Tales of Xillia 2 is a direct sequel that heavily leans on its predecessor. Playing the first game is essential to fully understand the plot and appreciate the returning cast. All major characters from Xillia 1 are back, and seeing how they’ve grown and changed is one of the sequel's highlights.
However, the new protagonists, Ludger and Elle (plus a cat), are underwhelming, especially in the first 30 hours. In contrast to other Tales of games, the main protagonist, Ludger, is a mostly silent character, a design choice that hinders emotional connection. While he does speak occasionally, his lack of voice acting in most scenes creates distance. Elle, on the other hand, is a stereotypical girl in distress with little backstory or development. Both feel like supporting characters riding along with the main cast from the first game, rather than driving the narrative themselves.
The two new main characters (plus cat) are rather lackluster, especially in the first 30 hours of the game. The reason for this is that the new main character, Ludger, does not speak any sentences which makes it really hard to connect to him (he can speak but for some reason the designers thought, it would be a good idea to have a mostly silent protagonist). The other new character, Elle, is a girl in distress with little background story and depth. The two new main characters feel like playing side characters who are accompanied by main the characters from Xillia 1.
The character progression system has been revamped with the introduction of the Allium Orb. It is a simplified system where extractors dictate how characters learn new abilities (called artes) across six paths. Unfortunately, it is poorly explained in-game, and planning your builds requires online guides. Despite choosing an extractor, there is no input or choice required, which is why it feels passive and makes character development less engaging.
Combat is basically the same 2.5 fighting system as in Xillia 1. There are a few small additions, such as linked mystical arts. The most significant addition is that the new protagonist, Ludger, can switch between three weapons during combat, making him the most versatile character in the game, as he can almost always find a way to exploit an enemy's weakness. Most enemies have different weaknesses against certain weapons or elements, but you can usually win by ignoring them. Unfortunately, enemies all behave the same and rarely require different strategies. As a result, common fights still require no real effort. Boss fights, however, are now truly challenging.
Visually, the game shows only modest improvements over its predecessor. Most assets and environments are reused, with only a handful of new locations. Unfortunately, pop-in issues are much worse now: objects like the quest blackboard take seconds to load. Moreover, the world design remains uninspired: environments are plain, lifeless, and lack detail. Tales of the Abyss on the PlayStation 2 offers much more engaging level design. Additionally, exploration is minimal, with most areas known and recycled from Xillia 1. Dungeons are also reused multiple times for quests, making the level design feel even more lazy.
New gameplay features include a blackboard system for earning money through basic contracts for fetch quests and monster hunts. Some of these contracts incorporate story elements involving side characters. Movement has also improved: you can finally dash (run fast), and the inclusion of quest markers on the overview map makes navigation and fast travel far more convenient (no more frequent revisiting of previous locations just to see if a new side quest has appeared). Still, the quest menu remains unnecessarily buried in submenus.
Another new element is the choice system: you will occasionally choose between two dialogue options. While most choices have minimal impact, some affect character affinities and unlock new skills. At some points in the game, your choice will trigger one of three endings. Overall, the implementation is rather shallow and I would not miss it.
The new debt repayment mechanic gates story progression. While it's an fun idea, it forces players into grinding (of contracts) to earn money, especially early on. Combined with the open-ended structure — allowing you to tackle side quests, contracts, and main quests in any order — this results in a sluggish first 30 hours where the story feels fragmented and slow to develop. There can be some tonal inconsistency when lighthearted scenes follow directly after tragic moments. The game would have benefited greatly from tighter pacing, especially early in the game.
That said, the main story does eventually find its footing. Although it revolves around a MacGuffin and multiverse, it uses this premise to explore meaningful ethical dilemmas and deepen the character arcs of both main and side characters. Personal side quests are neat and provide emotional depth and backstory, though few are directly tied to the main plot. And because of the large cast, there is only limited time to develop each character. Moreover, some cameos feel rather rushed and a bit like fan service.
The dialogue is generally well written, though the group dynamics felt stronger in Xillia 1. Voice acting remains good across the board, and Milla’s performance has notably improved. The soundtrack features a mix of new and returning tracks, though I still not a fan of some of the old tracks which become tiresome over time.
Finally, some quality of life annoyances remain. You still have to confirm a pop-up every time you pick something up. Also, it is hard to keep track of which store is selling what and where (especially the newest items).
Overall, Tales of Xillia 2 is a solid follow-up, despite its drawn-out opening and heavy reliance on reused assets. It takes a while to connect with the new characters — especially the mostly silent Ludger — but the story eventually gains momentum and explores some engaging themes and ethical dilemmas. From a gameplay perspective, it closely mirrors its predecessor, though quality-of-life additions like quest markers and the ability to dash are most welcome improvements. Fans of the original will likely appreciate the chance to reunite with the familiar cast and see how their relationships have evolved. That said, I still consider Tales of Xillia the stronger game overall, particularly in terms of pacing, dialogue, and group chemistry. Its storytelling had a better rhythm, with more frequent narrative peaks that kept me consistently invested.