n the fairy tales, there’s always that moment when the heroine steps into the ballroom, gussied up from head to toe, and immediately makes all of the other belles look like pug-fugly consignment store debutantes by comparison. This is the effect that Tales of Symphonia has on nearly every other GameCube RPG on the market, making them look underdressed and hopelessly outclassed.

The first thing that you’ll notice is the unique and vibrant visual style. By placing cartoony characters in detailed, picturesque environments, the game surrounds you with a colorful world that is one of the most stunning I have ever experienced. But, even though the amazing graphics are the most noticeable aspect of Tales of Symphonia, the area where it truly distinguishes itself is in its addictive and highly variable combat mechanic.

All of the battles unfold in real time, placing you in control of a single character while the game’s impressive AI handles the rest of the party. I wasn’t too hot on this at first (ever since Deep Blue beat Kasparov, I’ve been wary of giving technology too much power), but then I discovered the nearly unlimited ways to customize the computer’s behavior. Each of the AI-managed characters can be tweaked to your preferences, including adjusting the types of enemies it targets, how it engages them, and how frequently it uses special attacks. Additionally, the level of automation is entirely up to you. It is possible to hand your character over to the AI, leaving you to sit back and eat some nachos as the battle rages onscreen. Or, if you and your friends want to manually control all four party members, you can share the glory in multiplayer mayhem.

Unfortunately, not every aspect of the game is as engaging as the battle system. The story is tired, and the character types are so cookiecutter (save for the woman who seems to derive sexual pleasure from uncovering archeological artifacts) that you never get the sense that you’re a part of a new, exciting adventure—everything is pretty familiar. But, where the innovation runs thin, gorgeous visuals and dynamic gameplay fill in the spaces, making Tales of Symphonia the heavy-hitting GameCube RPG you’ve been waiting for.