For those of you who don't know (I certainly hope you all do) The "Tales" series is a bunch of games by namco that features a unique live action battle system, increadible longness (usually 50+ hours of gameplay), a fun skill and technique system, and loosely relates in some way to a real world problem.
I picked up the latest one, Tales of Vesperia for the 360 last saturday, and I am loving it. The characters are actually believable, the graphics are beutiful, and the battle is as fun as ever. the running theme in this game seems to be corruption in the government, and they pull it off really well. I'm about 14 hours in.
I was a little surprised not to see a thread about this series up already, I know fly_boy and I have had good times with the series in the past...

Wow, I never realized how much Tales games are like persona games
That's gonna blow his mind

well, boiled down to that, they are. but when you look at the actual games. no they're not. hey speaking of which, why isn't there a persona thread? is it because you, gendy, and I are the only ones who have played a Persona game?

I tried to get lucifuga to play it, but something happened to him
And are you done with P4?


Oh right Tales
The ending to ToS2 doesn't really add up with ToP, which supposedly occurs thousands of years later.

Yeah, I don't have a stupid memory card for my stupid PS2 yet. When stupid I buy one I can steal Persona 3 from my stupid friend.
I tried GameStop, they had no memory cards. Instead I bought Final Fantasy Fantasy X and XII. Darn.

I freaking love the Tales of series! Seriously, a lot.
My favorite is Symphonia. 220 hours and still going strong. I finish it about once every month with Gamma.
I picked up ToP about a year ago and I like that one too. It's hard as hell. I'm stuck in some cave somewhere and I think I'll need some serious 3 hour grinding before proceeding further.

Final fantasy < Persona 3
tales of symphonia > tales of phantasia

Tales of Vesperia > Tales of Symphonia

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Yeah yeah yeah. who do you think you are, David?

So vesperia takes place in a different planet but same universe? 'cause of kratos?

Kratos is in Vesperia? Oh wait...I knew that. A bonus in the Coliseum...Just like Symphonia.
I can't wait to play the whole game. I hope they release it over here soon...

I love the tales series, and NB does not deserve all the flaming they get for the games being too "similar" or having weird names. They are good games and I played em all, including the DS ones NB refuses to release in America(RELEASE TALES OF INNOCENCE ALREADY!)

wait wait wait
WHAT? those a-holes, sitting on their hands when they could make a variable killing!

From what I've played of Vesperia (the demo...in which I died) it seems really awesome, and I want it. Symphonia still ranks as one of my favorite games ever period, but Phantasia is pretty darned good as well (although I think that the amazing quality of the OVA may have heightened my experience beyond that of the game itself).

And fly_boy, comparing Persona 3 to the entire Final Fantasy franchise may be a bit unfair. P3 is a great game, but in my opinion, some of the Final Fantasy installments blow it out of the water (read: the PSX games). Final Fantasy has tended to be fairly hit-or-miss with me, especially lately, and while that brings the average of the franchise down, it doesn't mean that there's pure gold hidden in there somewhere.

Also, Kratos getting a cameo in Tales of Vesperia as an enemy in the Colosseum doesn't exactly mean its in the same universe any more than Gar's cameo in Symphonia means that it's in the same universe as Tales of Destiny (which it isn't). It's just a cameo.

...unless there's more to it than I know, in which case, don't spoil it for me.

well, it's just he is the only person in symphonia who went into space, what if he went there?

I'm going to go get the ova again for my the weston, see what he thinks.

Final Fantasy is hit or miss period, really the main FF series just died after FFVIII, because that one was perfect(in my personal opinion). FFIX was alright but not as good, FFX broke boundries graphically on a PS2 but was pretty simple, FFXI was alright for an MMORPGER, and FFXII was awful. While FFXIII looks promising, i won't hype one bit for it. But anyways, back to the topic at hand, I hope they release the upcoming Tales of Hearts in america because that one reminds me alot of Tales of Destiny, which was one of the best in the series.

Final Fantasy went downhill after VI(which I can finally play via Homebrew Channel). I'm not saying the rest are bad, just that they are not as good.
Where is that FFV DS remake?

I'm getting worried. Are they going to release Vesperia in Europe or not? I can't see the reason why they shouldn't. People seems to love it.

Also: What about this?

Yes they should bring on the FFV remake! I would play the hell out of that, FFV is my second favorite in the series.

While we're on the subject of remakes, I'd love a Tales of Phantasia remake for the DS. I think it has already been done for the PSP. But since the DS is more popular I think it could give ToP the attention it deserves. Add some bonus dungeons, bosses, updated graphics, wireless multiplayer feature(of course they would have to update the LMBS a bit) and I know I'd buy it.
ToP is a great game. I need to finish it.
*starts making huge amounts of coffee*
This is going to be one hell of a night...

it had one for the gba, I don't think it will get another one any time soon.

I'm actually hoping for a Tales of Phantasia remake for the Wii in the style of Symphonia. I would love to play that game in full 3D...

Who wouldn't?
Unfortunately, like fly_boy said, I don't think it will get another remake any time soon.
On top of that the new Tales of for the Wii comes first.

Oh, another tales for the Wii? sounds pretty cool, heres to hoping you can't spam mystic arts like DotNW

DotNW is still pretty great, despite the Mystic art spamming (I'll get it back to you soon FB, Just as soon as I beat EFFING GLADSHEIM).

I didn't know that Kratos was in the arena, that just sounds wrong. Most parties can barely beat him in his dungeon of memories... there are a few other cameos in the arena as well, including one from ToP, unless I'm mistaken.

and honestly, I would be very impressed if you don't die in the Demo for vesperia If it's the same as the one at PAX. That one puts you up against the toughest boss fight in the game. took me 5 tries to beat him, then a little later there's a cut scene in which an enemy dude kills the same type of monster in one hit. I cried a little on the inside. it's probably the most rage enducing moment of the game

Believe me, we died. A lot.
I played it Co-op with Gamma.

That's very good to know. I don't feel half as bad now as I did after losing. My brother still won't stop poking fun at me, but that's okay. I'll get him some day...