Tales of the Abyss for Nintendo 3DS Reviews by Gamers

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.

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.

Well, it may be a fun game, but I never bothered to play it through. Because as you should know, the fun of the Tales series is in reading the skits. However, I can not say how much disappointed I am to find out they cut the English dubs in the skits, to make it more worse when you play the skits you can not skip conversations and are forced to watch the characters moving their mouths without sound as opposed the original voiced Japanese version. So no, I will not play this cheap rip off version from the original PS2 version. Just find a English dubbed Japanese game and play it through Emulator. You will find much more fun.I assure you!!

Story: While the story follows the typical RPG format, a hero who has to “discover” himself, a world in danger, and myriad complicated relationships and ideologies, it is convincing and easy to follow. There are times when the game drags on, especially with periods of running back and forth from town to town to get a short dialogue that generally provides very little to the core experience. (7/10)

Voice acting: The voice acting is a mixed bag with about half of the primary cast rendering rather good performances, one character sticks out as exceptional to me, and the other half ranging from annoying to downright rage worthy—the protagonist is among the worst of the lot. There are also a number of skits in the game, but they fall flat without voice acting to carry them. (6/10)

Characters/World: The cast is largely forgettable, only a few really stick out in any sense, but they all compliment each other well and carry the story well enough. The main antagonist is pretty cool, and his minions are well thought out and have varying personalities. The world itself is a little bland, but does allow for open world exploration and has varied locals and towns. (7/10)

Graphics: The graphics aren’t atrocious, but they certainly aren’t pushing the 3DS’s capabilities considering titles like the new Resident Evil. The world has a certain Tales flair to it that is nice to look at, but it is marred by considerably dated graphics. (7/10)

Game length/Replayability: The game is very lengthy, approximately 60-80 hours, probably 40 or so if you stick just to the main story, with long story segments and few save opportunities unless you’re on the world map. You’ll find save points at the end of lengthy dungeons, before bosses, but it often takes 30 minutes or more to get there. Boss fights can also be quite lengthy. The game touts a new game plus with additional difficulty levels and enhancements you can purchase to enhance subsequent experiences. (10/10)

Overall: 7.8/10

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.

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.

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!

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.

First got this game really good game! :)