Bandai Namco announced that the Tales of 30th Anniversary Art exhibit being held at Namba Marui in Osaka, Japan will feature the Kosuke Fujishima special artwork featuring Phantasia’s Cress, Abyss’ Luke, and Zestiria’s Sorey, and that design appear on special merchandise. That latest leg of the event runs May 16-25, 2025, and it costs ¥1,000 (~$7) to enter the exhibition. You get two postcards, out of five designs, with Tales of series art on them as a bonus for entering. It is free to visit the store tied to it. (Said online store does ship outside Japan.)

The reason for this decision is that a hallmark of this installment of the exhibition is original art by Kosuke Fujishima created for the anniversary and event. In addition to working on character designs for Phantasia, Abyss, and Zestiria, the artist is also known for work on Vesperia, Xillia and its sequel, and Berseria. Bandai Namco shared an official interview with the art earlier in May 2025, and the Japanese social media also highlighted it on May 12, 2025.

As for the new Cress, Luke, and Sorey Tales of 30th Anniversary Art merchandise, they a selection of other pieces available through Edition 88. They’ll be available to buy at the exhibit and online on May 16, 2025. The most expensive item is an signed 88 Graph  of the piece that is 365mm x 440mm. Only 100 will be sold, each one numbered and signed by Kosuke Fujishima. That is 55,000円 (~$372). More affordable options include a 125mm x 95mm acrylic stand for 1,870円 (~$13) and 1,200円 (~$8) clay coaster that is 90mm x 90mm.

Here’s how all of those items will look:

The Tales of 30th Anniversary Art exhibit will appear in Osaka, Japan, and it will run at the Namba Marui between May 16-25, 2025. The first part of the tour appeared at the Yurakucho Marui in Tokyo, Japan, and that happened between April 4-20, 2025.

The post Cress, Luke, and Sorey Artwork Will Be at Tales of 30th Anniversary Art  appeared first on Siliconera.

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.

Back in 2019, Bandai Namco announced the Tales of series ed 20 million copies sold worldwide. Now, Tales of General Producer Yusuke Tomizawa appeared in a video to go over the top selling entries around the world. While the best seller may vary by region, the best selling Tales of game worldwide is Tales of Symphonia.

The video kicked things off by talking about the worldwide best selling games right away. Tales of Symphonia was most popular worldwide, with 2,400,000 copies sold. Second was Tales of Vesperia, with 2,370,000, and Tales of Destiny showed up in third with 1,720,000.

From there, a general list without exact figures offered the full list of worldwide best selling Tales of games.

1. Tales of Symphonia
2. Tales of Vesperia
3. Tales of Destiny
4. Tales of Zestiria
5. Tales of Berseria
6. Tales of Phantasia
7. Tales of the Abyss
8. Tales of Eternia
9. Tales of Xillia
10. Tales of Destiny 2

From there, the presentation went on to focus on specific regions. It started with Asia and Japan, where Tales of Destiny took first place with 1,630,000 copies sold. Tales of Phantasia moved 1,330,000 copies and Tales of Eternia 1,200,000. In North America, Tales of Symphonia came out on top with 940,000 copies sold. It was followed by Tales of Vesperia with 810,000 and Tales of Zestiria with 600,000. In Europe, Tales of Zestiria took first place with 481,000 copies sold. It was followed by Tales of Symphonia, with 480,000 copies, and Tales of Vesperia, with 410,000 copies.

Here are the top 10 selling Tales of games in Asia and Japan:

1. Tales of Destiny
2. Tales of Phantasia
3. Tales of Eternia
4. Tales of Destiny 2
5. Tales of Vesperia
6. Tales of the Abyss
7. Tales of Symphonia
8. Tales of Rebirth
9. Tales of Xillia
10. Tales of Graces

Here are the top 10 selling Tales of games in Europe:

1. Tales of Zestiria
2. Tales of Symphonia
3. Tales of Vesperia
4. Tales of Berseria
5. Tales of Xillia
6. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
7. Tales of Graces
8. Tales of Xillia 2
9. Tales of Eternia
10. Tales of the Abyss

Here are the top 10 selling Tales of games in North America:

1. Tales of Symphonia
2. Tales of Vesperia
3. Tales of Zestiria
4. Tales of Berseria
5. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
6. Tales of Xillia
7. Tales of the Abyss
8. Tales of Graces
9. Tales of Xillia 2
10. Tales of Hearts

Here’s the full presentation, which does have English subtitles if you turn closed captions on.

This data does line up a bit with information about the most-played Tales of games from December 2020. The top three games in that poll were Tales of the Abyss, Tales of Vesperia, and Tales of Symphonia.

The next Tales of game will be Tales of Arise. It will come to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in Spring 2021.

The post Tales of Symphonia Is the Best Selling Tales of Game Worldwide appeared first on Siliconera.

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.

The post Tales Of Berseria Is Required Playing For Tales Of Zestiria appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco announced the anime, Tales of Zestiria the X, is getting a second season in 2017. Here’s a look at its announcement trailer. Other than the teaser trailer above, no further details were shared on Tales of Zestiria the X’s second season.

The post Tales of Zestira the X Anime Season 2 Announced For 2017 appeared first on Siliconera.

The Tales of Zestiria – the X anime just recently began airing in Japan and, in the show’s opening sequence, an unexpected character can be seen making an appearance. [Thanks, Dual Shockers.]   Velvet, the main character from the Tales of Berseria, appears in the opening early on and also towards its end. Though both Tales of Zestiria and Tales of Berseria take place in the same world, this is notable since the latter takes place in the distant past, raising questions as to why Velvet would appear given the varying timeframes.   You can watch the opening song in the following video, in which Velvet appears at both the 0:12 mark and the 1:12 mark.  

The post Tales of Berseria’s Velvet Appears In The Tales of Zestiria Anime Opening appeared first on Siliconera.

The anime Tales of Zestiria the X by ufotable will begin airing in Japan on July 3 and in summer 2016 worldwide. Here’s a look at its latest trailer, along with another clip. Latest promotional trailer for the anime:   And a TV spot video features a sample of the opening theme “Kaze no Uta” by FLOW”   You can read more about Tales of Zestiria the X in our earlier report.

The post Tales of Zestiria the X’s New Trailer Shows More Of Sorey And Friends appeared first on Siliconera.

The anime Tales of Zestiria the X got an update on its official website revealing that the series by ufotable will premiere worldwide in summer 2016 and in Japan on July 3, 2016. [Thanks, Anime News Network.] Tales of Zestiria the X will premiere on Tokyo MX on July 3, and it’ll also air on Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, TV Aichi, and BS11 on July 5. Additionally, the staff will hold an advance screening of the first four episodes at the Cinema Mediage in Tokyo on June 25 along with other cities.   Here are story details from the official English website:  

Sorey is a human youth who grew up among the “seraphim” (tenzoku), spiritual beings not visible to humans. Sorey believes in the folklore that says “long ago, every human was able to see the seraphim” and dreams of unraveling the ancient mystery to make the world a place where people and seraphim can live together in peace.   One day, Sorey visits the human capital for the very first time. He becomes embroiled in an incident during which he pulls out a holy sword imbedded in a rock and ends up becoming a “Shepherd,” one who casts away calamity from the world. He begins to realize the gravity of his mission, and his dream of coexistence between mankind and the seraphim becomes more intense—   And thus, the Shepherd embarks on an amazing journey with his companions.

  You can also read more details about the characters here.

The post Tales of Zestiria the X Will Premiere In Japan On July 3, Worldwide In Summer 2016 appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco announced during a recent Machi Asobi Special Stage presentation that their anime Tales of Zestiria the X will begin airing this July in Japan. [Thanks, Hachima.] While no other details were specified about the anime, it was revealed that the ending theme will be performed by fhána. You can get a look at the latest on Tales of Zestiria the X in our earlier report.

The post Tales of Zestiria the X Anime To Begin Airing This July In Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

  While the West already got Tales of Zestiria on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, Japan has been waiting on the PS4 version for a while now, and they’re finally getting it on July 7, 2016. [Thanks, Game Jouhou.]   The PS4 version will be released with a “Welcome Price!!” edition, which will have it retail at 3,800 yen, and 3,400 yen for the digital version. Again, the digital PS3 version will also go for a lower price of 3,400 yen.

The post Japan Is Finally Getting Tales of Zestiria’s PS4 Version On July 7 appeared first on Siliconera.

Tales of Berseria producer Yasuhiro Fukaya recently presented the game during an event in Europe, where we got to check out some off-screen footage of the RPG.   The above is a look at some gameplay footage of Tales of Berseria, along with some commentary from producer Fukaya.   During the interview, the producer shares more about Tales of Berseria’s world, story, and protagonist Velvet. Fukaya also mentions that total hours of gameplay vary from person to person, but he says that if you compare it to Zestiria it’ll have a lot more in term in of main scenario, sub-scenarios, and mini-games to enjoy, with plenty more volume than Zestiria.   As far as graphics go, Bandai Namco’s studio has an engine that is used exclusively for the Tales series which they customize and upgrade as they develop games for the series. This time around, they say that they’ve customized the engine even more and they expect the visuals for Berseria to continue looking better.   Tales of Berseria will release in Japan on August 18, 2016 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. The game will release in early-2017 for the West.

The post Tales of Berseria Gets Some Off-Screen Footage And A Few Words From The Producer appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco revealed the latest on their anime by ufotable, Tales of Zestiria the X, at Anime Japan 2016 with its main visual and a look at a trailer. [Thanks, Game Jouhou.]   The opening theme is performed by Flow, and Noriko Shitaya will be replacing Miyu Matsuki, the voice of Lailah, who ed away last year at the age of 38.   The above trailer starts with a look at the latest on Tales of Berseria, followed by a look at Tales of Zestiria the X anime, which will begin airing in summer 2016.   Tales of Berseria is in development for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC.

The post Tales of Zestiria the X Anime Gets Its Main Visual And Trailer appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco revealed that their anime for the Tales series’ 20th anniversary, Tales of Zestiria the X by ufotable, will begin broadcasting in Japan in summer 2016. [Thanks, @yinyi982 via Game Jouhou.] The above poster was shown where Anime Japan 2016 is expected to be held at, through March 25 and 27.

The post Tales of Zestiria the X Anime To Begin Airing In Summer 2016 appeared first on Siliconera.