Tales Of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
+Good looking game
+Fun battle system
+Returning characters who do more than simply make an appearance
+For the most part, good voice acting
Cons:
-Battling can be a button mashing affair
-A slow story to start
-Too linear
-If you haven't played the first game the plot becomes harder to understand throughout and it is just harder to appreciate
When Tales of Symphonia debuted on the Gamecube, it became an unprecedented cult classic. Since then there have been several Tales games to come about, but none have hit the spark Tales of Symphonia did on the Gamecube. Fans of Tales of Symphonia will probably come to Dawn of the New World with open arms. Newcomers, however, might do best to play the original first.
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World takes place two years after the original. The story itself can seem a bit complicated at times. Mostly because there are a lot of things thrown in from the first game. In terms of being a sequel it's not bad in the sense that it brings in familiar faces who do more than just present a cameo, and that it also has you revisiting areas, but it also refers to the first game many times down the road. Needless to say, if you haven't played the first Tales of Symphonia, some of the story just might not click right away and you might even find some of it to be a mess. The original game had a lot to swallow and much of it you'll be expected to remember. It also doesn't help that the story isn't all that well paced. It takes a while for it to jump into things. Tales has never been great about jumping into the story, but for some reason it's a bigger problem with Dawn of the New World.
On the other hand, the characters in and of themselves are interesting. You'll learn a lot about them, and familiar faces returning also helps matters along. There are also skits that are optional side conversations that add to the story and characters. It's easy to like the characters, and it's nice that skits are voiced this time around, unlike the original Gamecube title.
Also like many Tales games, get ready for a lot of conversation and exposition. There's some good humor within the game and most of the dialog isn't bad at all. The voice acting is strong, for the most part, but there are some areas where it's laughable.
One of the bigger differences between Dawn of the New World and the original Gamecube title actually comes from the fact that the world map completely restricts exploring. It's now a point and click mechanic. On one hand, considering the amount of running around you'll be doing, it's nice to have that quick and easy access. On the other hand, part of the fun of an RPG is exploring. The new world map system makes the game much more linear than it really has to be.
When you're exploring dungeons, however, the game can be exciting. Mainly because Dawn of the New World doesn't get rid of the battle system the Tales series is known for. Once in battle, Tales plays similar to an action RPG where you can run up to enemies and start clobbering away. You've also got special attacks called Artes you can use provided you have the right amount of TP. There are times when the game can become a button mashing fest, but there are times when some genuine strategy is needed. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World isn't exactly an easy game. When you're not controlling the other characters they are controlled by AI that, for the most part, does a good job. Luckily you can issue commands and customize things if they aren't to your liking.
Dawn of the New World isn't a bad looking game by any means. It ditches the cell shaded look for something a bit more realistic. It doesn't look quite as artsy as the first game did as a result, but it's not terrible by any means. You'll also visit a lot of locations from the very first game that look almost exactly the same. The same could be said of the music. There are a couple returning tracks that are remixed but there's some new stuff as well. Tales of Symphonia didn't exactly have memorable music to begin and Dawn of the New World isn't different in that regard either. It's not bad music, you just won't find yourself remembering any of it.
Unfortunately, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World doesn't exactly have a massive appeal. This is a game meant for those who enjoyed their romp through the Gamecube original. If you've never played the original game, it might be a little harder to get a grasp on everything that's mentioned throughout the plot. It's perfectly accessible to newcomers and they'll probably like it if JRPGs are their thing, but its hard to deny that the game is more appealing if you were a big fan of the first one to begin with.

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A beloved classic returns!Set two years after the events of the original, best selling Gamecube RPG, Tales of Symphonia, embark on a new adventure in the world saved by Lloyd and his friends. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World follows the journey of two young heroes in a world of chaos as their fates intertwine with Lloyd, Colette, and Ratatosk, a summon spirit rumored to be the lord of all monsters. Retains the award-winning original’s dramatic storytelling, endearing characters and action-packed battle system along with new gameplay elements and functionality designed exclusively for the Wii Console. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World will sure to be an instant classic.

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