Having played all of the Tales games up to this point (Super Famicom to PS3), I enjoy this series and was hoping that Bandai Namco would improve upon the disappointment that was Tales of Xillia. Sadly, that is not the case. This game introduces four new towns, about 5 new roadways and two new dungeons but that is all that makes it a ‘sequel’. The rest of the game is all of the areas found in Tales of Xillia with no improvements or changes, despite the time change. They try to add ‘new areas’ to the game, but these amount to ‘fractured’ versions of the areas in the normal game that, aside from the grainy look, have not been changed.
Most of the characters from the first ‘Tales of Xillia’ are still the same bland and predictable sorts from the old game, only they have gotten more annoying, whiny and pathetic. Aside from Alvin, Muzet, Gaius, Elize and Rowan, the rest of the old cast makes the game drag on and having to listen to their maudlin stories made me find it difficult to want to continue playing. The beforementioned exceptions add a great deal of life and interest to the game, but unfortunately the game's story is targeted at the problematic characters, so any interesting bits are quickly drown out.
The new character, Ludger, is extremely interesting and has a great weight placed upon him. Warning: If you do not like silent protagonists, then avoid, as Ludger does not really talk much until post-game. The tagalong character, Elle, is a badly brought child that detracts from every positive Ludger and the others achieve and I would not wish her upon my worst enemy, which is why I mention it here.
Lastly, while the combat system is a vast improvement and actually makes you think about what attacks to use, which characters and abilities to use and how to maintain your entire party, there is a sadly designed method of getting you to continue playing the game. This entails all of the nightmare experiences one can imagine in social media, is a huge part of the story, and is the determining factor in when you can continue the story.
I am not against Mighty Ape at all and wish them the best but I have to deter all from buying this game. If you are interested in any of the Tales games, get any of them EXCEPT Tales of Xillia 1 and 2; the stories are better, the games are more enjoyable and you will leave satisfied.