During a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase on August 27, Bandai Namco made the surprising announcement thatTales of Graces fwould receive a remaster on modern platforms. Given the history behind the title, this reveal was a pretty big deal for fans of the game. This acclaimed JRPG, which serves as the twelfth mainline installment in theTalesfranchise, was stuck on retro consoles for more than a decade, first released as a Nintendo Wii exclusive in 2009 and later ported over to the PlayStation 3 roughly a year later. However, the PS3 version of the JRPG, namedTales of Graces f, was the only one to ever make its way outside of Japan. The title launched exclusively on PS3 in North America and Europe in 2012, and wasn’t ported to any other platforms at the time, so forTales of Graces fto finally be freed from the PS3 is cause for celebration.
As exciting as it is thatTales of Graces fis getting a much-needed remaster, what’s arguably more exciting is what this game means for the future of the franchise. Although this former PS3 exclusive isn’t the first installment in theTalesseries to be ported to modern platforms, the title is apparently the start of a planned series of upcoming re-releases. Shortly afterthe announcement ofTales of Graces f Remastered, Bandai Namco announced that, to commemorate the franchise’s 30th anniversary, the company would bring more of its classicTalesgames to more platforms as part of the “Tales ofSeries Remastered Project.” This news is likely to delight many long-timeTalesfans, considering that there are many titles in the JRPG series desperately in need of a remaster.
Prior toTales of Graces f Remastered, Bandai Namco portedTales of VesperiaandTales of Symphoniato modern consoles in 2019 and 2023, respectively.
Tales of Graces f Remastered is the Start of a New Series of Tales Re-Releases
Tales of Xillia and Tales of Xillia 2
Out of all the entries in the franchise, Tales of Xillia 1and2are the two games that should be at the top of Bandai Namco’s remaster treatment list. LikeTales of Graces f, theseJRPGs launched as PlayStation 3 exclusivesand were never ported to other consoles. The firstTales of Xilliagame was released internationally in August 2013, near the very end of the PS3’s life cycle. Its direct sequel, meanwhile, came to North America and Europe only a year later, in August 2014.
By this point in time, the PlayStation 4 had already launched, essentially overshadowing both the PS3 and the games that were still being released exclusively for the platform. Since the PS4 wasn’t backwards-compatible with the PS3, many people couldn’t access the duology. As such,ifTales of Xillia 1and2get remastered, then they’ll finally be available to a wide audience of players.
Tales of Innocence R
One otherTalesgame that’s in need of a port to modern platforms isTales of Innocence. Unlike most mainline installments in the series, this title was not made with home consoles in mind. Instead, theaction JRPG was released exclusively on handhelds.Tales of Innocencemade its debut on the Nintendo DS in December 2007. Despite the technical limitations of the hardware it was developed for, the game featured full 3D graphics; the title received a significant visual overhaul, however, inTales of Innocence R, a from-the-ground-up remake of the original DS game that was released for the PlayStation Vita in 2012.
The biggest issue withTales of Innocence, other than the fact that thegame is only available on the Nintendo DSand PS Vita, is that the title has never made it way outside of Japan. Indeed, like many other installments in the series,Tales of Innocencewas sadly not localized in English. Because of this, Bandai Namco should translate and release a remaster ofTales of Innocence’s PS Vita remake on all current-gen systems.
More Classic Tales Games Deserve to be Ported to Modern Platforms
Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology Trilogy
Speaking ofgames that never made their way outside of Japan,theTalesfranchise has a lot of spin-offs that, unfortunately, haven’t been released worldwide. Perhaps the most noteworthy of these non-mainline installments are theTales of the Worldgames. This spin-off series features some significant changes from the modernTalesentries in terms of gameplay. While theTotWtitles were still action RPGs at their cores, they were played more like MMORPGs rather than traditional offline games, and that’s in spite of the fact that they featured no multiplayer component. Players could, for example, create their own characters and recruit various cross-over companions from previousTalesgames to aid them in completing quests.
Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology, which was released on the PlayStation Portable in 2006, was the only installment in this spin-off series that received an English localization. Its PSP-exclusive sequels,Radiant Mythology 2and3, weren’t released in the West. If this trilogy of games does get bundled into anHD game compilation for modern platforms, they will finally be saved from obscurity.
Tales of the Abyss
The 2005 gameTales of the Abyssis yet another installment in theTalesfranchise that fans have been begging Bandai Namco to remaster. Though the gameplay in the title isn’t that much of an improvement compared to previous entries likeTales of Symphonia,Tales of the Abyssgarnered fairly positive reception, in large part due to its story andthe character development of its protagonist. The game was first released on the PlayStation 2 in North America and Japan, but it was eventually brought to the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. Though the 3DS version was a competent port, being able to playTales of the Abysson consoles like the Nintendo Switch would likely provide a far better experience.
Tales of Berseria
Llast but certainly not least,there’sTales of Berseria. This title is widely regarded by many gamers as one of thebest games in theTalesfranchise. Unlike other remaster-worthy games, though, this entry in the series is already available on modern platforms, specifically PlayStation 4 and PC. However, if Bandai Namco decides to remaster thisTalesgame, it will give the publisher an excuse to port it to Nintendo Switch and Xbox consoles.
Tales of Graces F
WHERE TO PLAY
Bonds of friendship are eternal.Follow Asbel and his friends as they test the bonds of friendship and unravel the mystery behond the war of the kindgoms. Introducing a new battle system which gives each character two unique fighting styles. Battle in real time and change your combos and strategy on the fly.
