5 Years Ago, an Underrated Video Game Series Perfected the RPG Protagonist

— Bandai Namco

RPG protagonists often fall into two different categories: the bubbly headstrong teenager with a heart of gold, or the dark and brooding yet misunderstood hero. The Tales series has fallen victim to these tropes more than once, but it’s also done a fantastic job of subverting them over the years. Nowhere is that more clear than with Tales of Vesperia, a superb RPG that breaks up the series formula, creating one of the greatest protagonists seen in RPGs. Not content to just leave it there, though, five years ago, Bandai Namco made the best Tales game even better.