Arguably the best game in the entire Tales series. Most elements of the game have been done better in other entries, but this one is probably the best overall package. The characters, gameplay, world, story, combat, skits, graphics, music, voice acting, and sidequests are all 8/10 or higher... or at least they were in the original XBOX version.

For 10 years we sorry western nerds had to sit and watch as the Japanese got a ton of extra content in the PS3 version of the game that never got translated. Flynn as a party member, Patty the all new member, multiple Mystic Artes per character, a ton of new story content, and so much more? Wow it sucks to be a weeaboo... But then we finally got it here in Definitive Edition! Horay! And it's... um...

Troy Baker had to go and become a superstar since the original version, so NamcoBandai didn't even try to bring him back to voice Yuri's new lines. The guy they got to replace him is... jarring. Not bad, but... eh... Patty sucks. There's no way around it. Her lines are goofy as ♥♥♥♥, and her VA sounds like she's never acted before in her life. I could keep going, but the general theme is that a lot of the new content isn't nearly as good as we'd dreamed of it being, but it's not all bad.

The stuff they added to the gameplay is especially great. This was already probably the deepest combat system in the series, and holy blastia, Batman, they somehow made it even better. Of course, you can still just turn the difficulty down and mash a few buttons to win, but that's like playing Devil May Cry and not trying for combos or high grades. The fun isn't in winning, it's in winning with style. And weird changes in the MC's voice aside, it is an overall positive to have literally everything voiced now, including the little sidequest text.

And I can't stress enough just how solid the original game is underneath it all. These are great characters. This is really great music. This is one of the best worlds the series has ever made, up there with Tales of Phantasia/Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss. If you've only played the recent entries in the series (or God forbid, if you've only played that piece of fermented aardvark feces, Tales of Arise), I strongly urge you to pick up this game.

The Tales games were never the same after Vesperia. After this one they steadily discarded elements of the formula that had been staples since all the way back in Tales of Phantasia. And that's a shame, because I'd argue this entry, the final one to truly feel like a successor to Phantasia, Symphonia, Eternia, and the Abyss, took all of the best elements from each of those great predecessors, and combined them into this game, this legendary game, this peak of the Tales of Series, which has yet to be matched by any of the games since, and not from lack of trying (except from Arise, which is the JRPG embodiment of lack of trying).

I 100% recommend this game to anyone who loves the classic Tales of games, especially given the price the game goes for these days. If you're new to the game or the series, be aware that it takes a while for for the combat mechanics to open up and that the game can be played through multiple times.

⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠉⠉⠉⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⠉⢿⣿
⣿⣿⡿⠛⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢘⣿
⣿⠟⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣀⢀⠄⣀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣼⣿
⠇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⣤⣤⣴⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣦⠄⠄⢺⣿
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⠄⢸⣿
⠄⠄⠄⠄⢰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⢸⣿
⠄⠄⠄⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⠛⠛⠻⣿⣿⡿⠛⠉⠄⠉⠉⣻⣾⣿
⡆⠄⠄⢸⣿⣿⣿⡟⢀⠔⠒⡀⠄⣸⣿⣷⡄⡈⢉⠁⣠⣿⣹⣿
⣿⣀⠄⠄⣿⣿⣿⣦⣄⡒⢚⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣴⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣟⢉⡵⣆⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣼⣦⣿⣸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠩⠁⡄⣸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⠝⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⢁⣀⡀⠄⠙⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣷⡀⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢋⣀⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣼⣿⣿⢻⣿
⡿⠿⠛⠛⣷⠈⠻⢿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣿⣿⣏⡀⢀⣹⣿⠙⠟⠄⣼⣿
⠄⠄⠄⠄⣿⣧⡀⠄⠈⠉⠛⠻⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⡟⠄⠄⣼⣿⣿
⠄⠄⠄⠄⢸⣿⣿⣄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⠉⠉⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠉⠿⣿
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢻⣿⣿⣷⣆⡀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣴⡇⠄⠄⠄⠈

It's a meh

5/10

It'd be a 4/10 without Judith's custom outfits :P

good game

Classic game but ♥♥♥♥ MY LIFE I HATE THAT LITTLE ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ KIDS VOICE! WHY! Just play with japanese voices I guess.