In the early years of the Xbox 360, Microsoft decided it was going to be THE console for JRPGs. And for a while, it was. There were Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Infinite Undiscovery, Last Remnant, and others. But it was a fraught time for JRPGs - with the increased cost of developing HD games, Japanese developers wanted to earn that cost back, and they weren't sure if they could do it with turnbased games, which don't appeal to mass audiences. So JRPGs suffered an identity crisis in the dawn of the HD era, with Japanese developers not knowing if their games needed to be more action oriented, or more cinematic, or more like Western RPGs. Even Final Fantasy 13 is kind of a study in confusion. I remember vividly that at that time, nearly every game journalist in the known universe declared the JRPG "Dead."
However, Namco didn't seem fazed by any of this, and made Tales of Vesperia like they made the rest of the Tales games - a complex action RPG with a sprawling story and celshaded graphics. Released in 2008, it was an early high point of HD JRPGs, with great characters, an interesting story, and beautiful graphics.
Is it a little traditional? Yes. But that does not detract from it. It is very good at what it does, and does not suffer from the identity crisis that so many JRPGs did back then. It helps that the Tales games were always action-oriented.
These days, there aren't a lot of JRPGs on the Xbox. But for a short time in the 360's life, there was a cornucopia - though most of the games weren't very great. JRPGs have returned to the Sony fold (and also Nintendo at last).
The PS3 finally got Vesperia later, but only in Japan. This definitive edition has since been released for the PS4 and Switch.
I never finished Vesperia, but it's still my favorite Tales game. I really think it's the best in the series. I bought the new edition for the Switch and keep telling myself I'm going to play it. With the new Tales game coming in the next few years, it seems like Namco is upgrading the formula and look a bit. Well - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
This game was, and still is, awesome. One of the best playable casts of characters, great villains, and even a good supporting cast. Its localization was top notch. It still looks good on current gen systems. It was the only 360 exclusive game I really cared about.
Unfortunately, almost every JRPG developer who threw in with Microsoft lost a lot of money, including Namco. Microsoft needs to face the cold, hard facts that Japan will never be receptve to the Xbox brand and that the Xbox will never be the first choice for most American fans of Japanese games, either. I wish they would stop trying to moneyhat Japanese developers.
yeah, the Japanese are never going to choose Microsoft over Sony or Nintendo. Never.
And yes, this is a very awesome game.
I have Vesperia on the 360, but I never beat it. Again, today's RPGs are just too long and drawn out. My favorite characters in Vesperia were the doggy and Judith. But my favorite Tales game is still Legendia!
I really liked the Xbox 360. It had a wide variety of games on it. I played my 360 probably more than the Wii!
yeah, I played my 360 more than my Wii too. I was never a fan of the Wii, though I loved Wii Fit and the Galaxy games.
I wish Namco would rerelease more of the Tales games for Switch. I'd buy them.
I played Blue Dragon a ton when Xbox 360 tried to woo a Japanese and Japanese loving audience early on. I also got Vesperia but never got to it. It's still sitting on my Xbox One now with back compat.
Turn-based was mainstream but now is niche. I really don't like series like Final Fantasy trying to make a turn-based game all actiony. I remember being very annoyed that everything had to be action based in rpgs in '06 or so.
I would have enjoyed the new Final Fantasy 7 remake a lot more if it had been turnbased.
Wah? Was it originally turn-based? I'm ashamed to say I've never played it.
Yeah, it was. Pretty fast moving too. Great combat.
I'm going to play it one day. I am.
Yeah, the 360 was my first choice in that generation because of games like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and Tales of Vesperia. That, and the controllers are very comfy.