Tales of Zestiria

This game looks like it might just replace Graces as my favourite Tales game. I just hope the fusion system doesn't make the AI as brain dead as the linked characters in Xillia 1 (I read they improved it in Xillia 2 though).

The slave characters in both Xillia games really depend on the master character actively basic attacking to do contribute well, otherwise whatever they're doing is likely to be interrupted by a linked status, support skill, or link arte. They're a lot smarter and useful in Xillia 2, and I think a lot of it is the higher number of useful artes and skills (i.e. Leia/Rowen/Elise having more useful physicals, and actively using High Chain Spell).

What I disliked in Xillia was the Link system meant that the game was basically 2-player. It is pretty rare to have more than two players interested in doing a JRPG like this to begin with, not that I have anyone to play with, BUT IF I DID, I CAN'T. Graces had a very good battle system and character growth. Xillia's felt more forced, and with the explicitly limited and unfarmable GP system, it promoted more guide-searching and one-true-build type garbage, whereas the Graces' Title System and, to an extent, Xillia 2's Arrowcell Orb promoted more active farming to achieve what you wanted, outside of explicit leveling. Arrowcell might have been better if it had associated stats for each element too (and more artes and skills for non-Ludger characters), though it might also have been overpowered or too biased, making choices for the non-damage stat less useful despite what skills and artes you learn from it. It was really fun maxing it out, balancing which character equipped which growth item, but once I capped the elements, which was relatively easy compared to earning all of Graces's titles, or even max level in Xillia 1, there was no more growth except for explicit levels. If for example, Fire gave Strength after maxing it, I would have focused more growth towards that for a character like Gaius after learning every arte, or I could have balanced more Stamina or Dexterity, since he has naturally high Strength.


I really enjoyed the gameplay and systems from Graces f the most, but Xillia 2's fast paced combat makes it very fun as well, even if the other systems aren't as good.