LogFAQs > #929624286

Tales of Berseria
Video Game

"I really thought I could have my old life back, and I could forget everything else. I tried to act like I was doing it for him, but it was all for myself.

...But I can't forget. I shouldn't forget."

Tales of Berseria is an experience that is hurt by its mid-budget JRPG trappings. The art style doesn't lend itself well to serious scenes, the voice acting for some side characters can be so wacky it takes you out of things (looking at you, Bienfu), and it can be difficult to get immersed in the world when every environment looks like ass. Plus, Tales isn't a series known for its stellar writing in the first place.

It still baffles me how fantastic this game's story turned out. The plot hook is simple - revenge stories were invented millenia ago - but it takes that hook and runs with it. It's not often that you get to play as a group of people this dedicated to their own goals, no matter what happens to everyone else, and it results in a lot of entertainingly morally-dubious scenes. Berseria has a lot of parts where you feel like the bad guy, and just as many where you ARE the bad guy, giving it a unique tone not seen in most other stories. I've never been a fan of games where you play as the villain, but Berseria dips into toe into EVIL just enough to make you feel bad for what you're doing while still retaining the conviction to see everything through until the end. Just like it works for the main characters!

Every member of the party has their own uniquely satisfying story and is written extremely well, to the point where it's maaaybe the best main cast of characters in any JRPG I've seen. And even among tough competition, Velvet Crowe stands out as an extremely memorable character. While her lines can veer a bit into edgelord territory, especially near the beginning of the game, she overall gets a ton of good moments and character development and is the defining reason behind why the game works so well. She carries the game's emotional weight on her shoulders.

It's that emotional weight that makes Berseria as memorable for me as it is. The game likes to lull you into a false sense of security with good-but-low-key writing before blasting you with a segment packed full with emotion, and it got me every time. A few of the scenes are very, very memorable for me and will be for a long time. Unfortunately, the ending has some questionable parts, and the last 1/4 isn't as good as what leads up to it, which prevents me from ranking the game higher, but the highs far outweigh the lows.

P.S. Velvet for Smash. Make it happen

---

Black Turtle did a pretty good job.