Despite the popularity of Namco's long-running Tales series of RPGs, I never actually played any of them until Tales of Symphonia came out on the GameCube. I didn't like it. But it was a huge hit, beloved by fans and critics alike, so when Tales of Legendia came out, I was eager to take another crack at the series, determined to find out just what it was that I was missing about this franchise. After having played it, I've come to the conclusion that it's not me that's missing something, it's Legendia.

So, how big is your ship?
Tales of Legendia sucks players in right away with its story of young Senel and his sister Shirley. Adrift on a ship they can't control, pushed to the brink of exhaustion by numerous encounters with monsters, they eventually run aground on an island. Or so they think. They have, in fact, found the Legacy, a ship so enormous that it has land, vegetation, even a beautiful city resting on its deck. Just as Senel and Shirley are finding their land legs, she is kidnapped by forces who believe her to be a "Merines," the only creatures actually capable of piloting the Legacy. The story that results is epic, intriguing, and well-paced, if a bit predictable in places. Various companions are met, foes are conquered, and items are collected as Senel rescues his sister and unravels the mystery of the Legacy. Despite its familiarity, you won't find yourself bored by the plot, which is more than I can say for the combat.

It's odd, really, that the combat is so deadly dull, because there's actually a lot to it. It takes place in real time, so any strategizing must be done on the fly, which adds a healthy sense of immediacy to a genre whose fighting can sometimes feel stale. Senel is also an "eren," which is just a fancy way of saying he can use magic, but you can pick and choose which spells you want to assign to the D-pad at will. If you find that one spell isn't working for you, you can equip a different one. Enemies will drop eres stones, and if you collect enough of them, you'll branch out into different magical territories and expand your spell options. The action takes place in a 2nd plane, with Senel and his pals on one side and the baddies on the other, and you can even adjust how far from the enemy a particular character starts the fight. That's far more depth than you'll usually find in RPG combat, so what's the problem? On paper, it sounds great, but in practice, it's little more than run up, mash the buttons, run back to dodge an attack. As you add more members to your party, you can perform bigger combos and glitzier attacks, but it's never very satisfying. The fighting ends up feeling like a chore, like a due you have to pay to get to the good stuff.

Cosplay lovers, rejoice!
It might fall short when it comes to combat, but Legendia does not disappoint when it comes to the eye candy. The anime-inspired character design is fun and full of flavor, and the scenery is bursting with bright colors and intricate detail. Each area feels fully realized and thought out, down to the last blade of grass or roof shingle. The only disappointing part is that your path is so linear and forced; you long to roam freely through the Legacy, investigating every last nook and cranny, but you're forced to remain on the relatively confining path as you continue your quest. Don't get me wrong, you'll have plenty of exploring to do, it just seems almost unfair to be teased with such great scenery and not be able to walk into it. The voice acting creates a similar disappointment in that what there is of it is so well done and enjoyable that you sorely miss it when it's gone. Of course, if there was more dialogue, you'd hear less of the amazing musical score, so it really ends up being a win-win for audiophiles.

Skip to the end
Tales of Legendia gets so much right that the few things it gets wrong are all the more glaring. The story is fascinating and well-told, the art is glorious, and the voice acting is nearly perfect, all of which combine to make the combat look like just that much more of a dog. Though I do appreciate the attempt to break out of the turn-based RPG mold and add depth to the fighting, ultimately the combat ends up feeling like a tedious hassle. Players who can put up with that lackluster aspect of the game will find a long and entertaining journey with Senel and his cohorts, but with so many amazing RPGs coming out for the PS2, you have to wonder if it's worth bothering.

-Maj1013