Tales of the Abyss Second PT Part One
I started my second Tales of the Abyss PT last weekend. Well, technically it’s my third- my second was a failed attempt at Hard Mode that I lost interest in around the Zao Ruins. However, this time I am really enjoying myself, and I’m catching a number of things I didn’t notice my first PT around…oh man, what was it? Almost six years ago? (How time flies!) It’s still one of the best games I’ve ever played. A great story with incredibly gameplay and so many excellent characters.
The first time I played I did a pretty poor job documenting my thoughts on the matter here on LJ (to be fair, I was rushing through it obsessively) but this was still during the time that S-chan and I were very close. The Tales games are perfect for great multiplayer action, afterall. (Notably, I have found the game a bit harder when I can’t rely on a good human player and must instead watch the CPU’s sometimes painful “hit and run and wait for ten seconds and hit again” strategy.
When we first played I controlled Tear, Guy and Natalia (and Asch), while S-chan played the other three characters. Guy and Natalia are still my favorite two characters to control. I love Natalia’s long range style + healing, and Guy is really fun and can pretty much wreck everything. Tear is fun too, especially once some of her stronger artes are unlocked like Éclair de Larmes, etc.
I have been using the others though, and I think I like using them all to an extent. I like Luke’s combos, even though I’m not a huge fan of his artes. Anise is somewhat unwieldy, but she is fun to play as well. Of course, Jade is just a badass, though he is probably the character I play the least.
One nice thing about the PT is that I used the GRADE shop. I actually couldn’t remember what certain things even were (ex: I forgot what AD Skills are…fail.) So I didn’t end up carrying them over. I carried over titles, recipes (Fruit Cocktail is broken and amazing), items and Gald. The Gald has let me stay ahead of the game quite a bit, though I actually spent a bunch in Keteburg getting Guy and Anise two overly powerful weapons that I shouldn’t be able to afford. (Not to mention I got lucky my first time in Din’s Shop and got a Killer Bow which is still stronger than anything that can be bought for Natalia at this point. Win!)
I’m actually playing on Normal, because I didn’t trust myself to remember how to play the game enough to go on Hard. (Though I do still have my first file with a save prior to the final boss, and a save with Asch in the party at Mushroom Rock Road I could always have trained on but whatev.) Perhaps the most annoying thing is that I’m going to have to do the tech counts to use the secondary techs. I’ve actually been spamming Linear Shot (…I think that’s the name…) as Natalia ahaha.
The game hasn’t been terribly tough, though not particularly easy. I’ve died like once against Arietta, and had a bit of a hard time against the Sync/Largo duo in Zao Ruins. Other than that things have gone mostly well. I have to remember that Free Run is epic and to use it ahaha. Also, maybe it’s just me, but I hate when my party members use items. Like, it just irks me. So the general strategy for my team is everyone use 25% TP (Except Jade, who gets to use 50% because his magic is awesome) with no item, not over limit. (Except on boss battles where I up TP usage to 100% for everyone)
As I was saying before, I’ve already caught a lot of stuff I missed before. How Jade summons his spear is a prime example (which is pretty awesome, btw), and that Dist is the one who modified Tokunaga.
I also find that Asch/Natalia is growing on me more than last time.
Speaking of pairings, I don’t think my affections have changed much. Luke/Tear is even better now than before, and I still think Luke/Guy is one of my OTP. There’s so much awesome there. I still like the Anise/Ion/Arietta triangle (with moar Anise/Ion-Arietta/Anise than Arietta/Ion). I still have a fondness for Tear crush Legretta and Luke crush Van (the latter of which seems to pretty much be canon…). And of course, the Peony/Jade and Dist/Jade pairings are awesome.
One thing I really love is the voices. The vocal work is like ToS, with the majority of it being exceptional, with only a few faults. For example, overall the main cast is excellent. I mean, Guy is JYB (<3<3<3) and Yuri Lowenthal as Luke/Asch is one of my favorite dual roles for him. (And also the second role I ever heard him in, the first being Kevin Winnicot in Xenosaga 3) I absolutely love Anise and Jade’s voices as well. The only ones I don’t really care for are Legretta (it just does not fit to me) and Ion/Synch, who I just can’t stand. (And I just realized Erin Fitzgerald who voices Ion is also going to be Chie in P4: Arena. Not sure how I feel about this now…heh)
But anyway, having lots of fun with the game. I’m currently just leaving Keterburg the first time. I liked that I comprehend what fonons are this time, as the first time I kind of left it with a mental handwave that it was “magical atoms” (which in some ways, I guess that would be the correct way to describe it) Van’s plan also makes a lot more sense to me, thus far, and I like that I, personally, agree with his philosophy of forging your own path and breaking the bonds of control the church/score has on the people who practice absolutely no free will. At the same time, his methods are horrible with his willingness to sacrifice so many.
Akzeriuth still aggravates me some. Mostly in the way Anise treats Luke. Everyone else makes sense. I mean, Luke has been aggravating them to hell. But Anise just carries on meanly, and especially condiering later circumstances surrounding her…it’s so hypocritical. (Which I’m pretty sure it’s meant to be.)
It feels like the only other person who really takes responsibility about it is Guy, based on how Luke was “raised”. I think my affection for the Luke/Guy relationship (friendship or otherwise) probably deserves its own post and a separate date. It is one of the greatest and closest bonds I’ve ever witnessed in something. A true bromance, but realistic with actual strife and issues, not just flat-out “awesome-tastic time”.
Now, I do like Anise. I know she’s probably the most detested of the Abyss playable cast, but I think her story is interesting, if not kind of …hmmm…when it comes to her parent’s safety. I think she’s cute and I like her personality, but just…lay off, lady.
What else? Oh, yeah! The time with Asch felt a lot shorter than the original time. Maybe it’s because I knew where I was going, for the most part, but it seemed like I sailed through it quickly. Which is sad, because Asch is a really great character.
The conversation between Nephry and Luke, and the following with Luke and Jade about Nephilim made me wonder how I would act in a similar situation (I.e: Joe was killed and I had the ability to create a clone who would lack all his memories.) . If I had the knowledge that he wouldn’t retain his memories, I don’t think I’d do it. I wouldn’t be bringing him back, after all. Now, if I thought his memories would return with the cloned body? I’d certainly do it.
So I was curious, and I tend to ask Joe random questions that can aggravate him (a few I’ve asked off the top of my head: “What would you do if you were a Herald of Galactus?” “What would you do if I became the Dark Phoenix?” “If you had the power to summon Persona and scale Tartarus or the TV World, would you?” etc) so this time, on our way back from dinner at Mellow Mushroom, I asked him “If I died, and you had the ability to clone me but I wouldn’t have my memories, would you do it?” And he said “Probably.” He admitted he would probably come to regret it, because it wouldn’t be me, but he thinks he would do it.
It’s interesting. It’s easy to be philosophical about it, but if it was someone very close to you…would you be able to make the right decision? Tales of the Abyss, ladies and gentlemen! Thought provoking and fun!