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Developer: Bandai Namco Studios, 7th Chord
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Platform: PlayStation Vita
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Gaming Trend 95/100:
I haven’t enjoyed a game as much as I am enjoying Tales of Hearts R in a long, long time. It has all of the classic elements of RPG gaming that the genre’s fans love, and an incredible battle system that stands high as a possible industry standard. The story is more than passable and the world is a large one, rife with discovery and exploration. There is nothing to not like about Tales of Hearts R, so I didn’t want to complicate the matter by rating it “appropriately” due to its being like so many games from before. This game is absolutely great, and everyone who loves RPG games should play it, without hesitancy. I hope that young gamers find this game at their local retailer and take a chance on it. Everyone should have the pleasure of enjoying this game. Without a doubt, this game deserves to be recognized for what it is: an absolute masterpiece.- This guy loves it, lol.
Game Informer 7/10:
3.5/5 Hardcore Gamer:Concept:
Befriend a strange girl and her brother in a quest to repair her broken heart and solve the mystery behind an evil witch
Graphics:
Adequate, but not mind-blowing. The colorful world is the best attribute
Sound:
Bandai Namco decided not to have English voice overs, but the Japanese voice work seems right on cue for the characters
Playability:
The challenge isn’t high and the mechanics are easy to grasp, though finding your way around with vague directions can be difficult
Entertainment:
Tales of Hearts R has some fun moments wrapped in a solid battle system, but it’s far from the best Tales adventure
Tales of Hearts R is a straightforward RPG with a heart of gold. It has a fascinating plot that’s unfortunately populated with a less than compelling cast and spotty character development. A game is only as good as its protagonist, and the ineptly named Kor Meteor is arguably one of the worst in the series. Dungeon designs are also dry and far too simplistic, requiring little thought to get through, but thankfully the combat redeems most of its regrettable qualities. Progression is done well as grinding is almost never needed, while the battle system offers a fair amount of variety depending how characters are developed. While flawed in some places, Tales of Hearts R is still a meaty package that should please dedicated fans.
4.5/5 N4G:
Gamesided 7.5/10:Everything considered, Tales Of Hearts R is one of the best role playing games released on PlayStation Vita, thanks to an excellent gamplay experience, nice story and charming characters. The game does have some small flaws, like the bland locations, not too good dungeon design and the weird cropping of the animated cutscenes lifted straight from the DS release, but it’s easy to overlook them when a game is as fun as Tales Of Hearts R is. Highly recommended to all fans of the series and to all those looking for an action role playing game with a classic feel to play on the go."
On a system filled with top-quality RPG’s, it might be a little hard for Tales of Hearts R to stand out. In spite of its really strong cast, it bears some annoying hallmarks of old school JRPG design. If you are looking for a solid Tales experience on the go (or have played most of the RPG's available on the Vita and are looking for something new and fun), Tales of Hearts R will definitely fit the bill without feeling like it’s been compromised in any way to fit on to a portable system.
8.5/10 PSU:
Forget about graphic fidelity, and find a strong narrative and character development alongside a universal combat system that Tales of Hearts R can only deliver to the PlayStation Vita.
CG Magazine 7/10:
8/10 EGM:JRPG fans should definitely look into picking up Tales of Hearts R if they want a solid JRPG experience on their Vita. Just don’t expect the game to be a memorable one that will go down as a classic. If you just want to scratch the JRPG itch while on the go, this is your game. If you want the next great classic, you might want to keep waiting and hoping for Kingdom Hearts III
After six years of pleading, North American players finally get Tales of Hearts—previously a Japan-only gem in Bandai Namco’s flagship RPG series. The wait was undeniably worth it, since this entry features some of the best storytelling, characterization, and pacing in the franchise—though the combat doesn’t make the smoothest of transitions from the DS version. Those who never played the original Japanese release won’t know what they’re missing, of course, but it’s frustrating that this undeniably excellent game isn’t quite all it could’ve been on the PS Vita
Explosion 4.5/5:
Everything considered, Tales Of Hearts R is one of the best role playing games released on PlayStation Vita, thanks to an excellent gamplay experience, nice story and charming characters. The game does have some small flaws, like the bland locations, not too good dungeon design and the weird cropping of the animated cutscenes lifted straight from the DS release, but it’s easy to overlook them when a game is as fun as Tales Of Hearts R is. Highly recommended to all fans of the series and to all those looking for an action role playing game with a classic feel to play on the go.
7/10 Playstation Lifestyle:
RPG Gamer 3.5/5:Tales of Hearts R is one of those games that is solid yet unspectacular, which is really the best way to describe it. The story and characters do just enough to keep you intrigued and moving forward, with the combat swooping in to patch up any possible holes with it’s fast paced fun. Kor Meteor is not the greatest lead that the series has seen and kills a lot of scenes that need a strong lead character. The combat is also far too easy, even on the hardest difficulty setting and graphically the game is fairly uninspiring. However, when the dust has settled, this is an RPG that will keep you entertained north of 20 hours and one that Vita owners will want to have in their collection.
Gizorama 4.5/5:While it isn't a monumental triumph like the last couple of main-series Tales games we've received, Tales of Hearts R is still an enjoyable, if somewhat unimpressive, entry to the Tales franchise, one that's more than welcome in the wake of the incredibly disappointing Tales of Xillia 2. It's much shorter than a typical Tales game, rounding out at around thirty hours, which actually works in its favor, as its fast but simplified gameplay isn't strong enough to support it for much longer than that. While it could have been improved in a number of ways, Tales of Hearts R is a satisfying Tales experience that ought to satiate fans until the next big game.
9/10 Niche Gamer:It's easy to look past the minor issues you may run into when the rest of the game does such a good job. The characters and battle system, along with the updated graphics and cut scenes, make this game a great first venture or a very welcome second meeting.
I must say I loved Hearts R. The game is made with the Vita in mind, and is a great Tales experience. If you’re a fan of the Tales games, I would heavily recommend Hearts R—it’s a fantastic game. If you aren’t so much of a Tales fan, the game is still possibly one of the best (if not the best) JRPGs on Vita we have out here so far … but I may be a bit biased as the Tales series is my favorite JRPG.
Still, Tales of Hearts R is worth giving a chance, for sure
RPG Site 5/5:
All in all, Tales of Hearts R is a serviceable RPG on the PlayStation Vita, but that’s about all it is. Generic but not broken, many aspects of the game fall short and nothing stands out. Perhaps this can be justified due its portable nature, but the experience remains unremarkable nonetheless
75/100 Worlds Factory:
With a decent – if uninspired – story and a great handheld iteration of the signature Tales battle system, Tales of Hearts R does feel like a legitimate Tales experience.
7.2/10 Just Push Start:
Overall, Tales of Hearts R is a decent JRPG game to play on the PlayStation Vita or PlayStation TV. Since there hasn’t been a really good JRPG since Persona 4 Golden came out over a year ago, Tales of Hearts R will good to play right especially if you are a fan of the JRPG genre. It’s an awesome JRPG game for the Vita but comparing it to other Tales game, it’s the weakest link due to its uninspired story, and not-so likable characters and slow paced story. It’s not a bad game at all, but it’s definitely not the best Tales game out there.
The Gamers Temple 78/100:
Like a lot of games in longstanding series, Tales of Hearts R may not hit all the right notes but Tales fans will eat it up regardless. The story is one you've heard before and the graphics aren't that great. What really hurts the score, though, is the random encounters. Still, I did enjoy my playthrough of the game and I remain glad that it saw a stateside release. But would I recommend it over the other big Vita games of the fall? No way. Anyone looking for an action RPG on Vita should purchase Freedom Wars and not give this a second look until the inevitable game drought of early 2015 (it happens post-Christmas every year). There is definitely fun to be had with Tales of Hearts R, but I was nowhere near as impressed as I thought I would be.
Game Revolution 4.5/5
Aside from some outdated appearance issues, JRPG cliches, and forgettable music, there isn’t anything terribly wrong with this game. The characters are charming, exploring is satisfying, the action is fast and engaging… this may not be the title that gets the Vita flying off of store shelves, but Tales of Hearts R is definitely worth adding to a pre-existing library. I may be one of the few still really happy with my PSP’s titles, but I’m growing quite fond of my PSP’s bigger little brother now.
8/10 Gamestyle:
Tales of Hearts R is an interesting game and whilst the story is pretty weak, the gameplay does enough to carry it. It is both open to newcomers but also has enough not to grate on fans of the lore of the ‘Tales Of’ games. In what is now becoming a crowded genre on the Vita, this is a title that should rise to the top.