As the crazy person who decided to play Tales of Vesperia twice within one and a half months, I was worried I'd completely burn out. I reviewed the Definitive Edition for RPGFan in January and remembered absolutely everything that I loved about the game. And by the end of my second playthrough, after completing every sidequest and every secret mission, I still love so much about this game.

I was enraptured with the cast, who have long stood as my favourite RPG cast of all time. They still hold that spot today, and with the Definitive Edition and my return to Terca Lumireis, I discovered new things I loved about the party every time I booted the game up. Yuri Lowell still stands out as one of the best JRPG protagonists ever; his confident sense of self as well as the way he carries his burdens and makes his choices make him surprisingly mature. And everyone who joins him on this wonderful journey is so different; all nine characters clash and meld together perfectly like the most eclectic bag of pick-and-mix sweets you've ever bought. They're all delightful and work together in wonderful ways. The story, while not outstanding, gives each of them their chance to shine, minus that third act which seemingly forgoes a lot of the game's themes and characteristics. I just wanted to keep playing and hanging out with Brave Vesperia.

This time around, I grew a really deep appreciation for the depth of the skill system. There's so many weapons and so many skills and artes to teach each character that this easily feels like a game in itself. Altered artes are flashy and bring back some much loved series spells, along with some exciting new twists. I was making my way through the game easily enough without them, but arming myself with these skills and spells meant I was unstoppable. And it's 2019, but I still get giddy exploring a world map. You can even get your dog to pee all over this one!

Tales of Symphonia might be the Tales of game that kickstarted my love of the series, but Vesperia is the one that cemented it. It's reminded me of the Tales glory days, and while I do love some of the later entries, this is really the peak of the series, and one I've absolutely loved revisiting twice, both as a critic and a fan. I'm sure I'll be back to visit Terca Lumireis again in the near future, most likely for a maniac playthrough, or to spend all of my grade so I can grind to level 200 easily.

I had initially run through Tales of Vesperia in two back-to-back playthroughs when it was first released. And I still love it now when I'm face-to-face with it again 10 years later. (See what I did there?) So all I can really think to say is nice and boring things rather than exciting and controversial ones.

To put it briefly: Tales of Vesperia features a cool cast of characters that come together to save the world from political corruption, environmental collapse, and a supernatural calamity; in that, we get to play a game with fast-paced ARPG combat, charming music, stylish cel-shaded visuals, and your (typical...and epic) "save the world" tour of Terca Lumireis.

This is actually one of those games I have so much fun investing time into that I wish it went on longer. By the end of the game the combat has you dishing out giant combos, the characters feel like friends you know, and the world is beautifully realized.

I will admit some of the shine of the game has gone since its initial release, but I also think playing the game a fourth time might do that; regardless, players returning to the game and new ones discovering it will find an incredibly solid action JRPG that'll last you at least 50 hours, not to mention tons of bonus content. While previous Tales of titles might have played to unique strengths — Abyss had its plot, Legendia had its music, and Graces had combat — Vesperia plays to being a well-rounded experience that is ultimately stronger for how it does everything "just right."

Those who played it know what I'm talking about. Tales of Vesperia is a solid (now) retro title that proves to stand the test of time, while new players have nothing short of a stellar Tale[s] to experience for themselves. Get it, I doubt you'll regret it.

This run of Tales of Vesperia is my first in around 7 years, and playing the recent Definitive Edition was both a reminder of how much I love this game and a revelation re: a few details I missed the first time (or experienced for the first time, since Tales of Vesperia DE includes the formerly-Japan-only PS3 content). I always liked Yuri's relationship with Flynn, but adding several new Flynn scenes and making him playable for a large portion of the game was a total delight.

Speaking of, the cast of characters is always a strength in Tales of RPGs, and Vesperia delivers one of the series' best. Yuri, a vigilante not above working outside the law, is a far cry from the do-gooding teenagers that typically star in Tales of games. Estelle, Judith, Karol, and Rita all come from different corners of the Vesperia world and exhibit fascinating personal growth through the story. Yuri and Flynn as renegade and paragon characters with similar goals but different methods is one of the all-time great friendly rivalries in RPGs. Repede is a very good boy and maybe also secretly the main character.

Tales of Vesperia is a crossroads. It was the first Tales of game released in HD, and the last Tales of game using traditional Tales combat (the kind where you run out of TP all the time). Tales of Vesperia simultaneously feels like the best of "old Tales" and the first of "new Tales," and I think it's a must-play game for anyone that's at least Tales-curious.