Tales of Symphonia Remastered
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platforms: Xbox One, Playstation 4 (Reviewed), PC, Switch
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $39.99 – Available Here
Overview
Tales of Symphonia is up there in the conversation of not only one of the greatest “Tales” titles, but also one of the most memorable Action-RPGs of all time. While we have seen a re-release before, Bandai Namco are out to bring the favorite to modern platforms with Tales of Symphonia Remastered. Is this newer version worth a look, or is remake fatigue setting in? Let’s find out.
Story
I would imagine most would understand the Story of Tales of Symphonia, and not a lot has changed with this remastered version. Players take the role of Lloyd, who along with a party of brave citizens are out to restore the world’s mana while looking after a young girl who is the key to their success. Sure, there are a lot of tropes here, but those familiar will find that almost nothing has changed, and the narrative is exactly the way you will remember it. The story flows through progression in the form of cutscenes. Skits also take place, allowing players to get campy dialogue from the heroes as they interact with the world around them. That is fine, but I do feel that skits can feel a bit intrusive as prompts beg you to give these non-voiced sections a watch, even if the moment for them has already passed. I personally don’t find a lot wrong with dialogue to expand the story for any game, but here it just feels dated and unnecessary in their older form.
Gameplay
Remasters usually bring a lot to the table when it comes to revamping archaic mechanics. Tales of Symphonia Remastered still plays fine for the most part, but a total lack of polish and optimization make it show its age far more than what is needed. For battles, players enter a screen and can move around with their squad, with the ability to attack, block, or use magic or items to their benefit when needed. Again, there isn’t anything “broke” with this style, and fans of the franchise will feel right at home as they level up and learn arts that truly keep these techniques interesting and fluid.
The poor optimization mainly comes from the lack of updates. Battling is fine, but overworld enemies are represented by generic black blobs, skulls, and other sprites that kind of make the experience feel rushed. Sure, this was in the original, but two decades have passed and seeing updates like we do with the likes of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy in terms of design would have kept this experience feeling richer and more enjoyable. On top of that, the game chugs during simple exploration. It’s as if the testing was minimal, and the cohesion of the world you are in was a bit of an afterthought. I love older RPGs and played this title in original state on the Gamecube quite a bit back in the day, but from the menus to the sluggish battles, there is no doubt its ready for an overhaul to truly earn its “remaster” status, as this isn’t quite that.
With all the critique, I must say that there are still some original ideas that shine. Cooking adds a nice layer of depth to the game’s mechanics, and makes shopping feel meaningful and unique. The gem system in place is also satisfying, as building skill sets is fantastic and keeps the combat from feeling mundane or dull. It’s just a shame that the core experience isn’t as immersive as it once was. Tales of Symphonia deserves all of its accolades, but this version is really a reminder of why this franchise has seen multiple updates, and it feels like a huge step backward to jump in yet again outside from the narrative and nostalgia attached to the release.
Visuals
If anything needs fixing in Tales of Symphonia Remastered, it would be the visuals. You know how cheaper RPGs look when they’re optimized for a mobile device? Characters that once felt expressive now lack outlines that make them fit within the world, and animations even in cutscenes and skits look poor. Overlays and dialogue boxes are also rough, as their clean look doesn’t mesh with the art style, and makes the experience look cheap and dated this time around. These issues don’t hold a candle to general animations either, as the game hiccups when simply brushing up against walls or the edges of a path. I love the art style of Symphonia and the characters are still recognizable, it’s just that the presentation is now so all over the place that we lost a good amount of the charm with the subtle changes to clean up what really didn’t need cleaning.
Audio
The audio is great. Yes, it is a relief that the soundtrack still rocks as much as it did, and the voice cast still sounds great after all these years. I would have liked to have seen some more fan service, such as a soundtrack jukebox since this is such an acclaimed release, but alas, what is here audibly works well enough, and most will find that the lack of changes with the sound are serviceable enough to make it through a playthrough with little problem.
Overall
Tales of Symphonia Remastered feels rushed and dated, with new menus and odd optimization that doesn’t just need a patch, but a total rehaul. New players will enter and feel a atmosphere of generic sprites and a presentation that leaves a lot to be desired, while the older crowd are likely to be alienated by the lack of…remastering within this release. If you have no other way to join Lloyd and the gang pick this up on the cheap as there still is a lot to love. Those who still have their older versions, however, will probably be more content to keep those around and await a remake that just doesn’t feel as outstanding as it should. Remasters should be a tribute to an experience and too many other studios before this one have the bar set just a little too high for this one to squeak by getting a solid recommendation.
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