I played it around 25 hours and gave up. The story really isn't that great, and neither is the gameplay. I gave it fair shot I think, but couldn't do it anymore after a while.
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After 5 hours, I think I'm going to drop Tales of Berseria
- Thread starter Deleted member 437
- Start date
I'm playing this right now (as in right now, I just fired up my PS4) and I'm enjoying it quite a bit, though I can feel your complaints OP. I haven't played a Tales of game since Graces because I've constantly heard bad things about them, and while I enjoyed Graces, I have the admit the story was super weak. I'm not in love with the battle system in Berseria (the best part of Graces), but I actually really like the cast in the game. They're basically what's pushing me forward. The beginning of the game is definitely a bummer, I don't know what they were thinking with the Winter area. It's so dull looking and the back and forth in the cave is wack.
I really hope they put a lot more work into the next entry. I'm in a major city right now, and the sound effects has a lot of crowd chatter and bustling going on, but everyone is completely still and lifeless. It's bizarre. I wonder understand if you could talk to every NPC, but you can't. It can't be that hard to program some basic paths and have NPCs walking through the city, even if they're blinking out of existance
I really hope they put a lot more work into the next entry. I'm in a major city right now, and the sound effects has a lot of crowd chatter and bustling going on, but everyone is completely still and lifeless. It's bizarre. I wonder understand if you could talk to every NPC, but you can't. It can't be that hard to program some basic paths and have NPCs walking through the city, even if they're blinking out of existance
Berseria was certainly a much better game then the last few Tales games we've gotten but its still very mediocre and I think its a tad overrated. It's certainly not even close to Abyss, Symphonia, or Vesperia but its still much better then Xillia 2 (which imo is the worst game in the entire series) I think the series needs to hold back for a few years and come up wtih some new ideas because Beseria's biggest problem is that comparing it to other RPG's it just feels very shallow, almost everything it tries to do has been done better in other games and on top of that the few risks it does take don't all work out well (the final 3rd of the game starts to go to shit with its characters and story really quickly) and while I thought Velvet's role was certainly interesting and she had a really good background the way her character is ultimately handled is far from great.
So I get what your saying OP and I think you are right to drop the game now, its certainly not clicking for you and while I didn't hate it the more time I've spent away from the game the less I really remember which just tells me it wasn't worth remembering.
So I get what your saying OP and I think you are right to drop the game now, its certainly not clicking for you and while I didn't hate it the more time I've spent away from the game the less I really remember which just tells me it wasn't worth remembering.
I still need to finish it. I'm near the end of the game and I really like the story and characters.
I also love the connections to Zestiria.
One day I'll turn it back on and finish it up.
I'd put Velvet up there with Yuri, at least in terms of how different they are from other Tales main characters. I was also wanting something different from your pure hearted justice hero and Velvet has delivered so far.
The theme of revenge from what I remember was handled well. It provided good and interesting motivation for Velvet's journey and actions.
I hope for the next game they continue and try to do things differently. Preferably with a main character that's not a goodie two shoes but someone who has a bit of greyish depth to them like Velvet and Yuri.
I also love the connections to Zestiria.
One day I'll turn it back on and finish it up.
I'd put Velvet up there with Yuri, at least in terms of how different they are from other Tales main characters. I was also wanting something different from your pure hearted justice hero and Velvet has delivered so far.
The theme of revenge from what I remember was handled well. It provided good and interesting motivation for Velvet's journey and actions.
I hope for the next game they continue and try to do things differently. Preferably with a main character that's not a goodie two shoes but someone who has a bit of greyish depth to them like Velvet and Yuri.
Considering OP hasn't played a Tales of since Vesperia, let me add that You're probably playing the game on easy
I guess it was with Xillia where they created the "second" difficulty which is closer to the normal difficulty of older Tales of games.
I would recommend to play it on hard which makes combat much more interesting. Velvet is a quick win button essencialy, but the other characters are so much fun to play that makes the game better.
Other complaints like towns, production values and etc. are very valid and known. The game is originally for the PS3 and they have been budget like since Xillia.
I liked the story and characters a lot so it's really up to you if you want to keep going.
Try to up the difficulty and see if boredom fades at least
I guess it was with Xillia where they created the "second" difficulty which is closer to the normal difficulty of older Tales of games.
I would recommend to play it on hard which makes combat much more interesting. Velvet is a quick win button essencialy, but the other characters are so much fun to play that makes the game better.
Other complaints like towns, production values and etc. are very valid and known. The game is originally for the PS3 and they have been budget like since Xillia.
I liked the story and characters a lot so it's really up to you if you want to keep going.
Try to up the difficulty and see if boredom fades at least
There's nothing wrong with watching a movie and then saying "I want to watch something else similar". What you were saying, or at least what it seemed like you were saying, is "I want to watch something else like this, but I hope it isn't a better experience." Or since this is a series, its like saying "I liked this movie, I hope the sequel is the exact same quality wise, and doesn't improve at all."
Since we're using movie analogies, let's use a mediocre Hollywood blockbuster as an example. Ant-Man is getting a sequel. Ant-Man is as generic as they come for Marvel movies. I can go watch the sequel and be satisfied if it's as generic as the original, but isn't it more natural to go into the sequel of a property hoping that they improved on the last entry? Yeah, I could always go watch an Oscar-nominated film instead, but I want to watch the Ant-man sequel and hope they can improve over the last one.
I think it goes Easy (was there anything before that?) -> Normal -> Intermediate (Actual normal mode probably) -> Hard and then it goes up further from there.
Never bought it because of the demo. Just seemed bland to me from a gameplay and especially from a graphics standpoint. Playing the demo immediately after completing FFXV really put into perspective how dated the engine is. One thing that would definitely steer me towards playing another Tales game in the future is a brand new engine. The series needs it badly.
OP
OP
Nope, playing on Normal.
I understand the battle system. The game wants me to adjust artes to hit beasts harder, yada yada. And some of them have ailments you can hit enemies with. Like, I get what it is. Have not seen the need to do anything with it. Mash until all my squares are used up. Then when an enemy is close to death, hit R2 and regain a bunch of health, then mash some more for a super attack.
Maybe I'll up the difficulty. Dunno. The combat is a part of my problem with that game. It feels like I went back to the early PS3 era with this game. It feels old.
-Ugly dungeons so far.
-Ugly fields.
-A world that feels very static.
-Bunch of back tracking and padding.
-When characters talk to each other, only Velvet is on screen. Razourou(sp) is talking inside of her.
-Really weird invisible walls literally out of nowhere. Like, in the middle of fields.
Like I said in my OP, I think I expected too much. I thought this was a PS4 game. It is clearly not. It's a PS3 game on PS4, and you can immediately see/feel it.
I finished Berseria just before starting MHW.
It's... right on that line between keeping and dropping a game.
Story promises to be something intriguing, and for a while it kind of is. I think my greatest disappointment with it is that it eschews it in favor of your typical jrpg "time to kill god" plot, which, given all the praise Berseria has gotten, I was really hoping it would avoid, or at least do better.
Best I can say about it is that I wasn't bored most of the time. Almost all interactions are fully voiced, which is clearly where the budget went. All I know is that I won't pay more than $20 for the next Tales, no matter how "improved" early impressions claim it is. Berseria certainly ain't worth more than that.
It's... right on that line between keeping and dropping a game.
Story promises to be something intriguing, and for a while it kind of is. I think my greatest disappointment with it is that it eschews it in favor of your typical jrpg "time to kill god" plot, which, given all the praise Berseria has gotten, I was really hoping it would avoid, or at least do better.
Best I can say about it is that I wasn't bored most of the time. Almost all interactions are fully voiced, which is clearly where the budget went. All I know is that I won't pay more than $20 for the next Tales, no matter how "improved" early impressions claim it is. Berseria certainly ain't worth more than that.
Yeah, intermediate. I'm more familiar with the japanese term which is second.
Which is the equivalent of easy in older Tales of. You should try to change to hard or, at least, intermediate (this one being the actual normal).
You do understand the battle system, but the game isn'tforcing you to really use your arsenal. That should change once you modify the difficulty.
Give a couple more hours. If don't click with you soon, at least you tried.
I will finish it someday but yeah the combat is just button smashing.
A whole lot of attack names that do exactly the same?
Going by the amount of explanations the game gives you, you would think the combat would be deep as hell... its not.
Weirdly enough I enjoyed Xillia, but im not feeling Berseria, the cast is ok.
A whole lot of attack names that do exactly the same?
Going by the amount of explanations the game gives you, you would think the combat would be deep as hell... its not.
Weirdly enough I enjoyed Xillia, but im not feeling Berseria, the cast is ok.
This has been my approach to the series for a minute, which is probably why I'm more forgiving of some of my complaints, haha. With Tales, I feel like I have a general sense of what I'm getting, so I usually wait to cop it at a cheaper price.
I'm playing Berseria right now as a matter of fact. Some 25 hours in and liking it a lot.
I don't get the complain about backtracking. It's pretty okay with Berseria imo. The player needs to visit some places more than one time but it's sort what happens with most JRPGs. Now try to play Abyss if want to see truly horrendous back track.
About the combat: In the beginning it sorta felt like just button mashing with repetitive battles, but it grew on me eventually. I still don't like how everything is now just artes combos, but i can deal with it.
For now, it's not my favorite Tales of but it's definitely in the side of the good ones. The characters host is pretty cool and they just get better as the game progress.
It's definitely not a AAA experience tho, and for me that's a plus tbh. Now it's understandable that you'd expect something else.
I don't get the complain about backtracking. It's pretty okay with Berseria imo. The player needs to visit some places more than one time but it's sort what happens with most JRPGs. Now try to play Abyss if want to see truly horrendous back track.
About the combat: In the beginning it sorta felt like just button mashing with repetitive battles, but it grew on me eventually. I still don't like how everything is now just artes combos, but i can deal with it.
For now, it's not my favorite Tales of but it's definitely in the side of the good ones. The characters host is pretty cool and they just get better as the game progress.
It's definitely not a AAA experience tho, and for me that's a plus tbh. Now it's understandable that you'd expect something else.
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The combat in Berseria is disappointing for me, it makes me miss Graces combat so much.
I'm playing on moderate and in boss fights it's so easy to get ohko'd. Basically you have to to rely on Therion mode as a crutch. Sure they're challenging but still not particularly fun.
The story is the best in a tales game I've played that's the only reason I'm sticking with it really.
I'm playing on moderate and in boss fights it's so easy to get ohko'd. Basically you have to to rely on Therion mode as a crutch. Sure they're challenging but still not particularly fun.
The story is the best in a tales game I've played that's the only reason I'm sticking with it really.
even if what we are complaining about the tales series you love you should always want a series you love strive to make a better experience. it doesnt have to cater to me, but to say there is no improvement to be made for your benefit for a series and even if they could improve it you wouldnt want it is just asinine, and to be lerfectly honest i dont think thats what you are really saying, but thats how it comes off.
I thought Beseria was the return to form. Or was that Zestiria?
I tend to buy Tales games and never play them because I buy too many games.
I tend to buy Tales games and never play them because I buy too many games.
Lets hope the battle system is in any worthy for any human to play. As the first NnK battle system is easily one of the worst battle system for jrpg.
Don't worry, OP. Even when you totally understand the combat and have all the mechanics available it's still boring and requires very little strategy (played 30 hours on hard iirc).
While the cast is fantastic, the actual story is pretty uninteresting. Really wish I liked the game more, but actually having to interact with it got so tiresome.
While the cast is fantastic, the actual story is pretty uninteresting. Really wish I liked the game more, but actually having to interact with it got so tiresome.
Yeah, I didn't feel this game either. Didn't like the combat, didn't like Velvet or her garbage outfit (kudos for the sensible villager outfit though) was not a fan of what I played of it.
I just want another game like Abyss and Vesperia, man. I haven't really enjoyed a Tales game since then, Graces was awful IMO and Xillia was decent but not great.
I just want another game like Abyss and Vesperia, man. I haven't really enjoyed a Tales game since then, Graces was awful IMO and Xillia was decent but not great.
Im trying to talk myself into going back and finishing this game, but the environments are the blandest, most boring shit ever. It's not fun going through them at all. The story is good and the characters are great so that's why I wanna push through.
Does it ever improve, anyone? I'm at the part where you have to do some guild quests.
Does it ever improve, anyone? I'm at the part where you have to do some guild quests.
Not really. There's no real visual creativity in the game, unfortunately.
I recently bought the game, too and I've been having a blast with it. The combat is fun as hell (playing on intermediate/above normal) and timing dodges to get SG gems is fun as fuck. Also the variation in playstyles between the main cast is unique in it's own right. Also the characters make this game. Just seeing them all interact with each other is so much fun. I just beat the part where you have to collect those purple flowers for medicine and I'm loving the fuck out of this game. The story is good, too and I'm interested to see where it goes.
Not really the environments are pretty much the same fair all the way through.
If you thought the games dungeons were boring I can't even imagine what you must have though of Zesterias lol
Biggest problem I have with the combat is I hate how everything is so flashy and chaotic now. It's almost as if I'm playing a musou game rather than an Action RPG at this point. Oh, and this aspect also applies to KH3. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for KH3, but every time I see the actual gameplay, I can't help but be concerned that I won't like the battle system too much. Reminds me too much of DDD, so many gimmicks and flashy moves. I liked KH2FM and BBS where there are some sweet actions here and there, but a lot of fighting still feels grounded and you felt like you're in full control of the character.
Now I did say I liked Graces f's combat, and I think it felt like a decent compromise there. I remembered Asbel having some fairly normal basic attack movesets that combine martial arts and sword skills, it was way later in the game that the combat gets more chaotic, which I'm okay with as there is a progression. Overall though, I still wish Tales would go back to the style of older titles that doesn't immediately start you off doing crazy stunts, and make you earn doing elaborated combos and sick actions over time.
Now I did say I liked Graces f's combat, and I think it felt like a decent compromise there. I remembered Asbel having some fairly normal basic attack movesets that combine martial arts and sword skills, it was way later in the game that the combat gets more chaotic, which I'm okay with as there is a progression. Overall though, I still wish Tales would go back to the style of older titles that doesn't immediately start you off doing crazy stunts, and make you earn doing elaborated combos and sick actions over time.
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I clocked 75 hours on my first playthrough and enjoyed it, but i can understand how the combination of dated graphics with awful repetitive dungeon design and the backtracking can sour people on this game. Even when you unlock a faster way of traversal later in the game, you have the awful tidium of having to activate it in every map you visit.
I agee with the OP in every way. The game was just boring. I went through it and it didn't get better trust me.
The combat was very boring and bland the problem with this and other recent tales games is SYSTEMS SYSTEMS SYSTEMS AND MORE SYSTEMS WITHIN SYSTEMS. It is so overbearlingly convoluted compared to older Tales games it just puts you right off and you just don't pay attention to any of it.
Stop adding so much shit into the combat and making it so complicated Bamco.
The whole combat in this game I don't even know what it was trying to do. I would mash and occasionally press the shoulder buttons for some effects and my HP would drop but do extra damage or something. It was just so boring and bland and not fun in the slightest.
The story was bad. It was a bit better than other recent Tales games but it was still crap.
The environments were copy paste dungeons and outdoor stuff. The mobs were color swapped too.
I started skipping the cutscenes by the 60-70% mark as I just didn't have any interest and wanted it to be over.
Also the music was shit like it has been in the last several Tales games. So uninspired bland and boring forgettable tracks. Not sure what happened to Saluraba he is clearly capable of much better just listen to his VP work.
Also pressing triangle to go into the menu just puts me right off. The amount of graphs, artes, secret artes, counter counters, item management, skill links, chains, affinities the list just goes on and on and it never ends.
Put it this way. THE GAME WAS STILL GIVING ME TUTORIALS IN THE LAST FUCKING DUNGEON!!. That can't be a good sign.
People complain FFXIII was giving you tutorials 20 hrs in. This takes it to the end of the whole game lol. Yet I heard no one mention this when it come out. It somehow got a free pass just because it wasn't as big game as FFXIII and that's more senstirve to criticism because it's FF. also FFXIII was a 100x better than this but that's another story.
So you can see how much the game is up it's own ass with systems. I am never touching these games again until they become something a whole lot better.
The combat was very boring and bland the problem with this and other recent tales games is SYSTEMS SYSTEMS SYSTEMS AND MORE SYSTEMS WITHIN SYSTEMS. It is so overbearlingly convoluted compared to older Tales games it just puts you right off and you just don't pay attention to any of it.
Stop adding so much shit into the combat and making it so complicated Bamco.
The whole combat in this game I don't even know what it was trying to do. I would mash and occasionally press the shoulder buttons for some effects and my HP would drop but do extra damage or something. It was just so boring and bland and not fun in the slightest.
The story was bad. It was a bit better than other recent Tales games but it was still crap.
The environments were copy paste dungeons and outdoor stuff. The mobs were color swapped too.
I started skipping the cutscenes by the 60-70% mark as I just didn't have any interest and wanted it to be over.
Also the music was shit like it has been in the last several Tales games. So uninspired bland and boring forgettable tracks. Not sure what happened to Saluraba he is clearly capable of much better just listen to his VP work.
Also pressing triangle to go into the menu just puts me right off. The amount of graphs, artes, secret artes, counter counters, item management, skill links, chains, affinities the list just goes on and on and it never ends.
Put it this way. THE GAME WAS STILL GIVING ME TUTORIALS IN THE LAST FUCKING DUNGEON!!. That can't be a good sign.
People complain FFXIII was giving you tutorials 20 hrs in. This takes it to the end of the whole game lol. Yet I heard no one mention this when it come out. It somehow got a free pass just because it wasn't as big game as FFXIII and that's more senstirve to criticism because it's FF. also FFXIII was a 100x better than this but that's another story.
So you can see how much the game is up it's own ass with systems. I am never touching these games again until they become something a whole lot better.
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It never was a return to form. Those that have followed the Tales games like it because it's a bit different from the rubbish that Bamco have been putting out for the last 8 years.
Totally this. It was just slightly better than their other recent entries in the Tales games like Xillia so it's immediately considered "good" by some but compared to other games out there it's a joke.
I can't even remember much of this game. It didn't leave a lasting impression and the combat and environments, characters and story just all blend into one. It didn't stand out. Just a cookie cutter rpg that could easily be on mobile.
I doubt pumping much more in the way of resources and time into these games will pay off.
The stuff people are complaining about are the corners they cut to get these games out on moderate budgets. It's basically the reason the series still exist because if the budgets swell the sales likely won't match and the games will no longer justify themselves getting made.
Every dungeon is copy paste of a giant wide open field with monsters roaming it for example. To me that's a cut corner.
I'm sorry but these are cult of personality type games for anime fans where when people like the characters and story they enjoy the game more or less. The series has it's fans and they keep coming back because like me they mostly enjoy the flawed final product but the room for growth is not really there in my eyes.
No what I'm saying is I'm understanding of the corners they cut to make these games and as long as the final experience is entertaining to me I can forgive it because the alternative is them simply not making these games anymore if they become unprofitable in the chase of "improving quality."
What if they pumped the budget of an Avengers movie into the next Ant-Man and when the movie was released it still did the same or similar numbers to the previous movie despite their efforts? Then Disney will look at that and say "why are we making these movies when they cost so much and make so little." Let's be honest here. The sky isn't the limit for Ant-Man and there's a upper limit to what an Ant-Man movie is gonna do numbers wise.
That's Tales in a nutshell. Bandai Namco will keep the cost low and the games will sell moderately to the fans of the series. Quality is measured to me at least with the story and characters and to a lesser extent how decently the battle system flows. A good chunk of the budget of these games are likely paid to the voice actors to fully voice the main cast and all the skits.
What you guys are talking about is sending this series into a death spiral of putting more time and resources into something that's highly unlikely to pay out a good return on the investment. Berseria proves that if the story and characters are entertaining people will gush about these games despite the fact that Berseria suffers from the same cut corners that all the post Vesperia games suffer from. In terms of pure gameplay and design Berseria isn't really better than any of the other post-Vesperia titles. Bandai Namco isn't wrong here. They know what the fans of the series like and that's clearly where the games budgets go. If for example they put out a much better game mechanically but the skits weren't voiced do you think the series fans would be cool with that? I don't.
Berseria actually really worked for me in a way that Tales games have failed to since Vesperia.
I loved the unconventional main (even if I did swap her costume out ASAP), enjoyed the story, and after Zestiria, was relieved that they could still make combat fun.
That said, Tales is in dire need of a shakeup. Their level/world design is boring and bland as fuck, and the games have felt really rote this whole last generation, basically.
I loved the unconventional main (even if I did swap her costume out ASAP), enjoyed the story, and after Zestiria, was relieved that they could still make combat fun.
That said, Tales is in dire need of a shakeup. Their level/world design is boring and bland as fuck, and the games have felt really rote this whole last generation, basically.
I wish.
Graces layout was fantastic. Story and characters sucked, but the battle system was incredible and the game was massive. They've never come close since, especially on the battle system.
I dropped it for same reason as OP, don't feel your confidence about Vesperia =)
I do that except its randomized between abyss,symphonia, phantasia,vesperia and legendia
That last one is personal it's not really that good lol
That doesn't explain why she continues wearing it after she escapes though. Velvet's single-minded in her goal but more often than not aware of anything around her that would impede her progress. A preposterously ostentatious outfit made from garbage draws too much attention (or should) and she should have bought something plainer as soon as she arrived in the first real town. No matter how much better the writing gets, Berseria is still a Tales game though, so colorful outfits are a matter of course so full speed ahead.
I've seen allot of people say they switch to the Villager outfit ASAP. I tried this briefly and I never felt comfortable. I associated that costume with her childhood innocence and optimism too much and could never get used to it. That outfit also shows as having two, normal human arms and... I could kinda get over the display in itself but not for that costume. I ended up spending a few bucks on the legacy Tales costumes and stuck Velvet in hers. That outfit is much more in line with something I'd expect Velvet to wear. Light, practical, and unencumbering without looking stupidly out of place.
I completed the game because I have high tolerance for JRPGs and I found the characters and overall tone interesting, but I understand you.
The game reeks of low budget and the story while interesting is not that good.
The cutscenes and OST are poor too, and the combat is not that hot, even if it can be funny when you know how to do long combos.
It's better than Xillia/Zestiria/Graces... but the Tales standards are pretty low at this moment, the series needs more attention and money from Bamco to regain its former glory.
The game reeks of low budget and the story while interesting is not that good.
The cutscenes and OST are poor too, and the combat is not that hot, even if it can be funny when you know how to do long combos.
It's better than Xillia/Zestiria/Graces... but the Tales standards are pretty low at this moment, the series needs more attention and money from Bamco to regain its former glory.
Thanks for the heads up. I will make use of this when i play the game in the future.Just a heads up to people who dislike Velvet's attire:
There are mods on PC to make it bearable ^ 4th image in that is the default attire edited.
I think the problem with Berseria is that it was coming off of hits release of Zestiria (horrible Tales game!) which is in the same universe, and was still a PS3 game ported to PS4. Bamco/Tales team have yet to make a current gen Tales game which I have hopes for. I did find Berseria good, gameplay and story-wise though.
Admittedly I too quit the game at the 10-12 hour mark. Though I quite enjoyed the characters and plot motivations, it was the game design and combat that broke me. I really disliked the customization and fighting structure almost wholesale in this one. The mundane locations and backtracking didn't quite bother me as much, but didn't help.
I do plan to return to it one day though.
I do plan to return to it one day though.