Tales of Berseria™

this game gives you an angry demon hybrid grown-ass woman on a quest for vengeance as a main character and i don't think i've been this invested in any other jrpg protag ever

I fell off this one hard. The combat has loads of different mechanics, none of which really matter. It just comes down to mashing the attack button and you'll get through it all. Dungeons are very linear and generic. I couldn't connect with any of the characters with the main character being a boring edgelord with a "fan service-y" design. Maybe I'll give this one a go again sometime, but I honestly can't recommend it.

i feel empty after finishing it, for 2017 game it had an amazing storyline and the combat system was great as well

Velvet is the first edge lore MC I have enjoyed playing and the combat is cute. The rest of the cast are fun and interesting to compensate for her

my friend told me to play this game cuz i never touched the tales series before, and now i can't listen to velvet's theme without bawling like a little baby. love the characters, love the dialogue, love the story and its overall message. combat was a bit too complex for me to comprehend simply because there were so many things to keep track of, however that made pulling off a combo feel all the more rewarding. definitely will try to play another tales game in the future.

First Tales Game I played so a little biased. But I love the characters and arcs. Great combat mechanics and overall time well spent! Highly recommended!

好好好好好好好好好好好

9/10
Great story and profound messages, if you like story-oriented game about good, evil, and everything in between, I think you'll love this.
Well written characters, the chemistry between characters is one of my favorite aspect, and some of my all time favorite video game characters are here.
Great world building, I guess this is not a surprise, since every Tales games I've played have great world building.
The character theme songs are awesome. (you should visit Katz Korner, you won't regret it)

The advanced battle system is a bit hard to get used to, the tutorials doesn't make it easier for me because they just throw a bunch of texts and terms at you without proper example, they even botched some of the instructions, I had to study from some guy on YouTube to finally get it, I believe it wasn't supposed to be like that.
Oh, and if you're going to Platinum this game, just don't. I've tried and I gave up, it's not worth your precious time, it's way too grindy. (Don't believe me?, try collecting 20k tales coins and try to get that stupid "A Solid B" achievement)

Other than that, this is a solid A game, this was my first Tales game, and I'm a fan of Tales series ever since, highly recommended.

love this game. one of the best jrpgs ive ever played with nice characters and story.

Story is great but mechanics can be a bit too complicated especially when it comes to healing just use items. This game has a better story than Tales of Arise but Tales of Arise has better gameplay.

average game. 80 points crtitics? lol

The combat is really fun once you figure it out.

the best game in the series, and the only one that doesnt reuse the same generic storylines

Nice tales game, story didn't make much sense to me. Characters talk too much. Gameplay was neat, although it was difficult to fully understand all the different systems. Not as good as Symphonia.

Pretty good action RPG I'll be it with a pretty bad PC port. Most of the big open areas you are in will stutter a decent amount and the game began dying on me in the end cutscene. I would say though that the pretty good gameplay and story outweigh those negatives I have.

This game is amazing, loads of replay value and gameplay is fun as well. The humor is amazing as well

Its a decent action JRPG. Not usually my thing, but it has a satisfying combat system and a story that really works.

People say Tales of Zestiria isn't all that. Personally, I really enjoyed it.

After 5 hours of Berseria, I'm not sure I'll ever enjoy Zestiria again.

This is the first Tales series i finished it was fun also the cast is solid, the development of every cast is so good also the villain is very fit in the plot. I love velvet from the start is an edgelord but the ending got me.

The gameplay is easy to understand also fun if you can produce some sickass combo(spamming breaksoul) . The mid game is kindy grindy but building your character is just fun. This game is totally worth it.

10/10. Laphicet is my fav. Also eleanor is mine :)

Very fun game in the "Tales of" Series, has some of the more fun combat in the recent games, and nice story. Why can't we get a repaired/restored Velvet's outfit without mods though. Unlike TOA (newest installment) Tales of Berseria has actual mini-games and more content besides just main and sub stories. I also prefer the talk scenes in this then the 3D rendered ones in TOA. Fun game hard to rate and comment about, without spoiling. (Yes I'm late to the Tales of Berseria party, didn't had a PS3 or computer before a little while ago, and recently got one.) Would definitely recommend!
- Im new to Berseria with only half of the story complete.


*Minor Spoiler - the main characters personalities are horrible at the start but get great development midway through the game!

If you're a fan of Tales games, you owe it to yourself to play Berseria. It accomplishes two things: first, it retroactively makes Zestiria a better game, and second; it gives us a refreshing protagonist in the form of Velvet, who forms an uneasy alliance with a group of dubious moral constitution. Velvet's journey is one marked by obsession, hate and a heaping dose of trauma. Unlike previous games, Berseria is not afraid to show us a deeply flawed main character, who borders between an anti hero and a downright villain. The story can get dark, and it does not shy away from the consequences of Velvet's actions.

Combat and inventory system, one of the most maligned things about Zestiria, is greatly improved here. However, if you're looking for the perfect combination of gear and skills, be prepared to grind. Minor nitpicks all in all. The world is huge, the story is interesting and makes playing Zestiria again worth it, and the characters and their relationships go beyond the usual "Power of friendship" anime trope. One of the strongest Tales games. I highly encourage anyone that hasn't played Berseria and Zestiria to take the plunge.

Main quest is around 50 hours , and as usual for a Tales games, there's post game content and a second playthrough is a given, with new bonuses and mechanics you can unlock.

Combat is fun though Velvet is laughably overpowered, so I suggest playing on moderate/hard for a first run, and each party member has their own unique quirk so swapping around is very fun.

All in all, an amazing Tales game, and a great, strong jrpg for anyone who enjoys the genre.

Really enjoyed the characters, their development, and the overall story. It's nice to have protagonists that are complex and have understandable motivations beyond saving the world or something like that. Voice acting is astoundingly good.

If you're looking to duo co-op a story game it's a good choice. Love the cast, Magi-Lou easily one of my favorite characters in the entire franchise. Story wise it's an interesting perspective to be the bad guys, but ultimately I think the plot gets kinda lost around a bunch of big word soup and you wind up just doing w/e and not super knowing why ahahha or maybe that's just me. Combat is very different from Symphonia or Vesperia, and took some getting used to for us but eventually we grew to enjoy it. My biggest gripe was that mobs tend to chase whoever is player one, making playing casters as player one kinda impossible early on. I wanted to play Laphicet but found myself having to endlessly run from the mobs almost every fight maybe getting just a cast or two off. (I think especially if you play harder difficulty settings) If your're playing as a duo you can work around it by having player two help keep mobs off or just keeping casters to p2 but as the story progresses and you get faster casting it does get easier to deal with. Also you'll probably need the wiki handy to figure out some mechanics they dont do the best job describing or sometimes not really at all.

This is the third Tales game I've completed. It's got an excellent cast of characters, very well voiced. The band of misfits trope work really well here, as the characters bounce off each other a lot. It leaves a lot of room for banter, teasing, and funny conversations. The skits are probably the best I've experienced yet. The characters feel well rounded and endearing, and have satisfying character arcs. It's a very emotional journey without going into any spoilers. The graphics are fine enough, although has quite a soft look. It works well on my Steam Deck and the sprites look clean. The music works well with one or two standouts.

However, I think there are some things that let this game down though. One of the things that let this game down is the frequent back tracking, which can get tiring after a while, especially after the mid-game onwards. I can understand there are skits or important story events along the journey, but a lot of journeying back into past areas feel sometimes a little contrived, especially when it's for no other reason that to "rest" or for characters to ponder their next move. It can make the game feel dragged out at times (although I do actually appreciate the quieter subtle moments).

Worst still, there isn't enough helpful compasses or travel/path line markers, so aside from the star markers on the map it can feel like you can easily make a wrong turn on yourself a go backwards through a dungeon or area. Some dungeons or quest/story areas often have repeating textures and diverging maze like paths, with enemies that will interrupt your flow of gate/door solving. This makes for very bland exploration.

The battle itself is probably my least favourite of the Tales games so far. It's not bad, it's actually rather serviceable; but I never found myself caring to master it like I did with Arise (which I feel moves the combat forward a lot). The battles can feel a little visually chaotic at times, much like with Graces, and that's something Tales games have done well, as it feels like your party is getting stuck in.

With all that considered, I do highly recommend this game, especially on a sale. The story and characters are probably my favourite of the Tales games so far, and beat out many, many other games of the genre. I felt like I was really invested in the plight of the characters and eager to know where the story was going. After I completed the game, I was very satisfied.

Very compelling tale unlike any I have ever seen in an RPG.

Ending made me cry. The only other game that could do that is RDR2 :(

Combat is meh and enemies will block constantly.

It works on a Steam Deck!! I bought this game assuming that it would work on the Steam Deck, since its just a port of a xbox game, but was disappointed when I saw the "Not compatible" symbol. Still, I installed it on the steam deck anyway, and figured it wouldnt hurt to try. It turns out, the game runs perfectly on the steam deck, and not only that, it looks great when using a steam deck dock to display it on a big screen TV. 8 hours in, no issues. This is a great Tales game, known for having a much darker story than previous entries. The Tales series has always been in the shadow of the Final Fantasy and Persona series, but they are always well made and have interesting stories.

Quite an enjoyable game. Went in knowing nothing about the game or story. The game play mechanics are very deep and complicated, but you can basically ignore all of it and make it through the game. Make sure you master each item to get the bonuses. Would suggest to others.

i keep coming back to this, I got it on sale for like 80%, wouldn't recommend paying $60 for it because it's an older game at this point, but I love older games so I've enjoyed all of it so far. The story is intense and the characters are kinda flat besides Velvet. Very gooner designs but other than that it's fine, and there's different items and clothes anyways. The game doesn't hold your hand a lot but every once in a while you get helpful tips and it does remind me of forgotten mechanics. Overall I love it and can't wait to finish the story.

Revenge is the alpha and omega of the story.
The main role is taken by the young, only nineteen-year-old Velvet Crowe, who after an unfortunate accident and the death of her little brother turns into a half-demon and is forcibly imprisoned for three whole years in a cold prison.
However, with the help of his childhood friend, he manages to escape, and at that moment he vows that before he dies, he will avenge his family and eliminate his brother's murderer. This is embodied by Artorius Collbrande, the head of the church and master of exorcism, who will become the driving force for your journey across the vast map of the holy Empire of Midgand.

It is the first time ever that the script moves the main character to the level of demonic evil and, conversely, the opposition and enemies to the level of good and justice. Berseria is thus suddenly refreshed with a subtle vampire theme.

Weak technical side and stupid graphics are not very attractive for players these days. The minimum of innovations in the gameplay, the lack of interaction with the environment bothered me the most. The JRPG genre would need an upgrade to move up to the level of today's games. 10%

Great story, great music, great character development and adictive combat.
Highly reccomend for JRPG fans.

Such a good game about velvet uprooting the world of reason!

My First Tales Series, Great Game.

Ended up turning on auto battle towards the late game because I was getting annoyed with all the combat. AI Velvet did a great job against the final boss with a Laphicet harem. That aside, I absolutely loved the game and characters. Long live Magilou's menagerie

Amazing story , great characters. Best Tales of game i played

story was peak, kind of a shame I was able to button mash my way through the entire game but it was still satisfying nonetheless!

fantasic entry into the series, the game play is solid, and deverse and the story is amazing, its a bitter sweet game for such a ususaly up beat series

Great Tales game.

The characters are well-developed and not your typical stereotypes found in other JRPGs. The storytelling is nice. While the combat gameplay loop might feel outdated now, it was understandable for its time and for these types of games.

The combat cut scenes can be a bit odd. It's noticeable that during fights, some of your team members just stand around watching you instead of helping, which can be funny—but that's just a minor nitpick.

The grind in this game is tedious and abysmal if you're aiming for 100% completion, especially the materials required to upgrade a single gear. However, you can finish the main story without needing to upgrade your equipment to max.

Overall, a great game and I hope this game gets a remaster making it similar to Tales of Arise. I'd play it again.

"Why is it that birds fly?"

This is a story of tragedy, despair, regrets, hatred... and a bunch of more negative emotions clashing with each other, forming the ultimate story of vengeance.

Velvet Crowe, plunges into despair as she condemns the world to chaos, just because someone took something dear from her.

This is a tale of self reflection, a tale of what makes Humans, Humans, but told from the deepest of hells imaginable.

While the game surely involves dark concepts and pretty much what would be considered a villain driven story, there are a lot of heartfelt moments that really makes the game shine a lot.

This is an unhinged roller coaster of emotions, one moment you will be like "THIS SHIT LIT AF, SO HYPE", and then have you smiling and tearing up at characters interactions and their own development.

Character interactions are precious, probably one of the best I've seen in a long time, and since this story is really driven by character interactions and their motifs, the story by itself gains a lot of value from it. The amount of layers these characters have is astounding, being my second Tales of Game (the first being symphonia) I already knew that Tales Skits and characters interactions are often the strenght of the games, but this one took me by surprise given how crips and believable these characters feel, and they truly live up to the message this games wants to give.

Setting story aside, because I don't want to dwell into spoiler territory, let's talk about the other concepts of the game.

Gameplay is both great and very flawed, on one hand, the combat is excellent, filled with lots of rewarding mechanics that those that dwell deep into the core mechanics will certainly enjoy to pull off, but on the other hand, map exploration and level design is a little frustrating, the game involves a lot of backtracking (and for some reason treasure chest content's respawn), and some mechanics that would have been great to have from way earlier, are given way too late, like the infinite "Exit Dungeon/Warp to Town", which are given practically during midgame/endgame, and given how much you have to walk and traverse big areas, the comically slow and unstable hoverboard could have been implemented better.

Fortunately, the combat loop prevents me from totally hating backtracking a lot.

In the sound department, the comically unhinged monster sounds make them stand out, as creepy as they sound, but the sound effects are really good and you can feel the impact of pretty much everything, voice acting (specifically the english voice acting) was really good, you can tell the characters were given a lot of passion.

Unfortunately, this may be some of the weakest Motoi Sakuraba's scores I've heard so far. Sakuraba is quite inconsistent at times, there were a couple of forgettable tracks here and there, and some that, unfortunately, felt really repetitive at times, and there were a couple of bangers too, but unfortunately, not enough to drive the excellent story and characters into a whole new level of epic (and often some tracks feel a little muffled for some reason).

Game would be a ten, but some of it's design did not age well.

Velvet/10

It's a tales game, it's going to take a lot of hours to finish it. I kinda recommend it if you want to try tales game. Berseria story is prequel to Zestiria, but you can just play it without knowing anything about Zestiria.

The combat is alright i guess, you can play the whole game without a deep understanding of it and finish it, or you can learn the complex mechanics (which i don't). You can change between characters, you can do switch combo, you can tweak your combo set, etc. The item is useful though. Equipment doesn't feel any different from one another (just my opinion), you just need to keep mastering new equipment for passive stacks.

The area is varied enough, from cave, ice field, etc. Although the method for faster travel is unlocked way later in the game (it's like a surfing board but on the ground). The enemy is also varied enough.

The story is the intriguing and slow at first, because this is about vengeance, but later part of the story really picks up, the voice acting is great, some part of the story is very relatable, the ending is bittersweet.

Overall recommended, but you must play it at your own pace to not get burned out.

this should be renamed Tales of Depression
Story 9/10
the story is really good but that's all about it.

Combat 1/10
you can resume this as holding R2, putting all enemies at the center and smashing random buttons.

Running from A to B then B to A. Teleport should be better and more choices.

It's a mix feeling to recommend. I put it toward up as the story is worth it if you can bare the chore of the combat.

Little buggy with the settings but as long as you just use a predefined profile it wont hardlock
story is really nice and the gameplay is pretty chill
i dont even feel a need to farm xp yet

Probably the best writing I have seen in any jrpg. It still falls into many of the common tropes but there is also a lot of subtext and the random conversation scenes are just fun to experience.
The combat just feels like a lot of fun by itself and it has enough depth to never really get repetitive. Also the game allows you to make things easy if you want but it also actually rewards you more for making things harder on yourself, and aside from just better item drops the increased difficulty actually does change the way you have to play the game. It isn't just increased monster stats, there are actual mechanics that get introduced.
Overall this game feels like a long anime show and the adventure feels like it was worth it in the end. Buy this game with your money.

Every single thing that I hated about Zestiria was fixed in Berseria. They then went above and beyond with the story, exploration, and combat. This game is amazing.

Tales of Berseria: My Journey of Revenge and Emotions
Let me tell you about Tales of Berseria, an action RPG that took me on a real emotional rollercoaster! 🌪️ I met Velvet Crowe, a protagonist who doesn’t mess around. After losing everything, she’s determined to get her revenge, and trust me, I wanted to be right there with her on this epic journey.

Unforgettable Characters
Velvet isn’t alone in this adventure. She’s got a fascinating crew: a tough pirate named Eizen, a quirky witch named Magilou, and a samurai demon named Rokurou. Each of them has their own unique stories and personalities that made me laugh, cry, and root for them. Magilou, for example, is a real comedian, always cracking jokes and performing magic tricks that don’t always go as planned. 😂

Exciting Combat
The combat system is super dynamic and action-packed. I could move freely around the battlefield and use special abilities that left enemies stunned. At first, it seemed a bit complicated, but I quickly got the hang of it and felt like a true battle master. And there’s nothing like seeing enemies trying to figure out what just happened after a well-executed combo! 😆

Scenery and Setting
The game’s scenery is beautiful, but it can get a bit repetitive. Nothing that ruins the fun, but it’s good to be prepared for some areas that look quite similar. At least there’s always some funny detail to discover, like an NPC saying absurd things or an item hidden in an unexpected place.

Final Verdict
Tales of Berseria is a game I’m loving to explore to the fullest. Every detail is a new discovery, and I don’t expect this journey to end anytime soon. It’s a cozy and delightful game, perfect for those who want to relax without losing the experience of a good JRPG. Get ready for an adventure full of twists, unforgettable moments, and lots of laughs!

i brought this because i think velvet is cute, but instead i got a menhera girl with berserk wannabe syndrome.
You cant fix her but she will fix your world instead
10/10

Worst "Tales Of" game I have played so far (I am not touching anything made after this). Paltry content and exploration, early 2000's bad anime level writing and character development. Zestiria was much better, and for some reason people place this title higher than Zestiria in the duology. Skits, in the "traditional" sense are few and far between, mainly being relegated to near the end of Berseria's main story. Battle system is un-intuitive and mash-heavy. Costume selection was okay, but still lacking compared to previous entries. Party members' questlines are weak, leaving no real development or satisfaction.

TL;DR buy Vesperia Definitive Edition instead, you will not regret it!

Loved the characters and skits but the combat is very boring with just constant button mashing over and over and exploration is not fun cause you need to walk through long samey dungeons. And at the end of it all was a very unsatisfying ending which becomes even worse after you learn what happens to the characters in Vesperia.

SteamDeck Rating 10/10 !! One of the perfect game to play while on the bed or outside!!

So far in the gameplay, i like the story and every character interaction. Aizen and Rokurou are both gigachad . Magilou is quite funny with her banter . Meanwhile Velvet And Laphicet is having that sibling aura. The combat system is kinda complex especially if you want to switching between characters. Normally it is fine if you play on normal/moderate difficulty. Hard difficulty will really wreck players when they are not ready .

My only complain would be about the direction of the quest. Most of the time, you really need to focus on the story to know where you should be going. It does not give you direction or help you on where you supposed to go. You need to explore the map and see whether there is a trigger for the quest to start.

My partner played and completed this one on the PS4, It didn't click with me like it did her. Might give it a second chance at somepoint.

Tales of Depression
Combat 3/10
Story 9/10
Played this right after Arise, went from Tales of Romance to Tales of Depression is one hell of a vibe