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This is basically the first of many reviews I will publish in the future. I am writing these on behalf of my YouTube channel "Mammoth Games." I finished this game awhile ago, but now I've finally got the time to review it. Tales of Xillia was originally released in Japan in 2011 while making it to the rest of the world in 2013 exclusively on the PlayStation 3. First off, this is the first Tales game I ever played and I thought it was really great. From the minute I started the game, the plot drew me in and begged me to play more. Unlike past titles, this game has two protagonists, the first is Jude, a young boy who is a med student in Fenmont. Jude has been called a "do-gooder" on many occasions on account of his willingness to help people and do good deeds when he has nothing to gain by doing so. His skills with Artes are quite useful on the battlefield. The second is Milla, the "Lord of Spirits" in the form of a young woman. Like a spirit, her thinking is very logical, and she rarely acts based on emotion. Her mission is perhaps the biggest force towards the games plot. I won't give out any spoilers, but play as Jude first, and when you finish his story, play as Milla. Milla's side will reveal many plot twist that just make more sense after seeing Jude's story. Some people swear that playing both stories isn't worth the work, but I assure you it is. There are few differences between the two, but when there are differences, they're big ones. There are also different battle themes depending on who you are playing as (I personally think Milla's is better and more JRPG spirited, but neither is bad.) The game talks a lot about a weapon called "The Lance of Kresnik", which delivers most of the game's plot, as it steals Milla's special abilities and spirit companions, and not to mention threatens the entire world. Milla immediately embarks on a quest to set things right, with Jude following without hesitance. He has nothing to gain by doing so, but he seems to have an overwhelming desire to accompany Milla and see things through till the end. The name "Tales of Xillia" has a deep meaning behind it. Xillia represents the number "zillion," which isn't actually a number, just a label for unmeasurable portions. Baba choose this name because it reflects the message that within a persons life there are many events and encounters with people. During your travels you will encounter 4 other characters The first is Alvin, a mercenary for higher who bases his decisions on how beneficial they are for himself. However, throughout the game he does grow emotionally after becoming friends with his travel buddies. The second is Elize, a young girl who is accompanied by a talking doll named Teepo. After living in a confined room in Hamil for a long time, she takes Jude up on his offer to travel with him and his friends in hopes of a more free life. The third is Rowen, an elderly man who spent a lot of time in war during his younger life. Nowadays he is a buttler in Sharilton. And lastly, Leia. Leia is Jude's childhood friend who eventually ends up joining the group after you meet her in Leronde (Jude and Leia's hometown) with not much of a reason other than following Jude. Gameplay wise it's pretty great. In battle you can move forwards and backwards, or you can "free run" in which case you can move in all directions. You can assign Artes (attacks) to many different buttons. Some Artes will trigger a Linked Arte when linked with the right person, provided your Linked Arte Guage is full or has a slot filled. When your Linked Arte Guage is full you can chain several Linked Artes together, or use an Arcane Arte to unleash a Mystic Arte. Players are allowed to hold up to 15 of every item usable in battle. You can also block, backstep, jump, or simply press X to attack. You can fight all sorts of different monsters, many of which seem to mix elements of real animals with fanatical ones which provides us with strange looking foes JRPG fans (like myself) will love. All of the available weapons and materials to upgrade different shops make getting stronger very easy, sucking the player into extra hours spent solely on upgrading their equipment. Visuals look colorful, crisp and quite anime like. They may not be what everyone likes, but anime fans should definitely enjoy them. The game has occasional animated scenes, and they look beautiful. Environments are a little repetitive at times, but thankfully climate changes throughout them helped with this. As for sound, most of the sound effects are pretty solid to me. After hearing both the Japanese and English voices for the characters, I believe they both sound great, but I will of course play the English version as I can enjoy a game that I understand much more than one where I would need subtitles. Some music tracks are nothing to brag about, and are at times overused (especially some of the themes that play on the field,) but others sound really well like the opening or Milla's battle theme. Final Judgement: Tales of Xillia is an amazing game, that throws the player into a world of fantasy, wonder, despair, and hope. In many ways it is truly a love letter to JRPG fans. 9/10

I need more time to study the gloves, but I think I did good everywhere else. What are your thoughts?