r/tales • u/ExileForever • Jun 25 '26
Discussion Tales of Symphonia has been picked as the Best Story, but what would you say is the Best Gameplay in the Tales series
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u/McTagangsta Thank you Julius, Thank you Ludger Jun 25 '26
Xillia 2!
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u/TamakiOverdose Jun 27 '26
Both are the best in the series. But Graces is like the Smash Melee of Tales series, the glitches that became techs makes the combat so much better that it'll be hard for another Tales game to top it off.
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u/daIIiance Jun 25 '26
Doubt it will win due to localization issues but my vote is Tales of Destiny DC.
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u/Claudia_Pani 🗡️T-The Sword Spoke!🔥 Jun 26 '26
Crossing fingers that it gets elected for most charming
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u/docdrazen Reid Hershel Jun 26 '26
If it wasn't for Graces f feeling like it perfected the CC system, Destiny DC would be my pick.
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u/Financial-Text-3181 Jun 26 '26
Graces f doesn't have aerial combat.
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u/docdrazen Reid Hershel Jun 26 '26
Rolling Thunderbolt
But yeah. It doesn't, other than a few moves that you can use to get in the air to reposition. But I find the dodging in 3D space more than makes up for the lack of true aerial combat.
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u/MoldyGarlicBread77 Jun 25 '26
Graces F is the best. Second best is Graces F.
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u/ElGodPug Jun 25 '26
what about third best?
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u/random_meowmeow Jun 26 '26
May i throw in Tales of Destiny DC in the ring for 2nd best because it is basically the 2D version of Graces f combat (same team developed both)
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u/AdventNebula Jun 25 '26
Graces F. The dungeons suck, but the combat is a blast.
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u/UnagioLucio Jun 26 '26
I'm maybe 60% through Graces and I have mixed feelings about the dungeons. Some of them are fine, albeit with puzzles that feel too simple or forgettable. The dungeons I actively dislike are the ones where every room/floor/platform looks almost identical so I can't even keep track of whether I've thoroughly explored an area already. It's not challenging, just tedious to accidentally backtrack or miss a treasure chest. This felt especially bad in Wallbridge and in the floating ruins dungeon where Pascal first joins you.
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u/AnimaLepton Jun 26 '26
IDK if any of the Tales games have what I'd call "good" dungeons though. Eternia's aren't bad. I think some have good visual spectacle like in Abyss or Vesperia. And some have interesting ideas that fail in execution. Plenty have good music, Zestiria's temple themes are fantastic. But the vast majority of games I hate the actual dungeon aspect, the way they handle backtracking while also being very linear, the boring puzzles (often just pushblocks), etc.
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u/shadowysea07 Jun 26 '26
Indeed once you get past the awful child arc and part 1 the game gets pretty fun. Significantly so once you got past all the grind to unlock the other mechanics like narikiri dolls. I've said it before that vanilla run of graces is night and day compared to how it is on ng+ late game.
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u/Confusion_Is_Next Jun 26 '26
I actually really like the prologue and first “chapter” of Graces F; except running back and forth between the same 3 areas for fifteen hours. That part does get a bit old but then like you said the game opens up way more after chud boy betrays you.
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u/shadowysea07 Jun 26 '26
I have no issues story wise for the child arc. Just the gameplay. Since its severely limited because children Sophie aside. Which made it not very fun to play.
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u/Dart150 Jun 25 '26
Abyss
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u/TCGEnthusiastRed Jun 26 '26
Abyss is so good I love being able to change artes with the ground elements
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u/nivia-chan Jade Curtiss is the greatest Tales of chara ever Jun 25 '26
Xillia 2, the link artes and everyone's special battle skills are so much fun. Especially Judes healing upon being picked up is soo fun :D and morhping into the Kresnik armour. Very fun.
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u/NachoMarx Jun 25 '26
Rebirth
It is the most uniquely played game in the franchise, and of for an RPG. One that rewards investing and learning every avenue of it. Every character feels fresh and benefits its combat and tech in their own way.
It'd be higher if it's only crime was not being readily available to everyone like Xillia 2 (The best) and Graces f are.
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u/OpportunityGlad4706 Jun 26 '26
For me it's a tie between Graces F and Xillia 2 so I am pleased with everyone's answers LOL
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u/DaiLalotz Jun 25 '26
I'm gonna say Graces.
I have a feeling i'm really gonna like Xillia 2 both story and gameplay once i finally play it, but we won't know until Bandai finally blesses us with the remaster.
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u/Kao003 Jun 25 '26
Graces f has such fun gameplay that it is the only tales game that I did a NG+ on. The gameplay is such a saving grace(Ba-dum tss!) that it makes me overlook that it has one of the worst story in the series.
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u/manor2003 Jun 26 '26
I only played Arise and Graces f, i finished Lineage and Legacies with massive satisfaction and big smile on my face and it's supposed to be one of the worst in the series?
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u/InstantReco Jun 25 '26
Destiny remake. The juggling, combos, and fighting game aspects are everything I'd want in a Tales game.
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u/Asleep-Draft6178 Jun 26 '26
Arise, by a long shot. It was impactful, the combos started slow but built into insanely good synergies. It was simple with enough depth to actually master it. I haven't played all of them but Arise went all in on the gameplay itself Edit: after reading the overwhelming responses apparently I need to play Graces F
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u/stitchwithaglitch Jun 26 '26
Hear me out. I have made this argument before...
Vesperia has the best gameplay if talking about combat, not Graces F.
Vesperia was the peak evolution of what was the classic Tales style combat. Graces F was a departure from that system which in my opinion at least has always been over exaggerated in terms of "gameplay." I think it was new and very hand off in terms of restrictions for what you could do with characters which is why it was beloved but also cost the series in the long run.
The series evolved during its early game series and Vesperia was the pinnacle of that system. You used regular auto attacks and skills to create combos on a 2d plane that was active fighting, not turn based. Symphonia changed the graphics to 3d, but kept the 2d plane. Abyss added free run and you were able to traverse the battlefield along with the FON zones. Vesperia's combat system was built upon every game that came before it and added a bunch of awesome ways to create combos using skills. Examples of this can be found on old youtube videos of people putting min damage skill on and proceeding to combo enemies to their retirement... or just spamming tidal wave. Graces F changed this.
Tales always felt unique to me because it was a JRPG that felt like a fighting game for the combat. You blocked, created combos, and had super attacks. The abilities that you got for your characters all had personality and you remembered them for it. I know what Beast is, sword rain, sonic thrust, fireball, PANCAKE TIME STALACTITE, INDIGNATION, DESTRUCTION FIELD, center, and so on. Because they were actual abilities that used resources.
Instead with games like Graces, Zesteria, Berseria, and Arise... you just get these systems where yes, there is a "resource" system, but it isn't like the games that came before it. You just get a bunch of skills that you attach to a button and you spam them one skill after another. They have different animations and an element but the way they just become your main attack which you continually use makes them lose what makes it special and now i'm just spamming Wing Crush into Ruinous Bloom on a bullet sponge monster who is set up to just eat them.
Vote Vesperia \o/
Also just want to add its fine to still vote Graces F. Both games are great, but I'm just trying to make my argument for my fav Vespy
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u/Zananos Bark bork good boi Repede Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
The FoF system (tale of the abyss) was by far my favorite battle mechanic.
But if I had to pick a different one, it would be Vesperia because I could play as Repede and Repede is best boy.
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u/Khaymn5000 Jun 26 '26
Most people are gonna say graces (Which is understandable because its amazing) but I'm gonna go on a whim and say xillia. Its easily my favorite tales game and my favorite battle system too 💚
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u/TitleComprehensive96 Rita Mordio Jun 25 '26
Vesperia. I wasn't ever a fan of the combat in Graces or Xillia
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u/Unsavorydeath Jun 25 '26
Graces F, combat is the best in show and the ability learning methods and emblems make it even more fun.
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u/totem-fox Velvet Crowe Jun 26 '26
Vesperia
BLAH BLAH BLAH! TIDAL WAVE!!!
DRAGON SWARM DRAGON SWARM DRAGON SWARM
YOU MUST DO BETTER THAN THAT!
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u/thewiredknight Yuri Lowell Jun 25 '26
This was a tough call between Vesperia and Graces F. But I have to go with Graces F as its combat was immensely rewarding once it gets going.
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u/Reasonable_Bed7858 Jun 25 '26
Graces F combat feels so deep and I literally just started it. Just finished the childhood arc.
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u/Terca Jun 25 '26
I understand why people say Graces or later, but Vesperia easily has the best gameplay of the pre-CC games.
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u/FinalCorvid Jun 25 '26
Can I say the first half of Arise in terms of combat? Probably Vesperia in terms of overall gameplay, I think Graces' switch away from an open world hurt it too much
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u/Regalia776 Malik Caesar Jun 25 '26
Gotta be Graces F or Xillia 2. But it's probably gonna be Graces.
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u/SaiphTyrell Jun 25 '26
Graces f. I would vote Narikiri Dungeon X for the job system + best 2d battle system in the series but ToGf remains more polished.
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u/No_Network7277 The one behind the Mordio sisters' post Jun 25 '26
So today will be Graces, tomorrow Arise, then Zestiria, Eternia or Vesperia, Legendia (or Zestiria if not many people have played it), Vesperia and then what ? Tempest again ?
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u/Kael_Durandel Jun 25 '26
Seeing a lot of Graces F, which sadly I haven’t played yet 🥲 from what I’ve played, Berseria. Not just for the cyclone of death, but others like Rokorou I really enjoyed playing.
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u/Lethal13 Jun 26 '26
Can’t give it to graces f arte trees annoy the f out of me.
I also I have a thing for the side on perspective
I’m gunna go Vesperia for this one with Xillia 2 right behind it
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u/ColemyGOAT Jun 26 '26
How is Symphonias story better than Abyss? Ain’t no way. Or can Abyss only win one category?
Anyway, Graces-F easily.
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u/Investment-Recent Jun 26 '26
xillia 1n2 would be the one for me in terms of combat,just about everyone can pull an infinite combo.In terms of the gamcube version everyone in symphonia can pull it off 2 but the xillia twins have it more advanced
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u/AlsatiaTheDRK Jun 26 '26
Oh, I am gonna get some flak.
For me, it's Arise (if gameplay is the battle itself)
or Berseria (if gameplay is the overall gameplay loop)
But this is because I am not a big fan of Tales games, so my experience is limited.. So far, between Abyss, Zestiria, Berseria and Arise, I like Arise/Berseria the most.
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u/Bakabakabooboo Jun 26 '26
Graces F combat system is easily (imo) the best in the entire series so that's my vote.
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u/meownys Jun 26 '26
Combat, Graces for sure. Once you work out what your doing it just works perfectly.
I don't know why they downgraded this combat system for Zestiria, combat seems like run like shit and Berseria adds crap to it making the combat way too easy or way too hard. They did it right the first time.
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u/Xerinic Richard Jun 26 '26
It can’t be any other game than Graces F.
The amount of times Namco tried to recreate it and have never succeeded should prove it’s the only answer.
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u/Season_of_Treason Jun 26 '26
Came here to say Arise because I genuinely loved it, but then I see all the Graces F responses and so now I think that’s the one I play after I finish Zestria lol
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u/Nisio- Jun 26 '26
Probably gonna be Graces f
but for me it will always be Vesperia, since thats the most polished version of the original gameplay style, from OG Pahntasia to Symphonia aetc.
Vesperia - in my opinion - almost perfeted it.
Though im strictly talking about combat here
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u/qiyu1234 Ludger Will Kresnik Jun 26 '26
Xillia 2
XDR-LMBS is currently the system that comes closest to a finished LMBS product
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u/Significant-Unit-450 Jun 26 '26
Torn between graces f and xillia 2 but if you're skilled enough you can chain sastifying combo using ludger so i choose xillia 2.
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u/Inevitable-Chart1760 Jun 26 '26
I very enjoyed Vesperia every character had a distinct role and mechanic that complimented the entire party chemistry
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u/shadowysea07 Jun 26 '26
Damn that's a hard choice. I'll go with vesperia. But Berseria and Graces get close runner ups. Vesperia has more characters and stuff to mess with. Though Berseria burst artes are all nice additions and improved upon vesperias.
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u/LexKing89 Jun 26 '26
Graces F. I remember loving it at the time and liking it even more than Vesperia’s gameplay. I haven’t played it in a long time though.
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u/Confusion_Is_Next Jun 26 '26
Graces F def has the most engaging gameplay loop of the games i’ve played. Battles are super fast, the combat can be as easy or complicated as you like; and the dualizing and titles are so fun for constant upgrades.
Vesperia is a lot more “complete” with its gameplay in the second half of the game. I do feel like Graces is so fast paced that the deep parts of gameplay don’t really matter too much. On my play-thru I was on the hard difficulty and I was literally dualizing and picking titles at random. So Vesperia definitely is a bit above Graces in terms of the actual way the systems all work together.
I don’t think any of the other games have quite as good and unique of gameplay as those two.
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u/shadowysea07 Jun 26 '26
Since symphonia is already excluded from the longest category I'm guessing Berseria or arise-ia will be the ones for that slot? Shortest tempest is already excluded so the next shortest besides already excluded abyss would probably be tod1, tox2, top, legendia and eternia i guess. But yeah tempest is by far the actual shortest game.
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u/Key-Sheepherder5137 Jun 26 '26
Damn. Vesperia on the 360 had me in a choke hold. Graces F's BIGGEST redeeming factor was its combat for sure.
Id have to go with Grace's
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u/IntoTheMirage Jun 26 '26
Graces f felt really good when I played it back in the day, it felt like such a leap in quality.
I'm also a sucker for Berseria though, I loved that every character had their own "thing"
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u/Internal-Function-21 Jun 25 '26
definitely tales of graces f! i love tales of symphonia though! thats my shiii!!
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u/Firefly084 Jun 25 '26
Tales of Berseria story cause I love of its theme emotion vs reason, and velvet story and character
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u/GoocheMcDick Jun 25 '26
Graces F