New Tales titles officially confirmed for North America, screenshots
There’s no more need to chew on your fingers, because Namco Bandai finally made the reassuring announcement that Tales of Vesperia on the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World on the Nintendo Wii are official and will ship to North America when they’re launched. We even have screenshots of Vesperia in the full article to tide us over until we get our hands on the game. Check out the full article.
It’s official: Namco Bandai is taking the next batch of Tales games to the west. Tales of Vesperia on the Microsoft Xbox 360 will attempt to break the fine line between video games and anime, while Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World on the Nintendo Wii is going to introduce Pokemon elements to the series.
We heard of the confirmation not long ago, though official word from Namco Bandai is still reassuring. As most of us found out after seeing its trailer, Tales of Vesperia will don visuals indistinguishable to cel-based anime. With the help of seasoned manga artist Kosuke Fujishima who created the popular Ah! My Goddess and Sakura Wars series, Vesperia apparently aims to be an interactive anime.
It’s not all about flair, however, because Tales of Vesperia won’t be without gameplay improvements. Finishing blows, which we suspect to be more powerful than devastating hi-ougi, can kill enemies with a single blow if button combinations are pressed correctly. A new system will also be introduced in Vesperia that allows customization as characters learn special attacks from weapons.
Screenshots reveal that the overworld map is still around and familiar backdrops of lush jungles and majestic kingdoms make their return. Combat is in full 3D planes which Namco Bandai promise to be massive. Of course, just like the installments before it, Tales of Vesperia‘s battles happen in real-time.
As a sequel, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World doesn’t fall short of ideas. Aside from the debut of completely new characters Emil Castagnier and Marta Lualdi, it will be possible for the first time in the series to recruit monsters who can join your party in battle. There are over 200 of them to capture, with some having the ability to evolve. Feed them and treat them well, then soon enough, you’ll be pulling off unison moves for massive damage. Everyone in Tales of Symphonia‘s original crew is also said to be playable.
No release dates were marked, though Namco Bandai stated that these two Tales should be told later this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the franchise. The wait shouldn’t be that bad, especially when you have Tales of Vesperia screenshots to drool over.
