CJ’s review of The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince fascinated me because despite loving it, he found it to be an average game. Experiences like that speak volumes about what we look for most in games because they allow us to identify our ideals in a pile of faults. It inspired me to ask myself whether I love any games that are truly average, mediocre, or unremarkable.
Then I rediscovered my dusty copy of Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World. If you remember Carter’s review of Tales of Symphonia Chronicles (which includes a remaster of this game), he couldn’t recommend Dawn over Tales of Symphonia in any way. But Dawn’s original Wii release was my intro to the Tales series, and it’s a game I respected a ton on its own merits. And oddly, many of the design choices that make it a lacking game are related to what drew me into it.
Source: Destructoid Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World is mediocre, but I love it