Animanga Studio

Part 3.1 of 8 of the Greatest GameCube Games series

By RE4ProSP

First of all, I have to say: I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS GAME! I’m actually playing Tales Symphonia right now, and not just for research. At this moment there simply isn’t anything else I would rather play. I’m just about finished with my 6th play-through…

176 hours and counting!

Out of all of the games covered in this series, Tales of Symphonia is the least known outside of Japan (even though every one of these games was made in Japan). That isn’t saying it was unpopular, it just got stacked up next to Solid games from Legendary franchises. The Tales series isn’t something that stood out in gamer’s minds the same way as Metal Gear Solid or Legend of Zelda, but it certainly shines enough to be noticed, especially in the Animanga community. The fact that I picked Tales of Symphonia as part of this series speaks volumes for my reverence to its quality. This game is Legendary.

There are so many things to like about this game. The story, the characters, the game-play, and even the in-game skits. More than anything else, the best part of this game is the titles and what you have to do to get them.

Nearly everything that isn’t part of the main story line is related to a title in some way. The titles of Symphonia are something like a prelude to the Achievement and Trophy systems, only there are considerably more titles than there would be trophies for a single game. There are over a hundred unique titles in the game. Some titles take several hours, but most are significantly rewarding and nearly all of them are at the very least entertaining.

A few of Lloyd’s many titles.

One of the most time-consuming and rewarding titles is the Gigolo title. For this title you need to have Zelos talk to nearly every woman in the game that you can possibly talk to. Most named characters, however, tend to be immune to any such advances. The side-quest doesn’t start until shortly into disc 2, but you can spend a good amount of time chasing women throughout the second half.

You don’t just do it because you have to, you do it because you know you want to. The masses of women will offer a number of different responses to Zelos’s voracious advances and many of them will offer some humorous lines in return. They will also give you cash and prizes. Whether it’s several hundred gald from an old lady or a miracle gel from a little girl, soon you will have yourself your own private fundraiser.

Zelos’ appetite knows no bounds.

Zelos isn’t the only character with worldly travels in their quest list. Colette, pretty much the exact opposite of Zelos in terms of personality, has a similar globe-trotting quest, only this time you are finding and naming every dog in the world. Dogs can be found in back alleys, on high mountains, and even on floating islands. Wherever they are, Colette will search high and low and name them in an effort to unite the world of dogs!

Whine? I looked all over the world for you and that’s all you have to say?

There are all manner of titles in Tales of Symphonia. They can be obtained from completing side-quests, playing mini-games, reaching a certain level, collecting certain items (actually all items, as is the case for the most difficult quest), performing certain actions in battle, watching skits, or even being in a certain place at the right time with the necessary character on-screen.

Some titles will simply come naturally while some require a great deal of effort. Some are so obscure that they may require a guide just to figure out what to do. On your first play-through, however, I highly recommend that you try to figure things out for yourself. It’s more fun that way! You’re likely going to miss some things here and there. Don’t worry too much about that. If you couldn’t find a dog, forgot to talk to someone, or whatever you may have missed out on, you can always play through the game again.

Aside from the entertainment value, you may be wondering: what’s the point of titles anyway? Well, if you’re one of those people who needs to have a practical reason for everything they do, there is actually a good reason to search for dogs and women for hours. If the achievement doesn’t suit you, and fun just isn’t good enough for you, then fortunately there is still a viable in-game reward involved.

Each title you get can offer a variety of stat bonuses that are applied gradually as you level up. Unlike items, the stat boosts are not given instantaneously, but they influence the chances of a character getting an additional stat increase when they level up. They’re like advanced versions of the EVs in earlier-generation Pokemon games. Naturally, better titles get you better stat bonuses, so working for the Gigolo and Dog-Lover titles is even more worthwhile. Since titles can be transferred into subsequent play-throughs, the difficult titles you get at the end of the game become quite valuable when you start the game with them.

The search for titles may seem endless, but the rewards are eternal.

Next week on Tales of Symphonia. Episode 2: Before we save the world, I have to go be a waitress.

Don’t worry. I’m sure the world will be fine.