In 1995 was launched the magnificent Tales of saga, and that in a beautiful way. Indeed, Phantasia is really THE flagship episode of the series, and perhaps simply the best. It was at the time where Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana were considered as the best Super Famicom games that Namco chose to launch its first jewel. It was a risky gamble, but Tales of Phantasia quickly became one of the best console games, surpassing the other two games, that even now are considered as myths. Indeed, the advantages of Tales of Phantasia were not only numerous but also very innovative for the time.
First, on the graphic level, it was rather difficult to push further the limits of the SNES. If you played Chrono Trigger or Secret of Mana, you are aware that the graphics were already reaching their peak at the time. Where Namco stood out was in the fact that the firm has been able to create the best graphics the console could afford, offering beautiful scenery and characters. This is especially notable during combat, where the characters appear in detailed 2D sprites.
Another factor that contributed the success of Tales of Phantasia was the scenario. While it was initial seemingly trivial and unoriginal, the game surprised players more than once with its many twists and turns.
Everything begins ten years before the time of the game. A group of adventurers chased after a demon named Dhaos and imprisoned him with a spell, spell that could only be broken with the two pendants used to seal him. As the game starts, one of the pendants eventually finds itself it the hands of the hero, and while he is away hunting with his best friend, Chester, the village is destroyed by those wanting to free Dhaos. The hero, Cress, managed to escape the slaughter but is eventually captured, the pendant is stolen, and as predictable as any RPG of the time, Dhaos is revived. However, this is where things get interesting. The players are sent 100 years in the past, before the source of all magic disappeared, where they have to find magic wielders and defeat Dhaos. While they fail to prevent Dhaos from fleeing to the future, they managed to restore the the source of magic, the tree, Yggdrasil, and travel back to their time to give Dhaos the final blow. Short game? Expected ending? Think again. They barely have the time to celebrate their victory when they receive the visit of a time traveller who announces that Dhaos once again escaped to the future and amassed an army. Players will quickly realise how restoring Yggdrasil changed the world, gain new allies, obtain new powers and also learn more about the true intentions of Dhaos.
While the above would have been enough to make a great game, Namco once again innovated when it came to the fighting system. Known as the LMBS (Linear Motion Battle System), players can control the characters by moving them to the right or left, while using key combinations to use special attacks like in any fighting game. Other characters are controlled by the AI although the player can manually select skills for them to use. Moreover, while it is nothing exceptional now, the game also benefit from digital voices for the characters, allowing them to shout the skills, magic or summons they used, which made the battles more dynamic and was a great addition to the fact that the appearance of the characters in combat slightly changed depending on the weapon or shield equipped.
In conclusion, Tales of Phantasia is truly a classic of its kind, still popular decades after its creation as proven that the multiple ports to the PS1, GBA and PSP consoles. With beautiful and captivating soundtracks, innovative gaming elements and numerous side quests, the game could only be successful. Lets face it, it may seem outdated to many nowadays, but with Tales of Phantasia, Namco offered SNES a taste of the future of gaming.
Another factor that contributed the success of Tales of Phantasia was the scenario. While it was initial seemingly trivial and unoriginal, the game surprised players more than once with its many twists and turns.
While the above would have been enough to make a great game, Namco once again innovated when it came to the fighting system. Known as the LMBS (Linear Motion Battle System), players can control the characters by moving them to the right or left, while using key combinations to use special attacks like in any fighting game. Other characters are controlled by the AI although the player can manually select skills for them to use. Moreover, while it is nothing exceptional now, the game also benefit from digital voices for the characters, allowing them to shout the skills, magic or summons they used, which made the battles more dynamic and was a great addition to the fact that the appearance of the characters in combat slightly changed depending on the weapon or shield equipped.
