S&S Review: Tales of Hearts R

Title: Tales of Hearts R
Format: PS Vita
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Bandai Namco
Price: $39.99
ESRB Rating: T
The Tales games have always been backed by a cult following in the east, but in the west, a lot of people have overlooked past games in the series.  Tales of Hearts R shouldn't be missed, especially if you own a PS Vita.
Story and Presentation:
The narrative features a lot of traditional tropes that we've all grown accustomed to seeing, but it isn't without its fair share of twists and turns. It centers around a young woman Kohaku, who is attacked by a witch, shattering her Spiria, the manifestation of her heart and soul. Her emotions end up scattered across the game world, and you must fight to get them back. The task falls upon Kor Meteor, a sheltered boy from a small town, Kohaku's brother Hisui, and an increasingly large company of friends that are pretty diverse in personality and looks.  It is a pretty eclectic group of party members present here, and with the solid writing, you'll definitely enjoy the humorous dialog.  Of course, the witch has a darker purpose than merely attacking a single damsel, and the small quests unfold into a much deeper plot. Much of the world is afflicted with a condition called "despir," which causes a wide array of emotional issues. These run the gamut from simple melancholy to giving people sociopathic urges to commit murder. The story itself is a slow grind, taking several hours for you really get into the meat of the narrative.  There are some really cool characters here. Innes Lorenzen, who runs a courier business called Wanderlust, is probably the biggest highlight. A multidimensional entrepreneur, she sells magical weapons to groups in exchange for their indentured servitude. Then there are all these side conversations between story sequences -- little lighthearted asides to the main story where the characters' personalities are brought to the forefront.  Visually, the game looks really good.  The Vita has always done JRPGs justice, and Tales of Hearts R is no exception.  From the still hand drawn character models, to the fully animated cinematics, the game certainly resembles a few of my favorite anime.  I would have liked an English dub to be an option in the game, but the Japanese voice actors do a nice job of pulling you in.  Other than that, the soundtrack is solid, rounding out a great overall presentation. Core Gameplay: I didn't know what to expect coming in, but I found the moment to moment gameplay to be fast paced and simply a lot of fun to play.  The battle system is both action-heavy and strategic, asking players to dive straight into the chaos while also managing the party on a macro level. Encounters are random, with battles taking place in isolated arenas where you can have up to four party members at a time. Bandai Namco has implemented a new system where successive hits can stun an enemy, allowing you to launch them into the air. There, foes can be combo'd with standard melee attacks and artes (spells) until such a time as you see fit to slam them back into the earth. It can be quite fun. As always, there are a vast number of ways to customize your party. Once a character levels up, you get to allocate statistics and further tailor them to particular roles with various passive abilities on top of their weapons and armor.  The actual enemies you'll be fighting along the way look pretty basic and lackluster, as do many of the game's dungeons. While there isn't much to actually explore in Tales of Hearts' massive world, there are a number of secrets to find should you wish to wander off the linear path. The towns themselves have a lot of character, which managed to be surprisingly inventive. The worst aspect of the experience is the collection of puzzles strewn about the dungeons, which are no more than speed bumps that halt your progress. Some puzzles can even have you pondering so long, you might forget what your objective is at the moment.  I get that the devs wanted to break up the monotony a bit, but the puzzles just end up getting in the way.   Final Thoughts: Tales of Hearts R isn't going to shatter anyone's expectations for the series. But it wasn't trying to that. It's a solid, traditional experience that should satisfy fans of classic JRPGs.

+Solid, Crisp Visuals +Fast and Frantic Battles -No English Dub option S&S Rating: 7.5/10