#TALES OF BERSERIA ELEANOR BEST COMBOS SERIES#

It was also really interesting seeing some of the key titles and figures from Zestiria in a different light. There were a few of these references that even took me a while to get, such as the identity of Eizen’s sister. There is definitely benefit to being familiar with the future’s tale, as there are numerous subtle references that set the stage for events in Zestiria… but none of them feel heavy-handed or overdone. It’s easy when making games with related stories to make one too contingent upon the other… yet Berseria avoids that trap with ease. I wanted to take a moment to touch on the ties to Zestiria here. And then, when the end came and the true motives behind it all were unveiled, it vindicated everything you’d been doing. Even if it meant destroying the religion that seemed intent on saving the people. The game instilled a sense of almost righteous wrath into me while playing that surprised me quite a bit – I genuinely wanted to see her revenge succeed, even if it damned the entire world. The final aspect that helps the story avoid breaking your engagement is that the game gives you the early gaze into Velvet’s past, which helps you understand why she is the vengeful, hate-filled monster she has become. Laphi offers us a reminder of who Velvet was when we first saw her in the tutorial segment before things went to hell for her, while Eleanor acts as a bit of a moral compass for Velvet, tempering her tendency towards expedience.

These two characters offer the ordinary non-evil person a lens into the story. The second element that makes it work are a combination of relatively morally strong characters – the young, naïve Malak Laphi and the exorcist Eleanor. Additionally, since she is always very clearly aware of more than she’s letting on, she’s able to relay information the game wants you to know without it sounding out of place. Probably the biggest reason for that is that she offers fantastic comic relief. While a bit of an obnoxious character, Magilou is one of the most important characters to the story’s success. First, you’re accompanied for most of the game by the apathetic, sarcastic, know-it-all witch Magilou. Half of the game is spent committing various atrocities in pursuit of Velvet’s revenge.īut there are a few things that make it work. The cast is comprised of demons and criminals, for the most part. Our protagonist is the desperate, hate-filled Velvet Crowe – a young lady who was forced to eat demons to live for 3 years after being imprisoned by her sister’s widower after he sacrificed her ill younger brother right in front of her eyes. Don’t get me wrong, Tales of Berseria is a tragic tale, with every turn unveiling more and more desperation both in the cast and the world itself. I’ve seen so many games and anime fall flat because they wanted to portray a dark story, but forgot that you can’t just be tragic all the time – there has to be contrast. Tales of Berseria’s story is remarkably well-done. Dark stories are very difficult to do right. Now, the question then becomes: were my doubts realized? I still wanted to believe it would be good, that we would be going back to the greatness the last installments had featured… but I had my doubts. I began to fear that we were in for another let-down. The protagonist is female? Nice change of pace. But my hope wilted when I found out it took place in the distant past of Zestiria. I kept hearing tidbits about the game that seemed good. Then I heard about Berseria, I saw trailers of it and it looked promising.

#TALES OF BERSERIA ELEANOR BEST COMBOS SERIES#

Bandai Namco (or Namco Bandai or whatever they’re calling themselves this week) had done a fantastic job on the series recently, making some of the best JRPGs I’d ever played and then Zestiria came out with its anticlimax of a finish, awkward combat, and disappointing core protagonists, reminding us all that what goes up must come down. Let’s be honest… Tales of Zestiria was a huge let down.

Tales of berseria eleanor best combos