Tales of Xillia

Milla Maxwell is not only a great female protagonist that other developers would do well to learn from, she's simply a great character, period, and one who deserves to stand alongside the genre's longstanding stars. Her game's no slouch, either.

A brilliant title, and could just be the breakout game that really establishes the series in Western markets. There’s a great story here, with likable characters and voice acting that makes the characters feel real. The streamlined leveling, equipment choices and skill tree make Xillia one of the best RPGs I’ve played.

Tales of Xillia might not be the stainless JRPG many were expecting to play, but it's still one of the most intriguing and fun ever made. With its interesting plot, awesome characters and excellent battle system, it's just a shame it falls short in visual and side content departments.

If you have a PS3 and have been waiting for a good console JRPG, look no further than Tales of Xillia.

The story and characters are delightful, and an engaging battle system rounds out a mesmeric package. Simply put, Tales of Xillia is one of the finest role-playing games in recent memory.

Tales of Xillia gives JRPG fans an addictive experience that's hard to ignore. Linked combat alongside clever leveling schemes and a narrative told in a big way will have players aching to play through as both Milla and Jude.

Tales of Xillia doesn't so much innovate as it does refine the stable foundation laid by the previous games, at least not from a gameplay mechanics standpoint. Where it really shines is in the characterization, the world building and the mature, dark story. Choosing to play as either the young care-free Jude Mathis or the supernatural Milla Maxwell determines partially how the story is perceived and told. Tales of Xillia is one of the finest games to come out of Namco's Tales Studio and easily rivals, and in some cases clearly outshines, the competition within the JRPG genre this generation.

Though it hews closely to the traditional ratio of exploration and critter killing, Tales of Xillia has more than enough unusual and refreshing elements to keep pushing you forward.

Don't let the game's lengthy localization period deter you from experiencing the latest chapter in the Tales universe. Xillia's likeable cast, frenetic combat, and enjoyable storyline make this one of the best entries in the franchise, though its emaciated side content leaves something to be desired.

This is a great example of how to make a Japanese RPG, keeping its foundations but making it work in 2013. Fun and engaging, it has some issues that will we forgive as soon as we start playing.

A great RPG adventure with action-packed real-time battles. The characters are interesting, but the main story relies too much on passive anime sequences. [Sept 2013]

It’s a vast improvement over its predecessor Tales of Graces, but it doesn’t quite surpass the excellence found in Tales of Vesperia.

It starts slow, but no matter where you look, Xillia gets more interesting the longer you play until it hits you with its full force of different viewpoints, gripping realtime battles and customization options.

Tales of Xillia gives you an adventure of many hours, filled to the brim with clichés, a lack of innovation, a familiar style and a combat system that’s 90 percent copied from the previous games in the series. If you add it all up you get one of the best Japanese role-playing games of this generation. Tales of Xillia surprises, even though it doesn’t really do anything surprising.

Although it’s no Final Fantasy X (which still remains the greatest of all time) Tales of Xillia is definitely a worthwhile purchase if you’re a fan of RPGs, and provides everything you’d expect from a story-driven game.

Tales of Xillia is a JRPG with personality, capable, even two years after the Japanese release, to appear original and engaging where it matters most.

Still, even with the slight loss of frame rate during combat and lackluster end-game content, Tales of Xillia stands as one of the best RPGs I’ve played this year. Filled with charming and interesting characters and held together by a rock solid combat engine, this is a tale well worth experiencing.

Xillia may have the best combat system ever seen in a jrpg, and definitely a great story to boot. Unfortunately a classic structure that favors grinding and repetition stops it from being the best entry in the series.

Tales of Xillia is, without doubt, one of the best JRPG of the current generation. Although the technical section could be better, the other aspects have the necessary strength to please the fans. The argument, the duration and the battle system are Hideo Baba's greatest assets to convince the West.

Xillia is not as good as Symphonia or Vesperia, but it is most certainly worth the journey.

Tales of Xillia made me realize why I fell in love with RPGs in the first place. It has the elements that make them tick: making you feel like you know the characters, enticing you to find every hidden chest, mastering the battle system, and finding it hard to put the controller down because the next revelation draws you in even more.

There are a couple of graphical imperfections, and the controls could use further refinement. But apart from those niggles, Xillia does everything you want a Tales game to do: Frantic action, likeable characters, and a skit-load of customisation.

Tales of Xillia it's one of the best entries of this classic JRPG saga in recent times.

Tales of Xillia is nothing revolutionary, but if JRPGs are your thing, you'll be more than satisfied, as it has a lot more to offer than one would expect. [Nov 2013]

We had our doubts about the real time combat which, in the first few hour, is not much more involving than pressing the X-button. Luckily this changes when you can link your attacks to those of others, creating spectacular combos. [September p.62]

Absorbing, personable, and a lot cleverer than it initially lets on. The wildcard Tales series continues to impress. [October 2013, p81]

Not without its lazy patches, but the highest point in a series now spanning over 15 games. [Oct 2013, p.63]

There's no reason for any RPG fan to miss this one.

Even though this is by far the shortest "Tales" game, its superb battle system and good narrative promises a great journey through the world of Rieze Maxia.

Sure, we had to wait two more years than the Japanese, but Tales of Xillia is so worth it. This is one of the best J-RPG of the generation.

Tales of Xillia will not leave you indifferent. For some it could be one of the worst in the series, while for others it may be the best. The most curious thing is that it can be superior to others in some things but cannot keep up in other things.

Xillia takes the familiar and blends it with exciting newness, and that’s what it does best. It’s the first must-play JRPG to release in a while, and the second couldn’t arrive soon enough.

Tales of Xillia might feel somewhat underwhelming. There’s nothing I can point to and say, “that’s absolutely fantastic.” It’s all pretty good, even great in some ways, but the overall package isn’t especially impressive. But hey, it’s catnip for JRPG fans.

The second Tales game really made for this generation offers tens of hours of classical JRPG gameplay.

Despite its flaws, Tales of Xillia's excellent characterisation, entertaining battle system and addictive levelling-up and shopping systems ensure that Namco's latest is worth exploring twice over.

It’s no Ni No Kuni, but it’s certainly one of the better JRPG titles to come out this console generation.

It really took its time to arrive on Western shores, but at last we have Tales of Xillia, a good example of the essence of true Japanese RPG. With two characters, a deep and customizable battle system, many options and strategies, the visual scale of the scenarios is as good as the new character's Tales of style, more realistic. Sure its not perfect -Motoi Sakuraba is not at his best precisely, Pop up in some elements around the towns, rough ending-, but its enough entertainment. Now, its time to ask Namco about Tales of Xillia 2.

This is an extremely good example of how the JRPG genre should evolve in the modern video games market. Nice gameplay elements, good graphics and a great production value. If you love JRPGs, just buy it with no regrets.

What the game does do is bring together a compelling story full of interesting characters, vibrant worlds, and a combat system that is fun and fluid. The team behind the game didn’t just recycle the same old game, as the linking system adds a new and interesting dimension to the already phenomenal combat system.

Energetic combat and awe-inspiring settings make Tales of Xillia a highly enjoyable title, and while it's not the best in the series, there's plenty of fun to be had – twice if you dare to play through again as Jude and Milla.

Xillia’s ability to nurture Tales’ traditions while adding its own flavor to the mix is perhaps its greatest strength, and while it suffers from occasionally corny moments and a subpar graphical look, its weaknesses are overwhelmed by its complex systems, fun combat, interesting stories, and a compelling party of characters, not to mention its dueling protagonists.

It took awhile, but finally the west gets to experience Tales of Xillia. Overall, we'd say that's a good thing - even though the game knows its ups and downs. The style is intoxicating, but the presentation of it rather mediocre. The story is interesting, but rather slow. The depth of the gameplay is Tales of Xillia's biggest plus. It's by no means a perfect games, but we nevertheless recommend it. Fans of the Tales of... franchise shouldn't think twice.

Even though it has a few flaws, Tales of Xillia surprised us with its freshness. It might not be a must have, but it's a solid game that strongly represents its franchise, and above all, Tales of Xillia is a game that anyone can pick up and enjoy.

This is a decent Japanese role playing game but the truth is Ni No Kuni is better.

Tales of Xillia is an engaging, enjoyable and lengthy game. Though the story may seem like too traditional, it strays away from stereotypes as the narrative progresses, and leaves you wanting to know what will happen next. Unbalanced difficulty and other issues concerning the combat system cast a shadow on the game, reducing its value.

It doesn't always follow through on its intriguing ideas but even so, Tales Of Xillia has enough spark, invention and content to keep most JRPG fans happy.

It’s an enjoyable experience, but it also discards several tried-and-true franchise conventions—such as a traversable overworld map—in favor of a smaller, more focused adventure.

Tales of Xillia is most certainly a good game, but it's not the best the franchise has to offer. The scattershot story kept me from really enjoying the game, and I'm hoping the sequel can tell a more cohesive tale.

Battles are fast and furious, but the overarching story fails to impress. [Oct 2013, p.72]

The combat also shows surprising depth, although the secondary systems don't quite measure up. It's not groundbreaking or deep, even in the context of its own series, but Tales of Xillia was engaging and satisfying.

Tales of Xillia feels like wrapping yourself in a comfortable blanket. It's like an old friend. It exemplifies everything the genre is today — good and bad — and serves as a reminder of why I fell in love with JRPGs in the first place.

Fans of JRPGs will find enough to satiate their Tales craving and others would be wise to take a look into the world as well.

Tales of Xillia is a gorgeous and fast-paced Japanese role-playing game that suffers from a few questionable design choices.

An unremarkable game, but enjoyable in its own quiet way. [Issue#138, p.106]

The combat system works and is intricate and balanced enough to provide for the tinkerers. But the rest is just so banal, so by the numbers that, honestly? We often found ourselves bored. [Issue#234, p.74]

What’s left is, while smartly streamlined, a thoroughly orthodox game within a well-established type, a niche within a niche that’s getting smaller all the time.

Proof that Japanese role-players can evolve without having to losing their own unique identity, although Xillia stops just short of being a full-on revolution.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the game, nor is there anything to make me recommend it. If you love JRPGs, you might enjoy this. If not, it will probably reinforce all your negative ideas about JRPGs.

With Tales of Xillia Namco is content with slowly but safely improving the Tales series. Tales of Xillia is more polished than ever but at the same time the rest of the RPG genre has passed the Tales series. New material is scarce and the story poorly written. But the anime graphics continues to be astonishing if a bit uneven and the fighting system is arguably the best in the series.

It struggles to find its footing here and there, but it manages to straighten up thanks to the help of genuinely likeable dialogue snippets, addictive battles, and a slick character augmentation system.

Were its opening acts more strongly defined, and the characters presented initially as less one-note, then it would be a far better game.

Ni No Kuni has more charm, Resonance Of Fate’s combat is richer, and Persona tells a far better story. And even then, if you’re intrigued by the Tales series then Vesperia is a better starting point. Fast, fun combat let down by a so-so story and lifeless environments. We’ve seen worse – and weirder – JRPGs, but also a whole lot better.

It is the quintessential “bog standard” JRPG, a sad showing considering it’s part of a recognised and long-running franchise that has certainly hit some impressive highs in the past. It manages to make a killer combat engine redundant and boring, and comes across as a lazy, poorly-engineered mess in all other areas.