Tales of Symphonia

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Tales of Symphonia
Tales of Symphonia case cover
Tales of Symphonia case cover
Developer(s)Namco Tales Studio
Publisher(s)Namco
Designer(s)Kosuke Fujishima (characters)
Takashi Hasegawa (game)
Platform(s)Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2
ReleaseGameCube:
Japan August 29, 2003
United States July 13, 2004
European Union November 19, 2004
PlayStation 2:
Japan September 22, 2004
Genre(s)Console role-playing game
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer cooperative

Tales of Symphonia (テイルズ オブ シンフォニア, Teiruzu obu Shinfonia) is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2. It debuted in Japan on August 29 2003, in Canada and the United States on July 13 2004, and in Europe on November 19 2004. The game received a Japanese-only PlayStation 2 release on September 22 2004.[1] The game sold 118,000 copies during its first two weeks of sales in the U.S.[2] and went on to sell over 1.2 million copies worldwide.[3][4]

The game was produced by Namco. It is the fifth main installment in the Tales RPG series, taking place long before Tales of Phantasia (hence a distant prequel), and was the third in the series to be officially released in the U.S. in many years. One notable characteristic of the game is its art direction by Kosuke Fujishima, a renowned Japanese manga-ka (comic-book artist).

In 2007, Ufotable will release an OVA in Japan based on the events of Symphonia.[5]

Plot Overview

The game takes place in the world of Sylvarant, a land that is dying due to a steady loss of mana, the energy source that is needed both for magic and to support life itself. As the crops begin to wither and hardship sets in, the people turn their hopes to the Chosen One, a servant and messiah of the Goddess Martel, who can reverse the ills of the world by completing the Journey of World Regeneration.

Such a quest is undertaken when the world is in such an extreme state of decline. In order to regenerate the world, the chosen must travel the world awakening the summoning spirits that sleep at the magical seals. With each seal released, the Chosen comes closer and closer to becoming an angel. Once the Chosen fully transforms into an angel, the world will be regenerated.

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As the game progresses, many revelations are made about the subject of World Regeneration. Earliest among these is that becoming an angel forces the Chosen to give up the aspects of him or herself that make him or her human. With the first seal, the Chosen loses the need to eat; with the second to sleep. The release of the third seal causes the Chosen to lose the ability to feel physical sensations such as heat, cold and pain. After releasing the forth seal, the Chosen can no longer speak. The fifth and final seal requires the Chosen to give up his or her heart and memory and with them his or her life. When this process has been completed, the Chosen's body will become a vessel for the goddess Martel.

It is also revealed that replenishing the world's supply of mana means draining the mana away from the other world. This arises from the system by which the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla must compete for a limited amount of mana to survive. When one of these two worlds is regenerated, the other goes into a state of decline.

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Characters

Main article: List of characters in Tales of Symphonia

Gameplay

Battle

File:Tosbattle.jpg
Lloyd attacks with a technique during battle.

Like previous games in the Tales series, Tales of Symphonia uses a version of the Linear Motion Battle System — a real-time battle system, as opposed to the turn-based systems used in traditional role-playing games. During battle, up to four characters can be controlled by players. Characters not under the control of a player operate according to strategies pre-selected by the player. Characters can be set to operate according to specific tactics and players can determine which techniques or magic spells the character may use during battle. AI-controlled choices can be overridden by the player by pausing and selected orders from a menu; the player may also map certain techniques, spells, or strategies to controller buttons, allowing quick use of them without pausing.

Battles can be paused at any time, and AI-controlled actions can be overridden with menus. Battle movement is relative to enemy characters. Players target enemies through a Zelda-style system; the controlled character and targeted enemy define a plane perpendicular to the ground to which movement is restricted. Characters can attack, defend, or use magic and special techniques. Guarding is of much greater importance than in previous Tales games, as Symphonia characters take more damage when un-Guarded than do their series counterparts, and guarding prevents attacks from stunning the character. The proper use of guarding allows attacks to be dodged through a backstep and allows character to land on their feet after be thrown in the air. However, being hit from behind while guarding triggers a "Guard Break", leaving the character briefly vulnerable. Characters gain an additional defense called Guardian (Lloyd, Kratos, Zelos), Damage Guard (Colette), Force Field (Genis, Raine), Guardian Seal (Sheena), Earthly Protection (Presea), or Bastion (Regal). All are essentially the same in that, when activated, the technique creates a green sphere around the character that defends against any attacks (including magical) for a few seconds.

Dealing combos on an enemy fills the Unison Gauge; when filled completely, a Unison Attack can be triggered. During a Unison Attack, each character uses a special attack chosen by the player consecutively; certain attacks, when used, result in a combined attack to cause additional damage.

Another new addition to the Linear Motion Battle System is "overlimit." Characters enter overlimit after having obtained a certain number of tension points (the required amount varies from character to character). Several things contribute to tension, though the most obvious factor is getting hit. However, a character's tension points reset upon dying (though a death increases the tension of the other three party members). Overlimit removes "staggering", allowing the character to perform actions without interruption; reduces the amount of damage the character takes; and allows spells to be cast more quickly. Genis must be in overlimit to use "Indignation Judgment" and Sheena cannot summon (with one exception) unless she is in overlimit. Certain enemies can go into overlimit as well. A character who cooks a meal featuring a liked ingredient will have points added to his tension; using something disliked may remove points.

Lloyd, Genis, and Colette possess special moves, or hi-ougis, that can be activated under specific conditions; Falcon's Crest, Indignation Judgment, and Holy Judgment respectively. The PS2 version contains hi-ougis for additional characters, including Mithos and Abyssion.

Leveling Up

Although Tales of Symphonia uses the typical experience point system, of characters gaining strength and abilities with the accumulation of EXP, several player-controlled factors determine which strengths and abilities the characters gain.

Each character can equip up to four EX Gems of varying strengths; each Gem can be set to a specific ability, from strengthening stats to providing out-of-battle bonuses (for instance, Zelos' level 2 Personal skill lets him charm items out of women), and certain combinations create bonus abilities. The nature of the EX Gem skills selected also determine whether the character will learn 'technical' or 'strike' Techniques, which alters the nature and sometimes the quantity of the Techniques available. EX Gem abilities, and the resulting technical-strike balance, can be altered at any time.

Each character also has up to 25 Titles, which are earned at certain levels, by completing certain events, or by completing certain challenges, and reflect aspects of the characters' personalities or their achievements. Colette, for instance, gains the title of "Chosen", whereas Raine is quickly labeled with "Archaeological Mania." Most titles determine which stats the character will increase in when they level up, but a few (such as Lloyd's "Beach Boy") provide no bonuses and instead change the character's costume.

Later in the game, you gain access to the Colliseum in Meltokio, progress through the ranks to find some of the best titles in the game, those that provide the most stat growth upon level-up. The Colliseum contains of three difficulties, which are beginner, intermidiate, and advanced.

Cooking

Tales of Symphonia also takes a novel approach to character recovery. The RPG standbys of inns and recovery items exist, but characters can also learn recipes from an eccentric character known as the Wonder Chef, who is usually disguised as an out of place item, like a magazine rack (as he was in Tales of Eternia). If the character possesses the required food items, he or she can prepare a dish that will have beneficial effects upon the party, such as recovery of hit points and technical points, curing of ailments such as poison, or temporary boosting of character status. However, sometimes a recipe may be cooked unsuccessfully, resulting in wasted ingredients and greatly reduced benefits to the party. Mastery of each recipe is represented by a row of star icons; all characters start with only a few stars filled in, but the length of the row itself may also vary by character, representing personal taste and proficiency. The running gag concerning Raine's notorious lack of cooking skill is represented by the fact that many of her recipes max out at 2 stars of a possible 7 and include lemons; ironically, or perhaps understandably, her brother Genis is the best overall cook in the game.

Skits

In addition to cut scenes, various skits between the characters can be viewed while on the overworld, in towns, and in dungeons. They involve animated character portraits, subtitles, and, in the Japanese version, full voice acting. There are two varieties: those that are accessed by pressing the Z button, and those which are tied to physical locations on the overworld map. A few are mandatory, but are called up automatically by game triggers. Overworld-map skits have the added bonus of affecting Lloyd's relationships with other party members. Skits concern anything from character development (Colette keeping a stiff upper lip) to side details (Sheena raging at Zelos for his womanizing ways) to sheer tomfoolery (Lloyd asking Regal if he cooks the way he fights: with his feet).

Grade

Grade is awarded after battle. Grade is awarded or subtracted based on specific criteria that are fulfilled in battle. For example, scoring multi-hit combos increases Grade, but having a character die will subtract it; the length of the battle (in seconds) also has an effect. In normal and hard modes, the max amount of grade to gain/lose is 20, but in Mania Mode the number is tripled. Grade can be used to purchase items for customization and EX gems, or to buy bonuses when starting a New Game Plus. If one were to fight three enemies in Welgaia before entering the final floor of Derris-Kharlan, Mithos will take the form of all three put together, and if the player beats this form, the player automatically gains 1,000 Grade when opening the grade shop menu after completing the game.

Affection System

Throughout the game, the player will be presented with numerous choices that affect how the other party members view Lloyd. This, in turn, will have ramifications during the course of the game as it determines what characters say and do in respect to Lloyd.

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In addition, the affection system will dramatically influence the story as the party member who cares for Lloyd the most will be "paired off" with him after an important story point late in the game. Depending on which character this is, the effects of their friendship on the plot can vary from slight to major. For example, if Lloyd is paired off with Sheena, she will become Lloyd's new love interest (whereas it normally would be Colette). Likewise, if Lloyd is paired off with Kratos, he will rejoin the party at a certain point (he would normally remain an NPC). Becoming pairs with a character like Regal, however, minimally impacts the game's plot. It is important to note, however, that the overall plot will remain the same regardless which character Lloyd is paired off with.

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Development

File:ToSBox PS2.png
PlayStation 2 box art

The game that would later be titled Tales of Symphonia was first announced during a press conference on 8 May 2002.[6] Although the game was originally intended to be a GameCube exclusive, a port for the PlayStation 2, released only in Japan, was announced in April 2004.[7] The PlayStation 2 version contains additional features, such as two extra anime cutscenes, several additional optional story scenes and side quests, new monsters, more Techs and Unison Attacks, and additional costumes.

Themes

Many legends and works inspire the game’s story. A prominent contributor is Norse mythology. Mithos Yggdrasill's name is taken from Yggdrasil, the world-tree that was believed by the Norse to support and nourish the world. Obviously, this concept of a world-tree is manifested in the Great Kharlan Tree. Norse Mythology also inspired the name of the towns of Heimdall and Asgard. Kratos Aurion's name taken from Cratos, the personification of strength and power in Greek mythology. It is also possible it may be taken from the Greek word Kratos, meaning power. Zelos Wilder's name is also taken from Greek mythology, Zelus being the brother of Cratos and the personification of dedication and emulation. The Hindu/Buddhist tradition was utilized in the naming of several of Sheena's weapons and also one of Raine's (Vajra, Yaksa, Asura, Acalanatha, Hanuman). Arabian mythology was drawn upon for the names of Efreet and Bahamut. Japanese mythology contributed the legendary sword Kusanagi, which is the equivalent of Excalibur in the Western world. This, along with two other legendary objects of Japanese mythology, the Yata mirror and Yasakani jewel are received from the optional boss Sword Dancer. Even obscure characters such as Sephira of Spanish mythology make brief appearances. Pagan themes are evident in the concept of the Goddess Martel and the general nature themes present in the game. The universal theme of death and renewal can be seen in the seesawing parallel worlds and the Chosen ritual and is specifically mentioned during one encounter with a unicorn. Typical high fantasy elements abound in the game as well, such as dwarves and elves. There are also elements from the Bible; the Seraphim came from the angel caste system, and the theme of achieving salvation is highly advertised by the Church of Martel. Humans who have turned to the side of the Desians are known as the "Fallen" in a book that Genis keeps in his room, which is a reference to the dualistic views of good and evil as taught by Christianity. The analogy of two parallel worlds originating from one and split asunder by a character from a team of four adventurers may be a reference to The Longest Journey, in which four Draic Kin split a world into two. Though really, one could argue that the issues and ideologies presented to the human race by almost every religion are explored in Tales of Symphonia - caste systems, sacrifice, "the weight of one's sin," the worth of life, as well as many other answerable but necessary questions are deeply entwined the plot.

The game also carries the reappearing motif of facing discrimination and racism. Half-elves are distrusted and despised by humans in both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. In Tethe'alla, half-elves are considered to be inferior and are at the bottom of the caste system, while in Sylvarant, a group known as the Desians, who wreak havoc upon the world, make up the majority of the half-elves there. This leads to a vicious cycle, in which humans persecute half-elves due to their hatred for the Desians, and as a result of this, the half-elves then join the Desians in their mutual hatred and in order to escape persecution.

Theme songs

Each version of the game has its own opening theme. The opening theme for the original Japanese version of Tales of Symphonia on the GameCube is Starry Heavens, by the Japanese band Day After Tomorrow. For the Playstation 2 version of the game, Soshite Boku ni Dekiru Koto, also by Day After Tomorrow, takes its place. The opening theme for the American (GameCube only) version of the game is not written or performed by Day After Tomorrow, however. Like the title of the game, it is "symphonic".

Critical reaction

Reviews and awards
Publication Score
GameSpot 8.8 of 10[8]
IGN 8.5 of 10[9]
GameSpy 4 of 5[10]
Yahoo! Games 4.5 of 5
1UP.com 7.5 of 10
Electronic Gaming Monthly 8.17 of 10
Game Informer 8.75 of 10
Nintendo Power 9.5 of 10

Tales of Symphonia garnered both positive reviews from critics and a strong cult following from fans. Though criticised for its cliché-riddled storyline[8] and generic audio,[9] it was praised for its endearing art style and solid battle system, and was considered a welcome entry in the "RPG-starved" GameCube library.[8][9]

Links to Tales of Phantasia

See Also: Tales_of_Phantasia#Connections_to_Tales_of_Symphonia

Evidence that Tales of Symphonia is a prequel to Tales of Phantasia includes the following:

  • The similarities between the world map of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla in Symphonia, and the world map of Aselia in Phantasia.
  • The locations of cities in Symphonia and Phantasia indicate that the cities evolved over time, their names changing. Asgard, Midgards; Altavista, Alvanista; Palmacosta, Venezia; etc.
  • The name of the world in Phantasia, Aselia, and the name of Lloyd's hometown, Iselia.
  • What's more, in the end of Symphonia, Lloyd leaves Kratos's sword, the Flamberge, by Anna's grave. In Phantasia, the Sorcerer's Ring is found in an underground temple near where the Flamberge is in that game. The Sorcerer's Ring in Symphonia likely was returned to the Temple of Martel, near Anna's grave as well.
  • The names of the moons in Phantasia, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. These names are the same as those given to the worlds in Symphonia. Further, Sylvarant's moon in Symphonia is called "Tethe'alla," meaning the inverse is possible, if not likely. This would mean that the recombined world would have two moons, bearing the names of the two worlds, as in Phantasia.
  • One of Lloyd's final weapons, the 'Material Blade,' is made up of two of the three components necessary to forge the Eternal Sword in Phantasia, the weapons Flamberge and Vorpal Sword.
  • Cless's fighting style is a fusion of Lloyd's (various techniques like Sword Rain), Kratos's (techniques like Hell Pyre), and Regal's (the inclusion of Swallow Kick). In a skit in Symphonia, Lloyd mentions he would like to learn how to fight like Regal, to which Regal accepts.
  • The possibility that Suzu Fujibayashi in Phantasia is a distant descendant of Sheena Fujibayashi in Symphonia.
  • Suzu's costume is the same as Sheena's "Sucessor" costume in Symphonia.
  • The existence of Ymir Forest as home of the Elves in both games.
  • The fact that the final enemy in Phantasia, Dhaos, has angel wings in his final form; just as the 'angels' of Cruxis do in Symphonia and that the energy comes from Derris Kharlan.
  • The renaming of the Great Kharlan Tree in the finale of Symphonia, where it is implied that Lloyd renamed the tree Yggdrasill in honor of the fallen hero/villain, Mithos.
  • The similarity of the names of the heroes - Lloyd's "Irving" is very similar to Cless/Cress's "Alvein," given that Japanese pronunciation does not differentiate between the letters "r" and "l," giving "Arvein." It's possible that the name "Alvein" was an attempt at translating the English name "Irving" into the Japanese character system, a translation later done differently with Lloyd's "Āvingu."
  • The existence of Martel in Phantasia, as well as the other summon spirits, save Celsius
  • The location of the summon spirit Origin, who appears in a forest behind the home of the Elves in the Ymir forest in both games.
  • The book Abyssion uses is called the "Necronomicon" which is also the name of Klarth's book/weapon he starts with in Phantasia (even though the book was destroyed by Genis after the battle with Abyssion).
  • Similar themes concerning discrimination of half-elves.
  • The angel Dhaos is from Derris-Kharlan, home of angels in Symphonia.
  • The mention of the long-dead legendary pirate, Ifreed, in Phantasia and the presence of the pirate Aifread in Symphonia.
  • The prescence of the Gnomes at the Cavern of Spirits is the same as the Gnomelettes at the Gnome temple.
  • At Alvanista, the group at the plaza mentions the "sky people", possible reference to the angels of Symphonia.
  • A book in the Alvanista Castle library mentions the theory of the elves coming from a floating city, referring to Derris Kharlan.
  • In the anime adaptation of Tales of Phantasia it is stated that Dhaos returned to Derris-Kharlan.
  • The Magitech (MysTek) weapon in episode 1 of the anime bears a resemblance to the Mana Cannon that Rodyle builds in Tales of Symphonia.
  • There are several pieces of music present in both games: The "Fighting of the Spirit" boss battle music, the theme for Suzu and Sheena's hidden villages, and parts of the Ymir and Torent Forest background theme, among others.

Trivia

  • In the game you are able to select which playable character you see moving around the maps and cities (the avatar). Each character interacts with the surroundings differently. For example: Colette can name dogs. When Zelos (a ladies' man) speaks to a female NPC, she will often hand him money or items (with personal ex-skill equipped). When Regal talks to shopkeeps, he can get 10% off/on the buy/sell price (with personal ex-skill equipped). When Lloyd examines a locked door in one particular part of the game, he says that it's futile to attempt to open the door because it appears to be locked, while Kratos examining the door would say "it would appear to be locked."
  • If characters wear their beach attire in Flanoir, a city built in a cold, northerly region, the NPCs will comment on the ridiculous choice in clothing.
  • If you go into battle with Zelos or Presea's formal costumes, there is a random chance that their weapons will change to something ridiculous (a bunch of roses and a stuffed pink bunny). Sheena's successor will grant you the highest hand in a Japanese card game as her weapon. These weapons have no special effects - it's purely a visual effect.
  • There's a couple on a ship in Palmacosta that will reenact a scene from the 1997 movie Titanic.
  • The swords Masamune and Muramasa were named after famous Japanese swordsmiths.

Several Easter eggs exist in the game:

  • A statue of Pac-Man (Namco's mascot) can be found in Flanoir. Examining the statue will confirm this.
  • There is a GameCube in the Renegade's Sylvarant Base. This GameCube is identical to the limited edition ToS GameCube console that was only available to winners of a contest at Namco's official ToS website. (In the PS2 version of the game, the GameCube has been replaced with an unidentifiable machine.)
  • If you finish the Colosseum's Advanced Party Matches, you will fight an exhibition match against Meredy, Garr, and Farah - characters from previous games in the Tales series (Garr/Woodrow from Tales of Destiny, and Farah and Meredy from Tales of Eternia), though presumably none had been born yet during the events of TOS. Although in the Colosseum's bulletin board, it says they are "otherworldly fighters". Nonetheless, it is but a cameo appearance.
  • Presea can gain the title "Dream Traveler", which will change her outfit. Her new outfit is identical to that worn by Klonoa, the star of his own game series.
  • By wearing certain pieces of equipment, Zelos can gain the title Gilgamesh. This is the name of the hero of Namco's Tower of Druaga, and the equipment used to obtain the title is the equipment used in that game. In addition, the description of the title is a direct reference to events in Tower of Druaga.
  • In the Toize Mine, there is an enemy resembling a rotating stone square called "Bacura". This enemy is actually from Namco's classic shooter Xevious, and has made cameos in other various Namco titles.
  • The music featured in the opening of the North American GameCube version is similar to the field music from the RPG video game Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Motoi Sakuraba composed the music for both games.
  • While Zelos' name is derived from Greek mythology (as well as keeping in theme with Kratos' name), it also keeps alive an old tradition of NAMCO's by having a main character or entity bear that name.

Voice cast

Japanese Version

English Version


OVA

File:ToS OVA.jpg
Tales of Symphonia OVA ad

On June 20, 2006, Namco announced an official OVA (anime) for Tales of Symphonia planned to come out in Japan in 2007. It will be directed by Haruo Tonosaki (director of 2x2=Shinobuden) and feature character designs by Akira Matsushima (Rurouni Kenshin OVAs.)[1]

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Tales of Symphonia Release Dates". GameSpot.com. Retrieved 2006-02-18.
  2. ^ Preziotte, Mathew (August 16, 2004). "July 2004 Sales Figures for America". Nintelligent Network. Retrieved 2006-02-18.
  3. ^ "News from February 15, 2005". themagicbox.com. February 15, 2005. Retrieved 2006-02-18.
  4. ^ "2003 Top 100 Best Selling Japanese Console Games". themagicbox.com. 2003. Retrieved 2006-08-09.
  5. ^ "Tales of Symphonia Anime". 2006-06-20. Retrieved 2006-09-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ IGN Staff (2002-05-08). "Namco Brings GCN Support". IGN. Retrieved 2006-09-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Hitmitsu, Suppai (2004-04-04). "New Tales Games for PS2". IGN. Retrieved 2006-09-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b c Massimilla, Bethany (2004-07-06). "Tales of Symphonia review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2006-09-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b c Irwin, Mary Jane (2006-07-04). "Tales of Symphonia". IGN. Retrieved 2006-09-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Turner, Benjamin (2004-07-05). "Tales of Symphonia review". GameSpy. Retrieved 2006-07-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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