Tales of Berseria

 PC
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. ZTGD
    Feb 10, 2017
    90
    Tales of Berseria is a direct response to all the fans of the series that felt disappointed with the lackluster Zestiria. With a much more interesting overarching story, a stellar cast of characters and many refinements to the gameplay, Tales of Berseria is easily the best Tales game since Vesperia.
  2. The Overpowered Noobs
    Feb 8, 2017
    90
    For the returning Tales fan, Berseria is no doubt an insta-buy, and for those who are curious or have never played an entry, it is the perfect place to start.
  3. GameWatcher
    Feb 1, 2017
    90
    Tales of Berseria is a strong return to form from Bandai Namco and this return to form has produced one of the best Tales games out there in terms of story and overall quality.
  5. God is a Geek
    Jan 23, 2017
    90
    Tales of Berseria is not just one of the best Tales games in a long time, but an essential for any JRPG fan. It’s a huge step up from Zestiria in almost every way.
  6. Ragequit.gr
    Feb 13, 2017
    86
    Regardless the pitfalls, Tales of Berseria is a high quality JRPG, featuring a great cast of characters and an interesting story, which guarantee plenty hours of fun to the fans of the genre.
  7. Multiplayer.it
    Jan 23, 2017
    85
    Tales of Berseria is a joy to play: battles are easy to learn and hard to master affairs in a colorful world filled with mature characters, intriguing plotlines and intense plot twists. It is sad the game feels very old-gen here and there: dungeons are especially dull and backtracking has now become a staple in the series. Bandai Namco does need to focus on current hardware if it really wants to bring its new vision of Tales to life.
  8. Wccftech
    Jan 24, 2017
    83
    With a fantastic combat system and a good story, Tales of Berseria feels like a return to form in a lot of ways, despite being more adventurous with the combat than ever before. A great series making a triumphant return.
  9. IGN Italia
    Jan 28, 2017
    81
    One of the best "Tales of" to date. A charismatic main character lives an interesting story until the end.
  10. PC PowerPlay
    Mar 31, 2017
    80
    The 16th game in the Tales series is also the most adult. Who would have thunk it? [Issue#260, p.62]
  11. DarkStation
    Feb 23, 2017
    80
    Tales of Berseria is an excellent game despite its flaws. The cast of characters shine in their own right and are easily some of the most memorable in the series and the combat additions coupled with the engaging plot makes this a game every JRPG fan should play.
  12. Eurogamer Poland
    Feb 3, 2017
    80
    Interesting story and great combat system can't hide the issues, like poor graphics and very high entry level for new players. Fans of western RPGs like Witcher 3 will most likely skip Tales of Berseria, even though it's definitely worth checking out. And fans of Tales of series? They are probably deep inside the campaign already.
  13. TheSixthAxis
    Jan 24, 2017
    80
    Tales of Berseria feels like a Tales game made just for me. There’s so many games in the series now, and I’ll never play them all, but the characters and the narrative and the combat mechanics of Berseria just click with all of my tastes so well. For some, the lack of gameplay innovation might be a turn off, but for me, a classic Tales gameplay system combined with a unique narrative led to a fantastic experience. Fans both new and old would be doing a disservice to themselves if they didn’t check this game out.
  14. GameStar
    Feb 19, 2017
    77
    JRPG fans who are willing to accept plain technology and some anime stereotypes will get their money's worth with a great story and combat system.
  15. Riot Pixels
    Mar 17, 2017
    76
    Tales of Berseria is too archaic in its game design and visuals to be a mass-appeal JPRG. Still, if you're looking to play a modern representative of this genre, keep in mind that you can easily find a better-looking game, but you won't have as much fun playing it as this one.
  16. Game Informer
    Jan 23, 2017
    75
    Tales of Berseria does some interesting things, and is the most captivating Tales storyline in some time. I like the majority of its ideas, but the execution often feels half-realized. It still feels like the franchise isn't making big enough leaps, and is just content to bring its fans more of the same. By now, you probably know if you're okay with that. Nothing ever made me stop playing, but the flaws are impossible to ignore.
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This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Feb 6, 2017
    Despite its flaws, Tales of Berseria has numerous interesting stories to tell. If the developers had cut the flab and focused almost exclusively on the cast of characters – with some combat thrown in – then I think this would have been a must-play. As it is, I think it’s still worth playing if you’re a fan of story-focused JRPGs, as long as you know you’re strapped in for the long haul. I felt more connected with the game’s characters than I have to any group in a long time, and it’s worth putting up with a few hours of pain for that pay off.

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best PC Game of 2017
49
#49 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
13
#13 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 370 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 226 out of 370
  2. Mixed: 40 out of 370
  3. Negative: 104 out of 370
  1. Kytes
    Jan 26, 2017
    10
    Tales of games are big part of why i'm still playing videogames. This is such a wonderful series. Berseria introduce female main characterTales of games are big part of why i'm still playing videogames. This is such a wonderful series. Berseria introduce female main character which is pretty rare in jrpg, on top of that she is basically villain, a pirate. Other parts are pretty classic, which means they are good.… Full Review »
  2. Indrigis
    Feb 6, 2017
    5
    Tales of Berseria is a painfully mediocre game. It is a good JRPG in that it does all the necessary fanservice and "unexpected" plot twistsTales of Berseria is a painfully mediocre game. It is a good JRPG in that it does all the necessary fanservice and "unexpected" plot twists but as a game it is really bland.

    Yes, it has rave reviews but it still follows every "safe" cliche that has plagued the genre for the last 10 years. Velvet is all "dark", "really evil" and "revenge-driven" but she's extremely prone to not killing important enemies, being needlessly chatty when butt-kicking is due and turning into a damsel in distress when the plot demands it. The supporting cast, however different and "edgy" they might look are all the stereotypical ones. A swordsman who looks carefree but is actually totally absolutely amazingly powerful, a clumsy kid whose primary role is to invoke warm feelings, a really grimdark fighter who is both grim and dark, a comic relief happy go lucky magician girl who, of course, will magically save you when a deus ex machina is needed...

    The combat is quite complicated and nuanced but gut-wrenchingly boring. There are a plethora of "artes" your characters can learn but you are limited to 4 artes per combo level so you either set up the most effective combo all around and mash a single button until you get calluses, start every battle with painstakingly reassigning artes to fit your present set of enemies or say "Eh, whatever" and set combat difficulty to "Easy", saving yourself a few hours.

    And technically the game is stuck somewhere in mid-2000s. The sublevels are small to account for the engine's limitations and when a really big open level shows up it looks like a Quake map with lots of rectangular building blocks glued together with no environmental detail or objects. SFX is flashes and animated inserts, sound is nothing to write a review about.

    Despite all the praise it's still a Tales game fresh off the conveyor with all the flaws and bumps lovingly preserved. You've played this before quite a few times.    … Full Review »
  3. heireaper
    Feb 5, 2017
    9
    tale of berseria is one of the best rpg i played in year the story is really the best and the game as good humor the character designed aretale of berseria is one of the best rpg i played in year the story is really the best and the game as good humor the character designed are awesome it s a great game… Full Review »
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