Tales of Vesperia
Encyclopedia
is the tenth main title in the Tales series. It was developed by Namco Tales Studio
and published by Namco Bandai Games
for the Xbox 360
. The title was announced on December 22, 2007 at Jump Festa, and was released on August 7, 2008 in Asia
, and on August 26, 2008 in North America. On June 26, 2009 Tales of Vesperia was released in Europe
making it the fifth game in the Tales series to be released there. Tales of Vesperia's characteristic genre name is . The game's character designer is Kōsuke Fujishima
, the chief director and producer is Yoshito Higuchi (who previously worked on both Tales of Symphonia
and Tales of the Abyss
), and the animated movies were done by Production I.G. The game's theme song is by Bonnie Pink
. A special limited edition was released in North America, including a metal case with unique cover art and a 22-track soundtrack. In April 2009 it was announced that those who purchased the special edition would be mailed a second 10th anniversary soundtrack CD. A prequel to the game in the form of an animated film called Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike
was released on October 3, 2009. A PlayStation 3
port was released including material not present in the original Xbox 360 version, such as a new playable character, named Patty Fleur, on September 17, 2009. The Xbox 360 Version was re-released through the Games on Demand service on April 6th, 2011 in North America and Europe. On 20th November 2011 the game was re-released on the Xbox 360 as a "classics" version to answer fans complaints of the rarity of the game.
' s battle system, called the "Evolved Flex-Range Linear Motion Battle System" (EFR-LMBS). As with previous Tales games, characters can move freely around the battlefield to combat their enemies in real-time.
An added aspect to the game's world is the "Encounter Linking" system. If multiple groups of roaming enemies are in close proximity when a battle starts, the ensuing battle will contain all the enemies. Also returning from previous Tales games are "surprise encounters." Like in Tales of the Abyss, a surprise encounter rearranges the active party when taken into battle. Tales of Vesperia also makes use of "Secret Missions," special tasks or challenges that can be completed during boss fights for certain rewards.
Returning from Tales of Symphonia
and Tales of the Abyss is the "Over Limit". As in Tales of the Abyss, it is marked by a visible gauge, but it comes in the form of a single bar that can be used by up to four party members at once, or used by a single character up to four levels to give more powerful effects. "Burst Artes", another new feature, are powerful attacks performed while in Over Limit mode and after using an arcane arte or a spell change. Depending on the Over Limit level, its duration increases, allowing players to add in more combos. As with previous Tales games, characters are able to pull off powerful Mystic Artes. Characters can also perform "Fatal Strikes", attacks capable of defeating enemies with one strike after a certain gauge is depleted. These attacks can also be chained for a higher score.
; Shizel, from Tales of Eternia
; Barbatos, from Tales of Destiny 2
; and Kratos Aurion, a playable character in Tales of Symphonia
.
Tales of Vesperia also includes character costumes, which are dependent on the various titles that characters have obtained throughout the game. Equipping various accessories also affects the wearer's outfit. Tales of Vesperia also includes skits, short optional conversations that further character or plot development. Unlike the English releases of Tales of Symphonia
and Tales of the Abyss
, skits in the English release of Tales of Vesperia are fully voiced by the English voice actors, which is also the case in Tales of Legendia
and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
.
-like Krityans, are fueled by a substance called "aer" that lends its power to the blastia's ability, but can be fatal to humans in large concentrations.
Along with Raven, a high-ranking guild member, and Judith, a mysterious Krityan woman who is hunting and destroying blastia, the group stop the machinations of an evil guild leader named Barbos and recover the aque blastia core. Yuri turns the core over to Flynn and announces his intention to form a guild with Karol, later christened Brave Vesperia.
Shortly afterward, Estelle is attacked by Phaeroh, a sentient monster, who calls her "the poison of the world". Following the attack, the new guild sets out to discover the truth behind his words. Estelle discovers that she is known as the Child of the Full Moon, an omen of the end of the world. Unlike the rest of the world, who require a blastia in order to reconstitute aer into magic, Estelle can reconstruct aer on her own: this is how she uses her healing arts. Unfortunately, this method of conversion is so efficient that it puts a great strain on the aer resources of the world, threatening to bring forth a disaster known as the Adephagos, a being that feeds off aer and would convert all life on the planet back to pure aer. The party also learn that the excessive blastia culture of the world is also threatening to strain the aer resources to breaking point, and that Judith's mission was to destroy the blastia that were causing the most damage to the environment.
Meanwhile, Yuri, seeing how the laws of the Empire are powerless against the corruption within its officials, takes matters into his own hands and murders two corrupt officials: Ragou, a conspirator in Barbos' plot, and Captain Cumore, a high-born knight who was using his power to commit atrocities. This brings him into conflict with Flynn, while the former is rebelling against the Empire, the latter vowed to change the Empire from within. Several times, their differences nearly come to blows.
Estelle is suddenly kidnapped by Raven, who is revealed to be Imperial Knight Schwann Oltorain. Commandant Alexei, leader of the Knights, is revealed as the mastermind who funded Barbos' schemes in order to create a replica of the legendary sword Dein Nomos, an aer-manipulating treasure of the royal family that can open the way to a powerful weapon known as the Enduring Shrine of Zaude. Duke, a veteran of the Great War, reluctantly aids Brave Vesperia by giving them the real Dein Nomos. Chasing after Estelle, Yuri and the party are forced to fight Schwann, who has been blackmailed with his life by Alexei for ten years. Taking back control of his life, Schwann sacrifices himself to allow Brave Vesperia to escape a trap set by Alexei, and they pursue the Commandant. However, Schwann is rescued by his loyal subordinates and rejoins the party, shedding his previous life as Schwann to pledge his new life to Brave Vesperia as Raven.
Alexei takes control of Estelle's aer-manipulation powers and, along with his False Dein Nomos, succeeds in reviving Zaude. Yuri rescues Estelle and they pursue Alexei to Zaude, where the Commandant—tasked with saving a world that he knew was killing itself through excessive blastia use—intends to use Zaude to rewrite the natural laws of the world, destroying and recreating it. Despite the best efforts of Brave Vesperia, Alexei succeeds in activating Zaude. But to everyone's surprise, it is revealed that Zaude is not a weapon but a giant barrier blastia that Alexei has inadvertently shut down, allowing the Adephagos to seep through into the world. Realizing that his fatal mistake has doomed the world, Alexei then dies.
Rita researches a way to stop the Adephagos, and discovers a method to transform apatheia—crystallized aer, which make up the cores of blastia—into spirits, which can convert aer into a safe substitute called mana. By converting every blastia core in the world into a spirit and using it to power a massive weapon, she theorises that it would have enough strength to destroy the Adephagos. Realising that such an action would irreversibly change the entire world, Brave Vesperia meet with the leaders of the Empire and Guilds in order to ask permission to carry out such an act, and to discuss ways to prepare the world to survive without blastia: most notably, without the barrier blastia that have been protecting the major centres of population from rampaging monsters.
During this time, Flynn, who has been promoted to Acting Commandant, confronts Yuri in order to settle the outstanding issue of Yuri's double homicide and his willingness to let Flynn take credit for all of his accomplishments (such as retrieving the aque blastia). Their swords and beliefs clash in a fight to resolve these issues. Yuri tells Flynn that he is the leader that the world needs right now, and that Yuri is happy to be a criminal in the shadows to achieve that end. Flynn accepts this, but warns that if Yuri continues to break the law then Flynn will have no choice but to stop him; an ultimatum that Yuri gladly accepts.
Brave Vesperia receive the blessing of the worlds' leaders to carry out their plan. Unfortunately, Duke—who has lost all faith in humanity—has revived an ancient weapon called Tarqaron with the intention of sacrificing the lives of every human in the world, himself included, in order to power the weapon and destroy the Adephagos. Brave Vesperia confronts him at the peak of the hovering city, but neither can stand down due to their shared desire to save the world in their own ways. Duke and Brave Vesperia fight to resolve this, and Yuri manages to convince Duke that humanity is willing to give up their blastia to save the world. With the aid of Duke and the power of every blastia-core-turned-spirit in the world, Yuri forms a giant sword that allows him to completely destroy the Adephagos, converting it into a multitude of spirits itself and revitalizing the world. Duke simply leaves as the guild celebrates their victory.
A scene during and after the credits shows Brave Vesperia continuing their adventures in the ever-changing world.
Barbos
Ragou
Cumore
Khroma
and
Gauche (Voiced by): Satomi Arai
(Japanese) Laura Bailey
(English)
Droite (Voiced by): Miki Nagasawa
(Japanese) Megan Hollingshead
(English)
and released in Japan on September 17, 2009 with additional content as well as a different logo. On January 27, 2010 Namco Bandai stated that they currently have no plans to release the port outside of Japan. In April 2010, Troy Baker
confirmed that he had done additional voice acting work for the PlayStation 3 version of the game when he was asked about the game by a fan during a Q&A session at Sakura-Con 2010, but in a response to a fan question posted on the PlayStation blog, an employee of Namco stated that there were currently no plans for localization of the game.
It was revealed that Microsoft paid Bandai Namco to keep Tales of Vesperia, An Xbox 360 exclusive outside of japan. There have been also rumors that Microsoft may have paid or help develop the PS3 Version.
On February 1st, 2011, Namco Bandai updated their 'A Tale of Two Richards' Teaser site with a partially visible Tales of Vesperia logo. However, on February 2nd, 2011, ataleoftworichards.com revealed that Tales of Graces F would be localized rather than Vesperia.
, which the game ties-in with. In addition, Repede, Flynn and Patty are selectable as on-screen avatars with new mini-games such as a racing mini-game for Repede, new subplots, skits and main game quests as well as side quests. The game also has new songs added to the game's soundtrack together with remodeled towns and new towns and dungeons. The game also includes new bosses such as the Sword Dancer from previous Tales games, Don Whitehorse and Clint/Tison/Nan, players are also able to replay boss fights at Nam Cobanda Isle, which is a play on words with the companies name (NAMCOBANDAI.)
In addition there are also new gameplay elements such as higher Overlimit Levels up to 8, more Mystic Artes including a dual Mystic Arte with Yuri and Flynn, new Artes, skills and equipments for characters. A new key item has also been added called the "Artes Ball", which allows an additional 8 Artes Shorcuts to be assigned to the previous 8 slots combined with the L1 button, which allows for a maximum of 16 Artes. The game also features a wide variety of new character costumes, which include cameo costumes based on characters from previous Tales games, as well as costumes based on characters from other series, such as Xenosaga
and Sgt. Frog
. Also included is a scene-skip feature, a Team Arena in the Coliseum, which also has new battles and modes together with Pre-Order Bonuses, which are Tales of the Abyss
character costumes. The game also features connectivity with the Tales spin-off, Tales of VS.
for the PlayStation Portable
.
awarded Tales of Vesperia a score of 9/9/9/8, totaling 35/40. Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 4 out of 5, praising the game for its anime-style graphics and characters. GameSpot
gave it an 8.5/10, stating that "Tales of Vesperia is the best game yet in the series." In GameSpot's "Best of 2008" the game was nominated for "Best Story" and "Best Graphics, Artistic" categories, though it did not win either category. While they criticized the visuals as being a little inconsistent, IGN
gave it an 8.2/10, stating "Tales of Vesperia is a strong anime-style Japanese RPG with a wide-ranging story, compelling characters and an intense real-time battle system that keeps you on your toes." In IGN's "Best of 2008" awards it was nominated for "Best Xbox 360 RPG" and "Best Xbox 360 Original Score". X-Play gave the game a 4 out of 5 praising its characters and visuals. In X-Play's "Best Of 2008" it was nominated for best role-playing game. VG Chartz awarded Tales Of Vesperia "Best Game No One Played 2008" for the Xbox 360.
According to Famitsu's annual top 100, Vesperia was the 82nd best selling title in Japan in 2008 having sold 161,070 copies. The launch of Tales of Vesperia in Japan caused the Xbox 360 to sell out for the first time since the system's release in Japan. With 204,305 copies sold, it is currently the second best-selling Xbox 360 game ever in Japan, behind only Star Ocean: The Last Hope
. In North America, Tales of Vesperia sold 33,000 copies during the 4 days after its 26 August launch.
Tales of Vesperia for the PlayStation 3 sold 147,000 copies on its opening day, which is more than double that of the Xbox 360's version, which sold 71,000 copies on its opening day and a total of 140,000 in two weeks. Tales of Vesperia for the PlayStation 3 sold a total of 352,961 copies in by the end of 2009 making it the 24th best selling game in Japan of 2009.
Namco Tales Studio
, formerly , was a Japanese video game development company founded in 1986. The company was renamed in 2003 when Telenet Japan sold part of its stake and made Namco the majority shareholder. Namco Tales Studio continues to be the primary developer of the Tales RPG series, as they had been since the...
and published by Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. The title was announced on December 22, 2007 at Jump Festa, and was released on August 7, 2008 in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and on August 26, 2008 in North America. On June 26, 2009 Tales of Vesperia was released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
making it the fifth game in the Tales series to be released there. Tales of Vesperia's characteristic genre name is . The game's character designer is Kōsuke Fujishima
Kosuke Fujishima
is a Japanese manga artist.Born in Chiba, Japan, he first came to public attention as an editor of Puff magazine, his first job after completing high school. Fujishima originally intended to be a draftsman, but took the editorial role after failing to get a drafting apprenticeship...
, the chief director and producer is Yoshito Higuchi (who previously worked on both Tales of Symphonia
Tales of Symphonia
is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. It debuted in Japan on August 29, 2003, selling 953,000 copies, in Canada and the United States on July 13, 2004, and in Europe on November 19, 2004. The game received a Japanese-only PlayStation 2...
and Tales of the Abyss
Tales of the Abyss
is a console role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco in Japan and Namco Bandai Games in North America. Tales of the Abyss's characteristic genre name is The Meaning Of Birth RPG . It is the eighth mothership title in the Tales series, and was released for the...
), and the animated movies were done by Production I.G. The game's theme song is by Bonnie Pink
Bonnie Pink
, known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. She lived in New York during 1998 and speaks English . She writes and composes all her songs, and plays guitar and piano...
. A special limited edition was released in North America, including a metal case with unique cover art and a 22-track soundtrack. In April 2009 it was announced that those who purchased the special edition would be mailed a second 10th anniversary soundtrack CD. A prequel to the game in the form of an animated film called Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike
Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike
is a 2009 Japanese animated film directed by Kenta Kamei and written by Reiko Yoshida. It is the prequel to the game Tales of Vesperia and the first animated feature film in the Tales series. It was released in Japan on October 3, 2009. While other Tales games have been adopted into other media,...
was released on October 3, 2009. A PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
port was released including material not present in the original Xbox 360 version, such as a new playable character, named Patty Fleur, on September 17, 2009. The Xbox 360 Version was re-released through the Games on Demand service on April 6th, 2011 in North America and Europe. On 20th November 2011 the game was re-released on the Xbox 360 as a "classics" version to answer fans complaints of the rarity of the game.
Battle system
Tales of Vesperia uses an improved and evolved version of Tales of the AbyssTales of the Abyss
is a console role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco in Japan and Namco Bandai Games in North America. Tales of the Abyss's characteristic genre name is The Meaning Of Birth RPG . It is the eighth mothership title in the Tales series, and was released for the...
An added aspect to the game's world is the "Encounter Linking" system. If multiple groups of roaming enemies are in close proximity when a battle starts, the ensuing battle will contain all the enemies. Also returning from previous Tales games are "surprise encounters." Like in Tales of the Abyss, a surprise encounter rearranges the active party when taken into battle. Tales of Vesperia also makes use of "Secret Missions," special tasks or challenges that can be completed during boss fights for certain rewards.
Returning from Tales of Symphonia
Tales of Symphonia
is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. It debuted in Japan on August 29, 2003, selling 953,000 copies, in Canada and the United States on July 13, 2004, and in Europe on November 19, 2004. The game received a Japanese-only PlayStation 2...
and Tales of the Abyss is the "Over Limit". As in Tales of the Abyss, it is marked by a visible gauge, but it comes in the form of a single bar that can be used by up to four party members at once, or used by a single character up to four levels to give more powerful effects. "Burst Artes", another new feature, are powerful attacks performed while in Over Limit mode and after using an arcane arte or a spell change. Depending on the Over Limit level, its duration increases, allowing players to add in more combos. As with previous Tales games, characters are able to pull off powerful Mystic Artes. Characters can also perform "Fatal Strikes", attacks capable of defeating enemies with one strike after a certain gauge is depleted. These attacks can also be chained for a higher score.
Recurring features
As in previous entries, Tales of Vesperia features an arena where the player can battle a number of enemies for prizes. In the arena, one chosen character will have to challenge two hundred monsters. After enough monsters are defeated, the battle with the next contender is unlocked. The 4 contenders are: Dhaos, the final boss of Tales of PhantasiaTales of Phantasia
is a Super Nintendo game in the RPG genre published by Namco and released in Japan in 1995, selling 212,000 copies. It is the first mothership title in the Tales RPG series and was later remade/re-released on the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable...
; Shizel, from Tales of Eternia
Tales of Eternia
is a Japanese PlayStation action role-playing video game released by Namco on November 30, 2000, selling 873,000 copies and later ported to the PlayStation Portable on March 3, 2005, selling 398,000 copies. Tales of Eternia's characteristic genre name is...
; Barbatos, from Tales of Destiny 2
Tales of Destiny 2
is the fourth mothership title in Namco's popular Tales RPG series, a true sequel to Tales of Destiny that takes place in the same fictional world...
; and Kratos Aurion, a playable character in Tales of Symphonia
Tales of Symphonia
is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. It debuted in Japan on August 29, 2003, selling 953,000 copies, in Canada and the United States on July 13, 2004, and in Europe on November 19, 2004. The game received a Japanese-only PlayStation 2...
.
Tales of Vesperia also includes character costumes, which are dependent on the various titles that characters have obtained throughout the game. Equipping various accessories also affects the wearer's outfit. Tales of Vesperia also includes skits, short optional conversations that further character or plot development. Unlike the English releases of Tales of Symphonia
Tales of Symphonia
is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. It debuted in Japan on August 29, 2003, selling 953,000 copies, in Canada and the United States on July 13, 2004, and in Europe on November 19, 2004. The game received a Japanese-only PlayStation 2...
and Tales of the Abyss
Tales of the Abyss
is a console role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco in Japan and Namco Bandai Games in North America. Tales of the Abyss's characteristic genre name is The Meaning Of Birth RPG . It is the eighth mothership title in the Tales series, and was released for the...
, skits in the English release of Tales of Vesperia are fully voiced by the English voice actors, which is also the case in Tales of Legendia
Tales of Legendia
, is a role-playing game that was developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was released in Japan on August 25, 2005 and in the United States on February 7, 2006. Tales of Legendia's characteristic genre name is . It is the seventh mothership title in the Tales...
and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, known in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco Bandai for the Wii as a cross of spin-off and sequel to Tales of Symphonia for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of...
.
Skill system
Tales of Vesperia introduces a new skill system to the series. They are found and used through equipment. Through fighting battles, characters gain Learning Points, which are assigned to all currently unlearned skills. When enough Learning Points are acquired, that character learns the skills. Learned skills can be equipped on a character without having the associated weapon equipped, but then they use up a certain number of Skill Points (SP), which are gained through leveling up. Through skills, characters are also capable of "Altered Artes," artes or spells that are created when a certain skill is equipped and a certain arte is used. Through using an Altered Arte enough times, the character learns that arte or spell and is capable of using it without having the skill equipped.Online component
The game does not contain online multiplayer or competitive battles, but it does contain online leaderboards for things such as highest combo and minigame scores. The game also has downloadable content for items that are difficult to acquire in-game.Setting
Vesperia takes place on the planet Terca Lumireis. The people of Terca Lumireis have come to rely on "blastia", an ancient civilization's technology with a wide array of capabilities, such as providing water, powering ships, or creating barriers around major cities and towns to protect them from monsters. The Imperial Knights and Guild members also use "bodhi blastia" to enhance their abilities in combat. The blastia, created by the elfElf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
-like Krityans, are fueled by a substance called "aer" that lends its power to the blastia's ability, but can be fatal to humans in large concentrations.
Plot
When the aque blastia core is stolen from Zaphias' lower quarter, flooding the lower class, Yuri attempts to chase down the thief, but is arrested and jailed in the castle. During his escape, he meets a young girl named Estelle who is searching for Yuri's close friend and rival Flynn. Along with Yuri's faithful dog Repede, the three leave the safety of Zaphias' barrier to chase after both Flynn and the thief. On their way they encounter Karol, a young boy who joins them to catch up with his guild, the Hunting Blades, and Rita, an eccentric blastia researcher who takes great interest in Estelle's healing magic. On their journey, Yuri learns about the state of the world and the philosophy of the guilds, who gave up their citizenship in order to live free from the rule of the Empire.Along with Raven, a high-ranking guild member, and Judith, a mysterious Krityan woman who is hunting and destroying blastia, the group stop the machinations of an evil guild leader named Barbos and recover the aque blastia core. Yuri turns the core over to Flynn and announces his intention to form a guild with Karol, later christened Brave Vesperia.
Shortly afterward, Estelle is attacked by Phaeroh, a sentient monster, who calls her "the poison of the world". Following the attack, the new guild sets out to discover the truth behind his words. Estelle discovers that she is known as the Child of the Full Moon, an omen of the end of the world. Unlike the rest of the world, who require a blastia in order to reconstitute aer into magic, Estelle can reconstruct aer on her own: this is how she uses her healing arts. Unfortunately, this method of conversion is so efficient that it puts a great strain on the aer resources of the world, threatening to bring forth a disaster known as the Adephagos, a being that feeds off aer and would convert all life on the planet back to pure aer. The party also learn that the excessive blastia culture of the world is also threatening to strain the aer resources to breaking point, and that Judith's mission was to destroy the blastia that were causing the most damage to the environment.
Meanwhile, Yuri, seeing how the laws of the Empire are powerless against the corruption within its officials, takes matters into his own hands and murders two corrupt officials: Ragou, a conspirator in Barbos' plot, and Captain Cumore, a high-born knight who was using his power to commit atrocities. This brings him into conflict with Flynn, while the former is rebelling against the Empire, the latter vowed to change the Empire from within. Several times, their differences nearly come to blows.
Estelle is suddenly kidnapped by Raven, who is revealed to be Imperial Knight Schwann Oltorain. Commandant Alexei, leader of the Knights, is revealed as the mastermind who funded Barbos' schemes in order to create a replica of the legendary sword Dein Nomos, an aer-manipulating treasure of the royal family that can open the way to a powerful weapon known as the Enduring Shrine of Zaude. Duke, a veteran of the Great War, reluctantly aids Brave Vesperia by giving them the real Dein Nomos. Chasing after Estelle, Yuri and the party are forced to fight Schwann, who has been blackmailed with his life by Alexei for ten years. Taking back control of his life, Schwann sacrifices himself to allow Brave Vesperia to escape a trap set by Alexei, and they pursue the Commandant. However, Schwann is rescued by his loyal subordinates and rejoins the party, shedding his previous life as Schwann to pledge his new life to Brave Vesperia as Raven.
Alexei takes control of Estelle's aer-manipulation powers and, along with his False Dein Nomos, succeeds in reviving Zaude. Yuri rescues Estelle and they pursue Alexei to Zaude, where the Commandant—tasked with saving a world that he knew was killing itself through excessive blastia use—intends to use Zaude to rewrite the natural laws of the world, destroying and recreating it. Despite the best efforts of Brave Vesperia, Alexei succeeds in activating Zaude. But to everyone's surprise, it is revealed that Zaude is not a weapon but a giant barrier blastia that Alexei has inadvertently shut down, allowing the Adephagos to seep through into the world. Realizing that his fatal mistake has doomed the world, Alexei then dies.
Rita researches a way to stop the Adephagos, and discovers a method to transform apatheia—crystallized aer, which make up the cores of blastia—into spirits, which can convert aer into a safe substitute called mana. By converting every blastia core in the world into a spirit and using it to power a massive weapon, she theorises that it would have enough strength to destroy the Adephagos. Realising that such an action would irreversibly change the entire world, Brave Vesperia meet with the leaders of the Empire and Guilds in order to ask permission to carry out such an act, and to discuss ways to prepare the world to survive without blastia: most notably, without the barrier blastia that have been protecting the major centres of population from rampaging monsters.
During this time, Flynn, who has been promoted to Acting Commandant, confronts Yuri in order to settle the outstanding issue of Yuri's double homicide and his willingness to let Flynn take credit for all of his accomplishments (such as retrieving the aque blastia). Their swords and beliefs clash in a fight to resolve these issues. Yuri tells Flynn that he is the leader that the world needs right now, and that Yuri is happy to be a criminal in the shadows to achieve that end. Flynn accepts this, but warns that if Yuri continues to break the law then Flynn will have no choice but to stop him; an ultimatum that Yuri gladly accepts.
Brave Vesperia receive the blessing of the worlds' leaders to carry out their plan. Unfortunately, Duke—who has lost all faith in humanity—has revived an ancient weapon called Tarqaron with the intention of sacrificing the lives of every human in the world, himself included, in order to power the weapon and destroy the Adephagos. Brave Vesperia confronts him at the peak of the hovering city, but neither can stand down due to their shared desire to save the world in their own ways. Duke and Brave Vesperia fight to resolve this, and Yuri manages to convince Duke that humanity is willing to give up their blastia to save the world. With the aid of Duke and the power of every blastia-core-turned-spirit in the world, Yuri forms a giant sword that allows him to completely destroy the Adephagos, converting it into a multitude of spirits itself and revitalizing the world. Duke simply leaves as the guild celebrates their victory.
A scene during and after the credits shows Brave Vesperia continuing their adventures in the ever-changing world.
Protagonists
- Age: 21
- Weapon: Swords and Axes
- Sub-Weapon: Gloves
- Voiced by: Kosuke ToriumiKosuke Toriumi, born on May 16, 1973 in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a seiyū employed by Arts Vision.-Profile:* Sometimes credited as Fube Tomomi** Nickname: , , -Anime:1999*Di Gi Charat 2000*Saiyuki Reload: Burial 2001...
(Japanese) Troy BakerTroy BakerTroy Baker is an American actor and voice actor who works with anime films, television series, as well as video games....
(English) - The main protagonist of the story, Yuri was born and raised in the Lower Quarter of the Imperial Capital, Zaphias. He was formerly a member of the Imperial Knights, but left after only three months of service due to his contempt for the Empire's treatment of its lower citizens. He is willing to help those in need, even if he has to take extreme measures to do so. He is an expert fighter, capable of wielding swords and axes. Together with Karol, he forms Brave Vesperia, a guild of which Judith also becomes a part.
- Age: 4
- Weapon: Daggers
- Sub-Weapon: Collars
- Voiced by: Makoto IshiiMakoto Ishiiis a male Japanese voice actor from Chiba Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Mausu Promotion.-Television animation:*Black Jack *Fafner in the Azure *Futakoi...
(Japanese) - Repede is Yuri's loyal companion. He is an intelligent dog distinguished by a scar and a pipe, which he carries as a memento of his former master. He is friendly around people he trusts, but dislikes being approached by strangers.
- Age: 18
- Weapon: Swords and Rods
- Sub-Weapon: Shields
- Voiced by: Mai NakaharaMai Nakaharais a voice actress. She is employed by I'm Enterprise. Some of her hobbies include cooking and watching movies, and she is skilled at kendo. She worked with voice actor Ai Shimizu in eight anime where most of the characters they voiced in together had close connections: DearS, Kage Kara Mamoru!,...
(Japanese) Danielle JudovitsDanielle JudovitsDanielle Judovits is an American voice actress, who has also been credited as Danielle Judovitz and Danielle Judouits.-Career:...
(English) - for short, she is the princess and candidate to the imperial throne. Before meeting Yuri, she had not set foot outside the capital. As a result, she is very naive of the outside world. Because of her strong compassion, she never hesitates to help and heal anyone in need. During her time in the castle, she was trained by Imperial Knights, allowing her to wield a sword and shield efficiently in battle, along with healing magic. She also spent much of her time reading books, allowing her to become knowledgeable in a wide range of fields. After traveling with Yuri for some time, she decides that she wants to continue her journey with him and the group in order to learn more about the world.
- Age: 12
- Weapon: Swords, Axes and Hammers
- Sub-Weapon: Bags
- Voiced by Kumiko WatanabeKumiko Watanabeis an actress and voice actress from Chiba Prefecture affiliated with Arts Vision.-Overview, character, and career:*She has a wide vocal range, ranging from boys and girls to middle-aged women. She is also known to be a large professional wrestling fan, especially of Pro Wrestling Noah's Kenta...
(Japanese) Julie Ann TaylorJulie Ann TaylorJulie Ann Taylor is an American voice actress who is best known for her role of Ai Tanabe in Planetes, Mutsumi Otohime in Love Hina, Yukari Hayasaka in Paradise Kiss and Taiga Fujimura in Fate/Stay Night among others...
(English) - Karol is a young, eager, worldly yet naive member of the Hunting Blades guild, which hunts down monsters all over the world and believes that all monsters are evil. He was born and raised in Dahngrest, a city run entirely by members of guilds. Karol has a history of joining many guilds, only to be thrown out of them due to his cowardly tendencies. He later becomes the leader of the guild Brave Vesperia, which he started with Yuri and Judith.
- Age: 15
- Weapon: Cloths and Whips
- Sub-Weapon: Books
- Voiced by: Rika MorinagaRika Morinaga, born April 25, 1980 in Tokyo, Japan is a singer and seiyū represented by Exellex. She is best known for her role as Souseiseki in Rozen Maiden and Makoto "Mako-chan" in Minami-ke...
(Japanese) Michelle RuffMichelle RuffMichelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril...
(English) - Rita is a young, ingenious, and eccentric but apparently infamous blastia researcher. She is born and raised in Aspio, a city of scholars. She has a quick temper and poor social disposition; without hesitation, she will execute her magic on any offender if provoked. She grows feelings for Estelle and eventually bonds with Judith as the story progresses.
- Age: 35
- Weapon: Bows
- Sub-Weapon: Short Swords
- Voiced by: Eiji TakemotoEiji Takemotois a Japanese voice actor. His name is sometimes mistranslated as and also sometimes credited as being Hidefumi Takemoto . Takemoto's nickname is Takepon...
(Japanese) Joe J. Thomas (English) - Raven is a shady, laid-back member of the group who seems to know more than he lets on. He first encounters Yuri in the castle prison and allows Yuri to escape by slyly sneaking him a jail key between the bars of his cell. Raven frequently causes the group to run into trouble early on, harboring feelings of unease from the rest of the party. He often complains about his age and work load, causing the group to refer to him as "old man." He is apparently a veteran of the Great War, which took place ten years before the story; however, he does not like to talk much about his experiences.
- Age: 19
- Weapon: Spears and Staves
- Sub-Weapon: Boots
- Voiced by: Aya HisakawaAya Hisakawais a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer born in Kaizuka, Osaka. In addition to releasing various solo CDs, she is well known for her anime voice roles, and has also done some work in video games. She is best known for her role of Sailor Mercury of the Sailor Moon fame and also Cerberus from...
(Japanese) Megan HollingsheadMegan HollingsheadMegan T.D. Hollingshead is an American theatre and voice actress. She also sometimes goes by the name of Karen Thompson...
(English) - Judith is a mysterious, mature and rational member of the group. She is a member of the tribe, which possesses expert knowledge of the blastia and has attempted to stop them in the past due to their dangers. She is decisive, persistent, witty, impulsive, bold, flirtatious, and seemingly carefree. She initially appeared as a nameless dragon rider who went about destroying blastia, prompting contempt from Rita; however, the two eventually become good friends after Judith explains the reasons for her actions.
- Age: 21
- Weapon: Swords
- Sub-Weapon: Shields
- Voiced by: Mamoru MiyanoMamoru Miyanois a Japanese voice actor, actor, and singer from Saitama. He is best known for his roles on Ouran High School Host Club, Death Note, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and Kōtetsu Sangokushi. At the 2007 Seiyu Awards he was nominated for two awards for his role as Light Yagami in Death Note, and in 2008, he...
(Japanese) Sam RiegelSam RiegelSamuel Brent Oscar "Sam" Riegel is a voice actor, writer and director who appears in many television cartoons, anime, and video games. He began as a child actor in theater in Virginia, and moved to New York City to perform in Broadway and off-Broadway shows...
(English) - Flynn is a childhood friend of Yuri's, as well as a friend to Estelle. He joined the Imperial Knights at the same time as Yuri when they were younger for the purpose of "making a difference" in the world. But unlike Yuri, he stuck with it and has since continued to climb higher in rank, becoming the youngest to receive the title of Captain. He often helps the party deal with problems in their travels. He has a sense of justice similar to Yuri's, but he pursues it through a different method, attempting to solve matters through peaceful politics rather than forceful rebellion. He is unplayable in the Xbox 360 version of the game (save for a single battle,) but is a fully playable character in the Japanese PS3 version.
- Age: 14
- Weapon: Knives
- Sub-Weapon: Guns
- Voiced by: Chiwa Saitou (Japanese)
- Patty is a young pirate girl who travels around the world in search of romance and the legendary treasure of the notorious pirate Aifread. Despite her young appearance, she has a personality and manner of expression of that of an elderly person. She is an expert marksman, capable of using a gun and equally skilled at wielding a knife. She bears a resemblance to the pirate class of Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2is the fifth entry in the Tales of the World series, and the second entry in the Radiant Mythology series. Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2's characteristic genre name is . Like other games in the series, it features a group of characters from various Tales games. 50 characters from the...
. She is exclusive to the PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
port of the game, and is a major main character of the game .
Antagonists
- Voiced by: Akio SuyamaAkio Suyamais a Japanese voice actor.-Notable anime and video game voice roles:* Perio/Pete in Dōbutsu no Mori , the film adaptation of the Animal Crossing video game series.* Ichiro Ogami in Sakura Wars* Hokuto's Lackey in Cromartie High School...
(Japanese) Roger Craig SmithRoger Craig SmithRoger Craig Smith is an American voice actor. He is also known as Roger C. Smith. He is generally known as the voice behind Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, as Ezio Auditore da Firenze in Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and...
(English) - Zagi is an assassin who holds a grudge against Yuri, mistakes him for Flynn upon their first meeting, and interferes at inappropriate times throughout the story. He sees Yuri as his equal because he was the first one to ever make him bleed in battle (during their second battle). He's fought five times of the course of the game until he is finally killed at the Tower of Tarqaron by Yuri and his friends, and falls to his death.
Barbos
- Voiced by: Masashi HiroseMasashi Hiroseis a Japanese voice actor. He works at Production Baobab.He is known for the roles of Ramba Ral , Rikishiman , Gosterro , and Nakano-sensei .-Anime television:...
(Japanese) J. B. Blanc (English) - Leader of the Blood Alliance, one of the Five Master Guilds. On the surface, the Blood Alliance serve as a mercenary guild, doing jobs that no one else is brave enough to. However, their real purpose is the theft and illegal use and distribution of blastia. Yuri finally confronts Barbos in the Tower of Ghasfarost where Barbos attempts to kill Yuri and the others with a new weapon built with the Lower Quarter's aque blastia. But just as he's about to deliver the killing blow, Duke arrives and uses Dein Nomos to destroy the weapon. Resorting to his old tactics a fight breaks out between Yuri's part and Barbos' Blood Alliance, with Yuri emerging as the victor. Before falling to his death, Barbos warns Yuri that he will make powerful enemies later on.
Ragou
- Voiced by: Takashi TaniguchiTakashi Taniguchiis a Japanese voice actor from Hokkaidō. He is currently attached to Office Ōsawa.-Television animation:*Hellsing *One Piece *Rocket Girls *Tales of the Abyss...
(Japanese) Dino AndradeDino AndradeDino Andrade is an American veteran voice actor in video games and animated projects. He manages dual careers as both a voice actor and the Creator/Owner Operator of the geek dating/community website .-Early life:...
(English) - Ragou is the corrupt magistrate who rules over Capua Nor with an iron fist. He taxes the townsfolk and travelers very heavily and prides himself in watching people fight his pet monsters so that he'll cancel their debt. He frequently deals in blastia smuggling with Barbos. After Yuri gets back the aque blastia for the lower quarter, the Flynn brigade is successful in arresting Ragou in Dahngrest. However, on the eve that he's to be extradited back to Zaphias, Ragou was able to use his position in the Royal Council to clear the charges against him and get off with only a slight decrease in rank. Yuri is enraged after hearing this from Karol and confronts Ragou on the bridge in Dahngrest, where he cuts him down.
Cumore
- Voiced by: Kenji NojimaKenji Nojimais a Japanese seiyū who was born in Tokyo. He is employed by Japanese voice talent agency Aoni Production. He is the son of veteran seiyū Akio Nojima and is the younger brother of seiyū Hirofumi Nojima...
(Japanese) Liam O'BrienLiam O'BrienLiam Christopher O'Brien is an American voice actor and voice director perhaps best known for his roles as Gaara of the Sand in Naruto, Captain Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach, War in the video game Darksiders, 'Vincent Law' in Ergo Proxy and 'Illidan Stormrage' in the 'Warcraft' game series...
(English) - Aristocrat born Captain of the Imperial Knights. He is sadistic and enjoys taking advantage of those less fortunate than he. After his atrocities in the desert town of Mantaic, Yuri confronts him at the inn and chases him outside, where Cumore accidentally falls into a dry quicksandDry quicksandDry quicksand is loose sand whose bulk density is reduced by blowing air through it and which yields easily to weight or pressure. It acts similarly to normal quicksand, but it does not contain any water and does not operate on the same principle...
as he was fleeing Yuri in cowardice. Cumore then begs Yuri to spare him by tossing down a nearby rope, but Yuri responds by asking Cumore how many of his victims begged the same of him. Yuri then turns away, leaving Cumore to sink to his doom.
- Voiced by: Jurota KosugiJurota Kosugiis a Japanese voice actor. His deep voice is often used for rough and imposing characters. He is well known for playing the role of Sukashii from Kyattou Ninden Teyandee and Asuma Sarutobi from Naruto....
(Japanese) D.C. Douglas (English) - Arguably the game's main antagonist, Alexei is the Commandant (The highest ranking officer) of the Imperial Knights. However, he is secretly maneuvering events throughout the story to his own ends. He was in fact behind most of the events. He desires control of the Imperial Throne and world domination; however, his actions accidentally bring about a threat to the entire world. Alexei commits suicide after releasing the Adephagos (an apocalypse-like force) at Zaude, belatedly realizing the error of his ways.
- Voiced by: Mitsuo IwataMitsuo IwataMitsuo Iwata is a seiyū who was born in Tokorozawa, Saitama. He is married to fellow seiyū Rikako Aikawa. Mania.com praised him as "truly one of the greatest seiyū". Otakunews.com complimented him for the role of Tetsuya from Outlanders...
(Japanese) Spike SpencerSpike SpencerCharles Forrest "Spike" Spencer is an American actor best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is best known for roles in ADV Films dubs of Neon Genesis Evangelion , Martian Successor Nadesico , and Excel Saga . He has also performed voice acting for radio, especially commercials...
(English) - Yeager is the leader of the mysterious Leviathan's Claw guild and wields a scythe that changes into a crossbow. He has two adopted daughters: and who follow his orders without question. He's later revealed to have been working for Alexei. Much like Raven, he has a blastia heart. He occasionally aids the party for his own reasons, but ultimately fights against them at Zaude, where he is finally killed. In the Japanese version, he occasionally speaks in English, while in the English version, he has a German accent.
Khroma
- Voiced by: ? (Japanese) Kate HigginsKate HigginsCatherine Davis "Kate" Higgins is an American voice actress, singer, and jazz pianist. She was born in Charlottesville, Virginia grew up in Auburn, Alabama, and currently lives in Los Angeles. She is best known as the English voice of Sakura Haruno on the hit anime series Naruto, Talho Yūki from...
(English) - Khroma is Alexei's only fully informed confidant. However, with each time Khroma appears before the party without Alexei, she is shown to be a traitor to Alexei's cause as she hints to Yuri Lowell and the party that she wants Alexei stopped before his plans come to fruition. In Relewiese Hollow, it is revealed to the party that she is one of the Entelexeia, although Yuri already suspected this beforehand. She transforms into her Entelexeia form, resembling a dragon or griffin, and does battle with Yuri and the party. In her death she allows herself to be reborn into the summon spirit of the wind, the Slyph.
and
Gauche (Voiced by): Satomi Arai
Satomi Arai
is a Japanese voice actress from Saitama Prefecture affiliated with Yūrin Pro.-Television Animation:2003*Digimon Frontier *Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch 2004*Fafner in the Azure...
(Japanese) Laura Bailey
Laura Bailey
Laura Bailey is an English model represented by Liz Matthews PR. She has modelled campaigns for Guess Jeans, L'Oreal, Jaguar, Jaeger, Marks and Spencer, Bella Freud and Temperley London. Laura also works as a writer and has written for Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Glamour, The Independent,...
(English)
Droite (Voiced by): Miki Nagasawa
Miki Nagasawa
is a female Japanese voice actress born in Hokkaidō and raised in Fukushima. Formerly affiliated for Haikyo, she is now affiliated with Atomic Monkey.-Anime:* After War Gundam X as Perla Ciss* Akihabara Dennou Gumi as Kamome Sengakuji...
(Japanese) Megan Hollingshead
Megan Hollingshead
Megan T.D. Hollingshead is an American theatre and voice actress. She also sometimes goes by the name of Karen Thompson...
(English)
- Commonly referred to as the "Twins" to gamers, these two were adopted daughters of Yeager but are not blood-sisters. In general these two act as the same character, however they do have their own differences. The duo have an undying gratitude to their foster father because he once saved the financially troubled orphanage they lived in for so long. In a side quest where the team fights these two, it is revealed that Yeager potentially knew an old friend of Raven's when they give him her old bow in exchange for a locket. The primary difference between the two is seen in their view of battle where Gauche is seen as more violent than Droite. Perhaps the easiest way to remember who is who is by their hair color and meanings of their names. Gauche is French for "Left" (who holds her sword in her left hand), and Droite is French for "right (direction)" (who holds her sword in her right hand).
- Voiced by: Rikiya KoyamaRikiya Koyama' is a Japanese actor and voice actor who is a member of Haiyuza Theatre Company.He has done popular voicing roles in Hajime no Ippo, Utawarerumono and Kamen no Maid Guy.He is also known by the nicknames "Rikki" and "Riki-chan".- Biography :...
(Japanese) Jamieson PriceJamieson PriceJamieson Kent Price is an American voice actor.Price was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is most well known for his deep and booming voice and can be heard in numerous anime shows and video games. He is also known as Taylor Henry and James Lyon...
(English) - Duke is a mysterious war hero who once fought for humanity's survival alongside the ancient king of the Entelexeia , Elucifer, in the Great War. He fights for his own cause, going against the party at times (but also assisting them at others), causing the party to doubt his trustworthiness. When the Adephagos is released, he plans to use an ancient weapon called the Tarqaron to sacrifice all human beings, including himself, revealing he had grown to loathe other humans for releasing the Adephagos and for killing Elucifer after the Great War, whom was his close friend. The party faces him as the final boss of the game. Duke manages to survive the fight, and then helps in destroying the Adephagos. He carries a special sword by the name of "Dein Nomos".
PlayStation 3 Enhanced Port
Tales of Vesperia was ported to the PlayStation 3PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and released in Japan on September 17, 2009 with additional content as well as a different logo. On January 27, 2010 Namco Bandai stated that they currently have no plans to release the port outside of Japan. In April 2010, Troy Baker
Troy Baker
Troy Baker is an American actor and voice actor who works with anime films, television series, as well as video games....
confirmed that he had done additional voice acting work for the PlayStation 3 version of the game when he was asked about the game by a fan during a Q&A session at Sakura-Con 2010, but in a response to a fan question posted on the PlayStation blog, an employee of Namco stated that there were currently no plans for localization of the game.
It was revealed that Microsoft paid Bandai Namco to keep Tales of Vesperia, An Xbox 360 exclusive outside of japan. There have been also rumors that Microsoft may have paid or help develop the PS3 Version.
On February 1st, 2011, Namco Bandai updated their 'A Tale of Two Richards' Teaser site with a partially visible Tales of Vesperia logo. However, on February 2nd, 2011, ataleoftworichards.com revealed that Tales of Graces F would be localized rather than Vesperia.
Additional Content
The PlayStation 3 version of the game features full voice acting, which is almost double the size of the script in the original 360 version. The game also features various new characters such as Flynn as a fully customizable, permanent playable character as well as Patty Fleur, a young girl with blond hair, who is an entirely new playable character. The game also features several unplayable characters from Tales of Vesperia: The First StrikeTales of Vesperia: The First Strike
is a 2009 Japanese animated film directed by Kenta Kamei and written by Reiko Yoshida. It is the prequel to the game Tales of Vesperia and the first animated feature film in the Tales series. It was released in Japan on October 3, 2009. While other Tales games have been adopted into other media,...
, which the game ties-in with. In addition, Repede, Flynn and Patty are selectable as on-screen avatars with new mini-games such as a racing mini-game for Repede, new subplots, skits and main game quests as well as side quests. The game also has new songs added to the game's soundtrack together with remodeled towns and new towns and dungeons. The game also includes new bosses such as the Sword Dancer from previous Tales games, Don Whitehorse and Clint/Tison/Nan, players are also able to replay boss fights at Nam Cobanda Isle, which is a play on words with the companies name (NAMCOBANDAI.)
In addition there are also new gameplay elements such as higher Overlimit Levels up to 8, more Mystic Artes including a dual Mystic Arte with Yuri and Flynn, new Artes, skills and equipments for characters. A new key item has also been added called the "Artes Ball", which allows an additional 8 Artes Shorcuts to be assigned to the previous 8 slots combined with the L1 button, which allows for a maximum of 16 Artes. The game also features a wide variety of new character costumes, which include cameo costumes based on characters from previous Tales games, as well as costumes based on characters from other series, such as Xenosaga
Xenosaga
is a series of science fiction video games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco Bandai. Xenosaga's main story is in the form of a trilogy of PlayStation 2 video games. There have been three spin-off games and an anime adaptation. The Xenosaga series serves as a spiritual successor to...
and Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog, known in Japan as , is a manga series by Mine Yoshizaki. It was later serialized into a TV anime series directed by Junichi Sato. Both the anime and manga are comedies that follow the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to conquer Earth...
. Also included is a scene-skip feature, a Team Arena in the Coliseum, which also has new battles and modes together with Pre-Order Bonuses, which are Tales of the Abyss
Tales of the Abyss
is a console role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco in Japan and Namco Bandai Games in North America. Tales of the Abyss's characteristic genre name is The Meaning Of Birth RPG . It is the eighth mothership title in the Tales series, and was released for the...
character costumes. The game also features connectivity with the Tales spin-off, Tales of VS.
Tales of VS.
is the latest escort title in the Tales series exclusively for the PlayStation Portable, released on August 6, 2009 in Japan. It was developed by Matrix Software and published by Namco Bandai Games. It is a cross-over action game which features various characters from past Tales games. Tales of VS...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
.
Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike
Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike is the official name for the anime adaptation of Tales of Vesperia, which was released as an animated feature film in Japan in Autumn, 2009; this is the same season in which the PlayStation 3 port was released. The movie will be a prequel to the game showing Yuri Lowell's time as an Imperial Knight.Reception
FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
awarded Tales of Vesperia a score of 9/9/9/8, totaling 35/40. Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 4 out of 5, praising the game for its anime-style graphics and characters. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave it an 8.5/10, stating that "Tales of Vesperia is the best game yet in the series." In GameSpot's "Best of 2008" the game was nominated for "Best Story" and "Best Graphics, Artistic" categories, though it did not win either category. While they criticized the visuals as being a little inconsistent, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it an 8.2/10, stating "Tales of Vesperia is a strong anime-style Japanese RPG with a wide-ranging story, compelling characters and an intense real-time battle system that keeps you on your toes." In IGN's "Best of 2008" awards it was nominated for "Best Xbox 360 RPG" and "Best Xbox 360 Original Score". X-Play gave the game a 4 out of 5 praising its characters and visuals. In X-Play's "Best Of 2008" it was nominated for best role-playing game. VG Chartz awarded Tales Of Vesperia "Best Game No One Played 2008" for the Xbox 360.
According to Famitsu's annual top 100, Vesperia was the 82nd best selling title in Japan in 2008 having sold 161,070 copies. The launch of Tales of Vesperia in Japan caused the Xbox 360 to sell out for the first time since the system's release in Japan. With 204,305 copies sold, it is currently the second best-selling Xbox 360 game ever in Japan, behind only Star Ocean: The Last Hope
Star Ocean: The Last Hope
is an action role-playing video game developed by tri-Ace and Square Enix who also published the game, initially only for the Xbox 360, and the fourth installment in the Star Ocean series. Famitsu revealed that the battle system featured four party members, and was more team-oriented...
. In North America, Tales of Vesperia sold 33,000 copies during the 4 days after its 26 August launch.
Tales of Vesperia for the PlayStation 3 sold 147,000 copies on its opening day, which is more than double that of the Xbox 360's version, which sold 71,000 copies on its opening day and a total of 140,000 in two weeks. Tales of Vesperia for the PlayStation 3 sold a total of 352,961 copies in by the end of 2009 making it the 24th best selling game in Japan of 2009.
