Phantasia turns back the clock, and the gameplay takes a hit because of it. In Tales of Symphonia, players had total control, and battles were smooth and fast. While the game's story and presentation have been preserved well, the actual battle control feels very dated, as it moves and feels just like it did over a decade ago. One aspect of the gameplay that could have used a bit more of an update is the battle system. Love it or hate it, Tales of Phantasia is a true classic RPG. While this may be a huge turn off for some players, it is equally as encouraging for others. Main quest items can be missed easily, characters will die repetitively, battles are random, enemies are ruthless, and support items don't come easy. Within this seemingly innocent box lies the demanding structure of true classic RPGs. I said it in the Hands-On feature, and I'll say it again: Tales of Phantasia is tough. However, one thing that wasn't changed was the difficulty. A ton of work was done to make the game feel more mainstream, such as the addition of cooking, the 'title' system (seen in Tales of Symphonia), updated character art and a more balanced mix of quests. Since Phantasia is a bit of a mixed bag, readers should be warned that you will either love or hate this one. In all honesty, much of what was added turned out to be the major selling points for the game, and while it will be a blast for some RPG fanatics to play through, the dated gameplay may be too much for newer fans.

While the story, characters, and events are all retained, Tales of Phantasia is actually an updated design, mixing original gameplay, new quests, and updated battle art (inspired from the Playstation version). However, since a US release was never made, the story will be new to the majority of gamers that pick this one up. On one hand, the game looks, plays, and feels just like a classic RPG.

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