Tales of Berseria

Tales of Berseria is unusually dark for the long-running Tales series, since it is narrated not by a noble hero but by a woman driven by revenge. Velvet Crowe loses everything dear to her because of one man's actions, and her quest for retribution casts her in a role the world regards as demonic. Around her gathers a crew of outcasts, pirates, and beings who belong nowhere, and the game takes care to make their conversations between battles just as important as the main plot. Whether the heroine's motives are justifiable remains an open question right up to the end.

Combat is action-based and plays out in real time. The player controls one character, chains attacks into long combos, and manages soul points that rise and fall depending on how well things are going. A high soul count unlocks stronger abilities, while losing them weakens the character, turning combat into a smooth flow of risk and reward. Added to this are Velvet's transformations into her demonic form, extensive cooking, gathering, and equipment-crafting options, and the series' traditional skill system tied to equipped items. World exploration is fairly straightforward but padded out with plenty of side quests and crew scenes.

Technically it isn't a showcase title for the generation on PlayStation 4, retaining a clean anime style with bold colors and fluid action, though the environments are rather plain. This is made up for by the music and excellent character writing and voice work. Critics received the game favorably and often called it one of the most interesting entries in the series precisely because of its atypical heroine and more serious tone. The title's influence shows in how it steered later Tales games toward more mature themes. Today it's a very good choice for players who want a story-driven JRPG with serious action and no rose-tinted glasses. Completing the main story takes dozens of hours, and the reward is one of the best-built character arcs the series has offered.