The Tales series returns, this time with a female protagonist embarking on a violent journey of revenge.
If you’re like me, the Tales games have always intrigued, but has never quite had enough oomph see the entire adventure through. That’s currently where I am at with my time in Tales of Berseria, too. I actually don’t find it as compelling as I did Zestiria, although I have to give it a nod for having what might be the darkest story in any JRPG I have played (which, to be fair, is not many). Like most of the Tales games, Berseria is a great starting point in the franchise for newcomers and veterans should feel right at home. Bandai does a fine job of introducing the game’s mechanics as you first encounter them, whether that be simple things like using Artes in battles to Escaping from overwhelming battles, and much more. These tutorials continue far into the game, with new combat mechanics being made available time and again, which surprised me but also pleased me that I didn’t have to try to keep up with everything right from the start. I’m no JRPG expert by any stretch, but I always felt like the Tales series does a good job of giving players enough JRPG gameplay without being overwhelming.
Personally, I like the freeform battle system as opposed to a rigid turn-based design seen in many JRPGs as well; this probably stems from my lack of patience and interest in repetitive random battles, as well as typically favoring western games. In Berseria, Technical Points are done away with a five-block Soul Gauge is used instead. With this, battles are about as freeform and 3D as a third person action game. Most offensive moves remove blocks from your gauge while blocking can refill it. You can generate some great free-flowing combos which increase the speed of battles. Eventually battles and the mechanics within get more technical, but to start with it’s practically a button-masher, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Even when things get technical, those timely tutorials and the help screens you can access later keep you on course. Regardless of your JRPG background and experience, Tales of Berseria is very accessible thanks to a thoughtfully designed HUD, tutorial system, simple controls, and clear mechanics.
The story adventure begins just days before a Scarlet Night when the moon turns red. Bad things are said to happen when on these nights, as a gateway to the demon world opens up. On the day of, your character, Velvet Crowe, is taking care of her sick younger brother Laphicet. To best care for him you need to run a few quick fetch quests in the neighboring areas, giving you a chance to learn most of the basics as you interact with NPCs and encounter your first battles. A fraction of the large Kingdom of Midgand is revealed, as is the Daemonblight. This bizarre infection, or plague, causes humans and animals to turn into deadly, powerful creatures.
It takes a special kind of warrior to fight these demons, one like Artorius who soon betrays Velvet, scorning her and setting her up for a violent path of revenge. An encounter with Daemonblight has given one of her arms a special ability, which oddly reminded me of Nero from Devil May Cry 4. Her journey will take her and other party members you find along the path of revenge across the various continents of Midgand. Party members include an interesting if not somewhat typical variety of allies.
Ultimately, Tales of Berseria fits into the franchise quite, well fittingly. It weaves an interesting, often touching and sometimes cringe-worthy story, although this time the premise of the story (revenge, initially) is much darker than you might have expected. A familiar yet even more freeform battle system is a plus, while layered battle mechanics throughout provide for both accessibility and depth. Well animated and generally very good-looking visuals match a solid voice-acting effort and musical score. Like most any JRPG, there is repetition, but the story and battle system and general charm of the game, even in spite of a not-so-likeable protagonist, give way to a good JRPG experience.
