PlayDevil has posted an in-depth review of the Xbox 360 JRPG "Tales Of Vesperia.
This is based on the European version of the game.
Here's a snip:
"Tales of Vesperia may be a JRPG, but the Tales games have never played like a traditional JRPG normally would. This makes for a nice change compared to your standard turn-based-combat RPGs. There are some fairly standard elements to the game, however.
Firstly, ToV is a (mostly) linear game. Whilst the world map does give you some freedom to explore, and whilst there are some sidequests, you can mostly progress through the story without ever feeling like you missed anything wonderful or interesting. And secondly, whilst the world map is refreshingly open, at the same time, if you try and progress anywhere that isn't on the main storyline, you'll probably get a short cut-scene that forces you back out into the field map."