Tales of Graces F beaten.
Jun. 11th, 2012 05:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
clessaileronI've beaten Tales of Graces F. Yeah, took me 2-3 months to finish it. So, how was it?
It was just good. Not good to the point it was worth the fans' temper tantrums that they threw at Namco to localize it (Then again, I will never say it's worth throwing a temper tantrum to get any game localized). Just good.
To get the immediate good out the way, the battle system is just great! The CC system give plenty of room to do what and leads to pretty engaging battles. The dodging mechanics adds a better element to movement and made free run useless (I don't even remember having to use it at all). I have to say the weakness system is pretty convoluted, though. There's so many moves and having to remember so many element properties to them to hit their weak points (and that's all of them) that it's a little too much. (Yeah, and this is coming from a guy that has to memorize different motion inputs for his fighting game characters and remembering their special properties to boot, right?). Other than the mild weakness system nitpicking, I really liked the battle system.
I don't like the soundtrack to Graces. Let's just leave it at, "Highly uninspired." I also, at one point, didn't mind the theme song but around this time, I just think it wasn't really anything special. I'll probably give credit for the original Japanese version, when directly translated, being closer to friendship and all that jazz rather than the English version sounding more forced and singing feeling unnatural. As much Engrish it has, the English "Ring A Bell" I still find more enjoyable, even without putting it up against Graces' theme song.
Now for the characters, I have some mixed reactions:
*Hubert: I probably don't care all that much for him. Even if I have something like, say, coming off as pretty stuck up going against him, it doesn't really get me to care enough to hate him or like him (other than the skit where he told Cheria her short skirt is distracting and not wanting to admit he's aroused by it).
*Malik: He was cool and somewhat interesting but I don't really find him replacing any other characters on my favorite list. That's all I can really say.
*Sophie: She's...the moe blob. Even with the character development she received, it doesn't really do anything to make me think of her more outside of "Aww, she's so cute!" I just think of her as highly bland. (On another note, I find her Future Arc outfit more tacky than her original,"awful" outfit).
*Pascal: Here's someone I can think highly of. Yeah, she's all over the place and just more of a fun character. She's an airhead and she's fine that way.
*Cheria: A character people seem to hate on a lot. She still has some right to be mad at Asbel for what he did during theirchildhood. However, I do agree that the thing between those two weren't written well. I like her enough. She just isn't going to make it highon myfavorite female list.(Besides, if I want a red-head whose English voice is done by Laura Bailey, I'll take Gemini Sunrise.)
*Asbel: The lead hero. Even if I am not taking Yuri under consideration (give or take), I come out leaving with a feeling, "He's okay, I guess." (i.e. some merits but I don't have anything really to write home about). I probably wouldn't ask for him in any crossovers.
The story...I don't think it was particularly good. It's one of those things that gets the game going and that's it. Its characters were,admittingly, better despite my mixed feelings for them. Also, while the Future Arc does have its moments, I do find myself asking whenever or not the arc is really necessary.
In the end, I find Tales of Graces F to be just good. I certainly enjoyed it and I will say that, despite some "eh" moments, I think more highly of it than I do Tales of Legendia. It doesn't really do anything special overall, but it still manages to be fun nonetheless. Just not in the"greatest thing ever" way.
However, I'm not getting my hopes up in regards to Xillia. (And I'm not talking about localization, I'm talking about me thinking whatever or not it's worth anything.)
It was just good. Not good to the point it was worth the fans' temper tantrums that they threw at Namco to localize it (Then again, I will never say it's worth throwing a temper tantrum to get any game localized). Just good.
To get the immediate good out the way, the battle system is just great! The CC system give plenty of room to do what and leads to pretty engaging battles. The dodging mechanics adds a better element to movement and made free run useless (I don't even remember having to use it at all). I have to say the weakness system is pretty convoluted, though. There's so many moves and having to remember so many element properties to them to hit their weak points (and that's all of them) that it's a little too much. (Yeah, and this is coming from a guy that has to memorize different motion inputs for his fighting game characters and remembering their special properties to boot, right?). Other than the mild weakness system nitpicking, I really liked the battle system.
I don't like the soundtrack to Graces. Let's just leave it at, "Highly uninspired." I also, at one point, didn't mind the theme song but around this time, I just think it wasn't really anything special. I'll probably give credit for the original Japanese version, when directly translated, being closer to friendship and all that jazz rather than the English version sounding more forced and singing feeling unnatural. As much Engrish it has, the English "Ring A Bell" I still find more enjoyable, even without putting it up against Graces' theme song.
Now for the characters, I have some mixed reactions:
*Hubert: I probably don't care all that much for him. Even if I have something like, say, coming off as pretty stuck up going against him, it doesn't really get me to care enough to hate him or like him (other than the skit where he told Cheria her short skirt is distracting and not wanting to admit he's aroused by it).
*Malik: He was cool and somewhat interesting but I don't really find him replacing any other characters on my favorite list. That's all I can really say.
*Sophie: She's...the moe blob. Even with the character development she received, it doesn't really do anything to make me think of her more outside of "Aww, she's so cute!" I just think of her as highly bland. (On another note, I find her Future Arc outfit more tacky than her original,"awful" outfit).
*Pascal: Here's someone I can think highly of. Yeah, she's all over the place and just more of a fun character. She's an airhead and she's fine that way.
*Cheria: A character people seem to hate on a lot. She still has some right to be mad at Asbel for what he did during theirchildhood. However, I do agree that the thing between those two weren't written well. I like her enough. She just isn't going to make it highon myfavorite female list.
*Asbel: The lead hero. Even if I am not taking Yuri under consideration (give or take), I come out leaving with a feeling, "He's okay, I guess." (i.e. some merits but I don't have anything really to write home about). I probably wouldn't ask for him in any crossovers.
The story...I don't think it was particularly good. It's one of those things that gets the game going and that's it. Its characters were,admittingly, better despite my mixed feelings for them. Also, while the Future Arc does have its moments, I do find myself asking whenever or not the arc is really necessary.
In the end, I find Tales of Graces F to be just good. I certainly enjoyed it and I will say that, despite some "eh" moments, I think more highly of it than I do Tales of Legendia. It doesn't really do anything special overall, but it still manages to be fun nonetheless. Just not in the"greatest thing ever" way.
However, I'm not getting my hopes up in regards to Xillia. (And I'm not talking about localization, I'm talking about me thinking whatever or not it's worth anything.)
no subject
Date: 2012-06-24 02:03 am (UTC)Tales has always seemed like trying too hard to be a fantasy anime that you play, rather than watch. They'd probably all make terrible anime, unless they REALLY tried to work on the story.