Tales of Symphonia Remastered

Tales of Symphonia's excellent story and characters are held back by dated mechanics, repetitive combat, and some technical issues.

Close to two decades later, Tales of Symphonia Remastered is a reminder of how neatly crafted the original GameCube and PS2 title was. Barring a few rough edges, this is still a great action RPG, full of charm and character. The only real downside is that the remaster itself leaves a lot to be desired.

We're admittedly a little mixed on Tales of Symphonia Remastered. Though the story is compelling, the character building is satisfying, and there's lots of content to experience, Bandai Namco's near-nonexistent efforts to scrub out the rough edges of this 20-ish year old game definitely hold it back from greatness. Things like the stiff combat, dated visuals, and awkward writing limit the appeal here, which makes this remaster feel like a missed opportunity. It's easier to recommend this to those who have nostalgia for the original and want to relive those memories, but it's tough to say whether newcomers should pick it up. This is far from the best action RPG on the Switch, and it's arguably not even the best Tales game on the Switch. We'd give this one a light recommendation as its positives do outweigh its negatives, but with the caveat that you should probably wait for a deep sale or buy it used. There are much better RPGs to play on the Switch today, and this one doesn't quite deserve a spot near the top of your list.

Tales of Symphonia is a beloved classic of Bandai Namco's Tales series, but this latest version is a disappointing mess of issues, play a different port instead.

Tales of Symphonia Remastered fails to capture the magic of the original on modern consoles, and it should probably be avoided, especially on Nintendo Switch.

Tales of Symphonia is still one of the biggest highlights in the series with a fantastic assortment of characters, some simple but enjoyable combat and great story to keep players invested throughout.

Considering it is 22 years old, Tales of Symphonia has aged remarkably well, aside from the battle issue. The cheerful graphics look right at home on the PS5, even if they absolutely don't always fit the mood of Lloyd and Colette's journey, although they go well with the memorable soundtrack and emotion-filled voice acting. The fact a direct sequel happened shows how epic a game it is, and hopefully that, too, will receive the remaster treatment, which was mostly a few extra outfits and not a lot of noticeable improvements. Poorly aged gameplay elements let down what is otherwise a strong and enjoyable adventure that will be remembered for many more decades.

Tales of Symphonia Remastered is an opportunity to experience one of the best JRPGs of all time. It's also an example of how not to re-release a classic from a previous generation, as this remaster is heavily affected by technical flaws and poor choices. Its downgrade in quality is clear for those who have played the original game, Tales of Symphonia Remastered should undergo an overall revision before being considered as a worthy companion to the 2004 classic.

For newcomers, Tales of Symphonia Remastered is a great pickup but for veterans looking for more, you won't find anything new here sadly. If you are collector of the Tales games it will be worth adding to the collection.

It was a pleasure to return to the world of Tales of Symphonia and experience the fantastic story once again. However, it was not a pleasure to look at this version of the game. Maybe we are spoiled in this era of 4k / 60fps games, but I honestly found it hard to push through this one, even knowing the excellent narrative that awaited.