Ive never played Tales Of Symphonia, what's it like? And hell no to those cell shaded graphics, with there new Tales Of Vesperia(Although seems to have the World map of my dreams) looks to.. cartoonish to be taken seriously, and the characters look like 15 year olds a bit to much(Although they probably are), I would probably still play it though.

What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that it isn't the same as the rest... and I'd be too stubborn to admit it?

No, I am saying that you are right.   Tales of the Abyss is held to very high standards as a Tales Of game, and fans of the series always tell detractors it's different I SWEAR, but it's still a Tales Of game.  So, at the end of the day you are still mashing the x button to skip through vapid dialogue and completely dimensionless real-time combat.  I'm pretty sure that Double Dragon had tighter brawling mechanics.  You know that there's a problem with a game when the most memorable part about it is boy Reid you sure can eat like a horse geeze!!.

but it's still a Tales Of game so at the end of the day you are still mashing the x button to skip through vapid dialogue and completely dimensionless real-time combat

Then wouldn't that be the same in other games like FFXII? Where its real combat or whatever, and having to skip through a lot of dialouge? :P And skipping though most dialouge, isn't it like that in every RPG? :P