![]() The character and enemy sprites are overflowing with detail, and the environments are designed with a lush color palette.Īs one would expect of a sprite-based game, battles are two-dimensional side-scrolling affairs. So, by the time the narrative spirals into something unique and iconic, it’s easy to find yourself heavily invested in the party’s backstories.ĭespite many reviews at the time labeling the visuals as outdated, Destiny‘s sprite-based aesthetic has aged quite well for a PS1 game, and it looks like something we might still see today in an indie title. Many of Destiny‘s early interactions focus on exposition delivered by the Swordians, and as in many Tales games, the relationships between party members make up one of Destiny‘s strongest qualities. Soon after, Stahn and Dymlos meet and begin traveling with other Swordians and their wielders. The plot centers around the dim-witted but likable Stahn Aileron, a country boy who finds a sentient sword (a Swordian) called Dymlos while stowing away on an airship. An easily-overlooked gem in the late ’90s JRPG typhoon, with its diverse cast, unique battle system, and unpredictable story in a well-crafted world, it’s easy to see within the first hour of play that Destiny is something else. Though preceded by Phantasia in Japan, Tales of Destiny was the West’s first entry in the Tales series. Where to Play: PS1 ( Review) | PS2 (Japan only) I’d wait before nabbing a GBA copy in the hopes we will one day get that PSP version. I’m still praying for a true, complete version to reach our shores in the future, but for now, Tales of Phantasia: The Animation will have to keep me satisfied. I’ve been very vocal about how frustrated I am that we’ve never received a definitive release of Phantasia over here. ![]() There’s probably a reason for that, right? There’s also a mobile version which, one, upped shop prices and reduced save points to encourage you to spend real money to keep yourself playing and, two, it’s no longer available. Oh, and the less we talk about Kangaroo Wars, the better. But playing on the GBA screen is less than ideal, the sound quality is significantly reduced, and combat crawls at a snail’s pace. But don’t worry, there are two versions you can officially play in English.įirst, there’s the GBA version, which retains many of the PlayStation additions along with an extended bonus dungeon. The combat is very clunky and the dungeons are often infuriating, but I can’t resist the charm of the Norse mythology-inspired world and the Kosuke Fujishima character designs.īut you see Super Famicom mentioned here, so how can you play this often-overlooked gem? Well, there are ways, some of which I can’t tell you… luckily, Phantasia has received multiple rereleases over the years, except the best versions (PS One or PSP) are stuck in Japan. The chirpy mage Arche and grumpy summoner Klarth (Claus? Who’s that?) make this cast much more exciting, with a brilliant villain in Dhaos, one of the best sympathetic villains in any RPG. The story follows Cless Alvein and his childhood friend Mint Adnade (sorry, these are the correct spellings in my head) as they travel back in time to save the world. But it pushes the console to its limits, with voice work that required a brand new sound chip to be installed onto the cartridge.īy modern standards, this is exactly what you’d expect from an action RPG on the Super Famicom: basic. ![]() ![]() Released on the Super Famicom in 1995, it carries all of the attributes that would become mainstays for the series going forward: a catchy pop song opening colourful visuals a funky Motoi Sakuraba soundtrack and all the artes, spells, and summons that fans can probably now recite by heart. Born out of a split amongst Wolf Team staff, Tales of Phantasia is somewhat of a miracle. ![]()
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