Tales of the Abyss is a JRPG that focuses heavily on narrative and world-building. Its main strength is the lore, which focuses on "Fones" (music-based energy) and predestination. Other strengths include the protagonist's unusual character development and some large-scale events that literally reshape the landscape. Unfortunately, the ambitious narrative (politics, multiple factions, moral dilemmas) is later hampered by technobabble and weak game design.
The cast is varied and mostly strong. Luke, the protagonist, is an unsympathetic anti-hero, which is a refreshing change from the typical JRPG archetype. His character arc involves significant growth and a moral struggle: for example, he wrestles with his refusal to kill and the pressure from his companions who demand otherwise. Tear, Jade and Natalia are well-developed and memorable companions. Mieu, meanwhile, is more of a mascot, but adds a lot of charm. However, some characters seem overly eccentric, silly or childish. The overall cast, including NPCs, is large. In my opinion, fewer characters would have been better.
The dialogue is generally well written, but much of it feels like unnecessary filler, particularly in the optional "skits". These are short, optional narrative scenes in which the party comments on current events. While they add flavor and humorous group interactions, too many of them can slow down the pace, especially when they only act as filler. The voice acting is solid overall, but unfortunately the skits are not voiced, which makes them less engaging.
The game's graphics still hold up well. Visually, the cities have diverse and detailed architecture and are beautifully designed. Besides Tales of Zestiria, this installment has some of the best architecture in the series, often surpassing that of later titles like Xillia and Berseria. The character designs are also distinct and memorable. The only drawback is that the facial expressions are limited, though this is acceptable for a PS2 game. The music is decent, with one standout track, "Grand Chokmah Theme," that can get stuck in your head.
However, there are far, far too many unnecessary rooms and corridors in this game, which makes traversal tedious. The cathedral, which has over a hundred rooms and corridors, is a prime example. It seems as if the level designers prioritized realism over player experience. To make matters worse, the game often expects you to revisit earlier locations, requiring frequent backtracking. If you have forgotten the path, you will be stuck searching through countless rooms until you find the right one. No fun at all... Additionally, it is not always clear where to go next, which results in you having to search for different rooms to find the right one. Furthermore, the game is inconsistent in this regard: Sometimes, you are teleported directly to your next destination. Other times, you have to backtrack all the way. The combat-focused dungeons are usually straightforward and linear, however, some can be tediously long. They sometimes include basic puzzles that add some variety to the combat encounters.
Beyond the linear main quest, there are optional activities, such as minigames (like a casino), hidden dungeons, skits, events, and search points. These activities add a sense of exploration, but they are entirely optional. You will likely only discover most of these optional events by chance (or with a guide), as they typically become available at specific points in the main story. This forces you to revisit previously explored locations to find new content. Despite the optional side content, the core gameplay loop quickly becomes repetitive: travel to location A, talk, go to location B, talk, move to location C, talk, backtrack, and repeat. This loop is accompanied by filler dialogue and, later, heavy technobabble. It almost feels as if the designers aimed for realism again. Admittedly, it makes sense that characters would have to travel a lot to gather information in a medieval world without telecommunications. However, faithfully replicating tedious tasks does not necessarily translate into enjoyable gameplay. As a result, the pacing suffers, and the game ends up feeling longer than necessary.
The combat system is solid and plays like a simplified 2.5D fighting game. Each of your characters has various abilities (called "Artes"). Unfortunately, the lack of detail in the ability descriptions hinders your ability to make informed decisions. Although you can control any of them during combat, combat overall feels similar regardless of which character you choose. A unique combat mechanic are elemental spots, which are created when elemental spells are cast. Standing on these spots and using a matching attack enhances its effect. While this system is interesting in theory, it is too situational to rely on. Or it can be overused if you program your companions to use only matching abilities, however, due to the game's easy difficulty, programming your companions is not really necessary. Additionally, enemies tend to absorb a lot of damage, making the many optional random encounters repetitive. The enemy AI is simplistic, essentially boiling down to "move toward the player and use a random attack". Even the boss fights offer little variety.
Player progression is underwhelming. When characters level up, they sometimes unlock new abilities. Although systems like Fon upgrades, cores, and equipment improvements exist, they rarely feel impactful. Accessories are useful, but they do not add much depth. There is also a cooking system, but I found little reason to engage with it.
Ultimately, Tales of the Abyss stands out for its rich lore and ambitious narrative. Its lore and the protagonist's distinctive character arc set it apart from other games. The visuals are also quite appealing (for a PS2 game). However, underwhelming progression systems, simple and repetitive combat, filler dialogue, and excessive backtracking diminish the overall experience. With tighter design and more focus (less would have been more), it could have been one of the strongest games in the series.