I Played Tales of the Abyss For The First Time - Does It Hold Up?

I Played Tales of the Abyss For The First Time - Does It Hold Up?
Next up on the retro series is Tales of the Abyss, a game that is sadly relegated to 2 platforms that are no longer in use. I wasn't going to let that stop me though, here's my first experience of Tales of the Abyss!
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🎵 M U S I C U S E D
Ao no Kiseki OST - A New Daily Life
Atelier Sophie 2 OST - Whisp
Tales of the Abyss OST - Meaning of Birth
Xenoblade Chronicles OST - Satorl Marsh Night
Ys IX -Monstrum NOX OST - Prisoncity

[@TheKisekiNut]

If you liked this one, check out my other retro reviews! 📌 kzbin.info/aero/PLOiA_KESrFhSxSJGg1DMyn3RNF_HlImDa

[@Podcastsportscape]

Abyss is straight up my favorite game of all time. I hope they bring it to more consoles cause that ending had 18 year old me crying like a 4 year old

[@Eis7]

Man, the tales of the abyss are something special, and you said it best, the character and story work together so well.

[@MrJJDIZZLE23]

Wheres the remaster lol

[@xarfiz]

One of best character development gaming character of all time for me

[@krhshurdler10]

Literally learned the guitar to be able to play "Karma" (the opening) by Bump of Chicken. I love almost all the tales of games, but this one is my favorite. Natalia is still my profile picture to this day. Had an amazing time playing this with my brothers and sisters. Literally bought my sister a Tear figurine last week and we aren't the figurine type family. Wish this was on steam to relive with them through remote play

[@TheKisekiNut]

I saw a couple of Luke figures last year while in Japan. Be interesting to see if I see any more.

[@bearmancery]

Vesperia brought me to the series, but Abyss is where I fell in love. Glad to hear it held up in your esteem!

[@matteste]

Same story here.

[@marcosdheleno]

could not get into vesperia, found the gameplay a bit too clunky, and the characters did nothing for me.

[@maxwassermann3171]

When I first played Abyss Luke left such a profound impact on me that even now I would still call him my favourite JRPG protagonist.

[@millasgameroom]

Glad to hear you enjoyed Abyss. The story and characters are easily the best part like you said. I should replay it one day.

[@Sonnance]

Always cool to see new people discovering Abyss! Genuinely one of, if not my favorite RPG ever. It’s impossible to list all the things I love about Abyss in a comment, so I’ll just add one on to what you’ve said. The worldbuilding, particularly in its magic system, is genuinely unparalleled among all the games I know of. Fonons, Lorelei, the Score… All the “jargon” the game throws at you… It not only holds up to scrutiny, but it actually makes the game *better* to do so, as every event in the story has a “how” and a “why,” and every aspect of the world was constructed such that this story is its natural result.

[@ParasaurolophusZ]

I also love how Abyss handles the 'really powerful character is weakened to join the party' bit. There's some random point later on when Jade mentions he's finally back up to his pre-story strength. I also love how Jade, age 35, constantly goes on about how he's an old and decrepit man, and then while everyone else has to struggle to do the moving box puzzles, he casually shoves them with one hand behind his back.

[@GabrielArchon]

Jade is the greatest.

[@LazyTallGuy]

Now that I have reached and passed his age (36) I talk about myself as being old and decrepit 🤣

[@SuperCoreyBlack]

I also played Abyss only a year ago and this is probably one of the best developments of the main character. And that rare case when the amnesia twist really looks cool.

[@SLtheFMAYT]

Over the years, Abyss has slowly been getting the recognition it rightfully deserves. I played it day one on the 3ds, and after I finished it, I always knew it'd be one of my favorite games of all time. Now days I do consider it my favorite game. I'm glad you were able to enjoy it as much as you did.

[@PacketWrangler]

I was managing a GameStop when this came out, and I remember one guy who preordered it being there before I opened on the day it came out - dude was HYPED. I had a passing interest, but I never did grab it. If I get a break in my backlog, I'll check it out - but really, the music in your video just makes me want to boot up Trails from Zero again.

[@OrgNoXV]

Genuinely, it’s been my favourite game since I played it 15 years ago. The music, intro, story, characters and themes are unmatched

[@shin_plays_ok]

Its a GREAT game that shows peak character development!!

[@Gazeta2nd]

This is probably not only my favorite Tales game of all time, but my favorite game of all time, period. I played it at such a crucial time in my life when I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be (as much as a 16 year old could, anyway) and the themes of the game hyperresonated with me tremendously. So seeing you, one of my favorite creators who also loves another series near and dear to my heart (Trails) review this game made me click faster than I ever had. Cheers, mate, this was an amazing video and you did the game justice.

[@awkwardGardener]

A lot of people who don't like Abyss seem to mostly really dislike Luka as a character because of how he is in the early game. Which I 100% understand cause Luke is awful early game, and sometimes it's difficult to parse that someone has genuinely, totally changed as a person when you've spent so long with them how they used to be. Which imo is more evidence towards how strong Luke's character arc is. It's really tragic this game has been left to rot by Bamco. As much as I'd love the Xillia games to be ported, Abyss really deserves it most.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Rather Luke over many others, I know that for a fact.

[@VahnXVI]

Facts, I constantly get irritated by his attitude early game, especially his actions towards mieu

[@mgs3re4dmc3]

Tales of the Abyss was one of the first Tales games I played, and it was a phenomenal achievement in story and character development. I will say that on the PS2 the game chugged really hard as it was pushing that console to its limits so the gameplay was very rough and sometimes frustrating. If there is a Tales game that needs a remaster, it's this one. It's hard for me to choose between Abyss and Symphonia as my favorite Tales games. Where Symphonia had a broader and more universal theme in its narrative, Abyss was much more nuanced and intricate with its character development. The confrontation between Luke and Asch was quite simply, a work of Art. This is a journey I won't soon forget, even if Bandai Namco neglects to remaster this timeless masterpiece.

[@emptylog933]

Would have been happy with a PS Classics release at least. Runs great on the PS3/PS4 unofficially already, only thing holding it back is some problems traversing a few slopes later in the game. Now it's PC emulation or bust if you want to play at a reasonable resolution and framerate which is a shame for such a good game.

[@chapachuu]

ToA is one of my top 5 all time favourite games. I was obsessed for a long time and still love it all these years later. It’s probably does the best job of any media I’ve consumed of tying together theme, character, plot and even gameplay and music. It’s creates an amazing synergy that I have yet to see any game replicate. As a narrative experience, it’s as close to perfection as I think you can get. PS A lot of people miss the contamination side quest, which ads even more to the story and the ending. ToA is one of the few games that side quests actually add to the story. It’s also a game that rewards you putting thought into it, which is great for people who like to analyze stories and games.

[@clover2739]

I rarely see content with tales of the abyss so it’s always nice to see videos like this pop up! It seems dramatic but tales of the abyss is a game that genuinely shaped the way I view games and story became number 1 for me too. I wasn’t much of a gamer, I only played my 3DS at the time and I stumbled upon tales of the abyss as a used copy by accident without knowing anything about it in like 2012/13 and the story completely blew me away, I wasn’t expecting it at all and every couple of years I keep thinking back to it. Probably because I played it so young and never played something so character and story driven before but it had a hold on me. I wanted to get into other tales of games recently and tried Vesperia as well but I struggled to keep going, I thought maybe it was my own bias but I struggled to get into the characters and story the same way I did with abyss. I was thinking maybe I didn’t give it a chance and maybe it gets better, but from what you said it seems like it won’t be for me either. Of course tales of the abyss has a lot of flaws and has things that didn’t age well, but from the stuff I care about more it doesn’t bother me. I keep wishing they do some sort of remake or remaster of the game to make it more accessible and it would be cool if voice acting can be added to the skits too but at this point I feel like it’s very unlikely that’s going to happen. I’ve seen a lot of people not give the game a chance since they think Luke is too unlikeable at the beginning and they can’t get past that, I never had that issue. Of course during the build up to the big event that happens in act 1 he gets more and more insufferable, but as you said. I always felt like it was understandable why he felt that way and how he acts that way. And you can see the kindness in him too, with people who give him that same kindness and patience back and he is the perfect example of how to do character development. It felt so believable and he didn’t just change once and that’s it, he struggles throughout the entire game and even goes the opposite direction with his self worth. People say that’s annoying too but he’s so understandable that I can’t hate him. I’ve also seen a major complaint in general that people say that the abyss cast is very unlikeable and mean to each other, and they can’t get into it since they don’t automatically have that ‘found family’ feel from the get go like other tales of games have. But for me personally I always saw that as a strength too? Yes, I agree they all can be mean and go too far but to me they’re all realistically flawed and it makes complete sense that they act the way they do. People complain they’re hypocritical too, and they are and I think that’s also a point that they realise later on. Like you said, it makes sense how Guy reacts compared to how Jade and Anise react. Obviously all characters go through their own journeys and character development but Guy out of all of them to me had his biggest character development already before the events of the game so he’s more about acceptance than anything. It’s a very unpopular opinion but I also like Anise too, I do think she would’ve benefited from toning it down at the beginning since it was too much earlier on and I don’t like the whole idea of children flirting with adults but I actually feel like later in the game when she’s actually more developed and herself I really liked her. She had so many great moments with interactions with other characters and she can be one of the funniest too. This might be unpopular too, I’m not sure. But I always loved the antagonists too, some were obviously stronger than others but I really loved the consistency of the god generals and how they directly linked to someone in the main cast and how they were a consistent threat. I don’t know if other tales of games do this, but it felt so refreshing and even though some motivations were better than others they all felt understandable. Like I understood why they were doing what they were doing and you could feel that they all had their own goals and you could feel that with their interactions. Like with Dist obviously being loyal to no one and doing his own thing, and you could feel Sync not having much purpose other than what he’s doing. Van as well, even with his how he does things being so twisted at points it’s understandable why he thinks the way he does and why in his mind he sees the world as so brainwashed that it’s the only way. And he does make a lot of valid points that other characters agree with even if he goes about it the wrong way, and they point out. They both want the same thing but it’s the actions that are different. You can understand why he’d have people on his side that believe in what he does and are willing to fight for it, even though it seems messed up. Mohs though? He’s the worst. That’s all. Sorry this is basically a long rant of nothing, but it’s so hard to find anything new with content with tales of the abyss now so seeing this brought back the hyperfixation I had for a bit. As I said, it obviously has a lot of problems but I do hope they decide at some point to at least just do a remaster on newer consoles because it would be cool for more people to discover the game (and I want to see more content of it)

[@m.3.3.w]

I swear I died laughing as soon as you said "about the Fon arts extrapolate". Ah that math meme.

[@folcra]

Definitley a game that will stay with me forever

[@mousy-4456]

The games story is one of the few games that made me feel things...I remember playin it when I was a kid, and I loved the bgm, the story and the character development...one of the games where the mc truly changes and develops

[@SiliconSlyWolf]

I'm glad to hear you be critical of it and also still enjoy it. I love the game, despite its warts, it's my favorite JRPG of all time, but it's definitely not perfect. It's one of the few games I'll truly miss if I can never play it again one day, so I hope it gets a good port onto modern systems some day.

[@TheKisekiNut]

No game is flawless at the end of the day, we've got to be balanced with these kinds of things.

[@RetroNerdyGamer]

Tales of the Abyss is one of my favorites, though the 3DS version IS the best version. It has the best story, and honestly some of the best gameplay of older tales games as in Symphonia, Abyss, Vesperia, etc. Really glad you liked it, since it's a great game.

[@tharris3600]

So much nostalgia. I knew I loved this game, and is my favorite tales game..but man. That opening is so amazing.

[@TheKisekiNut]

The opening is killer!

[@kamenridergeiz9490]

This was my first JRPG I ever played. And what a banger it was! Not to mention, how amazed I was, since I was playing this on the 3DS. Excellent in so many ways and had a fantastic story as well

[@mechaotakugamer]

I've been waiting for you finally cover my favorite game of all time. Abyss really made me into the type of gamer I am today. Also the world building and Character development was peak in Abyss. I'm currently over 100 hours into the ps2 version and almost 65 percent through a new game plus run

[@josephk.8728]

Oh, man. I just finished playing this game for the fourth time on my PS2. Walked into a retro game store near my area and found it for relatively cheap. And BUMP OF CHICKEN sang their hearts out on this. Too bad we don't get that on the US version.

[@Hilversumborn]

Abyss introduced and made me a fan of the Tales series. And it’s still the best entry of the series, even though there are other entries that I also love.

[@josephk.8728]

4:52: I remember the first time I played this, I kept getting lost on the overworld map. Had to look up a guide to find multiple locations. Lol

[@hannamoonieYT]

Simply without words, you describe perfectly what Tales of the abyss is, it is an adventure from start to finish and an enjoyment of its story and its characters. This is for me, the Tales of that introduced me to the saga, one day I saw the anime and I was fascinated with the world, the story and the concepts and above all the characters, the values, experiences and teaching that it leaves throughout, at the end of said anime those in charge of translating it added a note commenting that the anime came from a game and from there it took me 5 long years to actually have my first 3Ds and play it (it was totally worth the wait), I'm close to finishing it, with around 130 hours of play and it is easily among my favorite video games for the same reasons stated in the video and many more, like all the good moments (and even bad ones with frustrations jajaja) included, and everything that this game has to offer is simply gaming, greetings from Mexico!! I love seeing people who are currently playing this tales of as well, I really liked your video, new subscriber.!! ❤❤😊😊

[@tsukino_mahou]

I don't know how I missed this video after commenting very similarly about Abyss's story on the last one! It's great to see someone playing them for the first time share a lot of my opinions on at least a couple games in the series.

[@Adonis869]

i'm really glad you enjoyed this one. it was my first console tales of (tales of phantasia bein' my first ever). while i understand that story is your primary focus, tales of vesperia, is my favorite, due to the characters and the combat mechanics. i see why you would put abyss above it in story elements. but havin' played plenty of games like star ocean, vesperia's story didn't really bug me. Abyss is arguably one of the most robust games of the series overall, and deserves its place amongst that trinity as is colloquially referred. I'm also really glad you mentioned the opening, as this game got me into the band Bump of Chicken (the guys who make the intro for this and a one piece movie called sailing day) and japanese music in general.

[@eliotwildermann]

Fond ps2 memories glad u got to experience this great game 😊😊😊😊

[@HybridAngelZero]

Actually started up a fresh playthrough of Abyss about a week ago, so I will leave a like and come back when I finish! So looking forward to it!

[@Panda_Biscuits]

I played this in 2011 when it was re-released for the 3DS. This game has one of the greatest character developments of any game I've played. Seeing your video makes me want to play it again!

[@shadowboss8237]

Glad you liked it too. It's my favorite in the whole series. My second favorite is probably Tales of Graces.

[@Thtambitiousguy]

Abyss was my entry to the tales of series. I thought every story after and before would be just as good but boy was I wrong lol

[@Abysslover91]

My first was dawn of the new world nearly gave up on the series there then played abyss its so good sure I like symphonia 1 as well but Abyss is on another level

[@marethyux3744]

Symphonia will always be up there because nostalgia for me, and it got me into the JRPG genre. But if I was to re-rate them again today Abyss would be top pick from the series.

[@ashleyward3277]

By far my favourite Tales game. Fantastic game, and criminal that it isn't available on modern platforms.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Bandai Namco just don't really care.

[@williamzeo2493]

My favourite game! The bad part I would point that the villains are always the same guys coming over and over again, I know that they have their charm, but they could save their presence for other cannon fodder, I hardly perceived them as a threat.

[@bryanguantero9068]

This got me into the series. One of my absolute favorites.

[@amberblymiller7677]

I have always loved the Tales series and Abyss has always been one of my favorites within the series. Actually am currently replaying it!

[@robertmoorhead3731]

Magnificent Video of the week! Dude, if I wasn't knees deep into Daybreak....and behind AGAIN on my TBP, I'd give it a shot! Maybe one day we'll get a remaster??

[@wendyjones3967]

I absolutely loved this game. The story was amazing. I went from being very annoyed by Ashe to being amazed by his growth. Each of the companions had their own quests that got you deeper into their backstory. It's in my top 5. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

[@rjproduction486]

Tales of the Abyss still have the BEST CAMEO Battle! The 4v4 fight is so EPIC!

[@Jessmanseventy7]

Gawd that intro theme is such a banger. I would always listen to it. Same with xilla

[@yeohangsheng1977]

Agreed! My first and fave Tales of series. Personally, it has the best storyline among other tales of Ive played (Vesperia, Symphonia, Arise).

[@SirBanana1992]

I played it on 3DS and man oh man it was definitely one of the best tales I played (my favorites are probably still the likes of Berseria or Xillia). I wish Namco did more to revitalize the love of Tales after how much work they put into Arise through NOT-SHODDILY-PUT-TOGETHER modern console/PC ports and potential remakes for the older more dated games. I'd love to experience the first game Phantasia in a more accessible and epic rendition.

[@veespa_]

reviewing Tales with music from Trails! nice. Abyss has been on my to-play list for a couple years now. your rec may bump it up a little higher on my list!

[@TheKisekiNut]

Blame Bamco for that, can't use any of the music without getting a copyright hit.

[@MrTTar]

I've only played the 3DS port upon release in late 2011, but I really enjoyed Tales of the Abyss. However, Tales of Eternia is my personal favourite Tales games and I would recommend playing that next - it also helps that the PSP port is (surprisingly) still very reasonably priced. Admittedly, I've never played Tales of Destiny R, which is often considered the best Tales game.

[@rodelcorton8815]

The plot twist was great when i was playing this game during college days i couldnt put down my controller i even missed some classes because of this game

[@josephk.8728]

Man-so many people have issues with Anise. She was adorable and funny. And she made my top three or four favorite characters.

[@MGSmegafan]

Thanks to you, I’m playing this on my 2nd play through to 100% complete as the Hd remastered mod is fantastic. After this, I’ll play Tales of Destiny (PS2) fan translated. You should check it out.

[@Falconeggplant]

I was listening to your Vesperia comments on the most disappointing RPGs list, and I instantly knew you would love Abyss.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Vesperia doesn't come close to Abyss for me.

[@Falconeggplant]

@@TheKisekiNut I agree. Abyss is by far the best Tales has ever been.

[@jesserivera2043]

Honestly, I'm also floored that it didn't get a Nintendo switch definitive edition or something like that.

[@Kaimine08]

I like Abyss. There's not many games out there that can take a completely unlikeable character like Luke, and actually make him likeable without the narrative turning into a mess. Truly good character development.

[@thegreatcornholiokenichigr7110]

One of my all-time favorite PS2 games

[@Yu__Narukami]

I never heard of Abyss forming a 'tirnity' of best Tales games with Symphonia and Vesperia. But I'm not gonna complain about that, I prefer Abyss to both of those games too. That said, my favorite Tales games are the Xillia games, with the first one being the best in my opinion. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on that one, though it's currently stuck on the PS3. We really need a collection of these games ported to modern consoles, with remaster treatment or otherwise. Just put more effort into it than Tales of Symphonia Remastered, though.

[@DLH112]

played it in like 2010 or so, meaning of birth randomly pops into my head at least once every couple months still.

[@Galax94cz]

Luke's development and story of Abyss as a whole is really great, personally of the Abyss/Symphonia/Vesperia games I still personally favor Symphonia the most, might just be nostalgia, might be the anime, but I really love the game and the cast Hmmm... I should make my Tales of games & characters tier list, I am not even sure myself which ones would be on top

[@alexanderluna4598]

My number one favorite tales of game, and in my top 3 games of all time.

[@artminusme]

Yes it does, and its the best Tales game in the series and one of the best JRPGs ever made yet no one gives it the flowers like a Chrono Trigger but it’s up there

[@oOPrettywinxOo]

Ah, I was hoping you would make a video about this game when I saw you tweeted about it. I think Symphonia has the best themes, but Luke is such a great protagonist and some of the best development I have seen. Vesperia ... I really don't like to talk about it because people get mad at me. I am also very lucky I got a 3DS copy. Now on to watch the thing.

[@fitforchrist1990]

They don't make games this good anymore, by far one of my favorites of all time !

[@Tchud]

Coming off the disappointment that was Legendia (I got tired of playing as President Calvin Coolidge:) Abyss was a breath of fresh air. This to me completed the holy trinity of Symphonia, Vesperia- only on XBOX at the time- and Abyss. Played through the game three times, it was that good.

[@supersonicmario56]

A shame... I actually think Legendia's a pretty great game. In fact, Senel's character arc isn't all that different from Luke if you ask me. Much simpler in writing, but not that different....

[@Tchud]

@@supersonicmario56 If you look at every ranking between the greatest Tales game to the least, Legendia is down there with Dawn of a New World. That alone tells you everything you need to know.

[@supersonicmario56]

@@Tchud The key words here are what I think, not what everyone else thinks.

[@Tchud]

@@supersonicmario56 You do you.

[@lnsflare1]

I wish that I'd they make a port of the game, they will add an alternate route where Luke keeps his long hair and just beats the snot out of his past for blaming him for making the rational decision to trust his beloved father figure because literally everyone other than Natalia was hiding vital information from him that might have made him question that decision, especially since they then abandoned him in a hell world and joined the dude who had implanted him with the mind control that said father figure used to make him do the thing that were blaming him for.

[@Abysslover91]

One then I worry for though is them messing the game up Symphonia is the most popular and they messed up the game with bugs I'm worried for Abyss in that regard

[@ArcadeGamer1929]

Endgame spoilers start at 14:44, and end at 15:52

[@CeaZeaL]

I’ve had for a while, years after originally playing the game in basically one sitting on the 3ds, an internal joke that Tales of the Abyss is my Final Fantasy 7 game. While I have no interest in ever playing FF7, or any of the mainline series, I can respect and acknowledge both series are great in their own ways. There are a number of parallels I’ve seen, but from different angles over the course of multiple playthroughs. If I were told by the creators that was intentional, I would not be surprised. From the characters who at their core are good people, yet flawed in some way. Making skits and character moment from both the protagonist AND antagonist sides have some degree depth, charm, similarities, and contrast. Both sides make valid points on multiple occasions as to why their worldview is right, and the world the game is set in gives equal reasoning for both to actually be justified. Even one of the most petty of characters has at least one good reason to be the heel and cockroach of a person they are. The centralized plot element of The Score, and how that affects the story. Which for fans of a good story of inevitable prophecies AND can happen multiple times over, is a chefs kiss of expertly crafted. And is even better on multiple playthroughs to see when they happen if you missed some. One detail, and the most important for me with the story, was how it didn’t cave to the troupe of what happens in jrpg’s because a god-adjacent being and religion exists: “Shocker, the god-like being whom people revered is the final boss because they were always evil, and that faith has no value after god is dead.” I can’t stress enough how when that was proven to not be the case in this game, even as I would never describe themself as religious, clapped with how that topic was subverted before me, and handled. Organized religion CAN be a problem, especially when society learns that they can lean into their worst habits and character. Failing to ever learn how to actually practice what they preach or be bare minimum, take responsibility for their actions. But having faith in something is not inherently the root cause - Humanity’s hubris within those who seek greatness of any kind over another, is what corrupted their faith. And that leads to people, who were in some way abused by that corruption to seek vengeance through absolute destruction. And the ways the repercussions and lessons that are represented and learned in this game, is why I love this plot point. The gameplay, while simpler in comparison than every game that comes after, is still an innovator in its own way. Is solidly built enough to be enjoyable when you meet the game on its terms. The characters are also simple, but considering this was to my knowledge, the first game with true 3D movement. I can let simplistic design slide in favor of being solid. The world feels alive in ways that a simple A to B to C, repeat until you arrive at the final boss structure could never make reasonably work. Backtracking may at times feel like the repetition is just to save on development space/time. But the amount of side quests, dialogue from special events, and side attractions are built into that repetition. There is always something new to do, see, or obtain even if it’s off the beaten path - exploration is rewarded if you interact with the games mechanics. I love Tales of the Abyss. This was my first “Tales of” game, and my favorite of the games I played/beaten, and I would not have that any other way.

[@lunar-exe433]

When I was younger my cousin and I did everything we could in the first and second playthrough. I did wish they had a better cameo batlle.

[@tenkakuch]

Back a while ago, I had a good feeling you might like Abyss as a Trails fan, granted that was more because I enjoyed it as a fellow Trails fan. The world of Abyss and the characters had all the strong stuff I enjoyed from Trails in a action based format. Luke's development was also my favorite part to watch play out. The end with him and asch is by far one of the better uses of clone vs original I've seen. In a weird comparison, Luke reminds me of Roxas and how much I liked him compared to Sora. On another note, I love how much of a bro Guy is, even when Luke is at his utmost lowest, Guy sticks with him to the very end despite Luke being a clone. That's some high grade loyalty right there.

[@clover2739]

It’s so funny, I first played the game when I was 11/12 so I missed any kind of clue to this but since Guy was such a bro to look, when we got that plot twist when you first arrive to Grand Chokma before we find out Guys backstory and his reasoning and I was shocked lmao

[@TheSteelers4190]

I absolutely love this game. Right up with with Symphonia as my favorite

[@fayte0618]

this is my 2nd tales game after legendia (so bad). And was pleasantly surprised how good the story was and even is to this day 15 years later

[@edsheeran1243]

I haven't played this game since like 2013 so I forgot how good tear's voice actor was

[@riountner1887]

I still have my PS2 save file with NG+ 25 just to test how much damage I can do with my catalyst weapons 😂

[@josealfonsonvumbaobiang7084]

Yesssss, i knowit that you gona love my favorite tales of

[@SoulStreamed]

Easily one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. I would love to see a remaster/remake of this game.

[@supersonicmario56]

Ah, Abyss... It was my introduction into the Tales series. First time I've seen anything different from the usual turn-based RPG style. I was so enthralled by this "new" take on the battle system that I paid little attention to the story for about half of the game, thinking the game was nearly over only to realize it was much, Much longer than I initially thought. I seem to recall a lot of people saying they had the same experience when fighting a particular character for the first time in the game as well....

[@mystic865]

I wish for proper remaster

[@TheSpectacledOwl]

The Tales of Series is an underrated franchise. Symphonia will always be my favorite of the franchise, but Abyss inches ahead slightly when it comes to main character growth - Luke and Tear are just fantastic.

[@Patrick-bn5rp]

You can get a partial undub for the game that gives you Japanese voiced skits with the English dubbed story.

[@Turbo_Waitress]

Yes! My favorite Tales of, hands down!

[@Abysslover91]

Don't get me wrong symphonia was great BUT Abyss is so wonderful my favorite tales game and game in genral

[@khfreak5531]

Character development is some of the best I’ve seen in the JRPGs I’ve played. It’s unfortunate that a lot of people dropped it because they couldn’t stand the protagonist in the beginning. It was also the reason why it got mediocre review scores from a lot of people.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Makes no sense to me. I was happy to have a character like Luke for a change.

[@khfreak5531]

@@TheKisekiNut Same. Also, Yuri Lowenthal did great as Luke. He’s pretty great in every voice role he does. Lol

[@sordis3309]

I'm one of those. Why in the world would I keep playing a game where the main character pisses me off? Makes absolutely no sense to me.

[@khfreak5531]

@@sordis3309 Because he slowly but surely becomes a better person. The game starts with you and all the other characters not being able to stand him. By the time you get to the end they consider him a dear friend whom they would gladly fight alongside. It’s not instant. But slowly and gradually. A lot more natural than him just instantly going from bad to good. I totally understand being turned off by it. But for those who push through the opening half of the game. It’s definitely worth it. I can’t blame the reviewers either. Since they would’ve had to put a lot of hours into the game before seeing any character progression. Too much time for just one game review. Also a lot of patience. Lol

[@sordis3309]

​@@khfreak5531 I think most people understood that Luke will eventually turn over a new leaf, it's just that the journey to that point was marred with the most asinine and abrasive character interactions in a game. That's what it felt to me at least. I dropped the game when Luke blew up the town and everyone abandoned him, I did too. I felt vindicated, you get what you deserve. For what it's worth, people who stuck through with it seems to have enjoyed it and resonated with the character. Not me though, I remember 14 year old me playing the game and hated babysitting that royal brat lol

[@UpsetN3RD]

I absolutely loved this one,it isn't my favorite (that honor belongs to Tales of Graces f),but it is very high on my list of favorites in the series for sure.

[@samuel.jpg.1080p]

still my favorite Tales game. The story and character development are just fantastic

[@SacrificAbominat]

This game deserves a remaster, but I get the feeling Bandai doesn't care much since they're making bank with their DBZ and anime games these days. It's good to know that the fans made an HD texture pack for it and I'll be using that when I play through it again in the future. It really sucks that the majority of the Tales series isn't playable on modern systems. I'm also very concerned that they're going to just shelve the series because Arise only sold 3 million units and didn't reach DBZ Kakarot's 8 million units, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4's 12 million units, or Elden Ring 25 million units sold. I would not put it against Bandai to give up on the series because their investors wanted them to push for the more profitable anime games. At the very least I'm pretty glad to see DBZ Kakarot and Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm's developer, CyberConnect2, take thee money they've made off those games and push for self publishing JRPGs and original games like they used to make before they got type casted as an anime game developer. The Fuga series has been great so far, and I'm kind of hoping for a spiritual successor to .hack in the future as well.

[@calvinmatthews1527]

That's just wrong dude. Sure, Dragon Ball & Naruto games can make bank, but to say anime games are more profitable isn't 100% proven. For instance, the Jujutsu Kaisen game released earlier this year by Bamco flopped so hard it set a record. And what about Jump Force released a few years ago? It didn't sell past a million to my knowledge. Or My Hero Academia: One's Justice games, also in the same boat. Or the Sword Art Online games. And One Piece Odyssey, it released last year, and I can't even confirm it selling over million either. Despite the Manga & Anime being juggernauts in terms of notoriety. So, to say anime games are more profitable is somewhat daft.

[@SacrificAbominat]

​@@calvinmatthews1527 I'm saying that Bandai and their investors think they're more profitable overall. I'm with you and think the majority of them are garbage flops, but with Naruto, DBZ and some other franchises games doing extremely well they're holding up everything else giving them the false impression that these games are profitable overall. When a Naruto game sells 12 million units it doesn't matter if that JJK game flopped and only sold a 100k they see that as they profit overall in their anime game sector and will continue to invest in it over their original games because it's more profitable. Eventually they might completely divest from the Tales series because it's not bringing in the money that their anime game sector is. Like Microsoft with Tango Gameworks. It doesn't matter if Arise (Hi Fi Rush) did really well it's not bringing in DBZ (CoD) levels of money. When that happens I hope the people who were working at the Tales studio leave and form their own studio to make a spiritual successor and prove Bandai wrong.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Too interested in making more SAO games!

[@SacrificAbominat]

@@TheKisekiNut Indeed. At least CC2 is still very passionate about their Little Tail Bronx and .hack series, so it's pretty likely we'll get a spiritual successor to the latter now that the former has gotten one with Fuga. Fuga also has quite a few .hack like references throughout it and may have a character from the .hack series show up in the upcoming 3rd game from the bit they revealed about it this past week.

[@flamehiro]

Abyss was pretty good to me. Biggest problem was revisiting towns constantly to meet one person. I swore looking for spinoza or whatever his name for 30% of the game 😂

[@chanbang378]

I mean i guess it’s annoying but im pretty sure that’s a completely optional side quest lol. Im pretty sure the characters keep saying to Luke that’s it’s pointless

[@flamehiro]

​@@chanbang378 it was?!

[@chanbang378]

@@flamehiro oh no 😭 I’m sorry you had to find out this way lol… but yes… that was completely skippable. It was just a side quest of Luke trying to beat Asch which he never does, but you could just go to the destination everyone is telling Luke to go to instead which is their actual goal lol

[@DeschTM]

I played Abyss years ago on my 3DS as I missed the PS2 release. And yes, the game is not perfect. But it is surely one of the best Tales of games. The story, the characters and the music. Really really great. I sold my copy as I did with most of my games back then. But I bought it years later again and played it through in a really short time again (which is great for this game...as the gameplay is not the best out there). Imho the best Tales of game I played (perhaps equal with Xilia). And yes, the characters are the reason why. Luke, Ash, Tear, and all the others.

[@nightwolf235]

I remember playing this game and that intro instrumental is fire still. The story and the characters were all fantastic. wish I could replay it on modern platforms. I had the 3ds game back in the day but sold it sadly wish I didnt.

[@TheKisekiNut]

There was no way I was playing on 3DS, I completely forgot how small the original one was. Barely fits in my hand anymore.

[@nightwolf235]

@@TheKisekiNut yup thats why I got the firem emblem 3DSXL back then, just for what ever reason I cant play handhelds anymore lol

[@DavidVidot-xm5ql]

Not exaggerating when I say it's my favorite of the whole series which is saying alot because all of the games are amazing.

[@timonflp]

This is by far my favorite Tales game. The characters and the story are on the top tier list of jrpgs, no... of all rpgs.

[@garysteven1343]

Wish they port this one. I really liked Symphonia and Vesperia and if this one is part of the "holy trinity" I definitely have to play it.

[@jamesrule1338]

I don't know why, but this is the one game I bounced off of. 3DS version.

[@robdiquattro5590]

I really liked Abyss and just played it this year. I felt it dragged on too long and the backtracking irked me but overall fond memories. Intro easily 13/10

[@jimkirk2527]

The game is sitting in my shelf but I just cant get used to this battlesystem :)

[@TheKisekiNut]

I like the battle system, it's not as deep as Vesperia's but I was on board with it.

[@MillennaBlackruner]

funny thing is i also have tales of the abyss on my 3ds and i haven't played it yet and it's also the only tales left to play

[@binnybros]

Love this game, have it imported on ps2 and on 3ds but I want to be able to play it on modern consoles

[@sabrinaarthur9125]

Love this game so much