Tales of Vesperia [PlayStation3 the Best Version] [Japan Import]

For those not already aware, Tales of Vesperia was originally released as an Xbox 360 exclusive in 2008. Roughly a year later, a PS3 version was released in Japan only, with tons of new content, well beyond what one would normally expect... there are the standard additions (new costumes and such boondoggles), but also two new playable characters, more main story plot, and lots of new side-questing. I'm not going to do an exhaustive review of the original 360 game, as I imagine most people reading a review for a Japanese-only game on a US site are already familiar with it. But I will say, what sets the core game apart from a lot of other RPGs for me is how well the characters are written. In particular Yuri, the lead, comes off as an actual adult with real agency in his own decisions and more than a hint of cynicism, rather than your standard wide-eyed JRPG tween with poofy hair who gets led along by the hand for the entire game. Dialogue for basically every character is sharp, often witty, and in general so well-done that it makes you question why the writing in every other RPG can't be a bit better. I will also say that the graphical style has held up extremely well over time, and that the button-mashing combat system is more complex and engaging than the systems in a lot of JRPGs manage to be. On to what sets this apart from the 360 version: ***MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T PLAYED THE 360 VERSION*** -Flynn, who in the 360 version was present but only briefly playable near the end of the game, becomes fully-playable numerous times throughout the story and is further integrated into the plot very organically. Many skits now include Flynn, and the additional interplays between him & Yuri are so good that you can't remember how they possibly could've left him out of the 360 version to the extent they did. He also becomes a permanent member of your party when you get to "end-game." He's very strong in combat, Yuri-like but with less fluid attacks, yet has the advantage of some light healing abilities that Yuri lacks. -Patty, an entirely new character. It takes awhile for her to become usable, as she's continually introduced to the party in weird situations, then flits away as quickly as she appeared. She first comes off as just a comic-relief character, then the continually bizarre situations in which you encounter her become endearing, and upon finally getting her added to your party in mid-game, you find that there's a lot more going in with this character than you first realized (none of which I'll spoil). I will also say, though, that I thought her interactions with Raven in particular helped flesh Raven out a bit, making him seem slightly less of an outsider, as they seem to bond over their shared wackiness and loner tendencies. ***END SPOILERS*** Beyond the characters, there's just more of everything: more costumes, more weapons, more story (none of which feels tacked-on), more difficult dungeons, more more more! It's definitely enough content to make another play-through of the game totally justified if you've only played the 360 version. The only negative for this version compared to the 360 version is that the graphics don't look quite as crisp. They look slightly grainier and darker when compared to the 360 version, though still quite good. And, well... obviously it's in Japanese only. About that: there's actually an English PATCH available, but it only "officially" supports PS3s with older firmware, and said PS3 WILL need to be "jailbroken" and have custom firmware loaded onto it in order to run the patch. I happened to have a retro PS3 sitting in a box, so I was in luck... took me about 3-4 hours to get the PS3 into a state where it could run the patch. For details on the patch, check out [...] Whether you have the patch or just follow along with the translation on the patch's website, I will say that you lose a little something when you're reading dialogue which used to be spoken English. This is a shame because the voice acting's excellence in the 360 version matched the quality of the writing, so don't discount the value that provides. But it's a small price to pay for how much more content there is to enjoy in this version. Overall, this is the best version of absolutely one of the best JRPGs released in the last decade. If you've got a PS3 that can handle the patch, or if you're willing to follow along with a translation on a webpage, I can't recommend this game enough. If you don't feel like dealing with those things, I assure you that the original 360 game is a still an experience that's very much worthy of your time.

I kept looking online about this game and alot of people said jap games will auto translate to english if ur ps3 is in enkih default. Wellll i didnt know it didnt support the english but thats not an issue. Its great still. I just assumed because my jap okami turned english lol

One of my favorite games of all games! Delivery was way quicker than expected. The package came a week since the purchase and it didn't take too long for it to ship. I would suggest this game if your a Tales fan or if you're looking for a fun Japanese RPG game. You won't regret it. Also, I took a bit of a risk and bought this game used. Fortunately, the game came as if it was new. The first thing I did was check the back of the disc for any damages and scratches, but it's crispy clean! So I paid half the price of a new game for a used game, but received a new game technically. If you're willing to buy a used version of this game, check for the best rated seller and buy. Also, check for the total number of ratings that the seller has. I bought the game from "Ichigo Ichie Japan" and was not disappointed.

It is a very enjoyable game and I am also using it as a tool for learning Nihongo(Japanese). Learning a language is about being immersed in it. Since I currently am unable to visit Japan, what better option is there than being enthralled in an amazing gaming experience? My personal experience aside, if you're a "Tales of" fan you've already heard of it and played it by now. For those JRPG fans and other RPG fans looking for something new or different to play, give this a try. The simplest way to describe this is the game is an RPG that trades in turn based combat for solid real time combat. The story and the characters that exist therein is very entertaining. One of my favorite features in this game series is the four player co-op. Also, the seller I bought this from is amazing. I received it sooner than expected and of course the game runs perfectly.

This item arrived on September 14th, despite the ETA being the 20th. I was overly surprised when I was contacted and told it was waiting for me. Brand new in original packaging and all that great glory going on here. When it's stated "The Best", that is no false advertisement at all...It really is THE BEST. Thank you very much to the seller and Amazon for providing this item for me. If it were possible to give more than 5 stars I would definitely give more...

I'm a MASSIVE Tales buff, I own Graces F, Abyss, Xillia, Symphonia Chronicles, and now this. I've played nearly every game in the series and this honestly has to be my favorite. The story is brilliant and original yet still with that same spark Tales fans love and new fans can enjoy. This came a week before the estimated start of delivery time, perfect condition, and ran fine in my american PS3. I recommend it for any JRPG fan and/or Tales fan.

In my humble opinion, this is the best RPG ever. It's that good. The gameplay is amazing, I LOVE the characters and the story is wonderful. The world is great as well. Vibrant graphics brings everything to life. There is SO MUCH to do in this game, easily hundred of hours playtime. The obvious downside is that it's in Japanese but don't let that stop you from playing this masterpiece. There are English guides online that can get you through the game. Highly recommended.

Some minor sound issues but otherwise great game. It so badly needs the music and in game audio fixed. Buzz noises and sometimes the sound for battle music vanishes. I'm Giving it a five stars because the gameplay and redone plus added scenes more than makes up for it. I also appreciate Yuri's in game hair is now fixed and set to the proper color. The xbox 360 version his hair was purple. Also glad to have Flyn in my party and Patty is hilarious.