Bandai Namco has filed trademarks for Tales of Zestiria X and Tales of the Rays in Europe.  What's in store for the popular JRPG series?

Thanks, Couch.

More information.

Chris Carter (Destructoid) has reviewed the JRPG Tales of Zestiria:

A Tale of two Shepherds

My history with the Tales series is sort of akin to an on again, off again relationship. I was introduced to Phantasia by way of a friend's import copy, and immediately fell in love. After that I only dabbled in a few entries before being courted all over again by Vesperia, then went back to dabbling.

But when Zestiria came across my desk, I knew it was time to jump back in again. I'm glad I did.

[...]

When it comes to exploration, Zestiria walks a fine line between open environments and too many linear dungeon-like settings. It's actually more open than both Xillia games, but don't get the impression that they're as sprawling as say, Xenoblade Chronicles. I'm ok with this compromise though, as the developers have stuffed a ton of secrets into the game's universe, including monoliths that grant you information, and cute hidden creatures called Normin that grant you rewards the the effort of finding them. The concise focus also helps make the dungeons less of a slog, and allows them focus more on a centralized theme or puzzle element.

Combat is easily the most meaningful advancement Zestiria has made, however. It's now a lot more action-oriented, and relies on SC (spirit chain) energy, which adds a new strategic element to the mix. At first players will start off with just 4-hit combos, which are essentially a mash session, but the game quickly ramps up into something much more interesting. For starters, your attacks get stronger as you expend SC, but unloading all of it will leave you vulnerable. To recharge SC you'll have to guard or stay idle, leaving you open to attack.

[...]

Tales of Zestiria plays by the book in a lot of ways, particularly when it comes to its cast and narrative. But it's still a great entry into the series, and a welcome return for old fans, especially as far as the battle system is concerned. In fact, it's even inspired me to go back and finish both Xillia titles -- that's the magic of the Tales series at work.

Score: 7.5 - Likable
That's a seven, which is actually a different number than five. It's more than ok. We like this game. I don't want to play it every day forever and ever, but it's definitely worth the time I invested in it, and I'll be picking it up again to relive the fun sometime down the line.

Tales of Zestiria has been released. Here's the launch trailer:

-> Steam page.

Meghan Sullivan (IGN) likes the combat of Tales of Zestiria, the story not so much:

Zestiria's story is forgettable but the combat is not.

I think of the Tales series as RPG comfort food. It reliably delivers cheerful characters, a story anchored in friendship, and a unique brawler-tinged spin on RPG combat. Tales of Zestiria is no exception, but the big shift to an open world and some flashy new combat moves makes it pleasantly different from its predecessors.

The first and most welcome change is its open world. Zestiria removes the pen that once confined us to narrow corridors of trees and bushes and lets you freely journey through a nice variety of locations that include green pastures, sand-swept deserts, and gloomy swamps. This gives Zestiria’s world a sense of immersion that some of its more linear predecessors lack. Treasure chests and stat-boosting herbs found throughout a typical Tales world are still there, but I like that Zestiria also includes Normin: cute little critters tucked away in  hidden corners that grant special skills to equipment. There are also Lords of the Land, helpful deities that let you do things like fast-travel and replenish treasure chests if you establish a good enough rapport with them. These are all nice rewards for putting on your wide-brimmed fedora and venturing through the landscape. [...]

The Verdict

Tales of Zestiria doesn’t deviate too far from its competent predecessors, but it’s not a carbon copy, either. It may have linear dungeons and a less-than-stellar story, but it’s open-world exploration, enjoyable customization, and flashy new Armitization feature are enough for it to stand on its own.

Score 7.8 Good
An open-world map and fun new combat features make Tales of Zestiria an enjoyable roleplaying game.

    + Open-world map
    + Armitization feature
    + Deep customization

    - Bland story and characters
    - Linear dungeons

Tales of Zestiria is set for release on October 20. You can watch the recorded PC livestream here:

loading...

Tales of Zestiria - PC/PS4/PS3 - Livestream premiere & Symphonia HD sneak peek