Tales of Symphonia
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| Tales of Symphonia {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Namco Tales Studio {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | GameCube: August 29, 2003 (JP) July 13, 2004 (NA) November 19, 2004 (EU) PlayStation 2: September 22, 2004 (JP) |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer cooperative {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo GameCube PlayStation 2 {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Tales of Symphonia (Japanese: 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The game sold 118,000 copies during its first two weeks of sales in the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and went on to sell over 800,000 copies worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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).
Contents |
Characters
If the name is different in the English version from the original Japanese version, the English name is listed first and the Japanese name is listed second. Also, the English voice actor is listed at the end, in (parentheses).
Heroes
Lloyd Irving
Image:Lloyd Irving.jpg (English Voice actor: Scott Menville) Lloyd is our hero -- Orphaned as a child, he was raised by Dirk, his adoptive dwarf father, just outside the village of Iselia. His friends are Colette Brunel and Genis Sage, of whom he is very protective. He accompanies Colette as one of her guardians on her journey of regeneration. Lloyd is a slacker, a bad student and tends to goof off, but he is serious about protecting his friends and defending his ideals. He also has acute knowledge of Exspheres, a talent that comes in handy quite often over the course of the journey. The player will be able to control Lloyd for most of the game. He uses two single-edged swords, and his attacks are purely physical. He is the only character other than Presea who possesses no magical attacks.
Colette Brunel
(Colett Brunel, English Voice actor: Heather Hogan) The Chosen One of Sylvarant. Colette is a kind, selfless girl who always puts others before herself. Throughout the game, Colette is shown to be somewhat of a klutz, as her repetitive tripping causes the most unusual (and usually beneficial) things to happen, from busting a hole in the wall at school to deactivating the most complex machinery. She can also appear somewhat clueless as she misses some things that are obvious to everyone else. However, she knows what it means to be kind to people and be able to forgive many things, a few of her many distinguishing characteristics. As the Chosen of Regeneration, it is her job to regenerate the world by ascending the Tower of Salvation as an angel, thereby saving Sylvarant. Over the course of the journey, it is discovered that the ritual of the Chosen is actually part of a plot put into effect by Cruxis, and that completing it will cause Colette to lose her soul and become Martel's vessel. Colette is primarily a melee fighter and fights using two chakram. Later in the game, she can learn powerful angel techniques.
Genis Sage
(Genius Sage, English Voice actor: Colleen O'Shaughnessey) A child prodigy from Iselia and Lloyd's best friend. Genis and his sister proclaim themselves to be elves (but are actually half-elves) in order to avoid Sylvarant's extreme racial stigma. He accompanies Colette on her journey of regeneration by accident, after having gotten caught up in a lot of trouble with Lloyd. Genis one of many half-elves ashamed of his heritage because of the way that they're treated for being themselves, especially in Tethe'alla - the world attached to Sylvarant where he and his sister come close to public execution. On occasion, Genis will get angry and say he hates humans until he remembers how great his friends really are. Late in the game, when the party meets up with Mithos, he's excited to finally have another half-elf friend, but he becomes torn between being Mithos' friendship and Lloyd's. Even after it is revealed that Mithos is indeed Yggdrasill, the main antagonist, he stil wants to be friends with Mithos and asks Lloyd to destroy Mithos' Cruxis Crystal after the party defeats him in Vinheim so that he can die as himself at the end of the game. Despite being very cute for his age, Genis is a genius (he has the name to prove it!). He tends to have a sharp tongue at times and has a wide emotional range, from getting mad at Zelos for being just as snarky as he, to playing mini-games with Katz. Genis is a magic-user, and fights with powerful elemental attacks and learns the classic Tales lightning spell, Indignation. He casts spells by way of a kendama, using it to help him focus and beat up enemies as well.
Kratos Aurion
(English Voice Actor: Cam Clarke) Kratos is a mysterious mercenary who volunteers to accompany Colette on her journey. Though he accompanies the party for quite some time, it is later revealed that Kratos is actually one of the four Seraphim, one of Mithos Yggdrasill's original companions during the Kharlan War, and a spy for Cruxis. He betrays the party in the Tower of Salvation, but his true motives remain unclear until much later, when it is revealed the he is actually Lloyd's father and has been searching for a way for a human to wield the Eternal Sword so that he could fix what Mithos had done to the world. He was the one who killed Lloyd's mother, Anna, because she begged him to... which leads his own story into a dramatic paralell of the one shared by Regal and Presea. It is also revealed in the game that Kratos was actually Mithos' teacher in swordsmanship back when they were traveling together. Depending upon choices the player makes, he may or may not rejoin the party later on. Kratos is a powerful melee fighter and an excellent spell caster. He wields a double-edged sword and shield, and is proficient with elemental, curative, and angelic magic.
Raine Sage
(Refill Sage, English Voice Actor: Kari Wahlgren) Raine is Genis' older sister and Iselia's school teacher. Raine is usually calm, but is always overly facinated around ruins of any kind, which is likely her true reasoning for joining Colette in the Journey of Regeneration in the first place. She raised Genis from childhood all by herself, and doesn't hesitate in resorting to physical violence to teach Lloyd or Genis a lesson. Though she and Genis both claim to be elves, it is revealed later that they are in fact half-elves, and that they came from the world of Tethe'alla. They were sent to Sylvarant by their parents to escape the persecution faced by half-elves (that would be immediate death for wrong doings of any kind) and to keep the child prodigy Raine from being manipulated by the Imperial Research Academy. While on the run from the Academy, Raine fell off of a boat and nearly drowned, which is why she has a severe case of hydrophobia. Eventually, Virginia, Raine and Genis' mother, sent them both through the gate so that they could escape. The reason Raine and Genis were able to live in Iselia was because Raine told the villagers they were elves, having Genis hide his cover as well. Raine is a classic healer, also able to cast holy spells and stat-boosts. She wields a staff.
Sheena Fujibayashi
Image:Sheena Fujibayashi .jpg (Shihna Fujibayashi, English Voice Actor: Jennifer Hale) A beautiful assassin from the flourishing world of Tethe'alla. Sheena is originally sent to Sylvarant by the Pope and the King with orders to assassinate Colette, but events cause her to end up joining the party instead. Sheena is tough but kindhearted, and is always accompanied by Corrine, a man-made summon spirit. She's also the person Zelos loves to flirt with most, but she usually manages to set him straight. At the age of 7, Sheena had ventured to the Temple of Lightning with people from Mizuho in order to form a pact with Volt, the Summon Spirit of Lightning. Unfortunately, Volt speaks a language that only certain scholars can comprehend, and as she couldn't understand what he was saying, Volt went on a rampage killing a fourth of Mizuho's population and causing the chief of Mizuho (her adoptive grandfather) to fall into a coma, with the rest of the villagers holding a grudge against her ever since. Sheena is a fair melee fighter, and fights using magic-infused cards. Sheena is a vital member of the game: she can call upon powerful Summon Spirits to aid the party in battle. Except for when she summons Corinne, she can only summon when she is in Overlimit mode.
The Summon Spirits are:
- Efreet, the Summon Spirit of Fire , The Red Giant of Hellfire
- Undine, the Summon Spirit of Water , The Maiden of the Mist
- Volt, the Summon Spirit of Lightning , The Hammer of Godly Thunder
- Gnome, the Summon Spirit of Earth , The Servant of Mother Earth
- Celsius, the Summon Spirit of Ice , The Disciple of Everlasting Ice
- Sephie, Yutis, and Fairess (known collectively as The Sylph, the Summon Spirits of Wind , The Envoy of the Wind, Heavenly Messengers
- Shadow, the Summon Spirit of Darkness , The Envoy from the Dark Abyss
- Luna and Aska, the Summon Spirits of Light , The Light of the Heavens
- There is also Origin, the King of the Summon Spirits, who forged the Eternal Sword for Mithos
- Maxwell, the Summon Spirit of Birth, who is found in an Exire sidequest.
- Corrine becomes the (unsummonable) Verius, Summon Spirit of Heart, you meet Verius, but cannot summon him.
When Sheena tried to form a pact with Volt again with Lloyd's party, Volt tried to attack Sheena, but she was saved by Corrine, who was killed. Encouraged by Lloyd, Sheena fought Volt, refusing to let Corrine's sacrifice go to waste as well as conquering her fear of Volt. After this, Sheena could no longer summon Corrine; however, there is a side-quest that allows the player to see Corrine again, in an altered form, but Sheena can never again summon Corrine in battle.
She becomes the successor, to be the next Chief of Mizuho later on in the game.
Zelos Wilder
(American voice actor: Shiloh Strong) The Chosen One from Tethe'alla, the other world. He is almost never serious and often is the comic relief of the group, always ready to cheer up the group at heavy-hearted moments. Quite the ladies man, he has the ability to charm all the women and girls, who in turn give him gifts (the player will be able to take this advantage in the game). Zelos is handsome and often thinks slowly (though it is said in the game that he is highly skilled at Mathematics), approaching most situations hoping to meet or impress any pretty girls nearby. He takes every opportunity to hit on his female team members, much to their annoyance. The first impression Zelos gives is that of a skirt chasing, irresponsible and immature guy. However, Zelos has more internal conflicts and emotional pain than he lets on (though clues are dropped throughout the storyline). As Zelos reveals to Lloyd in Flanoir (if one chooses to talk to Zelos), his mother, Mylene, was told to marry his father, the current chosen, by the Oracle of Cruxis. Growing up, his home life was less than comforting. His main caretaker was Sebastian, the family butler. Both his parents had affairs outside the marriage. His father's mistress, in fact attempted to kill Zelos when he was a child so that her daughter Seles (Zelos's younger half-sister) could become chosen, but his mother was caught in the crossfire. When his mother was dying, her last words to Zelos was "You should never have been born." His younger sister Seles was sent away to an abbey for life, and Seles's mother was executed for the crime. It is highly likely most of Zelos's narcissist-like behavior stems from this incident. Zelos's fighting style is much similar to that of Kratos. Zelos has some useful spells, prefers to fight on the front lines. His weapons are very strong and he moves fast. Zelos is very skilled on the battlefield. If you don't speak to Kratos in Flanoir, Zelos remains with you for the rest of the game- if you do speak with Kratos, he leaves your party later.
Presea Combatir
(American Voice Actor: Tara Strong) A young lumberjack from the small town of Ozette, Tethe'alla. When the party first meets her, she is the victim of a Cruxis Crystal, a specially enhanced Exsphere. The Cruxis Crystal suppresses her emotions, causing her to behave robotically. When the Cruxis Crystal is finally removed, it is revealed that it also slowed her aging process. The rest of Ozette's villagers shun her and call her a monster for being seemingly being unable to age, wielding an axe with the body she inhibits, and for not burying her father, who had succumbed to an illness long ago without her notice. While the people aged before her very eyes, she had not been able to accompany them or even notice their progression since she was under the influence of the Exsphere. So though she appears to be twelve, she is actually twenty-eight. Because her emotions were suppressed for so many years, Presea has forgotten much about the ordinary world, and what it means to be human. Over time, she re-learns much of what she has forgotten. Although, as she says, she will never get back the time she lost while under the Cruxis Crystal's control. At first Presea is very repressed and reluctant to speak, seeing how she no longer understands the meaning of humanity, she eventually begins to engage more with the other characters. Genis has a crush on her (on first sight). Presea wields an axe in battle, and, though slower than other characters, is quite powerful.
Regal Bryant
(Regal Bryant, American Voice Actor: Crispin Freeman) A convict sent by the Pope of Tethe'alla to capture Colette. He ends up joining the party because he recognizes Presea. As it turns out, Regal is actually the president of the Lezerano Corp., a major corporation which is quite influential in Tethe'alla. He and Alicia Combatir, Presea's sister, were lovers, which is why he recognized Presea. Alicia was a victim of Exsphere research, and was turned into a monster because of it. Regal was forced to slay her. He could never forgive himself for this, so he voluntarily went to prison. Regal always wears handcuffs to symbolize his crime and his promise that he will never use his hands to kill again. Regal is a kind and gentle soul, and a very talented cook (unusual, given the only free appendages he has are his feet, which become something of a joke at one point). Regal is a unique fighter, supplementing his melee capabilities with a small amount of healing magic. He fights exclusively with his feet, and uses greaves to enhance the power of his kicks. He is clearly the pinnacle of manliness.
Allies include
- Marble the old woman that Genis befirends,
- her granddaughter Chocolat,
- Altessa the dwarf,
- his sidekick Tabatha the living doll,
- Dirk the foster-father of Lloyd,
- Orochi the Mizuho ninja, along with rest of the Mizuho people,
- Botta and the rest of The Renegades,
- Neil, who used to serve the crooked Governor-General Dorr,
- Seles the half-sister of Zelos,
- and Martel, the goddess
Villains
Mithos Yggdrasill (ミトス "Mitosu" / "Mitos", English Voice Actors: Brianne Siddell, James Arnold Taylor): Mithos is a friend of Genis's who turns out to be Yggdrasill, the mightiest of the angels -- who rules over Cruxis and the Desians. Mithos, resembling a 14-year-old child, was a great swordsman who trained under the guidance of Kratos. He had strong ideals about peace and unity, but his sister's death made him lose track of whether the world, or her life, was more important to him.
Yuan (ユアン "Yuan", English Voice Actor: Chris Edgerly): Yuan is a double agent. He is the leader of the Renegades, an organization that tries to stop Cruxis and their plans. Yuan is also one of the Four Seraphim of Cruxis. He pretends to be loyal to Mithos so he can learn Cruxis's plans and thwart them. 4,000 years ago, Yuan journeyed with Mithos and his companions in the past to end the Kharlan War and was engaged to Martel before she was killed. She asked Mithos and Yuan to make the world a better place and to stop the half-elf discrimination before she died. Mithos tried to do this, but not in the way Martel had imagined. Yuan knew that Martel didn't intend for her wish to be fulfilled in the way Mithos attempted and thus tries to stop him. Later on, he helps the Chosen's group defeat Mithos.
Botta is Yuan's lieutenant who falls in battle.
Remiel (レミエル "Remieru", English Voice Actor: Wally Wingert): Remiel is an angel of Cruxis. He guides Colette on the journey of regeneration, and tells Colette (after her asking) that he is her true father. However, he later reveals that he had not told the truth and that the "inferior beings" (Lloyd's group) had made that up themselves. After being defeated by Lloyd's group, Remiel begs for Kratos's help, but Kratos refuses, saying "I was once of the inferior race… a human. Does the ultimate being seek help from that which he despises the most?". Remiel subsequently dies.
Pronyma (プロネーマ "Puronēma", English Voice Actor: Masasa): Pronyma is the leader of the five Desian Grand Cardinals. She works for Yggdrasil and is usually seen with him. Ever one to look out for her own safety, Pronyma fights by summoning dark, humanoid monsters to attack up close, while she casts black magic from afar. Kvar believes that she is stealing data from the Angelus Project, but this, in fact, turns out to be Rodyle. Yggdrasil unhesitantly kills her after she called him Mithos while begging for him to heal her after she lost to Lloyd's group, the honor of using his real name having been reserved for his former companions. Pronyma is the only Desian Grand Cardinal to not have her own Human Ranch. Pronyma has many spells at her disposal, a few of these are shadow versions of the spells you and your allies recieve.
Forcystus (フォシテス "Foshitesu", English Voice Actor: Andre Sogliuzzo): Forcystus is the first Desian Grand Cardinal that Lloyd encounters. He is in charge of the Iselia Human Ranch and is considered a hero for the Desians. One of his arms is a strange golden metal capsule; it appears to be some form of projectile weapon that he uses in battle. He is able to eject violent gusts of wind from it. At the end of Disc 1, Lloyd kills Forcystus.
Magnius (マグニス "Magunisu", English Voice Actor: Chris Edgerly): Magnius is the Desian Grand Cardinal in charge of the Palmacosta Human Ranch. He uses Governor General Dorr to collect Gald for the Desians. Magnius wields a huge axe and fire-based melee techniques. Lloyd and company kill him after infiltrating his ranch. Rodyle was tricking both him and Kvar. Magnius collected Gald and tried to assassinate the Chosen's group for Rodyle, claiming that he was deceived.
Kvar (クヴァル "Kuvaru", English Voice Actor: Chris Edgerly): Kvar is the Desian Grand Cardinal in charge of the Asgard Human Ranch. He is often considered the cruelest of the Grand Cardinals, as well. Kvar is a highly-skilled wizard who employs small robots to distract his opponents, while he blasts them with spells at a safe distance. Anna, Lloyd's mother and wife of Kratos, was involved in the Angelus Project, an attempt to create a Cruxis Crystal independently of the dwarves. The Exsphere, which she was used to grow, was picked up by Dirk and later used by Lloyd. Kvar and Magnius are both tricked by Rodyle. Kvar had been deceiving Yggdrasill for a long time, and was killed by Lloyd and Kratos.
Rodyle (ロディル "Rodiru", English Voice Actor: Daran Norris): Rodyle is the Desian Grand Cardinal in charge of the Remote Island Human Ranch. He uses Magnius and Kvar to get Gald and slaves to help him with the Mana Cannon. Rodyle does not work for Yggdrasil (since he tricked his leader) and does whatever he wants. He works with the Pope of Tethe'alla and Vharley. Rodyle deceived Presea for a long time by using the Cruxis Crystal on her and was also responsible for her sister's death. Rodyle dies after using a Cruxis Crystal on himself in an attempt to kill Lloyd and crew.
Abyssion: Abyssion is a hidden villain who can be found in Flanoir. If you speak to him he will tell you about the Devil's Arms and give you the Nibileim and the key to a series of black chests. When you find eight of the nine Devil's Arms, he tells you that he will await you in the Temple Of Darkness, where he will seal the nine away. Upon finding the final one, you speak to him there and hand over the weapons, only to discover that he is reviving an evil sorcerer and has absorbed his powers. The Book that appears when the Devil's Arms are collected is called the Necronomicon. When you fight him, he is arguably the toughest opponent in the game, the only that can be considered tougher is the boss at the end of advanced team Colliseum; Abyssion has changed during this battle because the nine Devil's Arms have become part of him, mutating his body and giving him immense power. As a final act of spite after his defeat, the soul of the sorcerer Nibileim possesses Presea after the fight, but Collette saves her. Many people have trouble starting the quest for the Devil's Arms, to make Abyssion appear in Flanoir you need to inspect the wreckage of the enchanted stone 'Bacura' that trys to attack you in the Toize Valley Exsphere mine; getting you the first Devil's Arm and prompting Abyssion to give you the key to access the rest of the Devil's Arms's chests.
Martel
(English voice actor: Kim Mai Guest) Martel is Mithos's sister. As in the case of Raine and Genis, Martel took on the role of raising her younger brother, so when Martel is killed, Mithos is absolutely devastated, and is determined to bring her back to life by creating a Chosen One that resembles Martel enough so that Martel's soul may be transferred into the body. Near the end of the game, Mithos succeeds in transplanting Martel to Colette, but Martel admonishes Mithos for allowing thousands of people to suffer for four thousand years in the name of her resurrection, and returns to the Cruxis Crystal, a powerful Exsphere, that links her soul to the seed of the Giant Kharlan Tree. When the Tree is resurrected at the end of the game, Martel and Mithos's souls join together with several other souls to create the Summon Spirit Martel, using Tabatha, a humanoid doll that resembles Martel, as the medium. This spirit appears in Tales of Phantasia, along with all the other Tales of Symphonia summon spirits with the exception of Celsius.
Storyline
Image:Meltokio Gate.jpg Tales of Symphonia begins in a small village named Iselia, located in the north-western region of the land of Sylvarant. Lloyd Irving, a seventeen-year-old male, and Genis Sage, a twelve-year-old male, are best friends and attend the same school as Colette Brunel, the Chosen of Mana. Every so many years, the Chosen has to accept an Oracle and undergo a challenge to restore prosperity to the world. When Professor Raine Sage, the schoolteacher and Genis' sister, decide to accompany Colette on the journey of regeneration, Lloyd is determined to join the pilgrimage as well. However, a mercenary, Kratos Aurion, appears in Iselia one day before the start of the journey. He insists that both Lloyd and Genis would prove to be nuisances to the pilgrimage and that they remain in Iselia. Lloyd and Genis walk towards Lloyd's home after this. On the way there, Genis stops by a Human Ranch, a ranch owned by the cruel Desians. There, Genis and the reluctant Lloyd give some food to an elderly woman named Marble. It is here that the player learns about Exspheres, as Marble has one without the all important Key Crest to protect her from it. Because she stops working for a short time, the Desians start flogging her. The enraged Lloyd and Genis save her, but they are recognized as being from the village by the manager of the Ranch, General Forcystus. They burn down Iselia later and use Marbles Exshpere to transform her into a savage beast and forced Lloyd and Ge nis to fight it. They win and removed the Exshpere. Genis later equips it properly. The night before Colette's departure, Colette, Kratos, Genis, and Raine visited, Colette speaking privately to Lloyd. Lloyd exhibits his enthusiasm for the upcoming regeneration of the world, however when Colette gives her take, she appears to be hiding something. Colette tells Lloyd to see her later on the very next day, however upon speaking to her father Frank, and her Grandmother Phaidra, Lloyd discovers Colette lied when he read a letter from her confessing that she wanted to protect him, and was ultimately saying goodbye. When Colette, Raine and Kratos depart from Iselia, Lloyd and Genis are forced to follow them after unforeseen circumstances involving the Iselia Human Ranch, in order to fight along Colette's side.
Complications arise during the journey. Several times, a mysterious assassin attempts to assassinate Collette. This assassin, Sheena Fujibayashi, eventually repents and joins the party. She explains that she is from Tethe'alla, a parallel world, and that Sylvarant and Tethe'alla compete for mana. While one world flourishes, the other suffers. Colette also suffers from a condition referred to as Angel Toxicosis, which arises shortly after the release of a seal, removing one of her sensations with each while heightening a few others. Before the group must go to the Tower of Salvation, Colette is left unable to hold down food, feel pain, sleep, and speak, while having increased senses including sharply improved hearing, vision, and (later on as we see, particularly during the party's first encounter with Zelos) strength. The group also has to go through numerous battles with the Desians and Human Ranches on numerous occasions, as well as having to get involved with complex issues faced by a few of the many people in Sylvarant. After facing peril after continuous peril, the party must bring Colette to the Tower of Salvation and, much to Lloyd's utter anger and dismay, be offered as a sacrifice to Yggdrassil to become the next body for his sister, Martel.
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. 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 Latin 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). Islamic 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. 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. The Desians are briefly mentioned as the "Fallen" in one instance, 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.
The game also carries a strong undercurrent of overcoming discrimination. 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, are pretty much the only half-elves there.
Game mechanics
Battle
Image:Tosbattle.jpg Like the previous games in the Tales series, Tales of Symphonia uses a new version of the Linear Motion Battle System that almost every Tales game uses.
Unlike many traditional role-playing games, the Tales of Symphonia battle system is real-time. All four characters in the battle can be controlled by players, or by the game's AI, which will make decisions according to player-controlled tactical guidelines. 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 targeting system, and can move towards and away from that enemy, but not from side to side. The A button controls attacks and B controlling special moves; if "Guard" is mapped to R, the game plays quite similarly to Super Smash Bros. Melee. Guarding is of much greater importance in Tales of Symphonia than in previous Tales games, as Symphonia characters take more damage when un-Guarded than do their series counterparts, and Guarding prevents "flinching" (being stunned after being hit by attacks) by blocking the attacks in the first place.
The battle system's "special attack" move is the Unison Attack. They can be used when the Unison Meter, a blue bar above the characters' status displays, fills completely. In a Unison Attack, each character uses a Technique (special attack) at the same time. The available techniques are the ones mapped to the B button; the other three characters take over the A, X and Y buttons for the duration of the Unison Attack. If characters use certain Techs in the same Unison Attack (for instance, Colette's "Hammer Rain" and Lloyd's "Sonic Sword Rain"), they combine into a Compound Special Attack ("Stardust Rain"), similar to Chrono Trigger's Double Tech, and cause additional damage.
Another new addition to the Linear Motion Battle System is "overlimit." Characters enter overlimit after they have absorbed a certain amount of damage, similar to Final Fantasy VII's Limit Break. However, overlimit does not enable special attacks (save three exceptions); instead it removes "flinching," allowing the character to perform actions without interruption, for spellcasters, it reduces the amount of time to cast a spell, and reduces the amount of damage the character takes. This is especially practical for spellcasters, who are normally prone to having their spells interrupted by enemy attacks. Sheena cannot summon (with one exception) unless she is in overlimit.
The three exceptions that may or may not be achieved through overlimit (Required for Genis) are that Lloyd, Genis, and Colette have secret/ultimate techniques (anime cutscene appears) that can only be used when certain criteria are met.
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.
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. 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; 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 based on how well you do in battle, that is to say, it is based on many different factors. For example, the higher-hit combo you manage to get per battle, the higher amount of grade you'll receive. If a character dies, you'll lose grade; time of battle also determines the amount of grade received after each battle. In normal and hard modes, the max amount of grade to gain/lose is 20. People have reported that that number triples in mania mode; you can gain or lose 60 grade per battle in mania mode! Grade can be used to purchase items for customization and EX gems, or to buy bonuses when starting a New Game Plus.
Trivia
Several Easter eggs exist in the game, these include:
- 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 various other Namco titles.
- 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 non-playable characters 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). If the avatar is wearing their beach-themed costume title, NPCs in Flanoir will comment on their choice of clothing.
- A statue of Pac-Man (another one of Namco's former mascots) 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 avalible 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 from Tales of Destiny, and Farah and Meredy from Tales of Eternia).
- If you go into battle with Zelos or Presea's formal costumes, they will change their weapon to something ridiculous. Sheena's successor, will grant you her spell cards as her weapon. These weapons have no special effects, just pixel swap.
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".
Links to Tales of Phantasia
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 name of the world in Phantasia, Aselia, and the name of Lloyd's hometown, Iselia.
- The names of the moons in Phantasia, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. These names are the same as those given to the worlds in Symphonia.
- One of Lloyd's final weapons, the 'Material Blade,' seems to be two of the three components necessary to forge the Eternal Sword in Phantasia, the Flamberge and Vorpal Sword.
- The possibility that Sheena Fujibayashi in Symphonia is a distant ancestor of Suzu Fujibayashi in Phantasia.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
PlayStation 2 version
Image:ToSBox PS2.png Namco originally planned Tales of Symphonia to be a Nintendo GameCube exclusive. In Japan, however, the game was released for both GameCube and PlayStation 2. In the PlayStation 2 version, among many other special features, there are 2 more anime cutscenes, several additional optional story scenes and side quests, some new monsters, more Techs and Unison attacks for characters to learn, and each character has an additional bonus costume. Unfortunately, there are some problems due to the limitations of the PlayStation 2. The load times for the PS2 are longer than in the GameCube version. Also, it is the general consensus that the quality of the graphics and audio aren't as good as those in the GameCube version, although some feel that it makes little difference.
- PlayStation 2 Version Screenshots
- PlayStation 2 Anime cutscene screenshots
- Costumes Exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version of Tales of Symphonia
Notes and references
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External links
- Official English Website
- Official Japanese website for the GC version
- Official Japanese website for the PS2 version
- Tales of Symphonia at RFGeneration.com
- Game Rankings Rating
- IGN: Tales of Symphonia (GCN) PS2
- Template:Nintendo.com
- Starry Heavens - Fansite with character profiles and fanart.
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