Bandai Namco’s world-famousTales Offranchise is one of a few long-running JRPGs to truly stand alongside genre greats like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. These games and their trademark Linear-Motion Battle System have been cherished by fans for over thirty years now.
Review: Tales of Graces f Remastered
A classic brought to modern platforms, there’s no better Tales game to remaster than Graces f.
However, with so many games that all have significant differences in gameplay, characters, and stories, it can be very hard to decide which titles are the best or even which are your personal favorite. Although, if one were to judge the games based on the fanbase’s opinion of them, their individual battle systems, and what they mean for the franchise’s history, then the following list of the best Tales Of titles can be formed.
16Tales of Arise
Doesn’t Rise Among the Best
Tales of Arise
After the release of Tales Of Berseria in 2016, the franchise went on its longest hiatus ever until the release ofTales of Arisein 2021. This game looked very visually different from prior games in the series, having the modern Bandai Namco graphical style seen in games like God Eater 3 and Code Vein. In many ways, these visuals helped the game, as areas and attacks all look absolutely stunning. However, an argument can also be made that the franchise lost some of its own visual identity from this change.
While Tales Of Arise is a very visually impressive game and has some great attributes, like a fun fishing minigame, it sadly fell flat for a lot of Tales Of fans because of a subpar battle system that seemed to punish not using the same attacks repeatedly and a subpar plot that couldn’t fully commit to its premise. For these reasons, the game falls very low on this list. Hopefully, it won’t be the last Tales Of game entirely though, and just a bump in a very long road.
15Tales Of Zestiria
Just Plain Strange
Tales of Zestiria
After getting many PS3 titles that evolved the franchise, the Tales Of development team chose to make a title that went back to basics with 2015’sTales of Zestiria. The fancy combo systems of the past few games were gone and replaced with more traditional Tales Of artes and gameplay. While this would be fine on its own, this gameplay was accompanied by one of the strangest party member systems in Tales Of history.
Due to how the plot is structured, Sorey and Rose must be in the party at all times in Tales Of Zestiria. Not only does this take away a ton of player freedom in terms of customizing your party, but it also heavily encourages only playing as the protagonist in a way no prior Tales Of game did. Combine these baffling gameplay decisions with a plot that isn’t anything to write home about, and you’ve got a recipe for the most mediocre Tales Of game available for PlayStation 3 and a low entry on this list.
14Tales of Legendia
A Stepping Stone to Greatness
Tales of Legendia
Before fully accepting that the 3D gameplay style of Tales of Symphonia would be the future of the series, the Tales Of franchise made two extra attempts at its traditional 2D gameplay: Rebirth and Legendia. While Rebirth was completely committed to the classic style, 2D sprite work and all, Legendia attempted to combine 2D gameplay with 3D models in a way that generally looks unappealing to many fans. This has resulted in the title being fairly forgotten in series retrospectives.
Review: Tales of Arise
Tales of Arise maintains all the charisma of past Tales games, but wraps it neatly in an inspiring, fresh experience that will leave you wanting more.
Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Tales of Legendia is its soundtrack, which was composed by the ever-talented Go Shiina, who would later go on to compose Bandai Namco’s God Eater games. This different musical style makes Tales of Legendia stand out from other games in the franchise, whose music tends to blend together. So, while it may not be one of the best or well-remembered games in the series, it at least has this aspect going for it.
13Tales of Rebirth
Tales of Rebirth
Before Tales of Legendia attempted to combine the 2D Tales Of style with 3D models, Tales of Rebirth tried to as well. The gameplay of this title isn’t as smooth as prior 2D Tales Of games, but it’s still a fun time worth checking out.
Echoes of the plot of Tales of Rebirth and how it deals with two different coexisting tribes of people and the discrimination that follows can be found in later games like Tales of Arise. However, this title spices up that traditional JRPG formula by including a body swap, so it automatically earns points for uniqueness. Tales of Rebirth received a fan translation very recently, so if you’re a fan of classic Tales Of, then be sure to check out this title!
12Tales of Destiny
America’s First Tales
Tales of Destiny
Tales of Destiny, the second game in the franchise, was the first Tales Of title to reach Western shores. However, that honor only applies to the very original release of the game as the PS2 Director’s Cut edition has remained a Japanese exclusive.
Despite initial reviews critiquing the game for having 2D sprite work “no better than the SNES”, anyone who has played this title will tell you about the beautiful sprite work that fully took advantage of what the PlayStation was capable of. In an era where many series were taking a premature jump to 3D, it is nice to see that Tales Of waited until the time was right to make the leap.
While on the surface the gameplay of Tales Of Destiny may seem identical to the previous title in the franchise, Phantasia, it has actually been significantly improved. So much, in fact, that when Phantasia was later ported to the PlayStation, it had its battle system remade to be closer to Destiny. While this title’s plot and characters haven’t stood the test of time like other Tales Of titles, it is still more than worth revisiting for its place in the franchise’s history.
The Body Swap skit in the Director’s Cut version of the game is also one of the funniest in the franchise, which earns it extra points on this list.
11Tales of Eternia
Classic Tales at its Strongest
Tales of Eternia
Tales of Eternia’s localization history is one of the strangest in Tales Of history, as the title was originally translated with the title “Tales of Destiny II” in the West despite Namco already starting development on an actual sequel to Tales of Destiny, also called “Tales of Destiny 2”. Aside from the strange title, the English release also removed all skits from the game. Because skits are a near vital part of the Tales Of experience and endear the player to the cast, removing these from the game fundamentally changes the experience.
Tales of Graces f Remastered: Grade Shop Guide
The iconic grade shop makes a return, but instead of waiting until the end of the game to use it, you can modify your experience from the start.
Despite the initial English release’s problems, Tales of Eternia is still remembered very fondly by fans as one of the franchise’s best 2D outings. The art style of the game has stood the test of time as the game was released between the Fujishima eras of the series and the gameplay is stellar as far as PS1 JRPGs go. If you are a fan of 90s gaming, then you may’t go wrong with Tales of Eternia.
10Tales of Destiny 2
Changed the Series Forever
Tales of Destiny 2
In 2002, Namco released their first of very few direct sequels in the Tales Of franchise: Tales of Destiny 2. This game picked up a whole 18 years after the first game and stars a whole new protagonist. Unfortunately, due to some localization choices made with Tales of Eternia, this sequel and its interesting premise will forever remain Japanese-exclusive to this day.
Tales of Destiny 2 was a major title in terms of the franchise’s evolution, as it was the very first where a character’s equipped title would affect their stats when leveling up. This one change would go on to be a major factor that set the franchise apart from other JRPGs.
That change is only the tip of the iceberg though, as Destiny 2 had plenty of small QoL changes from previous games that almost make it feel like one of the franchise’s later 3D titles. For being such a cornerstone title in the franchise’s evolution, it feels only appropriate that it be placed in this transitionary placement on the list.
9Tales of Xillia 2
Choice and Consequence
Tales of Xillia 2
During the early 2010s, the Tales Of franchise changed in major ways. The gameplay was consistently evolving and although the series' art style was changing, it was still identifiable as Tales Of. The series was even producing several sequel titles at this time, similar to what had been done with Tales Of Destiny years prior. One of these was Tales of Xillia 2, which not only had absolutely incredible gameplay and boss encounters but also one of the best Tales Of soundtracks to date!
While the gameplay and music of Tales Of Xillia 2 are absolutely fantastic, its story is sadly held back by the early 2010s gaming trend of centering its plots around fake choices that don’t truly affect anything. The game’s protagonist, Ludger, in particular, suffered from this decision as he was made the franchise’s only silent protagonist. Because of these strange decisions, this sequel title falls below the first Xillia game on this list.
8Tales Of Symphonia
Gave the Series a New Audience
Tales of Symphonia
In 2003, the Tales Of franchise took a bold leap, like many other JRPGs, and transitioned from 2D sprites to 3D models withTales of Symphonia. Symphonia’s gameplay and the 3D terrain encounters now formed the basis for all future Tales Of games. This also makes Symphonia a near-perfect introductory game for new fans, as it’s easy to see how this title became foundational later on. Because of this, it is also by far the most ported game in the series, receiving manyremasters over the years.
Review: Tales of Symphonia Remastered
Tales of Symphonia is still one of the biggest highlights in the series with a fantastic assortment of characters.
Being the only Tale Of game available for the Nintendo GameCube, numerous fans started with this title and even advocated that Lloyd Irving should be playable in Smash. However, as many Tales Of games surpass it in both gameplay and story, there are very few hardcore Tales Of fans who would place this title in their top three. Thus, it will only be placed in the middle of this list.
7Tales Of Berseria
A Saga of Revenge
Tales of Berseria
While the Tales Of games have somewhat frequently done sequel titles, it is much rarer for the series to make a direct prequel title. This idea was previously played around with by making Tales of Symphonia distantly connected to Phantasia, but 2016’sTales of Berseriafully committed to being a prequel to Zestiria. Berseria’s protagonist, Velvet, is immediately a very interesting character as she is positioned as a threat to the world with her quest for revenge, leading to a grand plot that stands out from other games in the series.
The gameplay of Berseria sees a return of the combo system seen in games like Tales of Graces, but it has been simplified here to varying degrees in a way that has caused several fans to call the combat mindless. While it is no doubt an improvement over Zestiria and that game’s strange party system, it is hard to consider placing Berseria among the great RPGs in the rest of the franchise. It’s a fun time, just not a good showcase of the best the series has to offer.
