The endpoint of the systems that were refined through Symphonia and Abyss, so technically / mechanically feels the most polished of the three. The combat feels shockingly sluggish for the first few hours, but eventually opens up to the most wild systems of all three - the skill ceiling in this game is so much higher than the others, which adds some extra reason to replay. The characters are almost all very likeable, and don't just feel like anime tropes, although the core plot, especially towards the end, is not quite as gripping as its predecessors. I'm sure if I experienced this game when it first came out in 2008, I'd love it just as much as Symphonia and Abyss, but coming to it a decade later, I see a lot more flaws in the formula than I did when I was younger.

My favourite game in the Tales series. The character cast is one of my favourites in any RPG. The music is fantastic, as any respectable RPG soundtrack is. I really like the story. The gameplay took some getting used to, but once I did had great fun, especially in the late game. I think the audio balancing between music and voice acting could have been better, and some of the voice acting was rough. Overall, it's one of my favourite games of all time. It's a must for any RPG fan that's playing for a good story.