Tales of Graces f Remastered Review

Tales of Graces was originally developed by Namco Tales Studio back in 2009 for Nintendo Wii, and then Tales of Graces f was published on PlayStation 3 in Japan in December 2010. Tales of Graces f was developed by TOSE, a Japanese studio behind the Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII-Reunion and Dragon Quest Treasures.

Even though TOSE is mostly known for making games for Nintendo, Tales of Graces f Remastered has been released on all the major platforms. This is not surprising, as TOSE has developed major titles like Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy Chronicles, just to name a few.

As mentioned, Tales of Graces was first released for the Wii in 2009, with an improved version featuring additional content released on the PS3 in 2010. The remaster is based on the improved PS3 version and contains nearly all of the DLC available for it. Aside from the graphical improvements, including higher resolution support and updated textures, there are also new quality-of-life features like faster dashing in the overworld, turning off enemy encounters, skippable cutscenes, and skits, autosave, navigation icons so you know where to go next, a retry feature for regular battles, and many more.

Tales of Graces f Remastered is set in the fantasy world of Ephinea, and it is a tale of one young noble, Asbel Lhant, who is determined to protect those who mean something to him after one fateful tragedy that happened during his childhood. Along with his childhood friends-which include the mysterious Sophie, steadfast Hubert, and the kind-hearted Cheria-Asbel, he embarks on an engrossing journey to find out about their pasts and comprehend political intrigue with looming threats to their world.

The story follows Asbel, the son of the town's ruler, Lhant, on his journey around the world to save his friend, King Richard, and the world. Throughout his travels, he expands his party with a cast of characters that includes childhood pals, his brother, and a girl who has lost her memory, whom he met seven years ago but assumed was dead. The crew will now have an uphill battle as countries prepare for war, and Richard is hellbent on annihilating humanity, endangering everyone's well-being.

The story of Tales of Graces f Remastered remains unchanged and still solid. Even if it can be predictable at points, I was nonetheless interested in the plot and its progression. I properly predicted several of the main plot lines, such as the identity of the amnesiac girl Sophie, but I was astonished by Richard's metamorphosis and why he began acting so erratic. At its core, it's a story of friendship, highlighted by Asbel's desire to become stronger in order to protect everyone. It can be a little cringy at points because he is somewhat one-dimensional in this aspect, but it is ultimately a fun and light-hearted journey worth witnessing. 

However, the Tales series excels in character development. Tales of Graces' cast is by far one of my favorites. Each character has a distinct personality that emerges as you travel through the game. Most of my favorite moments come from the game's sketches, which are little side chats that may be triggered manually. These show your party having random talks about what they find, what's going on around them, or specific sections of the plot you're encountering, and are aided by strong voice acting that makes what they say credible.

They can also shed light on some of the characters' eccentricities, such as childhood friend Cheria's dread of ghosts and love of cooking or Sophie's obliviousness to sarcasm, while gradually revealing more of her fears as the novel unfolds and she learns more about the world. The skits build out each character, revealing facets we hadn't seen before or emphasizing some of their major characteristics. In addition to skits, there are frequently some hilarious moments between your characters on the results screen after combat, which complement the skits and make these protagonists feel more genuine. 

Combat and growth mechanisms are the other major pillars of Tales of Graces Remastered. Tales of Graces has long been regarded as one of the most gratifying games in the series in terms of fighting, and Tales of Graces f Remastered reinforces this sentiment even more. Graces adds a unique twist to the series' hallmark Linear Motion Battle System (LMBS) with the "Style-Shift" system, which allows characters to switch between two types of Artes on the fly, known as A-Artes and B-Artes. 

Artes are character-specific skills that would ordinarily be governed by a mana or MP pool but are instead governed by what many Tales games refer to as "Chain Capacity". A character's CC gauge builds up over time, at which point players can execute single Artes or longer strings of combos, each with distinct attack kinds, elemental affinities, and synergies with the Artes of other party members.

This is elaborated upon by the more than 50 Titles that each character can obtain. After acquiring new Titles, characters can equip them and study their associated Artes and stat bonuses by earning SP in battle. After collecting enough SP, players will be able to max out a Title at Level 5, allowing them to equip new Titles while maintaining all of the Artes and other talents they learned from the previous one. It's a system with an incredible lot of depth and customization, which is only amplified by the option for players to modify their characters' fighting strategies.

Tales of Graces f Remastered, like Final Fantasy XII's Gambits, features an advanced auto-battling system. Players can choose which Artes are included in a character's armory, as well as whether to operate them manually, semi-automatically, or entirely automated by the game's artificial intelligence. Setting characters on Auto, then going into their Arte trees and selecting the criteria for which Artes to use and when allows players to sit back during battles and watch the computer take over spectacularly. I choose to split my time between manual control and automated battles with Tales of Graces f Remastered, and I can confidently state that either option is enjoyable.

While manual control demonstrates how adaptable characters like Asbel are in a battle (with more advanced powers like animation canceling, mid-rate evasion, and so on), auto-battling was very astounding. Except for the requirement to manually provide commands for item usage during battle, I spent my last several hours of Tales of Graces Remastered in Auto mode, with only one party wipe to speak of. For all intents and purposes, the AI performed an admirable job of adhering to the limits I set for it, and it was as satisfying as witnessing my well-planned Gambits play out in Final Fantasy 12.

The expanded array of accessibility and gameplay choices provided by Tales of Graces f Remastered are the frosting on the cake. Players can adjust the usual settings right away, including fight difficulty, message speed, auto-scrolling, and other quality-of-life features found in most AAA JRPGs. But Tales of Graces Remastered goes a step further with its new Grade system. 

The Grade Shop, similar to the "Boost" functionality in the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, is a marketplace where players can spend a predetermined amount of Grade currency. Some points are available at the beginning of the game. However, these points do not carry over from one playthrough to the next, making it vital to think about what grade options are selected. 

Outside of combat, you'll be running across the environment, moving back and forth between new and old locales to achieve your quest. I wish there was less running from place to place or a means to move faster, but it isn't too bad because of the exciting combat. I also like that the monsters are visible in the overworld; thus, there are no chance encounters. 

You can also discover shops to purchase new things and weapons/armor, as well as Inns to complete requests/side tasks that will earn you extra gold and rank-up titles. Side quests are difficult to figure out on your own, but you can usually figure them out by listening to what they say or reading the request. There are also some mini-games interspersed throughout, providing opportunities to break up the main gameplay loop.

Tales of Graces f Remastered is bright, with anime-inspired graphics bringing the world of Ephinea to life. Characters are highly detailed, retaining the expressive and colorful style that fans of the Tales series have come to expect. Each protagonist has a different set of clothes and facial expressions that change throughout the game and add depth to their personalities.

In the scenes, reality and imagination come together very well. They are depicted in high definition. On a grander scale, the verdant sceneries, which are highly detailed and described better with textures and lighting than the actual, lively towns and placid beaches - now, that would be perfectly more modern technology in softening sharp edges to boost the overall appeal of remastering.

It's so spectacular to see combat with smooth animation and bright bursts of color. Artes, or special powers, light up the battlefield with flashes of color and energy, adding vitality to every conflict. These details got more quality in the remaster and made them pop out on modern screens. Designs of NPCs and enemies also got upgraded, and with more variation, they looked good, too.

The overall job that the remaster has done with modernizing the graphics while retaining the charm of the original is simply great. This game is more refined, instills nostalgia in long-time fans, and welcomes newcomers. A balance is maintained in care with artistic expression and technical advances.

The sound design for Tales of Graces f Remastered is in tune with the bright game world and epic gameplay. The voice acting is excellent, portraying realistic moods and deep expressions, all adding to the characters being brought to life by the players. The whole new audio, which has some plot moments and combat, intensifies the battles and stories of the players.

The highlight of Tales of Graces f Remastered is Motoi Sakuraba's music score. The music comprises orchestral-sounding tunes and lively allergies that complement different settings and activities in the game. Powerful and emotional compositions accompany intense cutscenes in the game, while light-hearted moments are punctuated with cheerful music. The improved version also adds a clearer and richer effect to the soundtrack than an earlier version.

Sound effects in combat are striking, and every slash, spell, and special move, along with different auditory hints, makes the battles sound intense and exciting. Environmental ambient sounds, like the sound of leaves rustling or the murmurs of urban crowds, offer a bit of realism that helps boost the immersion effect.

Thus, the totally revamped sound design succeeds in making the new game sound and brings its potency to the series. It is a treat for previous generations and an open welcome entry for newbies to embrace.

The anime's dazzlingly vivid visuals were enhanced by the remaster, which added additional resolution and texture refinement to the original game's graphics. The "Linear Motion Battle System, which enables players to switch between attacks and artes or anything else they like, is still an element of the game.

The Remaster also contains the F arc, an epilogue that adds story content, more character development, and new gameplay features. From its moving storyline and memorable characters to its captivating mechanics, Tales of Graces f Remastered will please a wide range of gamers, from series veterans to newcomers seeking a rich JRPG experience.