In an age where we expect large green arrows to point in the direction of the next event, Tales of Symphonia can be a little unforgiving. These often have annoying puzzles that only serve to artificially extend an already lengthy session of spelunking. In a game where levelling is all but useless, frequent fights become something of a chore, and that’s made worse in dungeons. The biggest barriers between you and the next chunk of story either come in the form of a long, meandering dungeon or from missing an off-hand comment about your next destination. In fact, you’ll probably struggle getting from place to place more than you will with the fights. With friends to back you up, you can perform powerful combos and special moves, defeating enemies quickly and effectively – although it is quite an easy game. You control Lloyd, and can actually move around the battlefield, hitting things in real-time. It’s very action-based – more so than anything else of its era.

The game’s battle system is different to the norm and fun to use. Stopping off in a little town and watching as your party turns up at just the right time to help out never gets old, and you always leave with something to remember. The destination (and wider story arc involving it) is a little bit plain, basically boiling down to “go everywhere and do everything”, but the smaller stuff makes the adventure all the more enjoyable. Along the way, they meet a colourful cast of characters, each with their own backstory and reason to tag along.

You play as Lloyd Irving, a confident young man who joins his friend Collette on a journey to save the world. You’ll probably even feel compelled to see the 30 hour adventure through three or four times in order to earn the Platinum. You’ll want to talk to every single individual, and buy everything available. That equilibrium is what creates a believable world, and makes it hard to escape from. The balance between tense and fun is perfect, rivalling the likes of Final Fantasy VII. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t quieter, more light-hearted moments.

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