Outside of comic relief, the adorable Mieu also helps to keep things from getting too mundane within the game's towns and dungeons. For instance, Mieu's ability to shoot fireballs (complete with a cry of "Fire!" or "Mieuuuuu!") is necessary to advance through certain areas. In terms of gameplay, this means the player has more to do outside of battle than simply running around. Plus there's something intrinsically satisfying about strolling through a town and spewing fire, especially when there's a chance of extra money if it hits the right object.

Apart from flammable objects, dungeons are also populated with monsters. Scampering to and fro, the beasts are generally simple to run past without fighting. Of course, avoid too many encounters and you may not be powerful enough to tackle the next boss, but the option is always nice. Additionally, these mid-dungeon battles are often so easy that victory means nothing more than mashing the attack button, so there's really no reason to avoid them.

However, that's not to say battle is completely mindless. The boss battles prove there's actually some underlying strategy and depth to the action-based combat system. With button mashing leading only to failure in most boss fights, players must instead develop a strategy. The AI of the party members must be adjusted depending on the situation, maybe to focus solely on the same enemy the player is facing, maybe to provide backup and target anyone trying to use a special move.

Meanwhile, players must be smart in their offense and defense, not only blocking when needed, but reacting with the appropriate button combination to minimize damage from magic or physical-based attacks. Players can also run freely around the battlefield, allowing them to attack foes from the back or side while the rest of the party has the enemy distracted. And with an ever-increasing number of available attacks, there are a lot of different ways to approach a fight.

The only real problem with battles in Tales of the Abyss is less of an issue with the combat and more of a complaint with the game itself. Though they don't last for more than a few seconds, the frequent load times prove rather annoying. Entering a new area, entering battle, leaving battle, and the beginning of an in-game cutscene are all common events that will leave the player facing a black screen for a few seconds. Things only get worse when the overworld comes into play, with any load times relating to that portion of the game, including battle, lasting significantly longer than normal.