During a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase on August 27, Bandai Namco made the surprising announcement that Tales of Graces f would 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 the Tales franchise, 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, named Tales 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 for Tales of Graces f to finally be freed from the PS3 is cause for celebration.
As exciting as it is that Tales of Graces f is 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 the Tales series to be ported to modern platforms, the title is apparently the start of a planned series of upcoming re-releases. Shortly after the announcement of Tales of Graces f Remastered, Bandai Namco announced that, to commemorate the franchise’s 30th anniversary, the company would bring more of its classic Tales games to more platforms as part of the “Tales of Series Remastered Project.” This news is likely to delight many long-time Tales fans, considering that there are many titles in the JRPG series desperately in need of a remaster.
Prior to
Tales of Graces f Remastered
, Bandai Namco ported
Tales of Vesperia
and
Tales of Symphonia
to 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 1 and 2 are the two games that should be at the top of Bandai Namco’s remaster treatment list. Like Tales of Graces f, these JRPGs launched as PlayStation 3 exclusives and were never ported to other consoles. The first Tales of Xillia game 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, if Tales of Xillia 1 and 2 get remastered, then they’ll finally be available to a wide audience of players.
Tales of Innocence R
One other Tales game that’s in need of a port to modern platforms is Tales of Innocence. Unlike most mainline installments in the series, this title was not made with home consoles in mind. Instead, the action JRPG was released exclusively on handhelds. Tales of Innocence made 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, in Tales 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 with Tales of Innocence, other than the fact that the game is only available on the Nintendo DS and PS Vita, is that the title has never made it way outside of Japan. Indeed, like many other installments in the series, Tales of Innocence was sadly not localized in English. Because of this, Bandai Namco should translate and release a remaster of Tales 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 of games that never made their way outside of Japan, the Tales franchise has a lot of spin-offs that, unfortunately, haven’t been released worldwide. Perhaps the most noteworthy of these non-mainline installments are the Tales of the World games. This spin-off series features some significant changes from the modern Tales entries in terms of gameplay. While the TotW titles 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 previous Tales games 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 2 and 3, weren’t released in the West. If this trilogy of games does get bundled into an HD game compilation for modern platforms, they will finally be saved from obscurity.
Tales of the Abyss
The 2005 game Tales of the Abyss is yet another installment in the Tales franchise 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 like Tales of Symphonia, Tales of the Abyss garnered fairly positive reception, in large part due to its story and the 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 play Tales of the Abyss on consoles like the Nintendo Switch would likely provide a far better experience.
Tales of Berseria
Llast but certainly not least, there’s Tales of Berseria. This title is widely regarded by many gamers as one of the best games in the Tales franchise. 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 this Tales game, it will give the publisher an excuse to port it to Nintendo Switch and Xbox consoles.
