Tales of Vesperia – 5 Tips for Beginners

We have been playing Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition for a few days now, and so far the joy and love we had for the title 10 years ago when it launched in the west on Xbox 360 is still there. The game still shows its age in certain places, but there has definitely been a fresh coat of paint, new voice acting, and much more! But not everyone had the opportunity to play the original, which is why we want to put together a few tips for beginners! Let’s dive in!

Tip #1 – Read Dialogue

Make sure that you spend the time reading the dialogue between characters, both the mandatory story discussions which will manifest themselves in cut-scenes throughout your adventure, but also the optional dialogue stories between characters in your party, which can be accessed when prompted on the lower part of the screen. These dialogue encounters will help flesh out the characters, pinpoint interesting facts about people around you, places you are visiting, and much more. They are essential to getting the full Tales of Vesperia experience!

Tip #2 – Examine and Explore Whenever You Can

When roaming around the early parts of the game, you are limited to the Lower Quarter and the Castle within the capital city. While your movement might be limited by mandatory story progression, exploring the areas you find yourself in is still something that can be done. See a stack of boxes up against a far wall? Make sure to walk over and examine them. You never know which items you might find, including the important Magic Lens which we will discuss next!

If you see a save point halfway through a ‘dungeon’ – in this case, your first dungeon will be the capital city castle – that likely means something big is about to happen, and perhaps you won’t be able to back track from your current position. Make sure you’ve explored everything  before venturing forward. Finding certain items early only makes your transition into the world of Tales of Vesperia that much easier!

A good pro tip when in the castle is to renter Flynn’s room after defeating the mini boss inside and automatically being moved back into the hallway after the cut scene. Check his dresser to find a particularly useful item!

Tip #3 – Use Your Magic Lens

Early in the game, you will have a Magic Lens item in your inventory, and you are likely to pick up a few more – both by defeating enemies and looting treasure. The Magic Lens will detail everything about the enemies you are fighting, including their strengths and weaknesses to specific elements, as well as their hit points (HP). A ways into the game, you will be given the Monster Handbook, which details all the monsters you will find within Tales of Vesperia. That includes both animals and humans, and everything in between. While most can be added to the Monster Handbook by backtracking and reengaging, a few of the ‘boss’ fights are your only opportunity to identify certain enemies.

Early in the game you will fight two bumbling castle guards. Be sure to use a Magic Lens on each of them before defeating them in combat! When fighting the *certain* enemy in Flynn’s room, remember to use the Magic Lens twice, once before the mid fight cut scene and once after!

Tip #4 – Play With Difficulty Settings

There is no right or wrong way to play video games. If you prefer to enjoy the story, by all means put the combat on easy. If you want a challenge, put it on hard. With three difficulty options to choose from, there should be something for everyone in Tales of Vesperia. Despite choosing your difficulty before starting the game, it can be changed at any time. I began on easy, but quickly moved the dial up to normal after I found enemy encounters a tad too boring for my liking.

Remember, you cannot earn any Grade when playing on easy, so if you want to use Grade later in the game, be sure to play on at least Normal!

Tip #5 – Make Sure to Equip Those New Items

Tales of Vesperia actually never explains equipping new items, but you will definitely pick up some armour while travelling through the capital castle. Be sure to hop into your inventory screen once you’ve acquired a new item and attach it to one of your party members to boost their stats!

Are you jumping into Tales of Vesperia this weekend? Let us know and join the conversation on Twitter!