kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa <3

Lovely.

I really was shipping them. But for me this game was not so good. Story confusing and gets boring and most of the characters are so stereotyped. But you can ship Rita and Estelle really good!

Yeah, the story is a weird mix of over complicated and too simple.

I like.

Tomoe and Kaoru & Lisa and Moca are a no for me but other than that, MY SHIPS

It totally did, you’re her f*ckin sun.

That's cute

blissfully wholesome

angry but in love

Aya: playing hard to get, huh
Reimu: NO, GET AWAY FROM ME
Aya: aww, you're so cute when you're like this
Reimu: D:<

I truly miss these dorks

Damn..now I want a gf

So...https://archiveofourown.org/works/24290125

Ch2 of this matches this pic really well at a couple parts

It's the only Tales game I've played so I wasn't too put-off by the gameplay. After spending 3485394 years grinding for 1-2 bosses in EVERY OTHER JRPG EVER, this was a nice change of pace. Yuri's a fairly unique protagonist, especially in Japanese media, Estelle is an absolute sweetheart who is the exact opposite of street smart, and Rita is the introverted cave goblin we all know we are. I think the world's fairly interesting with lots of different locales and story beats that make sense. There's commentary on the flaws of justice systems and laws.

And I cannot stress this enough how insanely healthy and charming the relationship between Rita and Estelle is. It's subtext, but like barely. If it was made today, they'd be gay. One of the unique things about Vesperia is that the two opposite-sex leads are only platonic. Estelle has the most chemistry with Rita and Yuri has the most chemistry with Judith, who is honestly more on his intellectual level than Estelle. The dynamics between the characters is really great, especially when you start unlocking each of the dialogue sequences. It's long-ish, but I burned through my first run of it in less than a week because I couldn't put it down. I loved it so much. Even years later, Ristelle is in my top 5 pairings of all time because their dynamic is unbeatable. I'd seriously recommend this game to anyone, especially any yuri (pun intended) fan. You might need a guide for certain sequences, though, to unlock all the dialogue scenes.

^
So, what did Estelle find in Rita's drawer?

Gross

Personally, Vesperia is my favorite tales game (though I haven't played any of the earlier ones), both in terms of characters and mechanics, with Rita coming in as one of my favorite mages in any video game.

My impression of the quality arc is basically the opposite of Aezeles's, I found the beginning very slow, with relatively limited access to abilities and a small cast of not entirely likable characters. However, as things progress and the characters grew I found most of them vastly more likable and the battle system greatly improved. The only one who really stays underwhelming is Karol.

Also, clearly Yuri goes with Flynn and Judith with Raven.

That said, if you do intend to pick it up, one warning: There are quite a few side quests that rely on you talking to certain people in certain places at the right time and some of them offer really good techniques or items, should you complete them. Unfortunately, while most aren't truly missable, there is no tracking for them what so ever, nor is there any notification to let you know that you've found or progressed one, so keeping a guide handy might be a good idea.

Then again, ToV also has a rather robust New Game +, so you may want to save the completionism for a second trip through.

@Omega Deuse
The one earlier Tales game I'd really recommend you to play is Abyss, Vesperia is a straight upgrade of it gameplaywise but its story is incredibly deep and thought-provoking for series' standards and is absolutely worth experiencing the game for.

That is a dangerous game you're playing there, Aya. You might be a Tengu, but she's still the Red and White Shrine Maiden.

Also, the artwork is awesome. They both look really sharp and I love their expressions and clothes.

@Omega Deuse
The one earlier Tales game I'd really recommend you to play is Abyss, Vesperia is a straight upgrade of it gameplaywise but its story is incredibly deep and thought-provoking for series' standards and is absolutely worth experiencing the game for.

Thanks for the recommendation; I'll try to keep it in mind. I've found the more recent entries into the series to be less satisfying, especially as a mage player, but I still want there to be another good one. Unfortunately, it'll probably be a while before I can get to it, since I have quite the back log that was made significantly worse by Itch.io's recent Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. Speaking of, if you haven't heard of that bundle and are at all interested in PC gaming, you should seriously consider getting it. There's only about a day left, but it's an insane value and a good cause.

last edited at Jun 14, 2020 9:22PM

expectations vs. REALITY

They're soo cute!!~

It's...beautiful

Do they play the guitar now or something?