Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Tales of Berseria feels best when you stop treating its fights like simple button-mashing and start pushing your luck. You can chain physical attacks and Artes while moving freely around the battle arena, then use enemy weaknesses and defensive timing to keep control of a hectic encounter. The action is immediate enough to be satisfying at first, but there is real room to improve once tougher enemies force you to think about your sequences.

Velvet is a particularly good fit for this system. Her daemon arm lets her consume enemies and keep a combo going through Break Souls, creating a tempting rhythm of aggression and risk. Lean on that power carelessly and she can put herself in danger, so the strongest moments come from knowing when to press forward and when to guard, evade, or let another party member take over.

The four-person active party and reserve lineup give you useful options rather than locking the whole game to Velvet’s approach. You can switch characters and alter strategies during battle to answer different opponents, which helps the combat stay flexible across a long RPG. Visible field enemies also make exploration less irritating, since you can decide whether to engage instead of stumbling into every fight.

Progression is generous, perhaps a little too busy. Weapons and gear teach Artes and skills, while upgrading, dismantling, and enhancing equipment can produce permanent bonuses. There is plenty here for someone who enjoys tuning a party, but players who want to ignore equipment details may find the constant evaluation of new gear more like upkeep than discovery. Cooking, collectibles, hidden treasure, side quests, and ship expeditions give you reasons to poke around beyond the main route.

Graphics

The game uses a behind-the-back view as Velvet and her party travel through towns, dungeons, and the overworld, then shifts combat into open battle arenas where characters can move around their enemies. That perspective suits a fast, direct-control RPG, keeping the action close as combos and evasive maneuvers unfold.

Story

Velvet’s anger is the reason to play Tales of Berseria. After losing her family in a ritual, being imprisoned, and gaining the demonic arm that changes her, she does not set out as a conventional hero trying to save the world. She wants the truth and revenge, and that sharper motivation gives the story a welcome sense of hostility from the start.

Her journey across land and sea pits her against the ruling Exorcists in a world troubled by daemons. The central conflict has enough personal weight to avoid feeling like a routine fight against an evil authority, because Velvet’s own grief and choices remain tied to the larger struggle. You are following someone who has been deeply wronged, not simply checking off a grand destiny.

The companions matter because they bring their own motives and difficult histories into the group. Their presence broadens Velvet’s mission beyond her private vendetta and creates room for disagreement inside a party united against the same authoritarian order. If you like JRPG stories that allow their lead character to be rough around the edges, Berseria has a much stronger hook than a standard quest to become a hero.

Overall Experience

Tales of Berseria is a strong choice if you want a story-driven action JRPG with a lead character who carries real anger into every major decision. The revenge premise is not just a dark coat of paint. It shapes the journey, the conflict with the Exorcists, and the emotional stakes behind Velvet’s growing party.

Combat delivers the other half of the payoff. It starts accessible, then asks you to pay attention to weaknesses, action limits, defense, character switching, and the risk-reward pull of Break Souls. That makes victories feel earned when the system clicks, particularly for anyone who likes building long combos without giving up tactical choices.

The main friction is the density of its progression systems. Equipment affects both stats and abilities, and the upgrade, dismantling, and enhancement loops demand more attention than some players will want to give. Still, if you are willing to engage with that management, the reward is a flexible party, active battles, and a revenge-driven JRPG that has more edge than its genre peers.

Retro Replay Score

8.1/10