The voice acting is spectacular, across both younger and older characters, and they all come across as natural and realistic. They’re filled with colour and complex movements, but you’ll want to save them for boss battles! Some of the victory poses are great fun too, especially the ‘friendship pose’ one.Īlthough Ludger hardly speaks a word, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the cast doesn’t. Whilst Artes are pretty standard visually, the joint Artes and special moves are lovely to watch. Sadly, your clothes won’t change unless you unlock or buy DLC outfits, as equipment is strictly for stats and not aesthetics.Ĭombat is much smoother, though, and is explosive in battle. You can also unlock different hairstyles and colour variations if you play an individual character’s story. Tales still has quite a way to go when it comes to animations, as many are still very stiff and sudden.Ĭustomisation is pretty fun, with weapons changing visually along with accessories, and you’re also able to unlock accessories if you’ve played previous Tales games. Some of the faces up close are pretty clay-like, complete with relatively non-fluid animations. Many assets are re-used from Xillia, but considering they take place in the same world, I didn’t find a problem with this. The art style is lovely, with characters and environments being packed with colour and creativity. Fortunately, the character he does have is interesting, and he’s a good cook regardless of choices. It makes him feel more like an enabler than a character, and this may be a turn off for those who are used to the outspoken characters such as Milla, Luke and Asbel. Sadly, it’s in place of Ludger really saying anything himself. Whilst they don’t seem to change a whole lot in the long run, it’s nice being able to choose what Ludger says. One of the new features to Tales of Xillia 2 is the ability to make choices. Fortunately, you have access to fast travel to ease the slog, and you can dash on the world map after a specific point in the game. Yes, you’re forced to pay off the debt to actually continue with the main story, and whilst it’s quite quick if you beat the ‘Elite Monsters’, it’s still a unnecessary pain which seems to have been implemented to pad out the story’s length. It doesn’t really add much to the story, and you’re constantly having to pay off the debt in-between missions to be able to lift your travel restrictions. Sadly, the debt side of the game is sloggish. You can access this multiple times in battle.

You also become stronger and are given access to new Artes the longer your combo, the stronger your Arte that follows. You can transform in battle once the meter in the bottom right has filled, and this allows you to take infinite damage for a limited time. Some Artes are elemental, and will be vital during certain battles when an enemy is resistant to physical, and vice versa. Artes are special moves, and if you’re linked with another character in battle then you’re able to perform more explosive Artes. You’re able to equip Skills to enhance certain traits, such as giving you more health or strength, and you can choose which Artes you take into battle to defeat your enemies. It’s still very mash X and Circle to win, with the occasional left analog stick tilt in any direction to shake it up a bit, but being able to switch the weapons up makes you feel more in control than ever. The gameplay is fluid and the most innovative in a Tales title yet, allowing on the fly weapon changes to better defeat your enemies with. If you remember the ‘Pinkist’ side mission in Xillia, then you’ll remember that Elize had difficulty making friends and was extremely shy. It’s nice to see the original cast still around and doing well in life, with Jude having become a respected researcher, Leia works as a reporter and Elize goes to school but is much more confident and better at making friends. In Xillia 2, you’ll be working to pay off Ludger’s massive 20,000,000 gald debt and finding his brother, and helping Elle to get to the supposed mythical land of Canaan to save her father. Although many environmental assets have been re-used, as you’ll be revisiting many areas from the first Xillia, you’ll be able to enjoy them differently as Ludger and experience the progress in the world one year after the events of Xillia.

Tales of xillia 2 rating