""If you're a fan of the series you'll like this one""

“If you're a fan of the series you'll like this one”

Tales of the Abyss is the latest instalment in Namco's famous Tales series. This instalment adds new features that make the gameplay experience even better. Tales of the Abyss has an excellent voiceover cast and most of the game is voiced over, with the exception of skits which aren't voiced over(due to budget issues).

GAMEPLAY: 9/10

Tales of the Abyss uses the same battle system as all the other instalments in the series. You control one character and move them around the battlefield attacking with your weapon and using your ‘Artes'. The other three members that take part in the fighting will be AI controlled but the you are able to set them up to act how you want them to. Each character can be equipped with a thing called a ‘Capacity Core' which determines how their stats grow. The game also has ‘Addition(AD) Skills' which are gained by levelling your character and having a stat bonus reach a certain point. Unlike previous instalments you are able to run around the full 3D battlefield by holding down the L2 button once you learn the proper AD skill. This greatly improves your ability to dodge enemy attacks or lead them away from your spell casters so their spells won't be interrupted.

STORY: 9/10

You start the game as a young man named Luke Fon Fabre. When Luke was young he was kidnapped by his countries enemies and the shock of the kidnapping left him without his memories. When he was brought back home he was locked in his mansion for fear of his own safety. The story quickly picks up as Luke is magically transported far away from his home. You play through the game gaining new characters and watching Luke as matures from a Naïve child into someone who would be willing to die for the sake of others. Along the way you get wrapped up in political issues such as wars and the such. If you enjoy stories about people who learn from their mistakes and better themselves from them then you will like the story of this game.

GRAPHICS: 7/10

This game as well aesthetically pleasing towns and dungeons. The details of emotion on the characters faces is clearly visible and well done. But some downsides are the characters are somewhat blocky. And the world map isn't as nice looking as the towns. The poorly designed world really hurts the overall artistic feeling of the game.

AUDIO: 10/10

The music in this game is amazing. It is some of the best music I've heard in videogames. The songs suit the towns their in and add to the atmosphere. All of the major fights have their own song which makes the battles seem more amazing. When you beat the game you unlock the sound test which lets you hear all the amazing music as much as you want. The voiceovers in this game are also amazing. The voice actors are spectacular. They get the emotions right every time. And you never run into the problem that was in Tales of Symphonia where they stop midsentence until you skip to the next text box. The voices in battle are well done. When ever Luke uses one of his Artes he sounds like he rushing to say it. Although he is needlessly shouting the names of his attacks it does sound like he's trying to get them out as fast as he can.

Final Word

This game is for anyone who likes RPG's. It does have a few bugs though. There have been lagging issues on the world map which get extremely annoying over time. If you get into a fight on the world map or into a boss fight that follows a long conversation they take a lengthy amount of time to load. But in the end all of the positives outshine the negatives. I recommend that anyone who likes RPG's should buy this game.

OVERALL: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/04/07