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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.

The Tales series turns 20 this year and Sanrio is ing in on the celebration. Hello Kitty has a crossover with Bandai Namco's Tales series.

The post Tales Of Series Gives Hello Kitty A Hug appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco is bringing four Tales of PlayStation 3 games back to stores as part of a celebration of the RPG series' 20th anniversary. The Tales of 20th Anniversary Collection consists of PlayStation 3 the Best versions of Tales of Xillia, Tales of Xillia 2, Tales of Graces f, and Tales of Vesperia.

Each game will cost 2,800 yen and all four yellow label Tales of reprints will be available in Japan on October 9.

The post Tales of PlayStation 3 Games Getting Discounted Reprints For 20th Anniversary appeared first on Siliconera.

Tales of Xillia 2 fascinates me. It isn't because I loved the original Tales of Xillia, which I absolutely did. It's just that, somehow, the sequel is even more appealing and intriguing to me. Xillia 2 has triggered something in such a strange way, and I'm not even sure how it happened.

I'm happy it has, though—primarily because Xillia 2 has restored my faith in Tales sequels. It was shaken after Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, and I feared the damage was irreparable. It isn't the case at all here.

Part of me wonders if its the characters that made Tales of Xillia 2 so inviting. Though this adventure takes place in Elympios, all of our favorite characters from Xillia appear. Even more so, in fact, as Gaius and Muzet the roster. The fact that everyone has returned, and s Ludger in his affairs, makes the game immediately welcoming.

That, and the story is identifiable as well. Ludger Kresnik had an opportunity to the Spirius Corporation in the introduction, but fails due to his kind heart. Instead, he's stuck as a railway employee. But fate can be strange, and a premonition of him battling his brother, Julius soon becomes a reality.

On his way to his first day of work, Ludger encounters two important figures. The first is Elle Mel Marta, a young girl who was sent by her father to search for the Land of Canaan, where wishes come true. The other is the very familiar Jude Mathis, the deuteragonist of the original Xillia. Elle claims Ludger is a kidnapper to sneak onboard the train. Which was probably the wrong thing to do, as a group of Exodus terrorists are hijacking said train, mainly because the head of the Spirius Corporation was going to be on it.

In short, Xillia 2 starts with a bang. Ludger ends up being responsible for Elle. Jude is very surprised to hear Ludger has the last name Kresnik. Everyone is amazed to see Julius on the train, unwilling to stop the attack. People become even more shocked to see both Julius and Ludger change into super-charged versions of themselves. The train crashes, and the medical and veterinary fees for Ludger, Elle, and the pudgey-precious cat Rollo come to 20 million gald. Which must be repaid while also continuing the hunt for the Land of Canaan and destroying fractured dimensions so their own can exist.

I initially wondered if it was the Kresnik connection that made Xillia 2 so inviting. After all, the Lance of Kresnik was a very big deal in Xillia. Despite its importance, there were a lot of unanswered questions surrounding it. Knowing that Ludger's stories would have to provide answers, due to his last name, was quite a draw.

That said, it was probably the decision-making that took priority. Players are constantly being asked what Ludger should say or do. That interaction really helps bring the game to life. You care about the choices and wonder which move is right or wrong. I think what I liked most about them is that there often isn't a "correct" answer. If someone's hoping to make all of their decisions in Xillia 2 based on some kind of moral code, good luck. There are many times when both answers could be "right." I was glad these moments were never timed, because sometimes I truly had to think about what action would be best for that situation. What would my Ludger do?

Even the debt really makes a player feel involved. I'm sure many of the people who will be playing Xillia 2 are of an age where they're starting to think about college loans or the expenses of daily life. Having Ludger have an obligation makes the game feel more real. Or, at least as real as a JRPG in a world with spirits and dimension-hopping-magic can be. It made it easier to identify with these virtual people, because we've been in similar situations.

With all this talking, people are probably wondering about the Tales staples. The active battle system works as wonderfully as it did in Xillia, though I prefer the Link system here. I'm not sure if the tutorials made it easier to understand or if the minor tweaks to refine it really mattered all that much, but it feels much smoother. Ludger is really a powerhouse in battle, thanks to his Chromatus transformations and weapons. In fact, I really didn't have to think to much about party plans because of him. I guess one could say he's a bit OP? (At least, on the easy difficult level he was.) Usually, in Tales games, I'm constantly worrying about the party makeup, but here I went with the characters I liked best, because I knew Ludger's strengths would take care of any situation.

And, while I was sad to see the Final Fantasy X sphere grid-esque Lilium Orb system, I find I prefer the Alium Orbs. It's more like the skill systems found in both Tales of the Abyss and Vesperia, and it just more true to the series.

It's just so strange for me, as a fan of Tales for all these years, to suddenly have my feelings shifting for the series. For so long, Tales of the Abyss was just it for me. I'd play and enjoy other installments, but... I suppose it was a bit of the Final Fantasy syndrome at play. Where you enjoy the later titles, but always feel the classics were best. Then Xillia came along and upended things, making me suddenly wonder if the best years of the series were head of us. Now, Xillia 2 has me even more confused, because I never expected a sequel to a main installment would have me consumed with completing every aspect of the game. No sidequest can remain unfinished. A log of whether I pressed L1 or R1 in conversations was kept. Altthough I completed the main adventure, I keep going back to my save file to do other things, and prepare myself for the other endings.

Food for Thought:

1.There are 100 cats to find in Xillia 2. Collecting kittens is a very important incentive and gameplay element (to me).

2. Skits are voiced, and sometimes Ludger can make choices in them.

3. If you want to see all of the main endings, have a save file made at the very beginning of Chapter 15.

The post Tales of Xillia 2: Utterly Engrossing appeared first on Siliconera.

Tales of series producer Hideo Baba recently answered questions from fans, including one about whether the series will ever explore sci-fi themes.

The post Don’t Expect Any Sci-Fi Tales Games, Says Producer Hideo Baba appeared first on Siliconera.

A closer look at the "Day One" limited edition version of Tales of Xillia 2 being released in Europe.

The post Hideo Baba Shows Off Tales of Xillia 2’s Metal Case Limited Edition In Europe appeared first on Siliconera.

In Tales of Xillia 2, Ludger is burdened with a debt of 20 million Gald, which he owes another character, Redau, for saving his life. This debt serves a purpose beyond simply making you undertake quests and collect money—it’s also how Tales of Xillia limits how much of the map you can explore.

As you gradually pay your debt off with the help of Nova, a former classmate of Ludger’s, you unlock additional parts of the map. Bandai Namco’s Dennis Lee (Product Manager) and Ted Tsung (Producer) said to Siliconera that this restriction is meant to ease the player into Tales of Xillia 2’s world.

As you unlock more areas, you can accept jobs in different towns, encoming the usual fetch quests like item retrieval and gathering, as well as hunting and social quests.

In Xillia 2, All of the returning characters from the original Tales of Xillia have devoted story episodes. These can be completed at any pace throughout the game, and Namco claim that it could take as long as 20 hours to clear them all.

Tales of Xillia 2 will be available this August in North America and Europe.

The post Ludger’s Debt In Tales of Xillia 2 Is Meant To Ease You Into The Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco have shared a new trailer for Tales of Xillia 2. You can watch it below.

Tales of Xillia 2 will be available in North America on August 19th and in Europe on August 22nd for PlayStation 3.

The post Tales of Xillia 2 Has A New Trailer At E3 appeared first on Siliconera.

Jude Mathis and Leia Rolando are back in Tales of Xillia 2, and Bandai Namco have shared new screenshots of the two characters in the game, both in event scenes as well as battles. Character profiles for the two can be found below.

Jude Mathis:

Much has changed for Jude in the past year. In a world where the schism—which previously divided the worlds of Rieze Maxia and Elympios – has been dispelled at last, Jude toils endlessly in his research of spyrite: an alternative energy source which could replace spyrix and solve Elympios’ energy crisis without the expense of the spirits. If he could perfect it, spyrite could be the key to eliminating the tension between the two worlds and truly uniting their people once and for all—but there are those that would try to stop him.

Leia Rolando:

Leia has always been energetic and inquisitive, and this nature of hers has led her to become a reporter for a local newspaper in Elympios, as she aims to promote cultural understanding between the two nations through the articles she writes. Her editor isn’t so easily impressed, however, and she works hard endlessly in pursuit of a story that’ll warm him up to her writing. For better or for worse though, she may get the scoop of a lifetime sooner than she thinks.

Tales of Xillia 2 will be available on August 19th in North America and August 22nd in Europe for the PlayStation 3.

The post Jude And Leia Return In Tales of Xillia 2 Screenshots appeared first on Siliconera.

This morning, Bandai Namco announced their plans for the Japan Expo in . The publisher highlighted a number of games that will be at the event, and said that they will also have “additional titles and surprises”. Note that this doesn’t necessarily mean new game announcements.

The games that we already know about include:

• One Piece Unlimited World: Red
• Tales of Xillia 2
• Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle
• Rise of Incarnates
• Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures

In addition to games, the Bandai Namco shop space will also feature an “extended catalogue” featuring a range of merchandise that hasn’t been released outside Japan before.

Japan Expo will be held from July 2nd – 6th at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center, . Bandai Namco’s booth is Booth BF76 Hall 6.

The post Bandai Namco Say They’re Bringing “Surprises” To Japan Expo appeared first on Siliconera.

At Bandai Namco’s Global Gamer’s Day event, Siliconera spoke with product manager Dennis Lee about the reception of the Tales of series of RPGs in the West. Namco have begun to bring these games over fairly regularly now, and have committed to trying to grow the franchise in the West. Lee said this was entirely because of communication with the series’ fans.

“So, a lot of what we had done in the past—mainly the PS2 and GameCube era—of course, JRPGs were popular and the Tales of series had the most successful title in the series released in that console generation, Tales of Symphonia,” Lee said. “In the years after that, there were some ups and downs in the series. There were a lot of titles that weren’t brought over to the west—in fact, there was a span of two or three years where we didn’t bother to bring any over.”

“A few years back is when we decided to really focus on the series and the fans because they’re asking for these titles, so we started with Tales of Graces F and the 3DS version of Tales of the Abyss, and we started to do things where we went to events and talked directly to anime and Tales of fans about what they wanted. A lot of those requests were things like Japanese and English audio options, shorter waits between Japanese releases and Western releases, and so on.”

“That being said,” Lee continued, “we’ve put a lot of work into making sure that Japan and America get Tales of games right around the same time. With each game we’ve released, sales have increased—so we believe that fans have been going out and talking to other fans. With games coming out on a more periodic basis, I think it conveys [to new fans] that this isn’t just a one-off game, it’s not just another RPG.”

“Working with our community and fans has helped the audience to grow, and we’re delighted to see it taking off so well in the west.”

I asked Lee if there were any other devices Bandai Namco were looking to bring Tales of games out on in the West.

“Right now the team’s very focused on getting us caught up to Japan with the new releases, and they’re looking at different platforms to get these games out to the fans,” he replied. “There were a couple of... experiments, you know, with games like Tales of Phantasia, which we released on iOS. That received some mixed results. In general, though, we’re looking at all of the ways in which we can bring the Tales of series to the fans.”

Note: Screenshot from Tales of Zestiria, the latest game in the series. It’s been confirmed for Western release, but has no release date yet.

The post Tales of RPGs Are Growing In The West Says Bandai Namco appeared first on Siliconera.

At Bandai Namco’s Global Gamer’s Day event, Siliconera got to speak with staff at the company that are involved with the Tales of franchise. One of these was Kohei Rokugawa, who serves as the director of the western version of Tales of Xillia 2.

During our brief chat, Rokugawa lent insight as to why Bandai Namco decided to revisit the world of Tales of Xillia, and what’s different about the world in the sequel to the game.

Rokugawa: I’m Kohei Rokugawa of Bandai Namco Studios working as a director for the overseas version of Tales of Xillia 2.

Tales of Xillia 2 has a choice mechanic. The ability to alter the course of events in the story is a convention often seen in Western titles, but it’s a first for the Tales series.

In past Tales titles, there are some choices in the storyline—but not as many as Xillia 2. By implementing this mechanic in Xillia 2, I believe that the s can immersive themselves in the psyche of Ludger. In that way, they can understand what and how he feels about events throughout the story.

Every Tales game has a theme to it. We were wondering how you chose the theme for Tales of Xillia 2, and how it might relate to the first Xillia game.

Everyone on earth has to make decision every day. We sometimes have to make very difficult and troubling decisions in our life, so, we’d like to implement this kind of experience directly into gameplay. In Tales of Xillia 2, s need to make very ultimate decisions in the story line—and Elympios seemed like the kind of world we could implement this sort of structure into.

In of these themes in general, do they come together before the game is ultimately designed, or do they come about half way through the process. Basically, when do themes pop up in development?

The theme is outlined at the beginning of a game’s development. So, after deciding the theme for the story, we make a detailed personality of a culture that can fit into the mold of that theme, and implement themes or elements that capture that theme and then take the game from there.

Tales of Xillia 2 has a lot of returning characters. How do they fit into the world of Xillia 2 and which one have you changed the most?

Of the original cast of characters, I think that Muzet is the one that’s changed the most. In Xillia, she’s a huge danger, but in Xillia 2, she’s really interesting and funny. You’ll be able to find out a lot about what’s happened in the year between Tales of Xillia and Tales of Xillia 2 throughout the game, and you’ll be able to see just how much she and the other characters have changed since then.

We got to see Elympios in the previous game, and now it’s the center of Xillia 2; what kinds of enemies can we expect to populate Elympios this time around? Reza Maxia is more oriented towards the natural world, while Elympios is a sort of modern metropolis. Do the enemies reflect this?

Well, Elympios and Reza Maxia aren’t necessarily their own worlds—they’re more like separate kingdoms that inhabit the same larger world. That being said, there won’t be a lot of differences in the kinds of enemies you fight on the outskirts of town versus, say, the cliffs of Reza Maxia.

Wolves and big crabs appear in both areas—but the presentation is what’s different, I think. The urban setting of Elympios versus the natural setting of Reza Maxia, that’s where you should expect to see the primary differences. The atmosphere, the color palettes, please take time to observe and enjoy these differences.

In the last game, Elympios comes into the story fairly late. How can we expect to see Reza Maxia play into the greater story of Xillia 2?

So in Xillia 2, Elympios is the main world. The players can go to Reza Maxia, but it doesn’t have a huge impact on the storyline. In the story, the players move between the fluctual dimension world and Elympios. Though I can’t say much about the fluctual dimension world now, you’ll learn how it comes to play a greater role in the story and world of Xillia 2 when it comes out in the U.S. In some cultural episodes, to describe what’s happened to the remaining cultures, the players will visit Reza Maxia to experience some really interesting episodes.

The main character can use switch between a variety of weapons. Does this ability stretch to other characters as well?

So the ability you’re referring to belongs exclusively to Ludger, and it’s called Weapon Shift. This allows him to switch between dual pistols, dual blades, and a big old sledge hammer. Other characters have different abilities. For example, Jude can quickly approach the enemy rear to attack, and another character can extend the length of her weapons.

Tales of Xillia left off on a fairly open note. Even so, is there a reason you chose to re-visit the world of Xillia specifically?

Tales of Xillia marked the 15th anniversary of the Tales of series, so the development team made a very, very detailed world with its own unique history. In Xillia, much of this history and world was simply told and not shown, so we wanted to create a second one that could expand on some of the unexplored elements of Xillia. After the release of Xillia, the team received so much positive that we really wanted to utilize the richness of that world setting.

Speaking of , how do you feel about the reception of the Tales of series in the U.S.?

I went to Paris’ Japan Gaming Expo not too long ago, and saw that there were a lot of players who were simply fascinated with the culture in the game; in fact, it’s that culture that the game creates which I think is responsible for its positive reception as of late. I believe that the Tales series has been accepted by western fans in the same way it has been accepted by Japanese s. By bringing more and more Tales games to the west, we expect this fan base to grow.

The post Bandai Namco On The Theme And Characters Of Tales of Xillia 2 appeared first on Siliconera.

Tales of Xillia 2 is getting a collector’s edition in America, Bandai Namco announced at their Global Gamer's Day event, which Siliconera attended. The collector’s edition will feature the following items:

• Tales of Xillia game
• Ludger Kresnik figurine
• Elle’s Pocket Watch replica
• Rollo plush charm
• Tales of Xillia 2 music selection CD
• Tales of Xillia 2 art book
• Tales of costume DLC (Yuri Lowell, Emil Castagnier, and Asbel Lhant)

Tales of Xillia 2 features a different aesthetic from its predecessor, adopting a more noire atmosphere and a darker story. The game takes place a year after the events of original Tales of Xillia, and features two new protagonists—Ludger (age: 20) and Elle (age: 8).

In addition to the game's new characters, old protagonists such as Jude and Milla will be back as well. The game also features a weapon swap system whereby Ludger can equip three different weapons at a time and switch between them quickly.

Tales of Xillia 2 will be available on August 19th in the Americas.

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Namco Bandai talked a bit about the Tales of series as a whole after announcing Tales of Zestiria, the next main installment in the long running RPG series. Tales games are sold in over 100 countries and altogether the series shipped more than 16,000,000 units worldwide since the series began in 1995 with Tales of Phantasia.

Tales of Xillia, the most recent game released in the West, shipped over 1,000,000 copies. Next up is Tales of Symphonia Chronicles which comes out in February 2014 and then Tales of Xillia 2. Tales of Zestiria for PlayStation 3 is a 20th anniversary title for the Tales of series.

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Sony Computer Entertainment holds a PlayStation Awards ceremony every year to award top selling games and fan favorite games. Grand Theft Auto V was the only game to receive a Platinum Prize, a prize given out to a game that shipped over a million copies between November 1, 2012 and October 31, 2013. More than one game can receive a Platinum Award, but only GTAV shipped enough units to receive it.

The Gold Prize is for games that shipped between 500,000 and 1,000,000 units. Tales of Xillia 2, World Soccer Winning Eleven 2013, Yakuza 5: Dreams, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, and Dragon's Crown walked away with that prize.

The top ten games selected by s and received the 's Choice Award are: Persona 4: Golden, Dragon's Crown, Toukiden: Age of Demons, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Flash, Killzone: Mercenary, The Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls, Soul Sacrifice, and Tomb Raider.

Finally, Sony has a selection of Special Prizes given to influential, novel, topical, or for new ideas. Phantasy Star Online 2, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and Cytus Lambda received this prize.

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