So. I'm back to fanart. I should make a separate post, but whatever, I have nothing else to talk about anyway.
Let me tell you about my love for video games.
I have been playing games since I was a kid. I had a Zx Spectrum and an Amiga 500. Playing the Spectrum was a whole thing. You have to load the game through a cassette tape, it made *noises* and flashed colors in bars, it was... entertaining. It sucked having to wait, but it was somewhat entertaining, in a weird way. This is what I'm talking about, for those who have no clue. Honestly, the games weren't worth the wait, so I didn't play much on the Zx Spectrum.
The Amiga, on the other hand....! The game loaded from a floppy disk, and was much quicker. And I had a joystick and everything. The Amiga was fun! And the graphics were great for the time. Definitely much much better than the Zx Spectrum. The Amiga definitely holds my most cherished childhood memories when it comes to games. Rock 'n' Roll, Pinball Dreams, CarVup, Baby Jo, Parasol Stars, Tetris, Arkanoid. And probably a few others I don't remember anymore.
And then I got a Sega Game Gear. Hand held games! In color! AMAZING! Sure, running that on batteries was stupid, so I was always plugged to some outlet, so it was mobile, but not that much, ahah. But that's when I got to play things like Sonic, Prince of Persia, James Pond II RoboCod, and The Lion King.
So that was my childhood. Colorful 2D games with cool sounds and music. And lots of silliness that made no sense but was very fun! But I never thought about the game past the time I spent playing them. And at the time, I doubt I would have had any interest in more complex games with stories and/or turn based combat of any kind.
Then I grew up and didn't play much anymore - not cause I developed some dislike for them, my interests just moved somewhere else, I guess?
Fast forward to quite a few years later (2011/2012), when I ended up getting offered a second hand Xbox 360. There were a few other gamey things along the way, but this trip down memory lane is getting long enough as it is, let's get to the point.
In the hard drive of this Xbox 360 there was a game. A game called Tales of Vesperia.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I decided to try it. I was soon taken by the world I had there to explore, by the character's personality, the fun dialogue, the story, the combat! And the graphics were so good! And the game kept going. And going. And going! And when I thought it was over, there was still a whole lot more game left to play, places to explore, things to discover and story to pursue. I was blown away! I laughed, I cried (and kinda wanted to punch Raven too), I kept thinking about the story, the characters, the worldbuilding... I was no longer just playing a game like before in the old days. I was experiencing it. It stayed with me. These characters were like friends now, I cared about them, wondered how they were doing in the off moments or in the post game. I was looking up side materials, hitting the Japanese language barrier wall and deciding to climb it (meaning, learning the language) just to keep those characters and their stories close.
Then Tales of Xillia came out (and I got a PS3)! I was excited, and then a little disappointed. The graphics were more modern, the navigation was 3D all around (which I didn't love) but didn't look as good as Vesperia. The combat was amazing though, and it didn't take me long to fall in love with those characters too. Especially Alvin. For which I blame Matt Mercer, of course. And from Xillia, I predictably got into Critical Role. That was a pretty straight line right there. But that's a whole other story. Not for today!
In the mean time I also got into older Tales games by watched playthroughs on Youtube. I got acquainted with Abyss, Symphonia, Legendia, Graces. And then Graces F was a thing for the PS3 and I bought it and played it. I already knew the whole story, and knew I wouldn't like the combat as much, and didn't really care that much about the story or those characters (Asbel is boooooring. I would have preferred the game from Hubert's perspective), but I wanted to play it myself. Besides, at this point I was a fan of the series, so I wanted to contribute as such and buy the game. Like, yes, I approve of this series, and support it with my wallet.
Then the Symphonia Chronicles came out. So I got that one too. Also already knowing the whole story (of both games, even if we don't talk about number 2), but again wanting to experience it myself. I can see why it's a classic and why it's a fan favorite and maybe, in a way (maybe even in *many* ways), the best one in the series. But I didn't play it back then, when it would have had that impact on me, so I don't love it as much as most (Kratos lives rent free in my mind though).
Then we got Xilla 2. Which wasn't great. This series suffers greatly with sequels, it's like a curse.
But it was an ok game, a bit annoying here and there, but the combat was super fun, so it wasn't a chore to play.
Then Zestiria came out. And oh boy. That one was a disappointment (and we were already coming from a game that wasn't all we'd like it to be). Even though I actually liked it a lot - unlike most of the fan base - I'm not blind to it's many flaws and agree with the general feeling of disappointment. I really liked the characters though and the music too, and it seems those are the most important thing for me? Cause Zestiria is still in my top favorites. I even bought it twice! I had it (physical) for the PS3, and then I moved on to the PS4 and bought it again (digital).
After that was Berseria, and again, unlike the majority of the fan base, I actually didn't like it that much. My problem with it is the same I have with Graces. I don't really like or care about the main character, but I have to experience the story from their point of view. The combat is similar too, and I'm not sure what it is about it, but I don't have fun with it. It was also really long. Way longer than it needed to be. Too many skits. I can't believe that would ever be a problem, but it turns out, too much of a good thing is still too much. Much like Graces, I think I would have liked it much more from another character's perspective (in this case, Eleanor).
At this point I was a disappointed fan. Still a fan, but not excited about new stuff coming out.
But I will always love the series, at least from Symphonia up to Berseria (yes, even though I didn't like it much, I still love a lot of things about it).
Tales of Arise was the nail on the coffin for me, though. While I enjoyed it at first, it was mostly cause it was pretty. Combat was ok, the world wasn't that interesting even though I could walk more freely than ever before. And guess what? I also don't really care about the main characters. They're alright, I don't dislike them like I do Velvet and Asbel, but I don't really care about them either.
Next Tales game, whenever that happens (if it happens), will hardly get a day one buy from me. Maybe I won't buy it at all. I will definitely be watching a playthrough before I even consider spending money on my favorite series again. How sad is that?
So, TL:DR: My favorite Tales games are Vesperia (cause it was my first and holds that very special place in my heart), Xillia and Zestiria (*gasp!*). Symphonia comes right after, but it's not one I really want to *play* again. But those characters get to live in my heart too.
This series got me thinking of myself as a gamer, or at the very least, someone who likes games.
And because I'm so *normal* about them, Vesperia in particular, I'm back on the fanart train. I'm making a whole collection of spells incantations. How very specific, I know! It's almost as if I love this game, and as if I always main as Rita and her spells are all seared into my brain. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Here's the first few. I've put them up
on Redbubble cause I think they'd be awesome stickers
especially if you're as *normal* about Vesperia as me!
Well, this a ramble and a half. Maybe next time I'll talk about FFVII. I'm very *normal* about that one too. Ahah
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