|
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.• The game sold 118,000 copies during its first two weeks of sales in the U.S.• and went on to sell over 1.2 million copies worldwide.•• 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.•
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. 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. Characters Battle
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. 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. Development The game that would later be titled Tales of Symphonia was first announced during a press conference on 8 May 2002.• 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.• 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 Tales of Symphonia garnered both positive reviews from critics and a strong cult following from fans. Though criticised for its cliché-riddled storyline and generic audio, it was praised for its endearing art style and solid battle system, and was considered a welcome entry in the "RPG-starved" GameCube library. Links to Tales of Phantasia Evidence that Tales of Symphonia is a prequel to Tales of Phantasia includes the following: Trivia Several Easter eggs exist in the game: Voice cast Japanese Version English Version OVA 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.)* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| |