![]() ![]() To be fair, it's true that you can technically get through Tales of Phantasia without spending a dime. If, however, you die again, or if you fall in another battle, you'd better cough up another $1.99 for another Orb.ĭon't want to spend more money? Enjoy your trip back to your last save point and all the lost progress that comes with it. When you fall in battle, the Miracle Orb will resurrect you and apply some status buffs. Why would Namco Bandai do these mean things do a beautiful old adventure? The answer is the Miracle Orb, an expendable item that sells for $1.99 each in the in-game store. In addition to a crummy item drop rate, Tales of Phantasia mobile upped the cost of armor and weapons compared to previous installments of the game, jacked up enemy difficulty, made bosses stupidly hard - and, just to twist a red-hot rapier into the player's eye, it took away save points situated near said bosses. Yes, "log into the game." In order to play this 20-year-old RPG, you need to have a constant Internet connection. Oh, but you might get lucky and log into the game while the server is offering "increased item drops," you lucky dog. Item drops, like healing fruit gels that restore hit points and magic points, have been scaled back. Worse, the ways in which Tales of Phantasia mobile goads you into making purchases is so shameless, you might find yourself rising from your seat while shouting in stunned disbelief. Within minutes of starting Tales of Phantasia for mobile, it becomes obvious someone at Namco Bandai grinned and rubbed their hands together as they devised the game's menu of in-app purchases. Now, for a cookie and a hug: How can a 16-bit RPG utilize the free-to-play formula without having the whole experience collapse into a bruised, enraging mess?ĭefeat the Ultimate Evil for Two Bucks and Change Like SimCity, Tales of Phantasia was totally designed to be online-only. Victory brings money ("gald") that can go back into items, better equipment, and other necessities for taking on tougher challenges, like bosses. ![]() Players dart into the fray, attack, then attempt to get out of enemy range. Tales of Phantasia is renowned for its battle system, which takes place on a 2D field and combines action with typical menu-based RPG commands. Cless swears revenge, and on his journey to put the hurt on evil, he recruits party members and does a little time-travelling on the side. The game tells the story of Cless (or Cress, depending on your preferred translation), a young boy who's orphaned after bad guys raze his village in search of an item his father bestowed upon him at The Last Minute ™. ![]() The mobile version of the game is actually a port of a PSP re-release that hit Japan in 2006. ![]() Tales of Phantasia was originally released for the Super Famicom in 1995. Tales of a Train Wreck Thousands of infuriated fans share your sentiment, Cress! Unfortunately, when a company as large as Namco Bandai tries to jam the formula into a traditional role-playing game like Tales of Phantasia, the product is an ugly wreck that destroys players' confidence in free-to-play games - and the reputation of a classic RPG along with it. What fun.ĭespite the hate heaped upon the free-to-play formula, it can be implemented fairly and successfully, thereby providing cash-strapped game players with good times. How long can you keep playing until you're suddenly expected to endure waits of 24 hours just to erect a single building? How long do you have to sit back and chill until your army is "ready" to take on another foe? Every free-to-play game supplies a different answer, and tests your tolerance in different ways. "Free-to-play" games can indeed be downloaded for no cost, but once you open the app, it's usually only a matter of time before you hit the dreaded paywall. Telephones have become a viable game platform video game retail is giving way to digital marketplaces and the words "Free Game!" make us bristle with suspicion. The games industry has become a weird place. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team. This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. ![]()
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