Tales of Xillia Famitsu DX Pack

Sweet! A special edition game review! Tales of Xillia Famitsu DX Pack comes with a handful of delightful goodies. The Tipo doll is most likely the main reason anyone would want to purchase this pricy special edition. Since Tales of Xillia is the mothership title developed to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Tales of series, you can expect Namco Bandai to produce various special editions. I just happened to pick up this one because Tipo spoke to me.

Here is the Famitsu DX Pack as a whole

Please keep in mind that this review is long because I am looking at all the goods included in the Tales of Famitsu DX Pack.

Tipo

I want to start by saying the Tipo plush doll is absolutely adorable. It is also, without a doubt, the highlight of the Tales of Xillia Famitsu DX Pack. When Namco Bandai first announced the various special editions available for pre-order I wasn’t sure whether or not I was willing to fork over $200.00 or more for one. That is, until I saw the Tipo plush doll design. I had already pre-ordered the Asian edition of Tales of Xillia to save money at the time, but I couldn’t resist the idea of squishing, hugging, and poking the Tipo doll...So I cancelled my initial pre-order and grabbed the Famitsu DX Pack all for Tipo!

Tipo is quite flexible because it is made from a micro fibre cloth, which is a stretchy material. Tipo also happens to be very squishy, like a beanie. The little game mascot is stuffed with cotton and micro beads after all. The description says Tipo is 250mm tall, but you can easily shrink it down to 200mm.

It amazes me how light this plush is. And by light I am referring to Tipo’s weight. When I lifted it for the first time I could have sworn it was lighter than the game that came with the Famitsu DX Pack. How strange, right? Maybe that’s why he can float in the game. What a magical little creature.

The only disappointing aspects of this plush can be found on the sides and back. Tipo is meant to have an even diamond pattern wrapping around its body, but you can see that the purple repeats itself on the sides and at the tail. I suppose I shouldn’t be too nitpicky, but since I paid so much for this pack, and since Tales of Xillia is the 15th anniversary game, I expected near perfection. I still love the little plush doll like crazy though, so I have no regrets purchasing the bundle. Since the Famitsu DX Pack is expensive and hard to acquire, I squished Tipo a few times, took numerous pictures, and then placed it back in its plastic. Now Tipo is sitting on my desk well protected (and very loved).

Here, have a little bum shot before you go!
Or you can just think of it as a face-plant.  Your call!

Micro Fibre Cloth

Tipo just won’t stop speaking to me. At least a third of the expressions plastered on this cloth are aimed at me.

This little cloth is 200mm x 200mm and is both unique and adorable. The design is meant to match the Tipo doll included in the Famitsu DX pack. Since the skit artwork is used for this cloth, you can see all of Tipo’s expressions from the game.

It can be used to clean screens or glasses, but I don’t think I’ll ever use it. As a collector, I try to keep as many things as possible in mint condition. I never took this cloth out and I don’t plan to. I have several regular non-collector micro fibre cloths I can use to clean my glasses.

Clear Files

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t expecting too much from the clear files because I never had any use for them at school and at home. The clear files that are included in the Tales of Xillia Famitsu DX Pack are very beautiful though. I’m a sucker for the anime/cinematic/cell-shaded artwork for all the Tales of games, so I really took a shine to these files after seeing them up close.

There are eight files included in this bundle. Six of them are character files, one of them gives you a sample of the characters’ skit expressions, and the last one is a special piece done by Ufotable.

Ufotable clear file

I honestly appreciate the fact that Ufotable included a special clear file that cannot be obtained elsewhere. The image is both entertaining and colourful.

I only wish there was another image on the back showing off the remaining three characters. I mean, the other clear files have a design on the front and back, so why not this one? Because it’s already beautiful on the front? Seriously, they could have made the effort to include one more gorgeous picture. Instead they plastered a plain colour on the back. I do have positive things to say about the main design though. I love how Tipo is biting Jude. It is most certainly a chomp filled with affection, but Elise finds it inappropriate nonetheless. It’s a sweet little picture.

Skit clear file

The skit file is transparent and fashions the happy expressions and the stunned expressions from in the mini chat sessions in Tales of Xillia.

I wonder why they chose stun though. There is nothing particularly wrong with it, but I just can’t help but wonder why. Maybe it’s just a good way to contrast the happy expressions. It most certainly beats anger.

Character clear Files

The character clear files sport a battle-chat expression on one side and official concept art on the other. Each character has a background colour to match their clothing, which I find is unique because now they have their own little distinctive styles.

All characters have various battle-chat expressions in the game, which includes happy, confident, angry, and then some. It seemed obvious that the developers of the Famitsu DX Pack selected the confident battle expressions for the file designs, but I’m wondering why they didn’t use one for Rowen. Does he not have one? I mean, he is an amazing character who deserves to look confident like the rest of the party members. Even Elise is trying to look more confident as she fights in battle.

I still admire the artwork though, don’t get me wrong. The image they chose for Rowen still looks amazing. I consider it top notch, but I can’t help but wonder why there is a slight lack of consistency among the designs of the clear files.

B2 Poster

I couldn’t bring myself to unfurl the poster that came with my bundle because I find that I often have poor luck with posters. Somehow they end up ruined in the end, so this time I just left my poster in its protective bubble wrap...on top of my highest shelf. I am going to provide you with the sample picture that was posted on the Ebten site though.

This artwork has been used repeatedly in the bundle. It is on the cover of the game, the manual of the game, and it’s even printed on the game disc. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful picture, but I was just hoping they would include more Ufotable artwork because I’m a fan of their style (aside from the occasional anorexic looking women...).

Anyway, I’m not too fond of what they included at the bottom of this poster, nor am I fond of what they did to the main illustration. If you look at the top of this poster, you’ll notice that Rowen’s head is just about to get cut off. It just seems like they could have shifted all the images down a little more so the amount of white space at the top and bottom would be evened out. Speaking of the bottom now, the battle expressions feel out of place. It’s strange how they all look angry. It’s also strange how they’re all looking in the same direction. Granted, they all look in that direction in the game, but that doesn’t change the fact that they feel out of place on this poster.

Tales of Xillia Game (finally)

At this point I am fifteen hours into the game. I’m having a blast so far because I love the battle system and the characters. I’m also pleasantly surprised at how much Japanese I know. It’s not a lot, but I’ve improved after playing a few Japanese games over the years. In any case, I'll do a full review once I finish the game.  For now, let's talk about the design of the product.

The cover artwork was done by the main artists of the Tales of series: Mutsumi Inomata and Kosuke Fujishima. The white background gives a lot of breathing space for the artwork. There is just way too much colour in the middle, so the white evens it all out. The inside is a bit boring though. It reflects all the covers of major Tales of titles released since 1994.

I almost wish Xillia had a reverse sleeve like Tales of Graces F did as I wouldn’t have minded having more Xillia artwork to look at. As mentioned earlier, I don’t particularly like the fact that they recycled the cover art several times.

Let's look at the cover art again!  Two more times!

Pre-Order Bonuses

Mascot Charm

Jude looks silly. I’m sorry I had to write that first. It’s the expression he wears on his face! It’s a flaw. It’s actually the only feature that makes this mascot charm look cheap.

First Press Downloadable Content

You receive ten free downloadable themes and two in-game costumes if you pre-ordered Tales of Xillia early. The themes and costume downloads only came with the first press release of the game. All copies after that will not include these bonuses.

The costumes are well made, but they may interfere with some major cutscenes in the game. The themes look lovely in high definition. Once you apply the theme on your Playstation 3 account, the ten themes will shuffle. On one hand, it’s nifty because it can change. But some people might not like all of the themes. I for one wouldn’t mind just using one instead of all ten at once.

Summary

Overall, I am very pleased I ordered the Tales of Xillia Famitsu DX Pack from Nin-Nin-Game. Sure, it was expensive to import it, but most of the bonuses are quite appealing, especially since I am a fan of the Tales of series. I can’t deny Tipo when he looks at me with such soulless eyes.

Tipo doll: 9.5/10 (I would give it a perfect score if the pattern on its body was even)
Micro fibre cloth: 9/10 (I may not use it, but I can appreciate the quality of the material and print)
Clear Files: 9/10 (Very simple and clean.  The Ufotable one could use a nice design on the back though)
B2 Poster: 7/10 (The placement of the images seems awkward, but the quality of the artwork makes up for its flaws)
Tales of Xillia game: 8.5/10 (The gameplay and characters are enjoyable, but there are obvious flaws that could have been fixed before the release as well)
Pre-order Bonuses: 7.5/10 (The Jude mascot charm is cute but awkward, but at least you get the additional downloadable content)

Overall:
8.4/10

Company: Namco Bandai
Purchased from: Nin-Nin-Game (Click here to check out the site)
Price: 13 500 ¥

~Sui Chee