Tales of the Abyss for Nintendo 3DS Reviews by Gamers

A typical game in the Tales series, with real-time action combat and your traditional JRPG elements. It's a lot of fun to play, with good combat and a surprisingly awesome story. While combat can drag occasionally, the game does give you an option to have the game fight automatically for you, which helps reduce the grind in some areas when you can go and do something else while the game gets through the more annoying encounters. The combat can be either easy or difficult, which makes the game possible for some easy, portable fun, and the option to grind is always there.

The only complaint that I have about this game is that it sticks pretty rigidly to its original PS2 iteration, which is frustrating because it is a portable game. I took this game along for a week of vacation that involved a lot of small spurts of driving, meaning that I needed a long portable game that I could play off and on as the situation demanded. I was pleased with the length of the game; it lasted me for most of the week at a total duration of 40 hours, and you have the option to play through the game again with perks that you can purchase using a currency you earn through battles. However, I was displeased that during long dungeons you cannot save except for at specific save spots, whereas in the open world environments you can save anywhere. Having these long puzzle and battle-filled segments in which you cannot save your game at all means that I oftentimes couldn't chip away at this game in partciular car rides because they just weren't long enough to assure that I would be able to reach another save point in time. This is frustrating, and had I been able to save whenever I wanted (or create a temporary save that owuld be erased upon returning to the game), I would not have had so many frustrating moments while playing.

Also, the game is not original for all 40 hours. Expect to do a TON of backtracking. I have all of the games' dungeons mapped on the inside of my brain now.

Pros
- Combat
- Interesting-ish Story

Cons
- Characters
- Voice Acting

Short Review

I have played some of the previous Tales games and the combat is what distinguishes this game from other JRPGs. However, without the combat system the story is just a typical JRPG game. The voice actors are just as horrible as the writing.

If you can get over the characters/ lack of 3ds abilities then it is a decent game.

A very anime-themed RPG with a high production value to it. The music, graphics and voice acting are all very good. If you don't like things that are cute you might get annoyed by some of the game's elements. My one big complaint was the battle system being a little repetitive. But I liked it enough that I went and bought it so I definitely recommend.

Asides from being a great entry into the Tales of series.. this game is very, very long. While most RPG's top out at between 20-30 hours of play this one takes about 60+ hours of play. If you love a good story with lots of very good vice acting and have LOTS of time to spare then this games perfect for you.

This is one of the best RPGs the 3DS has to offer right now. It has an enticing story line and it will always introduce you to new characters and new environments. The only downside to this title is that it is VERY long. If your looking for a short story to pass the time, THIS GAME IS NOT FOR YOU. If you are completely happy with a long story line and interesting plot that has twists and turns at every corner, you SHOULD get this game. The graphics are not the best, but the 3D is a pleasant surprise, making the environment you are in to look very nice and detailed. The fighting in this game may get a little bit repetitive to you, but your characters always get new skills and items so it never really gets boring.

Wow this was a looooooong game perhaps longer than any of the Kingdom hearts games. I rented this game Feb 13th and just put it into the mailbox to go back July 25th. Between school and work this game took a lot of time to finish. However, it's a really nice RPG I enjoyed it, although it can sometimes feel a little draggy but all in all very good game. I'm gonna go watch the anime now.

When I first saw the reviews on it, I thought this game was going to be mundane and similar to other games that I have played. My expectations of the game were not significantly high and I thought to be returning it the next day.

To my surprise the game play itself wasn't the only thing that kept me going, but the story-line was perplexing. The predictions I made ahead of time of what would happen were dashed as it unfolded bringing new ideas into my head.
The graphics weren't amazing, but with the 3D effect it brought it up to a level that I enjoyed.
The style of fighting is repetitive, but with the add on of new skills and items made it refreshed as my characters grew in level!
I hope many would consider to trying out this game and also experience the same joy I have received.

First got this game really good game! :)

This game is too incredible to pass up. Very addicting and gives you a sense of accomplishment when you're finished. Don't be surprised if this game strikes up some emotion. It's got a great moral lining as well. Everybody should play this game!

There are some good RPGs for the 3DS, but this game blows them away. Fun to play, never gets boring, story keeps you interested the whole way through, battle system is simple to understand but hard to master espicially the bosses which make you rethink and change your strategy. Love the story better then Vesperia but Vesperia still has a better group of characters in my opinion.