Tales of the Abyss (ps2: 2006): Reviews

> Switch to Advanced Search

Games Homepage
Best of 2007 | 2006 |2005
Advanced Search

PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox 360 | Xbox

Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64

PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

sort by name

sort by score

47 Alone in the Dark
xx Backyard Baseball '09
53 B-Boy
64 Chaos Wars
70 Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
xx Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity
xx DT Carnage
40 Falling Stars
xx Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli
70 Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
xx Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour
50 Incredible Hulk, The
48 Iron Man
xx Jeep Thrills
74 Kung Fu Panda
xx LEGO Batman
77 LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
xx Madden NFL 09
xx Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
70 MLB Power Pros 2008
xx Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The
xx NASCAR 09
xx NCAA Football 09
xx NHL 09
xx PopCap Hits Vol. 2
xx Riding Star
xx SBK-08 Superbike World Championship
xx Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure
73 SingStar Summer Party
70 SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1
xx Space Chimps
xx Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
xx Summer Athletics: The Ultimate Challenge
xx Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
xx Top Trumps: Doctor Who
77 UEFA Euro 2008
67 WALL-E
xx Women's Volleyball Championship

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Tales of the Abyss


9.1

based on 22 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 20 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

GAMES:

Tales of Legendia

GameSpot Hints & Cheats

Official Website

Tales of the Abyss follows the story of the young aristocrat, Luke fon Fabre. Kidnapped seven years ago, Luke returns to his family with no memories of his life before. In order to protect him, Luke's family keeps him confined to the quite lifestyle of the palace. Suddenly, Luke is thrust into the outside world and caught in the workings of the Order of Lorelei and the Oracle Knights who serve as keepers of the prophecy known as the Score. He knows nothing of those who might be his allies or those who are already his enemies. He must learn of the power of friendship and feel the pain of sacrifice. Luke's actions could save the world or destroy it. [Namco Bandai]

PUBLISHER:	Namco Bandai Games
DEVELOPER:	Team Symphonia
GENRE(S):	Action, Role-Playing Game
PLAYERS:	4
ESRB RATING:	T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE:	October 10, 2006

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Play Magazine

I'm not going to say it's a better game than FFXII(although a part of me wants to), but I will say this: if you pluck one other RPG off the rack this year, this little gem should be it. [Nov. 2006, p.77]

TotalPlayStation

If you're a JRPG fan, you need this game. If you're a Tales fan, you need this game, and if you're a newcomer to either, this is an awfully good way to get started.

RPG Fan

After a rocky start, Tales of the Abyss proved to be a truly enjoyable game; possibly the best in the series so far, and a contender in my book for game of the year.

Thunderbolt

I despise most RPGs. I find them long, boring, and tedious. However, Tales of the Abyss is one of the few games in the genre that truly appeal to me. The story is both entertaining and memorable. The characters are well-written and interesting, and nowhere near as cliched and predictable as their Symphonia counterparts were.

GamePro

When compared to past Tales games, Abyss has only really changed a handful of aspects. However, those changes are obvious upgrades and have made a huge difference in the overall gameplay experience.

IGN

Some linear plot directions, long load times and a quirky battle system that sometimes degenerates into button mashing bogs down what is otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable RPG.

GameTrailers

Like a well tempered sentence, Abyss is a complete thought. It’s solid on all angles but lacking any real sharp celerity, except in a plot seemingly based off a lost Einstein journal. It’s as good a Tales game as any, but it doesn’t raise any bars.

Digital Entertainment News

Tales of the Abyss won’t be going toe-to-toe with "Final Fantasy XII" any time soon, but is a fun and entertaining tale in its own right.

1UP

The combat may feel satisfyingly fresh, but the game's visuals look dated. Bland textures, simple geometry, and bouts of slowdown abound, and distressing load times hearken back to an earlier, more annoying RPG age.

Games Radar

Tales of the Abyss is nothing new. And some gamers will complain about that. But there's a lot to be said for taking something existing and doing it right.

GameSpy

While Abyss may not be an all-time classic, its charming characters and exciting battles more than make up for its little problems here and there.

GameDaily

The characters are great, but the numerous cliches throughout the story may leave some feeling tired, and it's curious the way the game almost seems to punish those who want to watch the optional skits.

GameSpot

Tales of the Abyss is a familiar but entertaining role-playing game with a charming cast of characters that helps sustain the lengthy story.

GameZone

TOA is a good game, just not the latest RPG masterpiece.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Abbyss defaults to basic roleplaying conventions too often to be unique, but it's hard to hate this well-rounded, classic RPG. [Dec. 2006, p.142]

Game Informer

But the marginally 3d action battle system is an improvement over the recent "Tales of Legendia", and the plotline has enough political twists and betrayals to keep you playing even if the main character is another confused youth with amnesia. [Nov. 2006, p.134]

GamerNode

When all is said and done, Tales of the Abyss will most likely find a home on the shelves of Tales fans, but it doesn't seem like this will be the game that makes Tales a mainstream RPG brand in the US.

Worth Playing

The plot is overly long and a bit too predictable, and although the gameplay is fun, it just doesn't bring anything particularly exciting to the world either, and the new systems are basically useless.

Yahoo! Games

An entertaining and occasionally even deep role-playing experience able to stack up against classic entries in the "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Quest" series.

PSM Magazine

The game is long and play is grindingly slow, hampered further by too-frequent loads, iffy translation, and interminable cut scenes. [Dec. 2006, p.82]

G4 TV

The excellent battle system and mostly likeable characters somehow transcend the game’s drawn out plot and niggling technical issues. This is a nice apology for the disappointing "Tales of Legendia."

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Tales of the Abyss starts off as a carbon copy of every RPG ever made. [Dec. 2006, p.119]

The average user rating for this game is 9.1 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ty R gave it a10:
Tales of the Abyss deserves an 11. Enough said.

Josh S. gave it a10:
Jade is AWESOME! That's enough to get a sale out of me.

Adrienne S. gave it a9:
This game is totally addicting, and it moves along at a nice pace. The slow load times get annoying, but I still love to sit down just immerse myself in the game.

Mithyus gave it a10:
Tales of the Abyss is a game full of charisma with an efficient gameplay; and that's all I need.

Mandy P. gave it a10:
Today, where in the gaming world, graphics are favored over the actual game itself, ToA is a nice change of pace. The designs are simple and original but very attractive as they arn't over done, giving it its appeal. Like the rest of the Tales series, it has a very anime flavor that may not appeal to all, though if you judge by simply it's style, you're probably missing out on a lot. The characters themselves are developed brilliantly, so there's bound to be something to like about every character. Even those annoying ones, when if one thinks about it, there's something to envy or admire about that character. More importantly, none of the characters are perfect, reveal a more down to earth characters to interact with. Voices overs are extremely well chosen and don't become too annoying. The story itself is an wonderful thrill ride, though people might not think that entirely since it does feel a little controlled. There's always something to do, so one can spend hours on end following the story, exploring or doing side quests. The side quests are probably one of the most enjoyable features and gives the characters and world more depth. Gameplay wise, if you're impatient, loading time might be a problem, but its only 5 seconds of your life and the game is well worth the waiting. The only thing that's truely annoying is the small cutscenes where you see the character's head moving and the text speech displayed underneither that the player cannot simply scroll through, though they often contain interesting facts and again help deepen the world in which the player plays. but begger's can't be choosers really. This game nicely fits button mashers and strategists as you can choose which character you'd like to charge into battle with and rotate as you play, and it's fun to experiement with different characters. Battling itself is fast paced and enjoyable, (i like listening to how the characters interact during battle. If once character says something, another one might respond to them). I still vote 10 because but actual development of the game (story and character wise, the TRUE qualities of any RPG game) are perfect. I couldn't ask for more. overall, I enjoyed the simplicity of the game appearance, and the complexity of the story and characters. I've been a hardcore FF fan for the last several years, and ToA was a change that opened my eyes and broaded my view on all RPGs. and I think ToA deserves more fans.The whole tales series isn't getting the attention it deserves.

Mark Y. gave it a10:
Plot and characters so enjoyable and refined that it puts other recent RPGs to shame. This is an RPG as it should be, with the story and characters at the center!

Eric S. gave it a9:
Although it starts off rather slow and generic, by about the fifth hour or so of gameplay, you will be addicted to the combat system. At about eight hours, the story will kick it up a knotch. And by hour fifty to eighty, you will wish the game could just keep going. Few games have such memorable characters, or such sympathetic ones.