Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition Review

"Classic Refined"

Campaign

February 20, 2019 at 3:20am

This is a classic JRPG from the last generation, it was always highly talked about and I was excited to finally check it out. Coming from Tales of Berseria which was my first look at the franchise I was definitely enjoying this. The Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition delivers various improvements to the overall experience. The visuals have been given a boost and performance has been smoothed out. There are new music tracks; exciting mini games, bosses, and a collection of unreleased costume DLC from another region.

On top of that Patty Fleur and Flynn Scifo are now available to join the party for the first time. It's a nice extra boost in content, and the additions definitely enhance the package. The narrative follows a close and expanding group of allies. It usually revolves around Yuri Lowell on his quest to restore the protection power to a local area. He gets a bit side tracked with helping someone from the castle and the journey goes on from there. It's an epic story filled with a focused narrative and side quests if you go off the beaten path. There are of course other activities, but you'll discover those along the way.

Gameplay

Tales of Vesperia is a live battle JRPG. You'll work on your group, swap up characters and work to battle various enemies. Combat takes place within a small confined area and a fine balance of items are what might keep your crew going. You'll come across a number of enemy groupings as you're out adventuring. There will be larger boss-like creatures to take on as well. For the most part you'll explore expansive areas, to then race across a larger over the top map display.

You have to manually save in this one, and that's an example of where this does feel a bit aged. Some elements generally hold up well, yet others do lag behind. I thought the visuals were generally great. They're vibrant, colorful and there are many distinct environments to explore. I would have appreciated an Xbox One X enhancement however. I did also find that some of the backdrops were a bit bland and empty, they could have done more with it at this point.

The Conclusion

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition is the refined return of a classic JRPG experience. Some elements haven't aged entirely well, but the story is epic even at this point. There are some great characters, and many distinct ways to have the story delivered. There are general discussions during gameplay, pop-up comic-like strips which were animated and neat, along with full on cutscenes.

They certainly are creative in displaying the story and it is generally entertaining. I loved the dynamics at play with the crew as it continued to grow over time. The visuals were fairly solid, I just mostly wish they would have enhanced more for the definitive experience. Again, some things haven't aged well though for the most part this is a compelling package.

Read our Tales of Berseria Review
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Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition Review on Xbox One X
Review Code Provided by 47

Rating Overall: 8.0