Not that Namco translations have been bad over the last couple of years (taking Tales of Phantasia GBA aside, that even mixed genders), but they certainly toned down a few characters dialogues, not to mention that they cut J-pop and stuff intended to be in the game like it’s some kind of plague.

But I can live with that, problem is that they take took so long and are so selective while they’re at it that we simply have no way to know (no Team Destiny game came out of Japan since… 2001, rumor says “because Namco doesn’t believe 2D games can sell outside Japan” not to mention Seven: Molmorth no Kiheitai and Venus & Braves amongst others) and this without even touching Europe, where the last Tales on a home console was Tales of Symphonia back in 2003, and even with Xenosaga, only episode 2 came out, no episode 1, and no episode 3 afterwards. (this said XSeed wouldn’t solve Europe’s problem, at least for now since they haven’t branched there yet)

Oh well, it’s like you say, they can’t get on with the times, and that often leads them to do bad decisions altogether.

Seriously, most NA publishers have smartened up, but Namco just refuses and it is really starting to bother me. If they don’t want to localize their own games, then they should let someone else do it!!!!!

Instead, they would rather spend 20 million to 100 million dollars developing a high-resolution hd 1080p (eye candy only) videogame that only turns out to be mediocre in the end. Having the most powerful consoles to develop videogames for doesn’t mean shit. There are some many mediocre big budgeted triple-a titles for the ps3/360/pc that have been released this year, it makes me laugh. So much hype for mediocre games. The Nintendo Wii console is the only console that offers something different. The other two consoles are identical. Nintendo is only one that took a huge risk this generation. And it paid off. ($$$)

Hopefully developers will come around an start making games for the Nintendo Wii console, despite it being underpowered. (which i doubt) They can spend less money and still develop great games. (hopefully not mediocre games)

Most of us, adult gamers have little time to play though, it’s not just you, I have litterally a pile of games to finish, in the dozens and I plan to go through them to a point I even question if I should hype myself for new games; but I do and I keep buying them, like most of us really.

On top of that I’ve been a Tales-tard for quite some time now, so I can’t help but being specially personal regarding it (that, and Shin Megami Tensei), although I stress I’m not ilogical, what you see me saying regarding this theme, you’d see me saying last gen when I didn’t even had a PS2, and wasn’t exactly thrilled to get one, but it did make sense, and I actually initially bought a PSone for the Tales games. It’s not like I’m blind and I won’t ever say that any Tales game is perfect for instance, you could see me “bashing” pretty much any Tales game and still like it, or “be happy with the end result” I’m not, in this case at all, mainly due to their approach to it, sure, but it doesn’t mean I deeply dislike the game.

I wouldn’t import a game if I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it, for example (hell, I wouldn’t even buy the localized version knowing I wouldn’t enjoy it), and I did import this one and I’ll buy it again in English, I did put my opinion of it above too, and I know I am mostly negative towards it (that’s just me, really) and it’s a wall of text, but I said it had a faster battle system than Abyss and has a better plot than Symphonia, those are positive things under all the criticism I gave it, but they are there nonetheless.

I never said it sucked though (and if someone said it sucked I’d kinda defend the game), but I still stand by everything I said.

@ Rolando – yeah, I got the vibe ever since I saw the CG that it was their idea of somewhat appealing to westerners if they ever localized it. Would still be positive though, better that than nothing.

The odds of Namco-Bandai localizing any of their DS Tales games seem very slim; and if they even do consider Tales of Hearts for localization, I’m willing to bet it’d be the CG Edition of the game.

I haven’t finished Tales of Symphonia on GC yet and don’t plan on playing ToS2, so I’ve only taken a glance at the interview/posts, especially yours since they’re extremely long.

I’m 29 and work 5 days a week, barely have time to play games even during the weekend, so I don’t have time to read anyone’s diatribe or discuss things point by point, which is something I would do when I was 20 years old and had plenty of time. If I have time I better use it to play the games that I haven’t finished.

No offense man, it’s just that the constant whining does get old. I read Siliconera for the news that interest me, and many people’s comments enlighten me because they I learn a lot from them, many people are more knowledgeable than me. For me it’s simple, I play games because they’re fun, not to bicker on minute things, like this Wii game sucks, developer not putting effort into this Wii game again, etc. People get tired of it, and that’s why you changed your handle.

Also of course all platforms have good games, but I don’t see the purpose of stating that as if anyone stated otherwise. Believe or not I have plenty on my table with the platforms I own, and don’t need other one at this point. I want/deserve the best bang for my buck though; that’s only natural for anyone provided they’re informed enough, so it’s only natural that such customer doesn’t like to be treated like a second rate customer, specially when there’s no apparent reason for that to happen, as is the “Tales of” series case in the platform in point.

I’m not even discussing the other platforms at this point though, I’m saying this is a subpar effort for a ToS sequel, that it was greenlighted on the basis of recycling 5 year old assets, it lacks ambition, effort and budget… And it shouldn’t, thus it has no excuse. Based on conjecture, the fact that ToS is their highest selling Tales game ever, and from having played the game.

And… Wii Music is not shovelware despite the wave of internet hate going on, not aimed at the core public sure, but not shovelware, but I digress discussing that is going quite offtopic; know that I have nothing against it though (I agree the E3 approach to it was horrible though).

It’s amazing, Pedro Silva only used the word moneyhat once. Really, it’s okay to like more that one console.

Every system (360, PS3, PSP, DS) that is out now has great games, in fact too many games, and I barely have time to play them. If you only own a Wii and it has tons of shovelware (Wii Music?), tough luck. Save up for another system, it will only get better in the next 2-3 years, and you would be happy “playing” those games.

I mean, we must be talking mainly about a team of programmers (read: code monkey’s), hence the fact that most implementations are programming tasks, like the recruiting monsters to your party thing, that, since most of the monsters are recycled from Tales of the Abyss, and expanding the monsters into playable chracters, gives work, but programming work, nothing else, most of the work displayed in this game is like that, programming work on a forked engine and assets.

Same for the battle implementation, that is like Abyss (or like ToS+), with a little flavour of his own, the monsters part is kinda crap/lame but the two main characters are pretty serviceable (marta is not filling the healer role, she’s pretty good as a controlled character) and must be like… 15% faster; which is better.

This team clearly had very little modelers and resources, so the little new modeling that there is, is really weak, weird and low poly (when they twist their necks it seems like it’s gonna snap, and they have textured mouths! hello PS2 first gen), texturing is mostly recycled and weak… I mean it’s just ridiculous all around to say that this game had any effort in that area whatsoever; probably because they didn’t have the means, budget and time.

Other than that… it’s a pretty linear game whoose progression is done by chapters, it just feels linear, it’s not like in other Tales games where you felt that there were lots of subquests to do if you were willing, even if you didn’t do them the game felt epic, it had scope it had exploring to do… that this one doesn’t, explore what, the point and click world map? and it’s also shorter than pretty much all Tales games I played, I mean 2/3’s of the mainquest+regular play/exploration of a Tales game (without optional subquests). Instead it’s pretty much “go from A to B and do this” kind of RPG.

It also has the most boring beginning for a Tales ever (worse than Abyss) with too many useless tutorials, and some battles that just aren’t enjoyable, after that it picks up though (onde Emil changes clothes), but nothing awesome.

Story is probably better than ToS and a little under TotA (history in Tales games counts less than other RPG’s though, Tales is good for the battle system as most Tales games had a pretty lame story), and the artwork… Well, Bandai Namco didn’t want to pay Fujishima and really, was just recycling his ToS character designs (who cares if a few years passed and all?), so the new ones were done by Daigo Okumura. Now Okumura is a good character designer and is IMO better than Fujishima (they should lay off fujishima), but once again it’s Bandai Namco’s attitude towards it, if they weren’t paying Fujishima anymore for any game it’s one thing, but they’ll pay the guy for any “important” game, but as for this one? nah, not worth it. Same for Motoi Sakuraba, that didn’t even list this game on his website as a work of his. In short, the game doesn’t suck, but Namco Bandai attitude towards it was nothing but ridiculous. (best music in this game is the world map one)

Do I advise the purchase? I do, if you’re a tales fan, the game is enjoyable enough and all that and in a way it’s a slap in the face to Bandai Namco, like it was in japan seeing a half assed spin-off raping a main installment (how is this good for the popularity of the franchise over there?)

But bottomline point is… am I happy with the end result? No, if anything it’s a lack of respect for the end consumers, us that happen to be their core userbase no less. They had the obligation to pull effort and much better production values on us, and this game just isn’t it, not to mention that they purposefully misleaded us at first.

@ jarrod – I know what you mean, I was so hyped regarding Tales of Innocence last year, (well and before that, Tales of the Tempest, but I’ve imported that one and well… it’s outsourced Dimps crap) and now they’re too busy taking their crappy deep breath to actually work.

@ Joanna – If they have any brain cells left they’ll put Team Symphonia on the Wii now, or a platform that actually makes sense, but this is Bandai Namco, so… Who knows. They’re probably too stupid though.