The 30th anniversary of the Tales series is just around the corner and Bandai Namco has already started preparations with the Remastered Project. For those who would like to take a walk down memory lane, or are curious about what other Tales games they can play while waiting for new (or remastered) releases, here is a full list of the mothership Tales titles.

Tales of Phantasia 2q1f5t

Release Date: December 15, 1995

Platforms: Super Famicom, PlayStation, GBA, PSP, iOS, mobile devices

The first Tales title takes place in Aselia and follows Cless Albane, who seeks revenge after his hometown is destroyed. He learns that the culprits behind the attack wish to revive a powerful sorcerer king, Dhaos. Using the power of time travel, Cless and his friends travel to the past and future in order to defeat Dhaos for good.

Tales of Destiny 304o49

Release Date: December 23, 1997

Platforms: PlayStation

The original Tales of Destiny came out on the PlayStation and the remake came out in 2006 for the PS2. It follows Stahn, who accidentally finds a sentient sword that calls itself Dymlos. He, along with other wielders of speaking swords, fight for the Eye of Atamoni, which is a powerful relic from an ancient war.

Tales of Destiny Remake is one of the best titles in the Tales series for its story—which expands on the original and includes a redemption arc for popular character Leon—and fighting style. Hopefully, Bandai Namco has plans for a remaster so that it can officially release the game to the west.

Tales of Eternia 2t543o

Release Date: November 30, 2000

Platforms: PlayStation, PSP

Tales of Eternia, released in the west as Tales of Destiny 2, has nothing to do with Tales of Destiny. Instead, it follows Reid Hershel and his friends, who live together in the world of Inferia. One day, they come across a mysterious foreign girl named Meredy and through their interactions with her, learn of a different world called Celestia. They journey together to stop an ages-old conflict between the two worlds.

Tales of Eternia feels like the turning point for the Tales series in that it propelled the series into its initial popularity. It was popular enough for an anime adaptation and a MMO, though the anime was pretty bad (in that it had little to do with the game) and the MMO didn’t last long. The battle system feels a lot more fluid compared to Phantasia and Destiny, and it holds up to newer 2D Tales games too. 

Tales of Destiny 2 3i3854

Release Date: November 28, 2002

Platforms: PS2, PSP

The actual sequel to Tales of Destiny, Tales of Destiny 2 follows Kyle, who’s the son of Stahn and Rutee from the first game. Due to his parents’ heroic past, he’s also obsessed with becoming a hero. One day, he meets a mysterious girl named Reala and embarks on a journey to become a true hero.

Like the above Tales of Destiny Remake, Tales of Destiny 2 is a fantastic game. It’s got a great story, compelling characters, and a difficult battle system that’s rewarding to master. The meme himself, Barbatos, is also from this game. Considering how much trouble he can give you, it can be a little hard to laugh at the jokes Bandai Namco make at his expense.

Tales of Symphonia 5r3l5w

Release Date: August 29, 2003

Platforms: Nintendo GameCube, PS2, PS3, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One

Tales of Symphonia was popular in its native Japan, but it’s what really put the franchise on the map for the western audience. While the west had gotten Phantasia and Eternia, they weren’t exactly selling like hotcakes in the way that Symphonia did. The story follows Lloyd, who s his friend Colette’s pilgrimage to regenerate the world of Sylvarant.

Tales of Rebirth 3d484v

Release Date: December 16, 2004

Platforms: PS2, PSP

The story of Tales of Rebirth heavily focuses on racism. It takes place in a world where people wield a magical power called Force after King Ladras, in his final moments, uses his power to unleash the potential in people around his kingdom. Veigue lost power of his Force of Ice and froze his childhood friend Claire in a pillar. Even after he manages to free her with the help of new friends Eugene and Mao, soldiers acting on orders from Karegia Kingdom heiress Agarte take her away. His journey to rescue her from the palace morphs into a battle to end racism.

Tales of Legendia 4q6q12

Release Date: August 25, 2005

Platforms: PS2

Tales of Legendia follows the story of Senel and his surrogate little sister Shirley. Shirley is the Merines, a legendary figure among the Ferines, which is a race of people who can live underwater. Because Shirley is the Merines, many different factions want to capture her to use them for their own schemes.

Compared to previous titles (and its successor Abyss), Tales of Legendia looks and plays in a very weird way. This likely has to do with the fact that the developer, Project MelFes, consists of Tales Studio , along with developers from the Tekken and Soul Calibur series. It’s the first Tales game with Go Shiina as the composer and the soundtrack is objectively the game’s highest point.

Tales of the Abyss 5h3k3x

Release Date: December 15, 2005

Platforms: PS2, Nintendo 3DS

Tales of the Abyss is the eighth mothership title, but it’s the commemorative game for the series’s 10th anniversary. It follows Luke fon Fabre, a pampered noble and swordsman who ends up outside of his comfy mansion after heroine Tear appears to assassinate her brother, who’s also Luke’s teacher. The story heavily focuses on Luke’s personal development as he seeks the meaning of his birth. There is also an anime adaptation for Abyss, which you can watch on YouTube.

Tales of the Tempest r5ii

Release Date: October 26, 2006

Platforms: Nintendo DS

Tales of the Tempest follows Caius Qualls, who is a Leymon (essentially a werewolf). After the church takes his guardian prisoner and kill the parents of his childhood friend Rubia, the two of them set out for the capital. The adventure then turns into one to overthrow the church.

Tales of the Tempest is the first Tales game for a handheld console. However, the reception to the game was very mixed, with some places giving it a very positive score and others giving it a very negative one. Points of criticism included the story’s short length, lack of content, unappealing relationship between Caius and Rubia, and more.

Tales of Innocence 14305s

Release Date: December 6, 2007

Platforms: Nintendo DS, PS Vita

The story of Tales of Innocence follows avatars, human reincarnations of the divine Devalokans who can still use supernatural powers from their past lives. Ruca, a timid boy, is an avatar of the powerful Asura and he awakens to his powers after rescuing fugitive Illia, a fellow avatar. They meet up with other avatars, who then travel to do something about the wars engulfing their world.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World 4t508

Release Date: June 26, 2008

Platforms: Wii, PS3

Though the sequel of Tales of Symphonia, Dawn of the New World introduces a lot of lore and elements that weren’t in the original game. It follows Emil, a timid boy who survived a massacre that Lloyd from the first game perpetrated. After meeting with Marta, a girl with Ratatosk’s Core on her forehead, the two of them set out on a journey to fix the meteorological problems occurring around the world and escape from Marta’s pursuers.

Tales of Vesperia 164y6m

Release Date: August 7, 2008

Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows PC, Xbox One

Tales of Vesperia is a very popular and successful entry in the Tales franchise, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide. It also has a prequel film, though Flynn in particular is so out-of-character it might as well be fanfiction. The story follows Yuri Lowell, a former soldier who’s now doing odd jobs around his neighborhood. After meeting a noble named Estelle and fleeing from the capital with her, he forms a guild called Brave Vesperia.

Tales of Hearts 6c70r

Release Date: December 18, 2008

Platforms: Nintendo DS, PS Vita, iOS

Tales of Hearts follows Kor Meteor (Shing Meteoryte) who meets siblings Kohaku and Hisui Hearts. A monster infects Kohaku and in an attempt to save her, Kor accidentally destroys her Spiria (her heart and emotions). The three of them set off on a journey to restore Kohaku’s Spiria.

People don’t talk about the CG Movie Edition, but I definitely that one. People were comparing the models to the Evil Goddess MOCCOS, an old 2ch meme about the ugly KOS-MOS figure that came with the Xenosaga Episode 2 Box Set.

Tales of Graces 5q5o6m

Release Date: December 10, 2009

Platforms: Wii, PS3, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Windows PC

Tales of Graces follows the story of Asbel Lhant, who is the future heir of the Lhant village. As a child, he befriends an amnesiac girl named Sophie and the prince of Windsor, Richard. Witnessing Sophie’s death traumatizes him and he runs away from home to become a knight. Seven years later, he reunites with Sophie, setting into motion an adventure that takes him all across the world of Ephinea.

Tales of Xillia 1l6o71

Release Date: September 8, 2011

Platforms: PS3

Tales of Xillia is the first Tales game that combines character designs from Kosuke Fujishima (Phantasia, Symphonia, Abyss) and Mutsumi Inomata (Destiny, Eternia, Rebirth). Like Tales of the Abyss, it’s a celebratory mothership title. In Xillia's case, it was for the 15th anniversary. It follows Jude Mathis, a medical student who encounters Milla Maxwell after she breaks into a military research facility in an attempt to destroy a secret weapon. Now that they’re on the run from the military, Jude and Milla, along with their companions, journey to help Milla with her mission to save the world.

Tales of Xillia 2 3nb3v

Release Date: November 1, 2012

Platforms: PS3

Tales of Xillia 2, like Dawn of the New World, is a sequel of its predecessor while introducing elements and lore that the original game never really mentioned. It takes place a year after Xillia and follows Ludger Will Kresnik, a guy who just wants to cook. It turns out he’s not just a good cook, as he possesses the Chromatus. He and the cast from the first Xillia need to go into parallel worlds—essentially what-if scenarios from the first game—and destroy them to prevent their own world’s destruction. He also has to pay off a huge medical debt. Ah, adult life.

Tales of Zestiria 3cr5c

Release Date: January 22, 2015

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Windows PC

Tales of Zestiria was, like Abyss and Xillia, an anniversary title and this time, it was for the 20th anniversary. It draws inspiration from Arthurian legends and it follows the story of Sorey, a young human who can see the mystical spirits Seraphim. He leaves the village of Elysia with his best friend Mikleo and, after forming a pact with the Seraph Lailah, he becomes the Shepherd whose job is to purify the Hellion rampaging throughout Glenwood.

For an anniversary title, Zestiria had its fair share of controversies. Before the game came out, Japanese fans were ticked off about how prominent advertising for Alisha was, yet she was a mere guest party member in the actual game. After it came out, fans seemed split on the story, battle system, and tutorials.

Tales of Berseria k586k

Release Date: August 18, 2016

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Windows PC

Tales of Berseria technically serves as the prequel to Tales of Zestiria. However, you don’t have to play Zestiria to understand Berseria. It follows Velvet Crowe, a normal village girl who lost her pregnant sister after a daemon attack. One day, tragedy strikes the village and Velvet comes across her brother-in-law Artorius killing her younger brother Laphicet in a ritual. She transforms into a daemon and Artorius tosses her into jail. Once she wakes, she swears vengeance on the man who used to be her family.

Tales of Arise 37x2o

Release Date: September 10, 2021

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

Tales of Arise follows the story of Dahnan slave Alphen, or “Iron Mask,” and a Renan girl named Shionne. A curse on Shionne hurts anyone who touches her but since Alphen can’t feel pain, he’s the only person who can pull a sword from the Master Core she has. Like Rebirth and Eternia, it deals with themes of racism and oppression.

The post All Mothership Titles in the Tales Series in Release Order appeared first on Siliconera.

Ever since the Tales series started off with Tales of Phantasia in 1996, Namco (and later Bandai Namco) have released almost twenty mainline titles in the long-running JRPG franchise. With its anime art style and action-oriented combat systems, it set itself apart from competitors such as Square’s Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series. But with so many main titles, spin-offs, and remasters, it can be daunting for a new player to jump in and start. Here are some recommendations for either your first or your next Tales game.

As a disclaimer, this is not a comprehensive list! Some of the games I recommend, such as Rebirth and Abyss, didn't make it because they didn't fit any of the categories I came up with.

Best Retro 2D Tales Game: Tales of Destiny Remake 6x3y13

While the original Tales of Destiny was fine, it suffered from some jankiness that might make it hard to play for a modern audience. The 2006 PS2 version looked amazing with its 2D sprites and 3D environments. Between its fast-paced CC battle system and its story (which is fairly classic JRPG fare with an updated version of Leon which better matches his future characterization), it’s definitely one of the best games to play if you want to experience the magic of the Tales series.

Best Tales Spin-Off: Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 3mk54

Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 is the third and final entry in the Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology series. Though the plot isn’t anything to write home about, the sheer number of playable characters, as well as being able to see characters from various Tales games interacting with each other, makes it a fairly fun game. It can be a little overwhelming though.

Best Tales Game to Play When You Want to Cry: Tales of Legendia 850v

What makes a story sad is subjective, but Tales of Legendia is definitely the one that’s made me cry the most for more reasons than one. Despite how great the story is and how endearing the characters are, it’s absolutely horrendous to play. But legitimately, the ending of the game gets me every time. Even for Tales standards, it’s very character-driven, with a lot of moments that don’t necessarily serve to move the story forward. In that sense, players who don’t care about the cast might feel some way about that.

Best Tales Game For Those Who Want a Challenge: Tales of Destiny 2 n1071

As a disclaimer, I mean the actual Destiny 2 (the sequel to Destiny) and not Eternia. Tales of Destiny 2 doesn’t have a particularly complicated battle system, but it can get difficult especially with its plethora of annoying bosses. Though fun, it’s definitely not the easiest Tales game to beat.

Best Tales Game to Ignore: Tales of Zestiria 5e643w

Ever since its launch, controversies nipped at Tales of Zestiria’s heels and even almost a decade after its initial release, things have not gotten better. The story doesn’t live up to its initial hype and is surprisingly straightforward, with basically only one act and little depth. That goes for the characters as well. Though the battle system can be really fun to customize once you know what you’re doing, the game doesn’t do a fantastic job at explaining it, which means most people might not be able to make the most of it. While Zestiria serves as a sequel to the superior Berseria, you really don’t need to play Zestiria to understand it.

Best Tales Game to Play Alone: Tales of Berseria 6p29n

Tales of Berseria is perfectly fine to play with multiple people, but I personally find that its camera work is so busy that it’s easier to play it solo. Its AI is also pretty good too, and I’ve experienced very little issues with it. As mentioned in the above Zestiria entry, Berseria takes place in the same timeline and world. However, there is no need to suffer through Zestiria if you just want to play Berseria.

Best Tales Game to Play With Friends: Tales of Vesperia y5j3d

Tales of Vesperia has a lot of fun and unique characters to play as in battle, but the AI is pretty stupid. It can be a bit annoying to have to constantly mess with them to make sure they don’t do anything dumb and even then, they’re nowhere near as good as previous Tales games. I actually have a conspiracy theory that, like with Resident Evil 5 and 6, Bandai Namco made the AI terrible on purpose to encourage multiplayer. Judith is the worst offender, as she is borderline useless in battle without a person controlling her.

Most Fashionable Tales Game: Tales of Graces 1a224b

Most Tales games have collectible costumes and accessories you can put on your characters to make them look and silly. Tales of Graces, in my opinion, is one of the best games when it comes to cosmetics. The unfortunate thing is that the majority of the costumes are paid DLC. Outside of fashion, Tales of Graces has a clean UI, a beautiful watercolor aesthetic, and a fast-paced battle system that straddles the line between “Wow, so pretty!” and “Wow, I’m going to have a seizure!”

Best Tales Remaster, Remake, or Port: Tales of Innocence R 5r3q2

As much as I wanted to put Tales of the Abyss on this list, even if it meant putting it here as a “best port,” I can’t in good conscience ignore Tales of Innocence R. This is the PlayStation Vita port of Tales of Innocence, which originally came out on the Nintendo DS. I generally think the Vita ports of the DS games were really well-executed, and they add enough new content and characters that it feels worth it to play the same game twice. The downside is that Innocence R and Hearts R are both on the Vita, which was hardly a popular console.

The post Best Tales Games to Consider as Your Next JRPG appeared first on Siliconera.

The Humble Best of Bandai Namco Bundle is here, and both Tales of Berseria and Tales of Zestiria are among its headliners. While a wide variety of games appear, this collection primarily consists of titles from its more prominent series. For example, the $1 game is Pac-Man 256. Once you get into other tiers, games like Tales of Zestiria and Tekken 7 pop up.

Here are all the of the games available in each tier of the bundle. As a reminder, you get all previous tiers when you beat the average, pay $12, or pay $20.

• $1: Pac-Man 250
• Beat the Average: Little Nightmares Complete Edition, RAD, and Tales of Zestiria.
• $12: Katamari Damacy Reroll, Tales of Berseria, and Tekken 7
• $20: Code Vein and Project Cars 3

Since Humble decided to roll back a change that would cap off how much money would go to charity, the charity sliders are available for the Humble Best of Bandai Namco Bundle. People can choose to have all of their money from this purchase go to charity. The charity of the month is Active Minds, a mental health awareness charity in the US. However, people can choose which charity gets their .

As a reminder, Humble’s latest statement on sliders and charity splits did suggest things could change. When it reimplemented sliders at the site, it noted that “future development will include exploring different approaches to the sliders and how splits work, along with new ways to incorporate charity into other parts of the experience.”

The Humble Best of Bandai Namco Bundle will be available until June 2, 2021, and people will get both Tales of Berseria and Tales of Zestiria is they pay $12.

The post Humble Best of Bandai Namco Bundle Includes Tales of Berseria and Zestiria appeared first on Siliconera.

• $1 minimum: Pac-Man 256, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and Get Even
• Beat the average (currently $9.15): .hack//G.U. Last Recode, Katamari Damacy REROLL, and RAD.
• $15 minimum: Tales of Berseria and Tekken 7
• $25 minimum: The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan

The post Humble Bandai Namco Bundle 4 Includes Tales of Berseria and .hack//G.U. Last Recode appeared first on Siliconera.

SuperGroupies has revealed their latest collaboration fashion items – long wallets based on the cast of Tales of Berseria.   Check them out below: Velvet

Long Wallet – 9,800 yen

Laphicet

Long Wallet – 9,800 yen

Rokurou

Long Wallet – 9,800 yen

Magilou

Long Wallet – 9,800 yen

Eizen

Long Wallet – 9,800 yen

Eleanor

Long Wallet – 9,800 yen

Pre-orders are currently open, and run until January 27, 2019, and they are expected to ship out in late May 2019. Find more info on SuperGroupies’ official page for the collaboration.

Tales of Berseria is available on PlayStation 4 and PC. It is also available on PlayStation 3 in Japan.

The post The Cast Of Tales Of Berseria Get Themed Long Wallets By SuperGroupies appeared first on Siliconera.

Golden Week is just around the corner in Japan and Sony Interactive Entertainment is in on the festivities with a massive sale on Japanese PS4, PS3, and PS Vita titles through May 8, 2018. There are a bunch of titles in the Golden Week sale that you can check out on the PlayStation Store. Here are some notable titles with their PS Plus and regular sales prices:

• .hack//G.U. Last Recode – $29.99/$34.99 (40%/30% off)
• Akiba’s Beat [PS4] – $15.99/$19.99 (60%/50% off)
• Akiba’s Beat [PS Vita] – $11.99/$14.99 (60%/50% off)
• Atelier Sophie [PS4] – $35.99/$41.99 (40%/30% off)
• Atelier Sophie [PS Vita] – $23.99/$27.99 (40%/30% off)
• BlazBlue: Central Fiction – $23.99/$29.99 (60%/50% off)
• Blue Reflection – $41.99/$47.99 (30%/20% off)
• Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc – $10.49/$13.49 (65%/55% off)
• Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony [PS4] – $41.99/$47.99 (30%/20% off)
• Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony [PS Vita] – $27.99/$31.99 (30%/20% off)
• Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker’s Memory – $35.99/$41.99 (40%/30%)
• Dissidia Final Fantasy NT – $41.99/47.99 (30%/20% off)
• Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Digital Deluxe – $59.49/$67.99 (30%/20%off)
• DmC Devil May Cry Ultimate Edition – $13.49/$20.24 (80%/70% off)
• Dragon Quest Builders [PS4] – $35.99/$41.99 (40%/30% off)
• Dragon Quest Builders [PS Vita] – $23.99/$27.99 (40%/30% off)
• Dragon Quest Heroes: Digital Slime Edition – $25.79/$30.09 (40%/30% off)
• Dragon Quest Heroes II – Explorers Edition – $35.99/$41.99 (40%/30% off)
• Fallen Legion Bundle [PS4 + PS Vita] – $14.99/$17.99 (50%/40%)
• Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition – $33.49/$39.99 (33%/20% off)
• God Eater 2: Rage Burst [PS4] – $14.99/$17.99 (75%/70% off)
• God Eater 2: Rage Burst [PS Vita] – $9.99/$11.99 (75%/70% off)
• God Wars: Future Past [PS4] – $24.99/$29.99 (50%/40% off)
• God Wars: Future Past [PS Vita] – $19.99/$23.99 (50%/40% off)
• Gravity Rush Remastered – $8.99/$11.99 (70%/60% off)
• Guilty Gear Xrd –Revelator– – $5.99/$7.99 (70%/60% off)
• Monster Hunter: World – $44.99/$47.99 (25%/20% off)
• Monster Hunter: World Digital Deluxe – $52.49/$55.99 (25%/25% off)
• Muramasa Rebirth – Complete Collection – $10.49/$13.99 (70%/60% off)
• Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Legacy – $34.99/$41.99 (50%/40% off)
• NieR: Automata – $29.99/$35/99 (50%/40% off)
• Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Ultimate Edition – $39.99/$47.99 (50%/40% off)
• Persona 4: Dancing All Night – $17.49/$19.99 (30%/20% off)
• Persona 5 [PS4] – $26.99/$32.99 (55%/45% off)
• Persona 5 [PS3] – $26.99/$32.99 (55%/45% off)
• Persona 5: Ultimate Edition [PS4] – $87.49/$99.99 (30%/20% off)
• Persona 5: Ultimate Edition [PS3] – $80.49/$91.99 (30%/20% off)
• Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness – $14.99/$17.99 (50%/40% off)
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope 4K & HD Remaster – $14.69/$16.79 (30%/20%)
• Star Ocean: Till the End of Time – $14.69/$16.79
• Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization – $14.99/$17.99 (75%/70% off)
• Tales of Berseria – $20.39/$26.39 (66%/56% off)
• Tales of Zestira – $14.99/$20.99 (75%/65% off)
• Tokyo Xanadu eX+ – $29.99/$41.99 (50%/30% off)
• Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet – $5.99/$8.99 (80%/70% off)
• Touhou Genso Wanderer [PS4] – $24.99/$29.99 (50%/40% off)
• Touhou Genso Wanderer [PS Vita] – $24.99/$29.99 (50%/40% off)
• Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle – $17.99/$20.99 (40%/30% off)
• Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception – $24.99/$29.99 (50%/40% off)
• Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth – $24.99/$29.99 (50%/40% off
• Yakuza Kiwami – $17.99/$20.99 (40%/30% off)

There are many other titles that aren’t listed above that you can find over at the PlayStation Store, so be sure to check it out if you’re looking for any particular titles on sale. The Golden Week sales end on May 8 at 8:00am PT.

The post PlayStation Store Is Having A Massive Sale On Japanese Games To Celebrate Golden Week appeared first on Siliconera.

People familiar with the Tales series will know there’s always something comforting waiting for them at the end of a run. While there’s always an EX Dungeon to traverse, even more comforting is the Grade Shop. Your hard work and effort is rewarded with an opportunity to be in a better or more challenging place the next time around. There’s something about earning your way to a stronger, or maybe even weaker, place. It makes you really feel like you’ve accomplished something when you invest all that time and have something to show for it the next time around.

Of course, before you even get to the Grade Shop, you’ll need to earn the Grade to spend there. This is earned by participating in battles and doing exceptionally well. Don’t mess around. Don’t slack off. Always be on top of your game, and you’ll be able to acquire Grade for your efforts. The EX Dungeon is a rather great place to get yourself in a good place, You’ll find the Heavenly Steppes by heading to the Empyrean Throne and going to the right corner near the throne room door. A Katz will be waiting there.

Tales of Berseria’s Heavenly Steppes will have six areas that are made up of alternating random and fixed zones with opportunities to participate in ember hunts, collect Katz souls, find treasure, fight standard enemies, and encounter bosses. This dungeon has a final Mystic Arte for Velvet, Laphicet, Rokurou, Magilou, Eizen, and Eleanor. There are also three Dual Mystic Artes for Velvet and Laphicet, Rokurou and Eizen, and Magilou and Eleanor. Each one of these involves beating a boss. The third Mystic Artes for each character are optional and triggered by collecting the EX Dungeon orbs and bringing them to pedestals to fight bosses. Defeating the bosses on the second, fourth, and sixth floors in the Heavenly Steppes will give you Dual Mystic Artes. Of course, you can’t carry over the third Mystic Artes, so you might not want to go for that, but the Dual Mystic Artes can.

Once you feel like you’ve acquired enough Grade to get the Tales of Berseria new game plus experience you want, it’s time to start making your decisions about what to do. Now, you would need 13,010 total Grade to buy everything in the Grade Shop, but I wouldn’t recommend that. Certain things serve to make things more or less difficult, so it’s better to focus on boosts or debuffs that will best benefit you. In general, choosing to carry over the arte use count, cooking, equipment proficiency, exploration, fashion items, herb enhancements, library, shop levels, special items, Tales Coins, titles, and Potentites (Acerite, Glacite, Ignicite, and Ventite) is a good idea. Maybe picking up the item capacity expander too. These are all things that will be handy in runs where you want a leisurely stroll through the story or a major challenge.

The other Grade Shop items are best picked depending on how you want to play. If you want your second Tales of Berseria run to be easier, picking up double gald, half-price enhancing, double arte learning speed, double or triple experience (which stack, by the way, if you get both), enhanced drops, double Grade, max HP +1000 boosts, level up bonuses, and the Character Changer that lowers the Switch Blast cost. People who want to test themselves should go for Always Wandering, which increases the Dire enemy appearance rate, and half experience, which gives you half the experience you’d normally earn.

With Tales of Berseria, the new game plus Grade Shop is rewarding you for all the effort you have put into your current run. Granted, it doesn’t let you do things like carry over equipment or most Mystic Artes, but it offers some options that can make your next playthrough significantly easier or more difficult. And, with an EX Dungeon that can help you perhaps earn some extra Grade, you get plenty of chances to be at your best.

Tales of Berseria is available for the PlayStation 4 and PC.

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Most entries in the Tales series are stand-alone stories. You can pick up games like Tales of Vespiria, Tales of Graces, and Tales of the Abyss, knowing that’s it. You’re set. The 40-60 hour adventure will tell you all that you need to know. That isn’t true of Tales of Berseria. While this is a game that can stand-alone, on its own, very well, it’s best when paired with Tales of Zestiria. The two games complete each other, offering a fuller picture of a world where different species are divided and certain characters practically demand resolution.   Note: major spoilers for Tales of Berseria and Tales of Zestiria will follow.     Tales of Berseria begins its quest to further validate and explain the journey Sorey and his friends take in Tales of Zestiria almost immediately. The former sees us ri against Heldalf, a Lord of Calamity, who was corrupted when a Shepard cursed him. But it’s Velvet that is the first Lord of Calamity. She develops the name for herself, with her villainous actions in the pursuit of Artorius cultivating her reputation. We know from the first game that someone with this title is a person to be reckoned with and fear, but it’s the second game that helps us see how the title became an infamous one. Yes, the Shepherd concept is introduced as well, what with Artorius being the first, but while Zestiria focuses on what a Shepherd is, Berseria is more about a Lord of Calamity.   In each case, it’s a sacrifice that leads to the Lords of Calamity becoming who they are. Velvet is an ordinary young woman living with her brother-in-law, Artorius, and younger brother, Laphicet. When Artorius sacrifices Laphicet for what he believes is the greater good, Velvet becomes a therion. It leaves her infected and on a terrible path. Heldalf was a Rolancian general who took Camlann while pretending to protect it, then abandoned it when Hyland, a real threat, attacked. They did this in front of Maotelus and Artorius’ throne, leading to his corruption. When Michael the Shepherd discovers both Mikleo and Maotelus had become hellions due to malevolence, he killed Mikleo as a sacrifice and cursed Heldalf to a life of loneliness, immortality and malevolence.   It also allows us to see what people with two very different mindsets accomplish when going by the moniker. The Lord of Calamity Velvet is an antihero in Tales of Berseria. She wants to kill Artorius for very personal reasons. But, at the same time, her opposition of both him and the Abbey is doing a very positive thing for the world. It’s saving Malakhim from enslavement, some daemons from persecution, and everyone from having their emotions and individuality sealed away. Heldalf, under his curse, was attempting to remove sorrow from the world by killing everyone.   But Tales of Berseria isn’t important to Tales of Zestiria by showing us another Lord of Calamity. It’s critical for the background it offers on additional characters. We get to see so many people debut here. Eizen is one of them. He’s a Malak and older brother of Edna, who s our party in Zestiria. While people who played Zestiria may know him as a dragon in that game, here he’s an ordinary, albeit cursed, Malak. While his actual transformation into a dragon isn’t covered, we’re able to see and know him before it happened, as well as others who will go from Malakhim to dragon. It provides a hint at Zaveid’s true age, since he makes his “first” appearance here. When Velvet, Eizen, and her group need to get past a barrier, the group runs across Zaveid. He’s also against the Abbey, but not keen on working with others. Which means a boss fight with the party pitted against both Eizen and Zaveid. His whirlwind nature and personality are shown off, as he does what he came to do, then leaves.   But the important revelation regards Maotelus. Maotelus doesn’t get much explanation or build up in Tales of Zestiria. We’re left chasing Heldalf for much of the game, before this new opponent is brought in out of left field. We just know he’s the most powerful Seraphim that is supposed to protect the world, but instead has been corrupted by the malevolence he sought to stop. Our entire time with Tales of Berseria is showing us how a young, innocent Malak like Laphicet would be willing to become Maotelus. We watch as he bonds with Velvet and the other people of the world, develops a personality, and comes into his own. He and the Abbey’s praetors, Oscar, Teresa, Shigure, and Melchior, become the Five Lord Malaks.   To see a journey like the one in Tales of Berseria, where part of the purpose is for Laphicet to discover who he is, and then have it end with him achieving his destiny, is a very strong and compelling thing. We see a young man grow into what’s basically a god. Then, to learn that Tales of Zestiria is a build up to Sorey being able to help complete the process by purifying him, which completes his cycle and story.   Even Tales of Berseria and Tales of Zestiria’s endings complement one another. In each case, our hero is offering himself or herself up to make things right. Velvet offers herself up to the original Laphicet, now Innominat, so he’ll be sealed away. She willingly enters into an endless cycle where he’ll use his power to supply her with malevolence, while she’ll take his malevolence and turn it into more power to consume. Sorey willingly sacrifices himself to purify Maotelus, sleeping for hundreds of years to remove the malevolence from him. Each one offers himself or herself for the greater good.   Even saying this all now, reading isn’t enough. Tales of Zestiria and Tales of Berseria are so intertwined. If you go through one, you can’t skip the other. You have to play through and experience both. It’s only then that you can appreciate the actions taken by the characters and lore developed between the two games.   Tales of Berseria is available for the PlayStation 4 and PC. Tales of Zestiria is available for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC.

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Tales of Berseria puts players in an odd position. When it comes to Tales games, we’re usually following people that we can tell are absolutely, 100% in the right. Even if they’re rebels and seen as villainous in the eyes of the in-game government, everything they’re doing is clearly for the greater good. Things are different here. Instead, we follow an antihero out to fulfill her own selfish goals and a child that gets caught up in her endeavors due to his resemblance to her brother.

Editor’s note: there will be spoilers for events that happen within the first ten hours of Tales of Berseria.

Velvet is the sort of person that, in any other game, would be a perfect villain. The woman we adventure with for much of our adventure is quite different from the one we meet in the first hour of Tales of Berseria. The things she does are self serving and despicable. Once we see the therion she’s become, one who’s spent years confined in a prison, she’s at her worst. She initiates a prison riot as a distraction. It isn’t because she believes these humans and daemons deserve to be free; she wants to use them for her own selfish means. To prove she kills someone, she maims them, and at one point is willing to leave him to terrorize a town and possibly die, all so she can make a getaway. Instead of doing something to try to help a town that’s on the outskirts of a city protected by the Abbey, something that’d be a classic JRPG hero move, she es through, gets what she needs, and doesn’t bother with them. Her battle style shows her uncontrollable behavior, with violent and aggressive moves with no formal training. She follows her impulses and is more than happy to let others fall by the wayside if it means she’ll get closer to killing Artorius.

Laphicet is the perfect contrast to Velvet. He’s a blank slate. An innocent Malakim, he was enslaved by Teresa, one of Abbey’s Praetors. Velvet basically abducts him, an act that’s somewhat kind, since she did so to save him from killing her on Teresa’s orders in a kamikaze attack. He starts out as nothing. His emotions were sealed away upon being used as a tool by the Exorcists. He obeys others’ orders blindly, even if it could mean his own death. Yet, even though he is this total innocent with little to no will of his own, there’s goodness in him. He heals Velvet, Rokurou, and Magilou without any directive, all because he saw they were hurt. He’s very quiet and shy, but eventually develops this desire to help others.

You couldn’t find two people with two different personalities. This ends up working for both of them. Velvet has spent years alone, coming to see herself as some sort of monstrous daemon. She’s a person who has lost absolutely everything and everyone. The whole reason she’s become the monster everyone believes her to be is to try and get the revenge she feels she deserves. After everything that has happened to people around her and her inability to foresee or stop any of it, she’s become someone determined to push everyone away. People can’t get close to her. People can’t be anything more. They have to only be tools. Laphicet gets past that. He breaks through that barrier, due to his resemblance to her brother. When he doesn’t speak out when a monster is about to kill him, all because Velvet offhandedly told him to keep his mouth shut, you can see it break her. She cares, and this means she ends up performing selfless acts for another human being for the first time in years. It helps her grow as an individual and recover, setting the stage for things to come.

For Laphicet, it’s a matter of having someone see him as more. As brusque as Velvet may be in Tales of Berseria, she becomes a mother figure to him. He has someone who could and would kill for him. He’s more elegant, reserved, and innocent, showing kindness and comion to the people traveling with the two of them. He becomes independent and feeling. He even becomes one of the few people who stands up to Velvet and feels comfortable doing so, asserting his sense of self by insisting she begin calling him Phi, rather than see him as some sort of replacement. While he could have picked up on some of Velvet’s less irable traits, he instead picks up on her desire to protect him, courage, confidence, and determination. It’s a very natural transition that’s a joy to see.

As you go through Tales of Berseria, it becomes clear that Velvet and Laphicet’s relationship is beneficial for the both of them. These two characters get the opportunity to play off of and heal each other. We’re able to watch as they influence each other with their behavior, humanizing one another. It’s quite a refreshing thing to watch this relationship and these characters grow.

Tales of Berseria is available for the PlayStation 4 and PC.

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The Tales games are huge affairs. When you take into the main story, side quests, titles, and other collectibles, you can easily spend weeks working your way through the game. Tales of Berseria is no exception. This is a massive undertaking. Fortunately, Bandai Namco has implemented a number of game elements that keep your attention. Your focus is always concentrated on what’s important, thanks to things like Katz souls and marked conversations. It always is keeping you focused and, if you’d like, efficient.

Having glimmering items scattered around is one way Tales of Berseria helps make your life easier. These are very visible things you can collect. They’re relatively easy to see in the field, allowing you every opportunity to see where they are when you go from one point to another. In towns and buildings, it saves you the time of investigating every nook and cranny. If something is there, you immediately see it. Even better, they regenerate after a period of time. Should you need specific ingredients, stat boosting items, or materials, just return to an area a few times after leaving it and gather up all that you need.

Katz souls are even more efficient. Like the glimmering items, these are regenerating collectibles found scattered across the world. You turn them in at Katz chests in certain denominations to get accessories. Instead of being hidden among the landscape, like items, these are more like Tales of Berseria’s trails of breadcrumbs. While some are hidden away in optional rooms or places you’ll never look, many are guiding you to places you should go. Some take you out of the way, leading you to treasure chests. Others are impossible to miss, scattered around the paths you’ll be taking. In each case, they’re helping to make your experience better. They’re giving you something to collect for items, while also guiding you to places you should go.

Tales of Berseria avoids NPC burnout too. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes it can seem like a JRPG has too many people to talk to. There are so many, I might find myself avoiding nonessential conversations, because the ones I’m having aren’t adding too much to the experience. Whenever you go into an area, there will be exclamation points in speech bubbles on the map. Sometimes, these will indicate NPCs who have something of actual value to say about the world or your adventures. Other times, it’ll indicate a place where, if you go there, your party will engage in small talk. Instead of stumbling around, you have the option of enjoying a far more efficient experience.

Even equipment gets in on this concept. Not every weapon, accessory, and piece of armor is created equal. They may be the same type, but the boosts they provide and abilities they have can vary. This means every thing you collect needs to be checked, to make sure the items you’re using are boosting the stats that matter to you. There are even times when you’ll come across “weaker” pieces of equipment that are actually stronger. Especially if you’re getting involved with the enhancing and dismantling system, which allows you to improve the current items. This boosts stats and even adds skills along the way. You have to keep checking, because being on top of things rewards you.

While the idea of 100% focusing on a game is laudable, it isn’t always realistic. We have other things happening in our lives. Also, even if we are 100% into a game, we may have moments where we don’t want to linger in certain areas and would rather move along to the next story segment. Tales of Berseria has a number of systems in place to increase your efficiency. It makes sure you’re paying attention to everything important, with glimmering items, Katz soul trails, and other points of interest. These often lead you to other things that you’ll appreciate when you’re there. It goes out of its way to make sure you do the things that count.

Tales of Berseria will come to North American PlayStation 4s and PCs on January 24, 2017. It will launch in Europe on January 27, 2017.

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Bandai Namco has offered on update on the PC version of Tales of Berseria. The Steam release of the game will use Denuvo DRM. This will be the third game from the publisher to use the technology, with God Eater Resurrection and God Eater 2: Rage Burst being the previous two.

Details on PC customization options in Tales of Berseria were also revealed. In addition to full controller , its control will allow you to rebound every key. The graphics settings will have 4K, 1080p, and 800×600 resolutions, with 4K being upscaled. It will run at 60fps by default, though you can go down to 30fps. SMAA and FXAA antialiasing options are available, draw distance can be adjusted, and shadow textures and quality can be tweaked.

Here are the Tales of Berseria minimum and recommended requirements.

MINIMUM:

• OS: Windows 7, 8, 10 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz or AMD Phenom II X2 550, 3.1GHz
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Graphics: GeForce 9800 GTX or AMD Radeon HD 4850
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Storage: 15 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX 11 compatible

RECOMMENDED:

• OS: Windows 7, 8, 10 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-750, 2.66GHz or AMD Phenom II X4 965, 3.2GHz
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: GeForce GTX 560 or Radeon HD 7870
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Storage: 15 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX 11 compatible

Tales of Berseria will come to North American PlayStation 4s and PCs on January 24, 2017. It will launch in Europe on January 27, 2017. The demo will be available on the PlayStation 4 and PC on January 10, 2017.

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Velvet Crowe is out for revenge in Tales of Berseria. She has a score to settle, and the kind of strength and inexplicable abilities needed to accomplish her goals. In Bandai Namco’s latest trailer, “The Calamity and The Blade,” we get a glimpse at her backstory and motivations, see what her abilities entail, and glimpse the sorts of adventures she’ll go on with Laphicet and her crew.

Be advised, you may encounter some spoilers for Tales of Berseria’s story if you watch the latest trailer. Like the one released last week, it covers some of Velvet’s backstory and offers insight into why she’s undertaking this quest.

Tales of Berseria will come to North American PlayStation 4s and PCs on January 24, 2017, followed by a European release on January 27, 2017. 

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Bandai Namco has released a bevy of Tales of Berseria information. Alongside a new trailer, packed with English voice acting, event scenes, and spoilers, we’ve received a demo launch date and information on the PlayStation 4 and PC pre-orders. The trailer and PC pre-order are available now, the demo is available on January 10, 2017, and the PlayStation 4 digital pre-orders are coming soon.

The PC and PlayStation 4 Tales of Berseria pre-order promotions have a little in common. People who head to Steam to reserve a copy will receive a 15 minute skit video. This is viewed outside of the game. A 10% discount is available to people who already own Tales of Symphonia or Tales of Zestiria. The PlayStation Store pre-order will also include the aforementioned video, as well as a of three songs from the game and an exclusive PlayStation 4 theme.

Here is the Tales of Berseria English Voice-Over video. , there are spoilers in this 10 minute trailer.

Tales of Berseria will come to the PlayStation 4 and PC in January 2017. It will arrive in North America on January 24, 2017, then Europe on January 27, 2017.

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Tales of Berseria’s latest English trailer acts as a means of introducing viewers to the game. While it doesn’t go over the storyline, it does introduce party and list some of the gameplay and battle systems available in the game, followed by examples of these actions, in an over two minute video.

After a few sweeping scenes of scenic locales and examples of adventuring, the Tales of Berseria Grand Tour trailer gets a little more detailed. It starts by introducing the Liberation-LMBS, the linear motion battle system that allows you to have your characters freely run around the field in a fight. It then takes time to point out the characters, their voice actors, and their strengths, beginning with Velvet Crow and following with Laphicet, Rokurou Rangetsu, Magilou, and Eizen, Eleanor Hume. It also shows off some Break Soul moves, Switch Blast techniques, and minigames.

Tales of Berseria will come to the PlayStation 4 and PC in North America on January 24, 2016. It will come to Europe on January 27, 2016.

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Last week, Bandai Namco revealed North America’s Tales of Berseria collector’s edition. This week, the European limited edition of the game has been revealed. It’s largely the same, but a few of the bonuses are slightly different. Most noticeably, the European collector’s edition doesn’t include a copy of A Witch’s Tale: A World Full of Daemons, the prequel novel set before the events of Tales of Berseria, trading cards, or an 8-bit retro keychain set.

Europe’s Tales of Berseria Collector’s Edition begins with a PlayStation 4 copy of the game and a box to hold everything. It also comes with a Bienfu metal case for the game, in contrast to North America’s SteelBook with Velvet and Laphicet on it. There is also a separate softcover artbook, as well as three metal coins with Velvet, Laphicet, and Rokurou on them that are unique to this version of the game. The Chibi Kyun Velvet and Laphicet figures, starter strategy guide, and game soundtrack are present in both region’s collector’s editions. It will be €99.

Two European pre-order promotion items were announced. Depending on where people purchase Tales of Berseria, different bonuses may be included. It will be possible to get a set of six pins with Velvet, Laphicet, Rokurou, Eleanor, Eizen, and Magilou on them or a keychain with Velvet on it.

Tales of Berseria will come to the PlayStation 4 in North America on January 24, 2017. It will come to PlayStation 4s in Europe and PCs in both regions on January 27, 2017.

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