If you want better animation quality
Choose Tales of Berseria Remastered. It scores 5.0 vs 3.1 for animation quality, with a 3.7 overall score.
Tales of Xillia Remastered Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for fast linked combat, a lovable cast, and the most convenient way to play Xillia today. Skip it if you expect a transformative remaster, modern dungeon design, or strong Switch performance.
Best for
Best for newcomers who want a character-driven action JRPG and returning fans who value faster navigation, autosave, smoother performance, and flexible combat builds.
Not for
Not ideal for players expecting a transformative remake, elaborate dungeon or side-quest design, or the strongest portable performance on Switch.
Verdict
Tales of Xillia Remastered preserves the original game's strongest qualities: fast linked combat, a memorable party, flexible character growth, and a story with real emotional warmth. Autosave, clearer maps, faster movement, improved loading, and smoother performance make this the easiest version to live with, especially on PS5 and PC. The tradeoff is that the remaster is conservative. Repetitive fields, simple side quests, stiff animation, uneven English audio, and the limited differences between Jude and Milla's routes still show their age, while Switch performance is notably weaker. The result is a strong modern home for an enjoyable JRPG rather than a dramatic reinvention.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
73 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.028 (38%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.420 (27%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.414 (19%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.411 (15%)
Pros highlights
-
Combat is the clearest strength across the reviews. Linked Artes, character swapping, fast real-time attacks, and build experimentation are repeatedly described as fluid, deep, and fun, though a few reviewers find regular encounters repetitive or simpler than other Tales entries.
-
Most reviewers consider this the definitive or easiest modern way to play Xillia thanks to autosave, markers, faster movement, smoother performance, and bundled extras. The central criticism is ambition: several call it barebones, conservative, or essentially an upscaled port, and the absence of Xillia 2 is repeatedly lamented.
-
The game is widely described as enjoyable, charming, and easy to keep playing, with combat and party chemistry doing most of the work. Even more critical reviews usually still regard the core game as fun.
-
Sharper resolution, stronger color, and cleaner presentation make the remaster look noticeably better, especially on PS5 and PC. Reviewers still see dated models, sparse assets, and notably softer image quality on Switch.
-
The party is one of the most consistently praised parts of the game. Reviewers love the colorful personalities, chemistry, distinct combat roles, and character arcs, with very few complaints about the core cast.
-
PS5 and PC are repeatedly praised for smooth, stable frame rates, often at 60 FPS or better. Switch impressions are substantially weaker, with a 30 FPS cap and dips in busier areas.
Cons highlights
-
Animation quality is mixed. Combat can look fluid and energetic, but stiff cutscenes, older facial movement, and dated character animation repeatedly reveal the game's age.
-
Environmental detail is a recurring weakness: fields, caves, ports, and connecting areas are often described as bare, repetitive, or low-detail. Strong color and occasional attractive locations soften the criticism but do not erase it.
-
Level design is one of the most consistent weak points. Reviewers repeatedly call dungeons and field areas linear, samey, or visually repetitive, even when individual locations or gimmicks work well.
-
Side quests are commonly described as basic, repetitive, or fetch-heavy. A few have worthwhile narrative context, but their structure rarely matches the quality of the main cast and combat.
-
Pacing is a recurring concern, especially through the middle of the game where cutscenes, formulaic progression, or repeated structure can slow momentum. A few reviewers still find the overall story flow strong.
-
Sound design is uneven. Effects and music can be crisp and immersive, but English voice compression, muffled clips, and occasional mixing problems are repeated complaints.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in save system reliability, menu usability, HUD clarity, near average in voice acting, remake/remaster quality, below average in environmental detail, lore depth, handheld play suitability.
Comparison summary
73 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher34 (47%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts17 (23%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower22 (30%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| environmental detail | 2.1 | 4.3 | -2.2 |
| lore depth | 2.0 | 4.0 | -2.0 |
| handheld play suitability | 2.0 | 3.9 | -1.9 |
| content variety | 2.0 | 3.9 | -1.9 |
| save system reliability | 4.6 | 3.0 | +1.6 |
| level design | 2.3 | 3.8 | -1.5 |
| quest design | 2.1 | 3.6 | -1.5 |
| platform-specific feature support | 1.9 | 3.6 | -1.7 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better voice acting
Choose Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. It scores 4.9 vs 3.7 for voice acting, with a 4.1 overall score.
If you want better environmental detail
Choose Ghost of Yōtei. It scores 5.0 vs 2.1 for environmental detail, with a 4.4 overall score.
If you want better sound design
Choose CONTROL Resonant. It scores 5.0 vs 2.7 for sound design, with a 4.0 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Tales of Arise
- Better: spectacle The reviewer says Xillia does not match the spectacle of Tales of Arise.
- Compared: battle system The reviewer notes that Xillia's battle system feels notably different from Tales of Arise.
Tales of Graces f
- Better: combat system The reviewer says Xillia's combat can feel like a step backward after Tales of Graces f.
Tales of the Abyss
- Better: narrative strength The reviewer says Xillia does not reach the narrative strength of Tales of the Abyss.
FAQ
Is the combat still a highlight?
Yes. Reviewers repeatedly praise Linked Artes, character swapping, fast real-time attacks, and flexible builds, with combat emerging as the game's clearest strength.
How substantial is the remaster?
It is mostly a convenience-and-performance refresh rather than a rebuild. Autosave, faster movement, clearer maps, smoother frame rates, quicker loading, and bundled extras are welcomed, but several reviewers call the package conservative or barebones.
Should a first-time player choose Jude or Milla?
Several reviewers recommend Jude first because his route provides more context, then Milla for a second perspective. The routes overlap heavily, so the choice changes some scenes more than the overall campaign.
How does the Switch version perform?
Switch is the weakest-reviewed version, with softer image quality, a 30 FPS cap, dips in busy areas, and longer loading. Switch 2 backward compatibility improves some problems but still does not match PS5 or PC.
Is it worth replaying?
New Game+, Grade Shop modifiers, and the alternate protagonist route add replay value. However, several reviewers feel Jude and Milla's campaigns are too similar to make a second full run essential.
How long is the game?
Review estimates generally place a first story run around 25-40 hours, depending on side content. Seeing both protagonist perspectives can push the total much higher.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Varsona and Varsona Vyzelta
- Review score
- 3.3
YouTube - Noisy Pixel
- Review score
- 4.3
Article Reviews
worthplaying.com
Tales Of Xillia Remastered is an enhanced version of the action/RPG that lets players enter the world of Rieze Maxia in a tale of unwavering...
- Review score
- 4.2
nettosgameroom.com
Tales of Xillia is still a worthy JRPG all of these years later, and fans really shouldn't sleep on it.
- Review score
- 3.9
siliconera.com
Tales of Xillia Remastered is another fine remaster, with Bandai Namco pairing the original content with QOL additions on the Switch.
- Review score
- 3.7
rpgfan.com
Tales of Xillia Remastered adds quality of life features to make the experience seamless for both newcomers and veterans and is a solid entry...
- Review score
- 2.9
Top Video Games to Consider
Best for fluid traversal, rewarding exploration, striking art, and forgiving quality-of-life features. Skip it if you want deep combat, radical genre innovation, or consistently demanding bosses.
Pros: difficulty balance, boss design
Cons: innovation, sandbox freedom
Best for superb combat, inventive builds, and richly voiced characters. Skip it if repeated runs, resource gathering, or visually busy battles outweigh the appeal of steady progress.
Pros: overall quality, combat system
Cons: pacing, grind level
Good if you want a beautiful, demanding survival sandbox built around exploration, building, progression, and memorable co-op. Skip it if long resource runs, harsh death recovery, and deliberate pacing sound...
Pros: town-building system, exploration quality
Cons: grind level, fast travel convenience
Choose Clair Obscur if you want a story-rich RPG with thrilling timed combat, gorgeous art, and standout music. Skip it if poor maps, tight parry timing, or occasional bugs and...
Pros: narrative quality, combat system
Cons: map and navigation design, menu usability