Tales of Xillia Remastered Review Summary

Excellent Original Game Experience: Players widely praise the game's core elements like story, characters, music, and art style, finding it as enjoyable as or better than they remember from the original PlayStation 3 release. The game's long-awaited release on modern platforms, especially PC, is highly welcomed and appreciated.

High-Quality PC Remaster: The remaster is highly regarded for its significant Quality of Life improvements over the original version. These enhancements include faster load times, dedicated 120fps support on PC, and features like native Steam Deck resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio support.

Smooth PC Performance: The game generally runs very well on a variety of PC hardware, including older systems, often achieving 4K 120fps without issues. Any minor screen tearing encountered can typically be easily resolved by adjusting VSync settings in the graphics control panel.

Highly Recommended Tales Of Entry: Many fans consider this one of their favorite 'Tales Of' games within the franchise. It is highly recommended to both series veterans and newcomers as an excellent entry point due to its overall quality and engaging elements.

Excellent, Flexible Combat System: The combat system receives widespread praise for its action-oriented design, which offers freedom for combos and is both beginner-friendly and rewarding for mastery. Many players consider it one of the best battle systems within the entire Tales series.

Unbalanced and Buggy Audio: The game suffers from poor audio mixing and balance, with combat voices and sound effects often being randomly too loud or too soft. Players note that overall volume adjustments don't consistently apply to all audio elements, leading to a frustrating and distorted listening experience.

Significant PC Performance Issues: Players report widespread technical problems on PC, including severe screen tearing across various setups, frame rate drops, and a severe bug when playing at 120 FPS. Graphics options are limited, hard to find, and some shaders cause characters to appear blurry or with block outlines.

Perceived Low Remaster Value: Many players feel the remaster offers minimal improvements for its price, describing it as 'half-baked' or a 'pseudo-remaster' with little effort. The absence of Tales of Xillia 2 and a significant portion of original DLC (especially Japan-exclusive ones) further contributes to the perception of poor value.

Clunky Controls and Outdated UI: The game features clunky keyboard and mouse controls, including a reported bug with extremely slow mouse camera movement and unremappable keys. The UI is described as retro, outdated, and childish, and the overall game systems feel old.

Incomplete Localization & Options: The game lacks subtitles for several languages, including Spanish and Portuguese-BR, and the Chinese translation contains numerous typos and quality issues. Changing the game's language is also inconvenient, requiring external Steam settings rather than an in-game option.

Varied Combat System: The combat system offers depth with specific controls for actions like dashing in manual mode and free running during battle. Directional inputs can alter attack variations and properties, and players often transition from normal attacks to Arte spamming as a primary combat flow.

Flexible Difficulty Options: The game offers an 'Unknown' difficulty from the start, which is challenging for solo play but becomes more manageable with an additional party member. Players also have options to prevent becoming overpowered early on, allowing for a customized difficulty experience.

Recommended Story Start & Progression: For a better understanding of the narrative, players are advised to begin their journey with Jude's chapter. Character development is handled through the 'Orb system,' which functions as the game's skill tree, and Jude notably possesses an Area of Effect (AoE) healing art.

Authentic Tales Experience: The game's core gameplay significantly adheres to the established style of the 'Tales' series, which can evoke strong, sometimes polarizing, opinions among players. This remastered version largely retains the essence and feel of the original title.

Extra Features and Progression: Pre-order bonuses are accessible and redeemable at any point from the 'extra' tab within the inventory. For New Game+ playthroughs, the Grade shop provides useful options such as increasing item stack limits to 99, and certain character costumes uniquely alter the battle theme.

Current Optimization Concerns: Some players note insufficient optimization at certain points and an audio distortion bug occurring early in the game. A specific visual artifact (longer 'X' graphic) during combat loading at lower frame rates also indicates potential performance-related visual hiccups.

Historical PS3 Performance Issues: Players recall significant processing lag and slowdowns in the original PS3 version, especially during intense battles with specific moves like Maxwell's Meteor Swarm or Sunburst. There's an implicit expectation these issues should be resolved in the remaster.

External Volume Control: One user suggests using the Windows sound mixer for overall volume adjustments. This implies that in-game volume options might be insufficient or less convenient for some players.

Original Game Specifications: This point provides historical context regarding the original game's performance capabilities, stating it ran at 30 frames per second at 720p resolution.

Tested on Rog Ally X: A player specifically noted playing the game on a Rog Ally X. This provides context regarding hardware compatibility but offers no direct feedback on performance or issues encountered.

Mixed Recommendation & Value: Many players recommend the game but often suggest waiting for a sale due to perceived value or minor lacking aspects. While some feel the full price is justified, others advise looking for discounts or cheaper alternatives before purchasing.

Desire for More Remasters: Players express strong interest in future remasters, particularly for 'Tales of Xillia 2,' often mentioning it as confirmed or highly anticipated. There's also a desire for older titles like 'Phantasia' and 'Destiny' to receive similar remastered treatment.

Critical Technical Issues: A significant number of players report various technical problems, including persistent audio bugs, screen tearing, and issues when playing at higher frame rates (e.g., 120 FPS). Many indicate they will not return or recommend buying until these core bugs are resolved via patches.

Gameplay & Character Strategy Tips: Players offer advice on optimal gameplay, such as starting with Jude's story for narrative understanding and character benefits (fast attacks, healing). Other tips include self-discovery, using specific accessories like Wing Boots, quick access for healing arts, and combat maneuvers like back dashing.

Strong Recommendation for Fans: The game receives enthusiastic recommendations specifically for long-time fans of the Tales series and JRPG genre enthusiasts. These players are encouraged to purchase the game, even 'blindly,' without hesitation.

Deep personal connection and nostalgia: Many players express strong emotional ties to the game and the broader Tales series, rooted in childhood memories, long-awaited experiences, and character attachments. This highlights the game's significant cultural and personal impact over time.

Dedicated fans desire more remasters: A significant portion of the player base comprises long-time Tales series fans who have played multiple titles and are eager for more remasters, particularly for games like Tales of Xillia 2. There's also a perception that Xillia 1, despite its acclaimed battle system, felt "unfinished and rough around the edges."

Critical technical bugs reported: Players have identified specific technical problems, including the lack of Spanish subtitles which required a manual workaround, and a persistent "skit bug" that significantly impacts the gameplay experience and needs urgent patching. These issues affect accessibility and overall game quality.