Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology

"Pretty fun and definitely worth it for the PSP"

The Tales series is highly acclaimed for its fun battle systems, its unique cast of characters and its overall enjoyable gameplay experience. Though this game carries the Tales name keep in mind it is from its own "Tales of the World" sub-series a bit different from the usual games. Sadly this isn't the best Tales of the World game in my opinion but that doesn't mean it isn't worth buying. In fact I suggest purchasing this game and this explains why...

Story: 6

Not so great to be quite honest. You magically appear, being created by some random tree to be the Hero of the world. Not too much thought put into the storyline of the game. Basically you need to do quests to accomplish fame and gain more companions . The game really doesn't have much to offer in this department unlike the regular Tales series and though that was big deterrent for me I decided to pick up the game anyway and I was still able to have fun because most people know its the gameplay that makes the Tales series so spectacular. Though I wish the game had an enthralling story like most other Tales games, I won't really hold it against it considering it is a Tales of the World game.

Gameplay: 10

I've always enjoyed the gameplay in any Tales game because I feel they have the best battles system of any RPG. The battle system isn't turn based and uses the same flex-motion linear battles system from Tales of the Abyss which happens to be the best in the Tales series in my opinion. Pretty much free-roaming battles with lots of moves and many different ways to link attacks. In fact the battle system was pretty much my whole reasoning for buying the game. That and the ability to have characters from previous Tales games join your party, but that might not interest you if you're new to the series (I won't mention which characters as to not spoil it but I'm sure you'll be pleased).

Most other elements about the gameplay are kind of a drawback. The game gets very repetitive. Basically you talk to people who send you on small quests and upon completion you get a reward and repeat. Sounds pretty bland but the character customizations make up for it. You can change the appearance of your character depending on their class and what they have equipped. There are many classes ranging from swordsmen to mages to even ninjas and tons of weapons and armor to collect throughout your journeys.

Graphics: 9

The graphics for this game are on par with Tales of the Abyss for the PS2. They aren't spectacular but they are pretty awesome. That characters look pretty cool as does every other aspect of the game. Considering this is accomplished on the PSP with not so many visually pleasing games, I consider this to be a pretty nice plus.

Sound: 8

The music in the game is pretty nice. The battle music changes depending on which characters are in your party (the music changes from whatever game they are from) which is pretty neat. Also the voice acting is excellent and most voices match the characters nicely.

Replayability: 9

Being a Tales game, the New Game + exists which allows you to carry over items and various other aspects of your game over to a new file upon completion. With loads of stuff to collect and master the game can become quite long especially if you enjoy beating the game and carrying things over to make the next playthrough fun and easy.

Rent or Buy: Tough choice...

If you are a Tales fan then you should know what to expect from this game (other than the story which I've mentioned is a disappointment) and I suggest you buy the game. If you're new to the series then I suggest you rent this game first or buy another Tales game instead (particularly Tales of the Abyss for PS2 or Tales of Symphonia for Gamecube). Still I found this game worth buying and enjoy playing it. Just don't set your expectations too high.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/07