Tales of Xillia 2 Analysis - 11 Years Later

[@kingofmonsters14]

this may be the darkest entry in the franchise because... you are destroying universes just to save your own. billions of lives being lost because of survival of the fittest

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

The evil ending in this game genuinely disturbed me. The darkest moment in Tales history imo.

[@yoursonisold8743]

Xillia 1 and 2 combined are the best Tales game in the franchise. I think treating them separately is pointless because the narratives are so interconnected. Xillia 2 also hit the highest emotional highs.

[@TheFirehands150]

I'm so confused how this is the "BAD" Tales game compared to others. My favorite RPGs are Chrono Trigger and FF6, considered masterpieces. This was the only RPG I had a blast with in years and it turns out to be the "BAD" one according to Tales fans. The story being a slight blend of Nasuverse/Fate Stay Night, Visual Novel protag, with the slight gameplay of Devil May Cry. Every annoying character from the first game matured, with the most obvious being Jude who is no longer a simp loser. And every character seemed so genuine compared to their last game's one note goals for everyone. But what do I know? I guess Tales fans don't really like this kind. They praised Berseria and it felt a button mashing Fiesta with Magilou being the only decent character, and then they praised Arise, when the second half of that game feels like chewing gum after the flavor is gone. I dunno. I think I'm done with the Tales of franchise if the reaction for my favorite one is a negative lol.

[@yoursonisold8743]

@@TheFirehands150 ToX2 is divisive, but not actually hated by Tales fans. A lot were disappointed, but for some, like you, it's their favorite. The video pointed out some genuine issues the game has, but I also think the reviewer was too harsh on it. There are other good Tales games though, it's just that the Xillia duology hits me the hardest overall and I connect to it the most.

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Love Xillia 1 and 2, but I like Symphonia, Legendia, and Abyss more.

[@yoursonisold8743]

@@nightmarishcompositions4536 Symphonia is totally overrated even if it's not a bad game, Legendia suffers from all the issues ancient games like that tend to have (like mechanically its one of the worst Tales games) and Abyss is actually very boring.

[@chrisdixon7377]

​@TheFirehands150 chrono trigger and ff6 are my favorites as well and this game is easily one of my favorites. I love the tales of xillia duology. Tales of xillia is my favorite tales game outside of phantasia.

[@xmuraix77]

tale xillia 2 and 1 need to be on steam.

[@l.p3189]

You might be glad to learn that a Xillia 1 Remastered has apparently just leaked

[@panos21sonic]

Graces is getting remade. I imagine we get one new mainline game and then a xillia collection on all platforms

[@eproductions5115]

sleeper hit fr one of the best in the series

[@xemnasxiii3992]

I don't know what i was expecting but i came out pretty happy from this video, as a avid ToX2 fan who hasn't done a lot of replays of this game but did platinum it only recently i think the gameplay flaws never bothered me that much even if I was losing it kinda just taught how to abuse the best healer of the team to get back to fighting and nowadays i kinda just abuse the iron stance break and combo away at enemies, i realize this isn't how your average player would fight because they wouldn't know. I also never really thought Elle was that annoying, i think i liked her tsun act it was entertaining for me back then same as Nova and her incessant interruptions if you carry around too much money, i've always liked her puns and word play she used but that was because i never replayed the game much i kind of just stay on my completed savefile grinding at whatever i need to grind (here cuurency for the costumes in the bonus dungeon and the cameo weapons). But i wonder if i would like it as much today, nevertheless i think they're still fun. Also I don't like saying that but that's one of the reason for me why Arise doesn't really hit the Tales feel, it feels as if the characters are just instruments to drive the plot forward and their writing end up being very lackluster especially for Law who i feel has his entire backstory stuck in the limbo of skits and reduced to the dummy goofball of the crew when he had potential to have more depth and not end up as just that.

[@jonasjojofalco9896]

How hard it is to platinum?

[@xemnasxiii3992]

@@jonasjojofalco9896 well it's Xillia +3 hard, if you've done Xillia it's more of the same really but with more stuff to do

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Letting us play as the badass final boss from Xillia 1 and making him a super OP permanent party member was a huge flex. Not my favorite Tales game but still really loved it.

[@TomPrezi]

This was so cool, thank you so much because i never have the chance to play this games and your reviews give me the full scope to at some point enjoy the Xillia duology. Still funky that there is no re-release of this games.

[@TheFirehands150]

The debt system was over-hated. It's not a good system, but you can overcome it by fighting a few strong enemies on the bounty list. Never felt like it ruined the pacing once I figured that out very early. And the game is short anyway.

[@Capothekid]

I actually forgot it was a thing during the gane

[@monsieurgautier5888]

My favorite Tales ever! 😩

[@megaspacewaffles]

I feel like I’m one of the few people who love Xillia 2 way more than 1

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

I enjoyed the story of 1 more, but I think 2 did just about everything else way better. Love them both though.

[@Thegeektoendallgeeks]

12 YEARS AGO...... i hate this feeling of aging

[@pralenkaman8105]

Xillia 2 is my favorite in terms of combat, but in terms of story I'm mixed, I remember it foundly, a few years ago it was my favorite tales game, but now I just find some decisions strange, like not being able to switch party members im the field and only when you're in town, plus the game opening up in huge chunks, making you have huge gaps where there's no story advancements, you're just exploring and trying to get stronger and then, when you're done with that you just have a 2 hour story dump just to repeat the process I have to give the game a fair shot, I mean, it's no reason why I would consider this one my favorite tales game, buy for now I'm a bit mixed

[@srdfh1]

I am waiting for a remaster!!!

[@judgementcl]

This and Xillia 1 need more attention tbh

[@angrybrony]

elle is actully my favorite because she can be a lil shit. i feel like that stuff helped make her feel a bit more real. i felt a got gut checked when i first got the luger ending on the second go around.

[@ftsfsefrtyto8154]

Keep up the good work bro

[@midgetsparkle]

felt bad clicking the like button since it moved freom 69 to 70...sorry :)

[@Undead201]

To this day i dont know how people got the other characters to continue being in the fight after ludger transforms. Like not even google knows and i asked so many times

[@Blarglesnarfe]

I feel like... the team balance was particularly hit hard by the changes in the game. My main team was, whenever it was possible, Ludger, Gaius, Muzet, and Elise. Gaius and Ludger are potent DPS options regardless of weakness, Muzet is magic weakness exploit and support, Elise is magic weakness exploit and healer. What does Jude offer? I just feel that Jude is less useful thanks to being noticeably slower and everybody having Healing Artes. Rowan is just an inferior middleground to Muzet and Elise now for me unless I'm playing him. But AI Ludger is inefficient, so... Alvin's still GOOD but... Gaius exists for cranking out the big numbers. Leia still has stealing, but... again, everybody has backup healing now, so... Oh, and Milla? Fractured is unfortunately middling, and Prime is... well I'd rather bring a specialist. I just feel like there's less viable big teams in this one, aside from Alvin and Leia swapping in. IDK.

[@mysetlist2118]

Now i gotta replay tales of xillia 2 and omg there is so much dust on my ps3 and controllers

[@alexanderbassett2901]

I thought the 1st battle theme and boss theme were standouts in the series overall

[@lulukomadori9651]

I remember being hype to play xillia 2 during my tales marathon only to be so mixed on it now. Why is ludger having an voice only new game plus? WHY was the party never fully present in the story - it beyond jarring - why open up more areas when it just old areas and they serve no purpose in the story - the first town from xillia 1 had no purpose in the game - The biggest thing tho was the final boss, the most hardest tales game boss, having the most safest fast combo, taking any down in 2 hits, and cause the game level scale, you just have to be good

[@cullenhutchison6528]

I found the game boring and repetitive, so I originally dropped it at around chapter 9. Revisiting it, it turned out I dropped it right before it got better...but the fact that it took so long to get good hurts my impression. I feel like a significant chunk of the game could be removed and the rest of the story would hit exactly the same, or perhaps better since the main story would feel more relevant. The character stories just didn't hit at all for the most part, and the episodic chapter structure certainly didn't help either. Also, a semi-silent protagonist doesn't belong in a character-focused story. After finding out how the rest of the story goes, I would have felt much more invested if Ludger was more compelling as a character. How dark a situation is can depend on the outlook of the characters within, and the lack of definitive expression from Ludger took a lot away from what could have been a powerful setting. While it's theoretically possible to have a well-developed silent protagonist, more nuance than could be expected of the Xillia framework would be required; letting the player constantly make dialogue choices makes implementing such a character even more difficult as well. Overall, Xillia 2 ranks relatively low among Tales games for me. (This is coming from someone who doesn't mind dark games-Berseria is my favorite Tales game, for example.) If you couple it with Xillia 1, the pair ranks much higher, but the two games don't support each other as much as they could have; while they certainly have their place, they tried to use the Xillia 1 cast in Xillia 2 somewhat more than would make sense naturally, which sometimes gets in the way of new characters while spreading older ones thin.

[@Blarglesnarfe]

I was sad how Fractured Milla and the fractured worlds were handled. In multiverse stories, you want yourself and the characters to be challenged by what could BE or could have BEEN. A reflecting prism of character traits increased or decreased, and relationships tested. Characters looking both forward and backwards. That's... like perfection for a sequel. But because they're side-stories, you become very aware how... they aren't really doing what they should. Everyone is fine with destroying other universes, and their inhabitants. Even when the story shows they are VERY much full fledged people, they don't really seem to understand or reflect on things. Alvin and Leia do a bit when seeing Presa and Agria, but... that's kinda it? And it feels like it doesn't get to have a proper impact. The characters aren't being challenged properly, so neither am I. It focuses on alternate views, but doesn't explore them. Characters are tested but don't change. It's just... it's frustrating. It's a brilliant set-up for a slam dunk, a fixing of Xillia's flaws and enchancing it's strengths. But it just doesn't. It's more Xillia, but I wanted better Xillia.

[@NockLegacy]

How does letting Elle alive (true ending) is the culmination of everything before it? Because from my point of view, the game tells us times and times again that the fractured dimension doesn’t matter, they are not real, they are not real people. Even fractured Milla, after her death, is completely forgotten by the cast. So why NOW choosing to save Elle, who’s from one of those fractured dimension, is the logical course??? Like hello, five minutes ago you were fine to kill fractured people, but not Elle, even though by the writing of this game, she’s not real??

[@vaclav222]

11 years huh..i guess we are close to our death clock ticking and games go to shit if only i can return back in time where games were good and the world was peaceful

[@heartfang13]

Xillia 2 left a bad taste in my mouth. Why make a direct sequel and introduce a main character, why have them be silent? Why not resolve the plot threads hanging from the original, which should be a the whole reason to make a direct sequel.

[@yoursonisold8743]

The silent protag thing is subjective, but what "plot threads" from Xillia 1 are not addressed?

[@RJBadman]

A review of the video: Things I'd address: I thing you might need a better mic and/or to sit back a few more inches from it? It's a little muffled. Also, I'm no prude at all, but the swearing is rather jarring and out of place amid the otherwise pretty professional and analytical content and delivery otherwise. As someone who hasn't played this game I would have liked some more detail in the events of the story itself, but that's a personal thing. Things I like: Just about everything else! You speak naturally and conversationally, don't unnecessarily cut up the clips of your speech or talk too fast, and you don't fill your video with "likecommentsubscribe!!!" stuff. Audio mixing was good - the BGM was clear and present but not overwhelming - and you gave a good mix of facts and opinion. More please!

[@goncaloferreira6429]

Xillia2 was a big disapointment after liking the original so much. I dislike The structure and way the character develop. Having a silent protagonist is against everything Tales is. And bringing the trope of the kid character to the forefront was a bad move. Some people think this has the best combat of the series but only due to the complexity of Luger. But jrpgs are are about a party and here we got more of a one character show. Comparable in a way to the recent FF 16 situation.

[@megaspacewaffles]

How is a silent protagonist against tales? Actually asking. Plus. I really really love Elle. And we’ve had child MCS before see Kyle. If not mc there’s a ton in the party. See Laphicet and Karol

[@goncaloferreira6429]

@@megaspacewaffles hello. well, it kind of goes to the old things about wrpg having being sandbox games with silent protagonist you create in game and in your mind and jrpgs being about defined and developed characters and a set story. in my head Tales definately falls perfectelly in that jrpg definition. did any other game besides Tx2 have a silent protagonist?? i dont think so and didnt like the change. it also goes against the important opiniated protagonist that i/we love so much. on the second point: i dont like the kid character trope and jrpgs do a bad job at using it.

[@megaspacewaffles]

@@goncaloferreira6429 But the thing is you DON’T put yourself onto Ludger, he’s not an avatar he has personality and he has character. He interacts with everyone well, and I enjoyed the bonds he had before the game starts and the ones he formed during, he’s “silent” in the fact he isn’t voiced, but he speaks a LOT. He has facial expressions during cutscenes, and his journal. As for kid characters. “Kid trope” isn’t a trope it’s an age range. You can’t tell me Jay,Anise, Laphi and Karol are the same… Elle isn’t anything like Jay

[@goncaloferreira6429]

@@megaspacewaffles perhaps i just dont like the way his "personality" is delieverd then. you know what a trope is? having a kid in every game is a trope, a trend if you wish, and something tales uses a lot. the characters you mention have diferent personalities but i mostly dislike them the reuse the idea in every game because reasons.

[@megaspacewaffles]

@@goncaloferreira6429 And that’s fine. I love Ludger cause he isn’t just a silent avatar, I hate avatar characters typically so I’m glad he isn’t one. You could say every character is a trope then. “Sword main character, fist fighter dude, traitor. Ext” I’d only have an issue if they’re exactly the same character, all the kids are pretty well fleshed out. I mean I think Laphicet is one of the best characters in the franchise

[@MithosDagon]

Probably my least fave tales game, followed by ToS2 and Arise

[@servancastillo986]

My hot take is, Tales games don't need sequels. Rare exception was Tales of Destiny had a good sequel, if I recall. Otherwise. Symphomia's sequel wasn't good. Phantasia and Symphonia were in the same world, and not sequels, so that's great, I'd prefer that. Zestiria and Berseria were that, but Zestiria wasn't as good to me all the time. I like it when Tales keep their main titles as one single joirney, no sequels. Spend that time and money on a new game.

[@yoursonisold8743]

Nah Xillia 2 was amazing and it felt very much like it completes what Xillia 1 started.

[@SirStrikeFreedom]

I honestly hated this as this completely ruined the worldbuilding and character growth from the previous game. Especially Jude and Milla's relationship. Ugh

[@yoursonisold8743]

Explain. Because this game didnt change their character development or relationship. Milla leaves for the spirit realm just like she did in the first game, but they are quite a bit closer. Their personalities very much are a natural evolution from the first game.