Type Video game When: Winter? 2016 - summer 2017 How I got into it: I'd read a review from which I got the impression that it was a pretty decent game, and then I saw it on sale for €15. Like I would let that pass me by, video game prices being what they are.
What I like about it: It's got a fantastical feeling to it, but the more serious moments land well too, and it doesn't feel like the two clash or one has to be seriously pulled back. The characters were really charming and had lovely designs, I liked hearing their silly conversations about history or armadillos. The gameplay's fun too, most of the characters are great to play as. It was pretty accessible for me when I first played it as well, I didn't have as much experience with video games at the time. It has a fantastic soundtrack too! Especially in comparison to the other Tales games (Berseria and Arise) I've played. Those tend to be forgettable, but I still listen to the Zestiria soundtrack every now and then. It really manages to capture Sorey's wonder and curiousity about the world.
I'm a bit of a history nerd myself, so it's neat to have a protagonist who's a massive dork and really into archaeology and ancient history. His arc is really interesting too; he has to accept some dark truths about the world, but he never loses sight of his dream to create a better future.
He has a fun dynamic with almost anyone in the party, and I like his slightly more down-to-earth, but still dorky personality in comparison to Sorey. On top of that, I love characters associated with water, and he has a lovely design. During fights he's very useful too. It's really easy to switch between offense and defence with him, and considering I like to have control over healing but don't want to be stuck in the back, that's very welcome.
She's Sorey's mature mentor, but she also manages to be really cute, I like that combination. One moment she'll be explaining the Duty of the Chosen One(TM), the next she'll be making terrible puns. Gameplay-wise she's one of my favorite characters to control as well. She's a bit slow, but once you get the upper hand it's really satisfying. Especially since she's got fire magic, meaning massive explosions and tornadoes of flame near the end of the game.