I recently played Tales of Xillia for the very first time this year, it was also my first time playing a Tales game straight through. Tales of Xillia was something special and had much to offer into the world. However i disliked the fact that it stepped away from it's fantasy feel to take a more sophisticated science fiction take. By no means was it bad I just missed the world of Rize Maxia. Tales of Xillia 2 continues off where Tales of Xillia ended and for those of you who have played it, you know that the schism was removed and Rize Maxia and Elympos became one world again.
The problem that I find with many sequels is you fall in love with this cast in the first game and long for there return in the second, only to be disappointed. I can't say much for Tales of Xillia w because i've only run into Jude, whose personality for the most part has remained in tacked. The game also introduces new characters. Ludger the main character of the game doesn't have much to say this is something that bothers me quite a bit about the game and its something I'm struggling to put behind me as I press forward through the game. I don't have a problem with silent protagonists, some of my favorite games have them, it makes it difficult though when Tales of Xillia had a fully developed cast and no avatar to represent you. It's also just plain weird as you progress through game and he doesn't say much more than yeah and moans. It's something I'm struggling with about the game, silent protagonists worked when you had text but since the advent of voice overs its hard to pull off. The other character is Elle, a young girl forced to leave her father behind after somebody attack there home, her only remaining item from her father was a pocket watch that he gave her. Elle is charming and cute, probably meant to replace Elize in that aspect since she is now all grown up in this installment.
Much of what made Tales of Xillia fun is still intact, its critically acclaimed battle system, right down to its side quests though they take the much set back board in town approach rather than discovering them yourself. I miss the days that it was just Rize Maxia I loved the feel of that world don't get me wrong I have nothing against Elympos, I felt the same way as we discovered Elympos you had a world full of beauty and color in Rize Maxia and then you have Elympos, which pretty much is bland and boring kind of like the industrial revolution. It's really the way that the game intended it to be so its by all means not a defect. I'm also concerned with the story, following in the veins of Final Fantasy XIII 2, it introduces the concept of time travel. On its own Final Fantasy XIII 2 had an amazing story, but it felt a bit out of touch and thrown together, to fit Final Fantasy XIII into its story. It's to early to tell for sure if this is the same fate for Tales of Xillia but it's story hasn't really jumped out and grabbed me, or giving me that sense of mystery that the first game did right at the beginning. I'm sure things will cheer up a bit more as I press foward through the game and meet more of the cast and make my way into the visually striking Rize Maxia.
Tales of Xillia 2 seems to have lost a lot of magic that the first game created and falls into that category of sequels,hat fall short of the original. It's not bad and its too early to tell how good the game's gonna be since i'm only at my five hour mark. Tales of Xillia 2 has just gotten off on a bumpy start. It's to early to tell if its a contender for game of the year, I might not have one this year if I don't finish up Tales of Xillia 2 and Ar Nosurge before the end of the year.