Tales of Berseria Review [Minor Spoilers]

Graphics and Animation

Since this game was made in 2017, I feel that it would be most fair to compare it to other games with similar production values that came out around that time of year, such as Persona 5. While I liked the graphics used in the skits, as previously mentioned in the characters section, the in-game models on the other hand are quite lacking. Facial features are not emphasized enough, making the character’s faces look almost flat and devoid of any interesting features.

The hair for most characters also looks like moulds of plastic instead of actual hair, as Bandai Namco went for a painted hair model instead of animating individual strands of hair probably to save on production costs. It was jarring to say the least, and it made me almost wish that the entire game was animated in the skit style rather than the in-game models they use for certain cutscenes.

The backgrounds, however, are of a more acceptable quality. Obviously they are not on par with the likes of the Witcher 3, but they still had enough detail to bring the world to life. Overall, not the best looking JRPG I’ve seen.

Music

Music for me has almost been one of the best parts of a game, they can pull you in during memorable moments in the game, and leave a lasting impression on you even after the game is finished, something no other element in a game I feel can top. It is because I hold such a high standard to music that I was not too impressed with Berseria’s soundtrack. A lot of tracks work well within the context they were given, such as the various overworld themes and character themes during important cutscenes. But more often than not they are incredibly basic, both in terms of instrumentation and in melodical composition, and they fail to leave any lasting impressions.

I will credit that some certain remixes of songs such as Velvet’s theme are incredibly good, and have me sing and listen to them long after the game’s credits rolled. However musical taste is incredibly subjective, so I’m sure that there are people that love this soundtrack, unfortunately for me, it just doesn’t cut it.

Conclusion (TL;DR)

Overall, I really liked the game. the story and characters, while having some missteps here and there were all excellent and had me engaged throughout the majority of my almost 60-hour playthrough. The gameplay while having some frustrations were mostly a blast to play through, and had me wanting to crave more even after the game was finished. Although the graphics and music were subpar at best, they were not too detrimental as to hamper my overall enjoyment of the game. I can safely say that I am both eager to try out other Tales games, and excited for what Bandai Namco has next for this decades-long franchise.