Compare The Outbound Ghost vs Tales of Berseria Remastered

Status icons, maps, and battle text can be difficult to understand or read, particularly in handheld mode where text may become nearly illegible.

New objective and collectible indicators make the minimap more useful and reduce friction when tracking goals and pickups.

The Paper Mario influence is unmistakable, and the game rarely develops a strong identity of its own. Emotion-based Figments add an interesting idea but do not fully overcome the imitation.

The anti-hero revenge structure and morally gray party help Berseria stand apart from the brighter, more traditional hero stories associated with the series.

Outside combat, exploration, a small lock-picking game, and occasional torch puzzles, the game offers few meaningful diversions. More minigames or side activities would help break up the repetition.

Minigames, battle arenas, collectibles, exploration rewards, and other side activities help break up the main loop and give the package welcome variety.

Long black screens before and after battles are the most consistent technical complaint. On consoles, waits of roughly eight to eleven seconds repeatedly break the flow and sometimes look like crashes.

Modern versions generally load faster, with several reviewers calling the improvements noticeable or nicely brisk.

Distinct biomes, dramatic lighting, and picturesque set pieces make many areas memorable. Pop-in and repeated assets sometimes undermine that detail.

Environments are widely criticized as bland, sparse, low-detail, or dated, especially beside the stronger character models and art direction.

The wholesome presentation, mild tone, and adjustable difficulty make it suitable for families, though the game is single-player and text-heavy.

The revenge plot’s violence, mature themes, and occasional revealing costumes make this a less family-friendly Tales entry than the series’ lighter adventures.

The broad range of colorful ghostly apparitions stays visually distinct across regions and gives the bestiary plenty of personality.

Enemy variety is a recurring weakness in dungeons, with repeated foes and samey encounter waves undercutting otherwise lively combat.

The cast is colorful and often charming, yet many supporting ghosts receive too little development or dialogue for players to form strong attachments.

The supporting party is praised for distinct motivations, chemistry, banter, and storylines that make them more than simple companions to Velvet.

Systems are introduced gradually instead of through a long opening lecture, helping the game feel approachable from the start.

The opening combat hours can feel overwhelming as Artes and interconnected systems arrive before every player feels comfortable with them.

There is surprisingly little to do in the attractive environments beyond gathering materials, fighting enemies, and completing a few basic interactions.

Collectibles, Katz rewards, treasure, and other field pickups add small reasons to explore otherwise straightforward spaces.

Writing is the clearest narrative weakness. Dialogue, motivations, humor, and the final resolution often feel amateurish, underdeveloped, or confusing.

Characterization and emotional writing are often excellent, especially around Velvet and the party, but a few reviewers criticize tropey sections, weaker villains, or missed thematic opportunities.

The fixed camera can hide patrolling enemies near the screen edge, forcing unwanted encounters that players cannot reasonably anticipate.

The combat camera was described as mostly well behaved, helping the fast battle system keep a cohesive flow.

Crafting resources can feel unevenly distributed, with desired Aspects sometimes blocked by one missing material and no clear bestiary or shop to help locate it.

The Soul system’s give-and-take creates an enjoyable resource rhythm when earning and spending Souls is working well.

Character expressions communicate emotion effectively within the simple papercraft style.

Facial models can still look stiff, one of several presentation details that make the game’s older technical foundation visible.

Tender exchanges and character humor occasionally land, but repetitive misunderstandings, overlong conversations, and unclear motivations wear down the cast’s appeal.

Skits, banter, and party conversations are often funny, warm, and character-rich, though one remaster review noticed awkwardly compressed dialogue timing.

The premise of unresolved ghosts and an amnesiac protagonist is strong, and parts of the story feel heartfelt or engrossing. The meandering chase, shifting perspectives, unresolved mysteries, and abrupt ending undermine the payoff.

The revenge story is the clearest consensus strength, praised for its darker perspective, twists, emotional weight, and willingness to center morally gray characters.

Shared experience across all Figments is widely praised because reserve party members stay useful without extra grinding or constant rotation.

Progression has useful depth through equipment, Grade Shop options, and evolving combat choices, but some reviewers feel growth is muted because the game can be too easy or bonuses too incremental.

The story’s momentum is a major weakness. Long chases, uneven chapter lengths, repeated events, and heavy backtracking make the middle and final acts feel padded.

Story pacing is often strong, but repetitive dungeons and backtracking can interrupt emotional highs; the remaster’s faster travel helps without eliminating the issue.

Large areas can feel slow to cross, and faster movement would reduce the drag of repeated backtracking.

The 20% movement-speed boost is one of the most appreciated QoL changes, though some reviewers still find traversal floaty, sluggish, or detached from the world.

Enemy behavior is usually straightforward, but some field encounters show unexpectedly sharp tactics that can contribute to sudden difficulty spikes.

Party and enemy AI drew criticism for being basic, with players often expected to do most of the meaningful work themselves.

Steam Deck impressions are positive, but Switch handheld play is repeatedly criticized for blurry graphics, tiny text, and unreadable menus.

Portable Berseria is a major selling point for some reviewers, but Switch-specific image quality, 30fps limits, and one severe input-lag report make handheld recommendations platform-sensitive.

Text glitches, interface scaling problems, bugs, and rushed narrative structure leave the game feeling less finished than its attractive presentation suggests.

Quality-of-life tweaks add welcome smoothness, but dated assets, unresolved rough edges, and the small scale of the update keep the remaster from feeling comprehensively polished.

The large Figment roster supports many party roles and build experiments, but the sheer number of characters and abilities can feel daunting.

The cast is the most consistently praised element after the story, with strong chemistry, memorable personalities, and unusually compelling anti-hero dynamics.

AP banking, timed attacks, and status combinations can create clever tactical moments, but the timing gimmicks and status rules can also feel cumbersome or exploitable.

Soul management, Break Souls, combo trees, and character-specific systems can create satisfying tactical depth, though some critics think the systems do not always harmonize.

The Aspect system supports flexible builds and strong synergies, earning high praise from enthusiastic players. Others found it poorly organized, unnecessary, or filled with niche upgrades that never justified the effort.

Equipment enhancement earned praise for making dropped materials useful and giving gear management a satisfying purpose between battles.

The Figment roster covers many roles, but numerous characters and status types feel unnecessary when a few reliable strategies handle most encounters.

Velvet’s power is a recurring balance problem in the more critical combat takes, where her Break Soul loop can make other party members feel unnecessary.

For receptive players, the blend of exploration, mystery, music, and heartfelt themes makes Outbound easy to become absorbed in.

Strong art and music can bring Midgand to life, but pop-in and dated environmental presentation can noticeably break immersion.

Aspects offer many options, but their effects can feel too subtle to meaningfully change combat outcomes.

Gear and ability systems can support steady growth, but several critics see them as shallow, overly menu-heavy, or unnecessary because combat can be trivialized.

The mandatory tutorial is brief and unobtrusive, with deeper explanations left in the help menu for players who need them.

Some reviewers think the game teaches its mechanics well, while others find the explanations confusing or insufficient for the combat’s complexity.

Post-game play adds superbosses, remaining Figments, and collection cleanup, but almost no new story. Chapter 5 is especially disappointing for anyone seeking answers.

One detailed review found the endgame side content rushed, typo-heavy, and noticeably less polished than the main story.

Basic combat is easy to grasp, but the huge number of Figments, skills, statuses, and Aspects can overwhelm less experienced RPG players.

Combat can be approachable at first yet overwhelming as systems stack up; reviewers disagree on whether the tutorials and gradual introductions make that complexity manageable.

Shared party experience reduces routine grinding, although poor boss balance may still push players toward extra battles on harder settings.

Encounter toggles and Grade Shop XP boosts make grinding far easier to control, a widely appreciated convenience for story-focused or returning players.

The core visual design is excellent on PC and stronger hardware, but console versions—especially Switch—can look blurry, fuzzy, or low resolution.

The visual picture is mixed: the anime style still looks appealing and some remaster versions are crisp, but many reviewers see only minor upgrades and Switch can look noticeably worse.

Extensive sliders let players tailor damage, experience, and enemy presence, but the default curve can swing from trivial encounters to sudden spikes and lengthy bosses.

Difficulty can swing too far toward easy when Grade Shop bonuses or Velvet’s strongest loops are used, while harder settings do a better job exposing the combat’s strategic depth.

Whimsical music, colorful environments, and gentle ghostly humor create an appealing adventurous mood even when the story turns darker.

Berseria’s darker, morally gray tone is a standout strength, giving the familiar Tales formula a more mature and emotionally charged identity.

The repeated cycle of walking, battling, and waiting through loads loses momentum once combat settles into familiar patterns.

One reviewer felt the long combat-exploration-upgrade cycle stopped introducing enough new systems to stay fresh through the full runtime.

Figment roles, Aspect combinations, and flexible status builds offer creative tactical possibilities even though the broader structure remains familiar.

Berseria’s anti-hero lead, darker story, and freer combat represented meaningful departures from older Tales conventions that several reviewers still appreciate.

Environmental signs, background details, and scattered clues invite players to reconstruct the town’s history, though the main story leaves many larger questions unresolved.

The story’s moral ambiguity, revenge themes, free-will questions, and philosophical framing give reviewers more to think about than a typical straightforward hero narrative.

Much of the campaign follows the same pattern of crossing large areas, chasing the next character, and fighting enemies, with little variation in objectives.

One review specifically criticized repeated tasks and story padding for making the adventure feel longer than its central conflict needed.

The ghosts’ personal burdens and chapter-specific arcs can make the cast lovable and emotionally meaningful. Uneven writing keeps that growth from landing consistently.

Character growth is one of Berseria’s strongest qualities, especially Velvet’s arc and the way major party members evolve across the story.

When the themes of regret, mortality, and moving on connect, they create genuine empathy and a heartfelt payoff. These moments are among the story’s strongest qualities.

The revenge story repeatedly lands with real emotional force; reviewers describe tears, goosebumps, poignancy, and a strong attachment to Velvet’s journey.

Graphical anomalies, stuck characters, broken map elements, and at least one game-breaking issue were reported, although several problems were patched quickly.

Technical polish varies sharply by platform. PS5 reports are often smooth, while Switch reviews repeatedly mention pop-in, flicker, shimmering, and other visual glitches.

Combat is highly divisive: timed inputs, Figment roles, and build experimentation can be exciting, but regular fights often become repetitive, shallow, or poorly balanced. Bosses range from clever tactical puzzles to padded wars of attrition.

Combat is the biggest point of disagreement: many reviewers love its speed, combo freedom, and risk-reward systems, while others find it button-mashy, overcomplicated, poorly balanced, or repetitive.

The charming world, customization, and active combat can be highly enjoyable. Repetition and weak story structure can make the same experience feel dull despite its presentation.

Even reviewers who criticize the remaster often still call Berseria itself fun, entertaining, or a must-play first experience.

PC and PlayStation 5 can run smoothly, but heavy drops may occur when entering or leaving areas and battles.

Performance is strong on PS5 in several reviews, but Switch impressions are much less consistent, with 30fps caps and occasional dips drawing criticism.

The scenery often invites exploration, but the rewards rarely justify it. Many areas feel too large and empty, with side paths commonly yielding crafting materials that some players barely use.

Exploration is often dragged down by backtracking, long corridors, repetitive dungeons, and repeated fights, although faster movement and encounter toggles improve it in the remaster.

The papercraft characters, expressive designs, and colorful 3D environments are the most consistent source of praise. Even strongly negative reviews usually call the game charming, gorgeous, or visually distinctive.

The anime and watercolor-inspired art direction continues to hold up well, with reviewers praising its style even when textures and environments look dated.

Granular difficulty controls are one of the game’s strongest features, including damage, experience, encounters, and special modifiers. Visual accessibility is weaker, particularly color reliance and tiny or blurry Switch text.

Encounter toggles, difficulty controls, Grade Shop modifiers, button mapping, and other conveniences give players strong control over how demanding or time-consuming the journey feels, though one review noted the lack of colorblind modes.

Character movement and presentation are smooth, appealing, and well suited to the papercraft style.

Character and battle animation was praised as smooth and effective, even when other visual elements still showed the game’s age.

Dramatic lighting and colorful effects enhance the papercraft environments, although occasional spell stutter and console blur can reduce their impact.

Battle effects and flashy ultimate attacks add energy and spectacle to the real-time combat.

Despite themes of death and the afterlife, the tone stays cute, gentle, and approachable enough for younger players who are comfortable reading substantial dialogue.

The darker story includes death, killing, child-directed violence, and revealing costumes, making it a more mature Tales entry than some reviewers expected.

The emotion-based Figments provide mechanical roles but little personality, weakening attachment to the protagonist’s battle party.

Velvet is overwhelmingly praised as a distinctive, compelling anti-heroine whose anger, vulnerability, and growth give the story its identity.

A D-pad bug on PlayStation made menu navigation unreliable until patches addressed it.

Most versions feel smooth and responsive in combat, but one Switch review reported severe input lag that made both fighting and exploration unwieldy.

Aspect management is cumbersome, with long unalphabetized lists and awkward steps required to remove or replace equipment.

Menu impressions are mixed: new item indicators can help, but build management, DLC claiming, and some older interfaces are still cumbersome.

Maps and minimaps are widely criticized as tiny, unclear, or nearly useless. Missing objective direction and poor location tracking often lead to getting lost or backtracking.

New objective markers, collectible icons, and minimap changes are genuinely useful, although a few reviewers found them inconsistent or absent when most needed.

The focused main path avoids traditional side-quest clutter, but the absence of meaningful optional quests can also make the world feel empty.

One review specifically lamented the absence of a meaningful side-quest system alongside the game’s uninspired dungeon structure.

The world offers side paths and gradual unlocking within a mostly linear structure, giving players limited freedom without becoming a true sandbox.

Berseria is notably linear rather than truly open, and a couple of reviewers felt the zones were smaller or more constrained than they first appeared.

Some zones reward curiosity with hidden routes and colorful spaces, while others feel oversized, padded, and difficult to navigate.

Dungeon design is one of the clearest weaknesses, repeatedly described as linear, bland, maze-like, repetitive, or too long.

Bosses are inconsistent: the better fights reward clever status strategies, but others arrive without warning, have enormous health pools, or become long healing contests.

Boss opinions were split: several reviewers enjoyed the stronger encounters, while another found boss battles uninspired.

The campaign repeatedly funnels players from one location to the next through enemy waves and cutscenes, making objectives feel overly linear and repetitive.

Repeated objectives and forced backtracking can turn progression into a routine trek through already visited maps.

Colorful regions, environmental clues, and small visual details can make Outbound feel rich and mysterious. Reused assets and unresolved lore prevent the world from feeling fully realized.

Midgand’s moral conflicts, regional stories, and changing societies give the setting a stronger sense of history and consequence than its plain environments suggest.

Sound effects are mixed: many are timely and charming, while others feel sparse or irritating.

Audio opinions are mixed: battle effects can be excellent, but some remaster versions have distracting menu mixing or unusually loud effects.

Torch puzzles and lock-picking provide occasional breaks from combat, but they are usually simple, repetitive, or increasingly trivial rather than progressively more interesting.

Dungeon puzzles are usually considered simple or underdeveloped, with only occasional later sections standing out positively.

The interface generally matches the papercraft style and can be clean and readable on stronger platforms. Poor sorting, cut-off assets, and Switch scaling issues create notable friction.

New icons and clearer indicators improve navigation and inventory clarity, but older build menus can still feel convoluted.

The Switch version is the clearest weak point, with blurry handheld text, crashes, and severe loading that make other platforms easier to recommend.

Bringing Berseria to Switch and Xbox expands access, but missing upgrade paths, sparse PC options, screenshot restrictions, and no native Switch 2 version disappointed some reviewers.

Difficulty modifiers, randomized Figment order, hidden Figments, and alternate Aspect choices encourage repeat runs. Weak post-game payoff and the unresolved ending can reduce the desire to return.

One repeat player felt the magic faded on subsequent runs and explicitly recommended experiencing Berseria once rather than replaying it repeatedly.

Frequent save points make it easy to stop without losing progress, though a temporary PlayStation save scare required a restart.

Autosave is a welcome modern convenience that reduces the risk of lost progress and makes the long RPG easier to play casually.

Value depends heavily on tolerance for technical issues and narrative disappointment. The roughly 15-hour RPG can feel worthwhile to genre fans, while others may prefer a sale.

Value depends heavily on ownership: newcomers often get the best package with bundled DLC and QoL upgrades, while existing PS4/PC owners repeatedly see little reason to pay again.

Performance varies sharply by platform. PC and Steam Deck reports are mostly smooth, while Switch and some console versions suffer pop-in, blurry visuals, long transitions, and other port-specific compromises.

PS5 performance is usually smooth, while PC and especially Switch reports are more variable; the harshest Switch review described serious input-lag and image-quality problems.

Jazz, blues, and whimsical battle themes are catchy, relaxing, and memorable. Repetition can become noticeable, and some combat tracks could carry more urgency.

The soundtrack divides reviewers more than the story or voice acting: some rank it highly, while others call most of it average or forgettable outside standout themes.

Reviewers who clicked with the battle system found fights fast, satisfying, and highly engaging, with especially strong moment-to-moment action.

Losing a fight immediately offers a retry or reload option, making experimentation forgiving and reducing lost progress.

Local battle multiplayer is welcomed as a useful extra, though it is described as serviceable rather than essential.

Companion AI is a weak spot, with basic behavior and unreliable healing leaving the player to handle much of the important decision-making.

Local battle co-op is functional and welcome for players who want to share fights, but it is not presented as a major reason to buy.

The Switch version was reported to crash randomly to the dashboard, making frequent saving important.

Despite its darker tone, Berseria still feels recognizably Tales, retaining the series’ charm, party chemistry, visual identity, and action-RPG character.

Earlier and less restrictive travel tools are a meaningful improvement, though some reviewers still found warping limited or awkwardly structured.

Loot is useful for players who engage deeply with crafting, yet many pickups feel repetitive or worthless once Aspect forging loses its appeal.

One PC-focused review went beyond calling the remaster unnecessary and described the commercial proposition as potentially predatory for existing owners.

The dominant complaint is that this feels more like a port or convenience-focused rerelease than a transformative remaster. The QoL work is useful, but many existing owners see too little reason to rebuy.

Arte and combo customization gives combat meaningful flexibility, letting players experiment with large move sets and different strings.

Bush hiding is a simple but useful way to avoid encounters or start battles with an advantage, without turning the game into a demanding stealth experience.

Costumes and cosmetic options are fun and plentiful, but deeper build customization can feel limited or inflexible in places.

A physical release with extra presentation value was specifically appreciated by a longtime Tales fan.

Voice work is a major strength, especially the performances behind Velvet and the main cast, though one reviewer strongly preferred Japanese audio over the English dub.

The lack of PS4 save transfer was called a missed opportunity for returning players considering the remaster.

Bundled DLC is one of the remaster’s clearest wins: most reviewers liked getting the original costumes and extras included, especially for newcomers.

Battle multiplayer was described as serviceable but superfluous: usable for shared play, yet far from central to the experience.