and not always but usually it's a pretty safe bet to assume the story will feature something about a young main hero going on a journey of sorts joining up with various friends along the way as they eventually work their way towards defeating the evil villain and restoring peace to the land with that said not all jrpgs borrow as much inspiration from anime as some others do for example while the character designs in lost odyssey were designed by a famous japanese manga artist the actual in-game models are a bit more realistic and not too anime influenced whereas games like persona 5 on the other hand go all out with the anime setting and certainly influence up to max as much as the persona series screams anime though the school-like settings of the games make them a little bit different than the types of anime i grew up watching i was all about showing an anime you know the type of stuff you'd see in shonen jump dragon ball you you hack a show raroni kinshin and stuff like that these usually took place in more fantasy worlds and were a little less grounded in reality to me the jrpg series that best represents the shonen anime feel and vibe has got to be hands down the tale series whenever i play some of these games i'm just taken back to being a 12 year old kid again sitting on my couch watching toonami after school there's just so much i love about them the vibrance fantasy worlds the huge focus on character development and their relationships with one another the often present theme of overcoming adversity to achieve your desired outcome the sense of adventure that immerses you into the hero's journey and so on and so forth these beats all just feel so familiar and cozy to me i know a lot of people like to refer to dragon quest as jrpg comfort food and while i completely agree with that statement if you don't factor in the less traditional battle system i feel like the tail series falls in that camp as well for the most part outside of different themes and slight gameplay design choices between some of the titles you pretty much know what you're in for and the type of experience you're about to get at least for a lot of the older games some of the newer entries have started to branch out a bit speaking of newer entries though that's exactly why i wanted to make this video by the time this video comes out the newest entry in the tales series tales of arise will be releasing within the next one to two days with that in mind i thought this would be a perfect time to take a brief look back at all the older mainline games in the series and yes i specifically said mainline as if i were to cover all the spin-offs as well that would make this video way too long i feel like a lot of people are more interested about the mainline games anyway so yeah anyway this newest entry will likely bring a lot of new people to the series that might be curious to learn more about the previous games this one's for you guys and of course to the existing fans who just want to take a nostalgic trip down this iconic jrpg series lane enough chitchat though let's just dive into the meat of this video [Music] starting with tales of fantasia tales of fantasia was initially released back in 1995 for the super famicom it was developed by the wolf team otherwise known today as the namco sail studio the original super famicom version was never released outside of japan so we wouldn't see this game in english until the 2006 gameboy advance port there were also ps1 and psp port slash remakes as well but like the super famicom version the west didn't get those either being the first title in the series tales of fantasia obviously set a lot of staples going forward now familiar terms such as apple gels and orange gels for recovery items the whole dual world concept and stuff like that what really made this game stand out compared to other jrpgs at the time though was its unique 2d action-based battle system while the exploration style with the overworld map and visiting towns and dungeons was very similar to other jrpgs the gameplay on the other hand was definitely not there were no turn-based battles here just pure action battles did still take place on a different screen however making the game feel a lot different compared to other rpgs with action-based battle systems like secret of mana for example the developers called this the linear motion battle system it should not be understated just how unique this was for the time it was actually the first rpg to ever have a battle system like this to my knowledge now with that being said being the first of its kind of course it doesn't come without some flaws and is a bit rough around the edges these days while the gameplay would obviously be improved upon in later entries and doesn't necessarily hold up the best in current times everything else about the game absolutely does sound wise series composer moto sakaraba absolutely kills it here and visually the game is just stunning for a super famicom game easily one of the best looking games on the entire system jrpg or not it's also the only super famicom game to hold the title of containing a fully vocalized original song within the game plus there were voices in battle as well all these feats made tales of fantasia an absolute technical marvel at the time and was surely a sign of more good things to come the second game in the series would be tales of destiny and it would come out for the playstation in japan in 1997 and 1998 in north america this one was also developed by the wolf team as well while tales of fantasia received great reception and was praised for pushing the genre forward both in terms of technical aspects and the gameplay the reception and tales of destiny was a little more lukewarm for being released on the playstation it still very much looked and felt like a super nintendo game in its defense this would be a criticism of a lot of earlier playstation rpgs though as it wouldn't be until final fantasy 7 came along and really set things apart i don't mean to paint tales of destiny is a bad game either it's still a solid game that features great character design a cool enough story and awesome music it's just when being compared to other jrpgs at the time this is probably one of the only tales of titles that didn't stack up quite as favorably fortunately tales of eternia would come out a few years later and improve upon a lot of these aspects this one was also developed by the wolf team and came out for the playstation in 2000 in japan in 2001 in north america there was later a psp port as well that was released everywhere in the world besides north america go fig it was actually localized as tales of destiny 2 in its english release probably to help people know that it was in the same series as tales of destiny 1 but considering there was the tales of destiny 2 that came out in japan not too much later i'm not going to call it that to avoid confusion tales of eternia is the canonical name after all this one was actually my introduction to the series and while it didn't hook me in as much as some of the later entries i still remember having a good time with it graphically i think this game holds up great but it did still receive some criticism at the time as a lot of other jrpgs were doing the whole 3d thing by then it's no unpopular opinion to say that for the most part visually later 2d games sold up better than earlier 3d games so this actually works in its favor now tales of eternia received generally more favorable reception than its predecessor it was just a more complete game overall gameplay was a bit smoother and there was more stuff to do in many people's eyes it's the best 2d entry in the series as good as the game was though the tail series was still really niche even for jrpg standards at least in terms of western popularity as the series was pretty popular in japan unfortunately this would remain the case for a while longer as the next tails game wouldn't even get an english release tales of destiny 2 was released in japan for the playstation 2 in 2002 that was a lot of twos it was co-developed by both the wolf team and celine japan and would be the last title they would release under the wolf team moniker as is probably obvious by the title tales of destiny 2 is a direct sequel to the first tales of destiny game to this day there's still yet to be an english fan translation of this one so it continues to remain a mystery to a lot of us western fans for being a ps2 game this one still has a pretty similar graphical style and battle system compared to the previous games and doesn't look like it really did much to propel the series forward i'm sure it was a solid title just nothing groundbreaking compared to what we had seen before however in 2003 in japan in 2004 in north america the tales series would forever change as we know it and usher in a whole new wave of fans with the gamecube title tales of symphonia by this point the wolf team was renamed as the namco tale studio and man did they absolutely kill it here tales of symphonia was extremely popular in the west both in terms of critic reception and overall sales it was easily the best selling tales game they had ever had overseas it had the perfect recipe really not only was it an excellent game on its own merit but after the nintendo 64 it was the first more traditional type jrpg to be released on a nintendo console in a long time needless to say nintendo fans were pretty starved for jrpgs this was the series first foray into 3d and it added a level of immersion never seen before battles weren't technically in true 3d yet as they used what the developers called a multi-line linear motion battle system that kind of gave you the illusion of 3d but you still really only moved in certain preset lines there was just multiple of them as opposed to one but still it allowed for vastly different combat overall and was a much more satisfying experience what also helped this game stand out is that for us english fans it was the first time they had localized and included skits which are a major part of the story surprisingly these were actually cut out in the english versions of both tales of destiny and tales of eternia which really sucks because they add so much to the character dynamics and flesh them out a lot like these really drew me in in symphonia and helped develop the characters a lot better than the more one note personality they show during most story scenes by cutting these out you cut out an essential part of the tales experience so for them not to be in destiny or eternia was a damn shame while they still weren't voiced yet like they were in the japanese version i'm just happy we finally got em as i'm sure they helped draw in a lot of western fans to the series as well i had never seen anything like this in a jrpg before which just helped me appreciate it even more this may not have been the first tales game i ever played but it was the one that made me fall in love with the series we're actually working on a retrospective to this timeless classic right now so expect a video out on that in the next couple weeks the next game in the series was tales of rebirth for the playstation 2. this one was developed by the name coattail studio and was released in 2004 there was also a psp port released in 2008 but unfortunately the west hasn't gotten either of these versions or even a fan translation at that so yeah to us non-native japanese speakers we still don't know a lot about this one yet it looks like a unique blend of 2d and 3d though with this variation of the gameplay being called the three-line linear motion battle system battles are in 2d and take place on three lines as the name suggests from what i've gathered online the story in this one seems to deal with some pretty heavier themes about different species coexisting and the racism within that given this one was never released in english though there's only so much i can say about it with that said it does look really cool so maybe one of these days they can finally bring it over we did actually just feature this game in our recent video about 8 great jrpgs that were never released outside of japan so if you're curious to hear a little more about it then check that video out luckily for us western fans the next entry in the tales series would make it stateside again tales of legenda would come out for the playstation 2 in 2005 in japan in 2006 in north america unlike all the previous games in the series prior to this one a different development team by the name of project melphis actually took full control here the main team was working on tales of the abyss at that time so they formed this small collective group with members from the namco tale studio along with their tekken and soul calibur departments being that it was developed by a different team this one has a quite a different feel and overall tone compared to previous tales games and to some people is considered the black sheep of the series personally when i first played this as a kid i was expecting something more along the lines of tales of symphonia so i was a little disappointed to be honest now that i'm older though i've come to appreciate it in ways that i didn't back then the battle system isn't 2d but it's much more fun than the previous tales 2d battle systems the members from the tekken and soul calibur departments may have had something to do with that music wise the soundtrack here is absolutely incredible moto sakaraba did not compose this one as it was composed by goshina instead and he really outdid himself to many fans it's considered one of the best soundtracks in the entire series if not the best while this may not be a popular opinion i still do know a lot of people that consider tales of legenda to be one of their favorites in the series while i do think it's a good game it's not one of my personal favorites but i do respect others taste as there's a lot to love here the next entry tales of the abyss would be released for the playstation 2 in 2005 in japan in 2006 to north america it would later be ported to the 3ds as well this was the game the main namco tale studio was working on while the other one was focusing on tales of legenda while some of the previous games had 3d style graphics this was the first one in the series to actually feature full 3d battles with the introduction of the free run mechanic by holding l2 you had full control to move in complete 3d being able to circle enemies or whatever else this was absolutely groundbreaking for the series and became a staple going forward when it comes to the plot in my opinion the story and tales of the abyss is easily one of the stronger ones in the entire series and character development wise i think it hands down does have the best example with its main character luke fonfabra he may be annoying as hell at first but man is that payoff worth it his whole arc and journey is just handled so well we actually just cover this game in a full retrospective not too long ago so if you want to hear some more of my detailed thoughts on this one be sure to check that video out tales of innocence would be the next tales game to come out but like some of the previous entries this one never made it to the west either in japan though it was released in 2007 for the nintendo ds and would later get a remake for the ps vita this was the second game in the series not to be developed by the namco tale studio and instead was developed by alpha system it was also the first mainline game to have its initial release come out for a handheld while we never got an official english release an english fan translation does exist so this one is actually playable battles took place in 3d and were quite similar to tales of the abyss compared to the other mainline games though i would say this is one of the weaker entries in the series honestly it's still a pretty solid title it's just that with the quality of some of the other games it just doesn't stack up quite as well so after one of the weaker entries in the series what would come next well naturally one of the strongest titles to date of course tales of vesperia was released for the xbox 360 in both japan and america in 2008 this one was developed by the name coattail studio and it is an excellent title i hate to use the term objective because stuff like the story and characters are always a matter of opinion but as a complete overall game it really is just one of the best in the series there's just so much content here and the gameplay is so polished easily the most polished in the series up until this point honestly even though this game came out all the way back in 2008 i still think it's the best looking title in the entire series no joke that cel-shaded style and all the vibrant colors are absolutely timeless and still look fantastic to this day i really don't know why they didn't continue to use this style it's so gorgeous yuri is also an amazing protagonist and his rebellious nature was a breath of fresh air for the series overall this is one of my personal favorite tales games for sure it was only made better with the release of the definitive edition in 2019 for the nintendo switch there's an extra playable character and just way more content in general really the only thing i can fault vesperia for is that the story isn't really the best and does start to lose some focus as the game goes on the next game in the series would be tales of hearts this one was developed by the namco tale studio and was initially released in japan only for the nintendo ds in 2008 surprisingly though there would be an english remake for the ps vita several years later due to it coming out on a handheld and during a time when jrpgs weren't incredibly popular this one kinda got overlooked even amongst tales of fans a lot of people may not even know what's considered a mothership title actually or have even played it being that the vita still remains the only way to play it to this day with the pretty high cost of entry unfortunately that probably plays a pretty big factor i'm assuming if this one were to ever get a switch port i can almost guarantee the western tales fans would eat it up and start giving it more of the praise and attention that it deserves for new and old fans alike it's worth checking out tales of graces was the next tales of game to grace us with its presence it was developed by the namco tale studio and was released for the wii in 2009 that version never made it to the states however the west wouldn't see this one until the ps3 port in 2012 this one did have extra content with additional story sequences so i'd say the wait was worth it grace's is a pretty unique entry in the series in the sense that you start the game playing as kids and then eventually play as their adult versions after a time skip or teenage versions whatever the plot leans a little too much into the whole power of friendship trope in my opinion but i do have to give the game credit for the scope of its story the gameplay is also top notch as well and features one of the most fun battle systems in the entire series this was the first mainline console tails game not to feature an overworld map so that's pretty sad though with the tales of esparia styled map i think this one could have been even better i know that's just a personal preference though as i am a sucker for overworld maps overall this is still a solid entry in the series the next entry in the series would be tales of zelia for the playstation 3. this one was developed by the namco tale studio and was released in 2011 for japan and a whole two years later in 2013 in north america this was another unique title as it allowed us the option to choose between two main characters at the beginning of the game including both male and female representation the story doesn't necessarily change but you do get some interesting insights and perspective on the game's events based on who you choose in general the characters here are some of my favorites in the series like alvin gaius and even rowan we need more badass grandpas and jrpgs battles are also loads of fun and in my opinion this one has the best skill system in the entire series it's pretty similar to the sphere grid from final fantasy 10 and it's just so satisfying to fill out and progress in the exploration style isn't really my preference though and sometimes the game does feel a little rushed but overall this is still a really solid title and one of my favorites in the series i guess i wasn't the only one who felt that way as this one was popular enough to get a direct sequel in tales of zelia ii it was released for the playstation 3 in japan in 2012 and 2014 in north america by this point the namco tales studio had merged with their publisher namco bandai games and would release all future tales games under this name tales of zelia 2 is pretty interesting in the sense that it's still considered a mothership title despite being a sequel to the one before it tales of destiny 1 and 2 sort of did this although despite taking place in the same world for the most part the characters were all different and it had its own standalone plot and tales of symphonia dawn of the new world is considered a spin-off actually and not a mothership title so we don't talk about that one tales of zilean 2 on the other hand takes place one year after the events of the first game and features all of those same characters so yeah you pretty much have to play the first game in order to play this one if you want to be able to fully appreciate the story that is and story wise this one does get pretty dark darker than most tales games for sure the combat in this is also improved upon the original with various weapon play styles for the main character speaking of the main character for the first time in the series we were given a southern protagonist given the nature of the game requiring you to make a lot of choices it does kind of make sense i guess but i don't know i'm just not a fan of a southern protagonist in a series that's supposed to be known for its character interaction it's probably not a coincidence that they decided not to revisit this idea after this one it just doesn't work that well with the types of games these are this plus the whole depth system really kind of drags the game down for me but it's still a pretty fun title overall the next game tales of zestaria would be released worldwide for the ps3 and the ps4 in 2015. this game was a unique entry as it's the only one to be co-composed by both motoi sakaraba and goshina this was the 20th anniversary to the series so i guess they felt it was necessary to bring on both hey no complaints here what there were complaints about though was sort of the advertising around this game a lot of the promotional material was heavily pushing a certain female character that ended up not even being playable for most of the game this kind of rubbed some people the wrong way and did cause a little controversy back then the dlc they later released about said character didn't really help either some fans just saw that as a cash grab after building interest for her character in hindsight this obviously doesn't affect the game at all it's just kind of interesting to look back on as far as the actual game it's not bad it has a lot of great ideas for sure but kinda falls short on some execution some stuff is just way too convoluted like the equipment system for example the battle system is fun though and i'm a big fan of the overall aesthetic along with the lore in this game so it definitely has its pros and cons it's not one of my personal favorites in the series but there are some notable aspects to it so i could see how some others would really enjoy this one [Music] alright so the most recent and latest mothership title we have is tales of bursaria this one was released in japan for the ps3 and ps4 in 2016 in 2017 in north america kind of like tales of symphonia berseria helped bring in a lot of new fans to the series it got really good reception from both fans and critics alike with its super polished gameplay and darker themes in the main story this was also our first time getting a female protagonist so that was pretty cool tales of zelia did give us the option of one with mila but in this one you have no choice you are velvet in the story and on a quest for revenge a lot of people consider this one to be one of the better entries in the series and perhaps the best out of the newest generation of tales games while there are a handful of titles i do prefer over this one it's still a great game overall and with that that is all 16 mothership tales titles to this date and obviously with tales of her eyes about to come out that'll mark 17. how's it going to hold up only time will tell with that said by the looks of it i have some pretty high expectations and think it's going to be an amazing entry in the series at least so i'm hoping i was kind of feeling that the series was in need of an overhaul while not abandoning what made it so loved in the process and arise looks to do just that i'm really excited to dive into this one here soon enough if you guys enjoyed this video it would mean a lot if you could either hit that like button or even consider subscribing if you want to see more tales content like retrospectives the complete series ranking where to start video whatever just let us know in the comments below we do have a retrospective over tales of symphonia coming out pretty soon so look out for that one as always huge thank you to our patreon supporters your generosity is very much appreciated other than that thanks for watching everyone and hope you have an awesome day this is gaming productions until next time [Music] you

Channel: Gaming Broductions

Views: 83,450

Keywords: tales series, tales of series, tales of arise, tales series retrospective, tales series review, shonen rpgs, shonen anime rpgs, shonen video games, best games in tales series, where to start tales series, tales series ranking

Id: gP9nd5KSpRU

Length: 27min 5sec (1625 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 10 2021