Tales of the Abyss
The classically hit-or-miss RPG series returns to the PS2 with, finally, a hit.
Published: October 25, 2006
You took a serious risk, Namco, in making your lead character a complete douche. I understand that that idea is that he shows character growth -- more here than you see in most RPGs to be honest -- but did you have to make Luke fon Fabre such a dick right from the start? It took ten hours, ten hours before I finally started to get into the game, and the biggest stumbling block was the complete asshole nature of the lead in the game. The story, sadly, didn't seem to go anywhere either, with just the lightest touches of political conflict stirring the pot.
And then I hit that 10 hour mark (or shortly before it, I can't remember exactly), and the game started to open up. I begin to actually care about the characters, the combat system really came into its own. I finally "got" what made the game so endearing to people, and it's one the prime examples of why I try to play an RPG through all the way before reviewing it; something so character- and story-driven deserves more than just a peek. Then again, had I not been reviewing the game, I probably would have given up long before it had a chance to get its hooks into me.
So yes, Luke is a royal ass. Literally, he's the son of Duke Fabre, part of the ruling aristocracy of the city of Baticul (yes, it's totally pronounced "badical"), which is part of the greater Kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. The problem is, Luke's been stuck inside the castle walls for going on seven years now, ever since he was kidnapped by folks from Malkuth, the rival kingdom, and lost his memory of everything from before that point.
Now, cooped up with his only release being sparring practice with his teacher, Van, Luke has turned (or grown increasingly) spoiled and really effing annoying. He sasses anyone in authority, lashes out at servants, acts like he knows everything when in actuality his teenage body has the basic worldly knowledge of a seven year-old, and on top of all this, he's already sheltered. Which of course is the perfect combo for a fish-out-of-water tale with tons of political meanderings, and that's precisely what happens.
A song echoes through the castle walls and all the guards slump over, unconscious. In the courtyard, Van and Luke are frozed as a mysterious woman walks in, exchanges a few words, and then moves to kill Van -- except Luke is there to block the blow and trigger a hyperresonance, a blast that teleports the pair far into Malkuth territory. Whoops. Thus begins Luke's adventure with Tear, the woman who attacked what is eventually revealed as her own brother, and the slow re-education of a boy who knows very little of the world, but is about to see far more of it then he ever could have imagined.
Tales fans like to joke that there are really only a couple kinds of character types in the series, and generally it's true. There are different nuances to things, but most fit into very specific roles; the older/younger brother/sister, friend and mentor, and this game is no different. Nor is the basic nature of questing around, tracking down side missions and seeking out items. What is different -- and this is the key -- is that the characters themselves actually mature and become more well fleshed-out than almost any RPG I've played. When the first major twist happens, it'll knock you on your ass, and that's exactly what goof RPGs are for.
Until you actually head into double digit territory, though, it'll be the battle system that baits you along for the most part, and the series has received plenty of due praise for melding a strategic element to real-time battles. With Abyss, they strengthened it further, adding in the ability to move freely around the battles rather than being stuck on a single plane. It's used mostly for positioning, because one of the other big additions, Fields of Fonon, allow you to modify an existing special attack by using a sympathetic arte (special move) in a circle left behind by particularly powerful spells. When combined with the seemingly simplistic, almost button-mashy initial parts of the combat, it helps add depth until you actually understand how and when to block, when to use special attacks and how to chain combos between attackers for maximum damage. It really is one of the best real-time combat systems in RPGs today.
All of this is a lot to take in at first (especially when mixed with all the terminology and info presented to you by proxy through the "clueless" Luke), but the game is at least kind enough to throw things in a bit at a time. Some of the things that seem like the most basic of concepts by the time you're neck deep into the game don't even show up until a half-dozen hours into the game, and it's here that Namco's Tales Team really shows reserve. Another example: the dreaded stealth mission. Fail it enough and you can just kick ass through that section once the game realizes you're getting frustrated.
And then I hit that 10 hour mark (or shortly before it, I can't remember exactly), and the game started to open up. I begin to actually care about the characters, the combat system really came into its own. I finally "got" what made the game so endearing to people, and it's one the prime examples of why I try to play an RPG through all the way before reviewing it; something so character- and story-driven deserves more than just a peek. Then again, had I not been reviewing the game, I probably would have given up long before it had a chance to get its hooks into me.
So yes, Luke is a royal ass. Literally, he's the son of Duke Fabre, part of the ruling aristocracy of the city of Baticul (yes, it's totally pronounced "badical"), which is part of the greater Kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. The problem is, Luke's been stuck inside the castle walls for going on seven years now, ever since he was kidnapped by folks from Malkuth, the rival kingdom, and lost his memory of everything from before that point.
Now, cooped up with his only release being sparring practice with his teacher, Van, Luke has turned (or grown increasingly) spoiled and really effing annoying. He sasses anyone in authority, lashes out at servants, acts like he knows everything when in actuality his teenage body has the basic worldly knowledge of a seven year-old, and on top of all this, he's already sheltered. Which of course is the perfect combo for a fish-out-of-water tale with tons of political meanderings, and that's precisely what happens.
A song echoes through the castle walls and all the guards slump over, unconscious. In the courtyard, Van and Luke are frozed as a mysterious woman walks in, exchanges a few words, and then moves to kill Van -- except Luke is there to block the blow and trigger a hyperresonance, a blast that teleports the pair far into Malkuth territory. Whoops. Thus begins Luke's adventure with Tear, the woman who attacked what is eventually revealed as her own brother, and the slow re-education of a boy who knows very little of the world, but is about to see far more of it then he ever could have imagined.
Tales fans like to joke that there are really only a couple kinds of character types in the series, and generally it's true. There are different nuances to things, but most fit into very specific roles; the older/younger brother/sister, friend and mentor, and this game is no different. Nor is the basic nature of questing around, tracking down side missions and seeking out items. What is different -- and this is the key -- is that the characters themselves actually mature and become more well fleshed-out than almost any RPG I've played. When the first major twist happens, it'll knock you on your ass, and that's exactly what goof RPGs are for.
Until you actually head into double digit territory, though, it'll be the battle system that baits you along for the most part, and the series has received plenty of due praise for melding a strategic element to real-time battles. With Abyss, they strengthened it further, adding in the ability to move freely around the battles rather than being stuck on a single plane. It's used mostly for positioning, because one of the other big additions, Fields of Fonon, allow you to modify an existing special attack by using a sympathetic arte (special move) in a circle left behind by particularly powerful spells. When combined with the seemingly simplistic, almost button-mashy initial parts of the combat, it helps add depth until you actually understand how and when to block, when to use special attacks and how to chain combos between attackers for maximum damage. It really is one of the best real-time combat systems in RPGs today.
All of this is a lot to take in at first (especially when mixed with all the terminology and info presented to you by proxy through the "clueless" Luke), but the game is at least kind enough to throw things in a bit at a time. Some of the things that seem like the most basic of concepts by the time you're neck deep into the game don't even show up until a half-dozen hours into the game, and it's here that Namco's Tales Team really shows reserve. Another example: the dreaded stealth mission. Fail it enough and you can just kick ass through that section once the game realizes you're getting frustrated.
