Tales of the Abyss - The Game
My eyes have been glued to my television screen for the past couple of evenings. It isn't from a movie or TV series, and it's not even from a game on a next-gen system. No, the game that has held my rapt attention lately is Tales of the Abyss. It's not even a new game, but it is the latest in my towering stack of unplayed titles.
The Tales series has always impressed me with its relatively simplistic, yet innovative design as compared to other RPGs. It doesn't rely on eye-candy and high-polygon models nor fancy CG cut scenes to impress the player. Rather it utilizes what I believe to be one of the two most important elements of an RPG to great effect: the characters.
From the time I first saw Rutee of the original Tales of Destiny game, scavenging the battlefield for loose change while her companions fought for their lives, I was enamored with the characters of the Tales series. Story, which I feel is the other most important element to an RPG, is usually pretty hit or miss in the Tales games, but any flaw is masked over by the characters' unique personalities and inevitable growth throughout the game, and the interactions between characters through skits and in-engine cut scenes are priceless in their entertainment value.
Tales of the Abyss has thus far lived up to my expectations in delivering engaging characters. The main protagonist, Luke, in all his sheltered naïveté, serves as the perfect vessel for the other characters and NPCs to explain the world to the players (The "Idiot Lectures" exposition, as I've heard them called). The only character he holds any sense of superiority over is the group's small animal companion, Mieu, a fire-breathing cheagle who is bound to Luke for repentance.
The other characters include Tear, the cold-hearted soldier with an unexpectedly soft side; Anise, the rambunctious young bodyguard who isn't shy about displaying affection; and Natalie, every bit the princess she was raised to be. These ladies serve as potential love interests, or perhaps more like sources of endless antagonism, for our belabored hero. Guy, the heterophobic servant who is hiding much more than he lets on, and Jade, the intellectual elitist colonel from the enemy nation with an ominous reputation help to complicate matters with their snide remarks and teasing.
The developers of the Tales series always include several opportunities for character interaction throughout gameplay, including post-battle quips and periodic skits in addition to the normal story development. Tales of Legendia had character interludes between the two major stories in the game, each focusing on one of the supporting characters to further develop their backgrounds. I absolutely loved those stories, and I felt that those were superior to the main plot and the sole reason for playing the game. I doubt I'll get to see that for Tales of the Abyss, but at least I'm not disappointed by what I've watched so far! - Joe Chan
