The combat proper is par for the course for a Tales game, though it has been tightened up to make for a more compelling experience than before. Battles are in real time and confined to a nice-sized battlefield, and you have a few different options of how to approach them. Most players will take the default approach, letting the game auto-target an enemy while they hammer the B button to perform standard attacks and press A along with the left stick to execute magic attacks called artes. Most battles can be won this way without much effort, and that missing challenge is an issue that has plagued the series for years. However, because the easier encounters control so smoothly and look so lively, they feel more compelling than in prior games. But don’t expect a total cakewalk, as later on you’ll encounter some tougher enemies that require some extra effort, and the boss characters are a legitimate challenge throughout. At these times you’ll benefit from free movement (executed by holding the left trigger) and good use of items and artes.

You’ll usually be accompanied by three AI-controlled characters in these battles, and they hold their own marvelously without much tweaking. However, players seeking out variety will find plenty of ways to mix up combat. You can adjust the behavior of your teammates, switch out the various party members, and control the character of your choice, which gives you a chance to play with a bunch of artes and weapons. Battles are further enhanced with other combat tweaks, such as overlimits and burst artes. You fill your overlimit gauge by attacking and being attacked, and once the gauge is full, you can attack without pause and even execute powerful burst artes, which can be chained together into exciting, flamboyant displays of power and particles. Or, if you’re fortunate, you could execute a fatal strike with a well-timed button press, which can mean instant death for the unsuspecting spiked tortoise on the receiving end of your axe.

Fatal strikes will make quick work of your foes.

Other Tales gameplay staples are here in various forms, such as cooking and a battle arena. As you explore, the Wonder Chef (who simply must get his own show on the Food Network) will dole out new recipes that you can use to temporarily enhance various stats between battles. You will also accumulate and improve artes as you level, and even learn new ones from the various weapons you equip. Other gameplay elements add further variety, from simple puzzle sequences involving gears to keeping your water canteen full as you travel through the desert. None of these sequences are groundbreaking, but they’re executed well and fit nicely into the surrounding bits without bringing gameplay to a screeching halt.

At its core, Tales of Vesperia isn’t very different from its predecessors, but it’s easily the best game in the series thanks to its great cast of characters and clever balance of storytelling and gameplay. It’s beautiful, it’s engaging, and it’s fun, and while it won’t challenge your combat prowess, it will challenge what you should expect from a modern RPG. This is, by any standard, the best recent example of how an aging series can be updated for contemporary consoles while still delivering what fans expect.

By Kevin VanOrd