Another welcome JRPG for the 360

Being a first timer for the Tales series of games, I had no idea what to expect from this game. What I did know is that for past games, the Tales series was highly regarded amongst hardcore gamers and generally good quality RPG games all around. So when it came down to it, I had to make a tough decision between this game and Infinite Undiscovery as to which RPG to get in such a close release schedule. Well, I chose the more sure thing in Tales of Vesperia, and I'm happy I made that choice.

First of all, the game has a nice, colorful cell-shaded anime look that definitely goes well for the game. Some people may be turned off to this and look for the more realistic of a Final Fantasy or Lost Odyssey, but like it or not, there is no denying the the game looks good. Fans of past games in the series and anime fans in general will be pleased with how the game has made the jump to this generation of consoles.

Although this is a traditional JRPG in a sense, there is no turn-baded combat to be found. All of the action takes place in real-time. You control one character, while the computer handles your party's actions. The game can come off as a bit of a button masher from first glance, but there is actually more to the battle system once you start to get the hang of of it and learn more about your team and enemies that you face.

For me, grinding always seemed like a necessary evil for RPGs. However, I found the battles to be so fun in this game, that I didn't mind spending that extra time running into random enemies on the overworld map just for kicks and extra experience.

Although I'm not even close to finishing this game, the story so far has been interesting. Its Standard RPG fare so far, but the delivery has been entertaining. You have your main character/characters and along the way you run into other characters that become party members. There's a lot of personality to this group of travelers and the end of every battle is always a treat when more often than not you'll hear a hilarious victory speech. The game is definitely a bit linear, as it tells you where to go next after each major section. However, there is nothing to say that you can't' go off path to do some grinding or exploring on your own.

All in all, I feel that this is definitely another quality JRPG for the 360, and its action focused battle system is a good change of pace for those turned of to the more traditional turn-based type of game. Add in the charming characters, a good story, and lengthy gameplay, and you have yourself one of the best JRPGs on this generation. I suggest any RPG loving 360 owners to give this game a look.