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[Luigiv]

Details
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
Developer: Namco Tales Studio
Platform: 3DS
Players: 1
Release Dates:

• JP - 30th of June 2011
• AU - 24th of November 2011 *Note: JB Hi-Fi Exclusive*
• EU - 25th of November 2011
• NA - 14th of February 2012

Boxart:

About the Game
In the first quarter of the calender year 2011, Nintendo released a successor to it's immensely popular DS platform. Namco Bandai games, not one to miss the chance for a quick buck, has taken the opportunity to get their biggest cash cow, the Tales of series, on the system as soon as they could. Realising that the 3DS was roughly equivalent to a PS2 in power, Namco Bandai decided that the most half-assed way to do this was to quickly port over one of their PS2 entries onto the system. As such Tales of the Abyss 3DS was born.

Thankfully for 3DS owners, Tales of the Abyss is a generally well regarded entry into the series and this port will be the first time the game sees a local release in the PAL regions, thus being a new experience for many of us. Overall, things could have been worse.

Tales of the Abyss originally released on the the PS2 in 2005 in celebration of the series' 10th anniversary. It follows the story of Luke fon Fabre, a whiny bastard who must save the world. Keeping to the series tradition of overwrought battle system titles, the game features the Flex Range Linear Motion Battle System, which was the first permutation of the LMBS to feature free running.

More information on the game's plot, characters and systems as well as GAF impressions, opinions and discussion of the original PS2 release can be found here.


Specifics About the 3DS Build
The 3DS build is near identical to the original NA PS2 release. It features no new content and the graphics are practically indistinguishable. However there are some minor differences.

First and most obviously the game's visuals have been remastered into widescreen stereoscopic 3D. As per usual for a 3DS/DS port some simple touch/dual screen support has been added and the font has been beaten over the head with the ugly stick. On top of this load times have been heavily reduced and the framerate on the field has been stabilised a little bit though the battles have been dropped from 60fps to 30.


How to Break the Region Protection on your 3DS and Import Early
You Cant! Not yet, at least. You Americans just need to be patient for now.

Spoiler

Sorry this section was mean. I just wanted an excuse to reuse this image.

Media
Rise from the Abyss Trailer

Character Intros

• Luke
• Tear
• Guy
• Jade
• Anise
• Natalia

Iwata Asks

Reviews
PS2 Metascore: 78
3DS Metascore: 75

 

[GasProblem]

Finally a good 3DS RPG

 

[salromano]

You Europeans better purchase the shit out of this game.

 

[MiloFoxburr]

You Europeans better purchase the shit out of this game.

I'm doing my bit. Hope it does well.

 

[Kenka]

Yummy, so it launches in three days.

I'll have to look for it once it hits a sweet price point.

 

[Shirokun]

I've said it several times before, but the 3D is really impressive in this game. It makes a big difference in the image quality IMO. The screenshots can't really do it justice.

 

[cw_sasuke]

I'm doing my bit. Hope it does well.

Same here.
But probably wont be able to play it this year.

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

Been a long time coming and don't worry, the game is well worth the wait (despite it being too long for its own good)

It's the 2nd best game in the series, right after TOS (full disclosure, I have not played Graces or Xillia yet).

Will be great to play it again without the horrendous loading times

I've said it several times before, but the 3D is really impressive in this game. It makes a big difference in the image quality IMO. The screenshots can't really do it justice.

I don't suppose you can confirm whether or not the battles run at 30FPS or 60FPS? (can't seem to get a good solid answer from anyone who isn't framerate blind!)

 

[mclem]

You Europeans better purchase the shit out of this game.

I have a terrible dilemma with handheld releases at this end of the year. Do I stick 'em on my Christmas list, or do I buy them in advance so I can play them while journeying to my parents'?

I'm thinking SM3DL and MK should cover the journey.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

I don't have a 3DS yet (waiting till next year just in case of revised design), but I'm buying this day one coz it'll be hard to get pretty quick.
Still can't believe they never released the PS2 version here in the UK. Bastards.

 

[Rekubot]

I'll be too busy with Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart to play it this year. Will definitely purchase eventually though!

 

[weeaboo]

Yahooo, can't wait for my december JRPG. I hope this is as good as everyone say.

 

[froliq]

not enough enthusiasm

(I'd buy it if I owned a 3ds)

 

[Shirokun]

I don't suppose you can confirm whether or not the battles run at 30FPS or 60FPS? (can't seem to get a good solid answer from anyone who isn't framerate blind!)

It's been a little while since I picked it up, but I'm almost positive that they do not run at 60FPS.

 

[weeaboo]

Wait a minute

the text has finally received a Multi 5 localisation.

spanish localization? Is this real life?

 

[Why would you do that?]

...and for the first time, I really wish the 3DS were region free. I'd so import this instead of waiting for the American release.

I wonder if this is the exact same version as the Japanese 3DS release (i.e. if they fixed any bugs or optimized it or something).

 

[JustAnotherOtaku]

Really looking forward to this. I'm a big Tales fan and even though Xillia didn't completely meet up to my expectations, I'm still hyped for Abyss as I never played it on PS2 and have always heard great things about it.

 

[Stuart444]

w00t, I had considered doing an OT since I saw none up and no one had called dibs on it.

Glad we have one now. Let's show our Enthusiasm for Tales of the Abyss 3DS

Also suggestion, put in a where to purchase section so people can just click the links and pre-order before Friday

edit: also I don't believe the text has received a multi localization:

http://www.facebook.com/tony.shoupinou/posts/292258670787399

If you're a fan of Tales of the Abyss, you may have heard the game is going to be release in english only over europe.

I want to tell you I understand your frustration and would like to tell you we are taking your remarks very seriously. We are currently reshaping the way Tales of Games are delivered on the western countries according to wishes of players and fans. This is a heavy process and I can’t tell you that this is going to change on the next months because it requires to work on every aspect of the creation, promotion and distribution of the games, but I can assure you we are already working on this. Please get in touch with our team with you suggestions and remarks as it will be very helpful to improve the access to Tales Of games in the future.

In the case of Tales of the Abyss, the game could not be localized because of timings and costs. We are perfectly aware of this and to help non-English fans to get access to the game, we are working on creating a special fan kit to help them going through this wonderful adventure. This fan kit will be available to all for free in multiple languages by the time of the release.

I hope we can count on the support of Tales of community to make this beloved series going more and more recognized and appreciated worldwide.
Thanks

 

[mjc]

They must have cleaned up the game a bit because I remember the screens looking kinda crummy.

 

[Luigiv]

Wait a minute



spanish localization? Is this real life?

Actually I could be wrong on that one. I just assumed that the game releasing in Europe would equal an Automatic Multi 5 localisation but that "game in English" tag on the boxart has me worrisome.

Is it heard of for games to release in Europe in English only?

edit: also I don't believe the text has received a multi localization:

http://www.facebook.com/tony.shoupinou/posts/292258670787399

Okay, thanks for that, I'll edit the OP.

 

[weeaboo]

Actually I could be wrong on that one. I just assumed that the game releasing in Europe would equal an Automatic Multi 5 localisation but that "game in English" tag on the boxart has me worrisome.

Is it heard of for games to release in Europe in English only?

I truly don't think so, it's Namco lol


EDIT: Well shit.

 

[DisenLedZep]

I really hope that framerate and loading times issues get solved in this release.

I love this game. Hope it gets the sales it deserves.

EDIT:

On top of this load times have been heavily reduced and the framerate has been stabilised to a near solid 30FPS from beginning to end, as opposed to the original's 15FPS field

F- yeah!

 

[Yazuka]

Don't have a 3DS yet. But still getting this game, preordered and everything.
I'm doing my part again. Hopefully it will sell really well this time..

 

[Stuart444]

Don't have a 3DS yet. But still getting this game, preordered and everything.
I'm doing my part again. Hopefully it will sell really well this time..

good to hear I'm doing my part as well, pre-ordered it, letting people know on Twitter, facebook (several different pages), forums, etc. Doing whatever I can think of to raise some awareness of it since I'm sure there is people who would like to purchase it but didn't even know it was coming out.

Hoping it does well.

 

[@MUWANdo]

One weird quirk I remember from the Japanese release is that some of the "in-engine" cutscenes displayed in 2D only for some inexplicable reason. Maybe they're actually pre-recorded and couldn't simply be converted to 3D, maybe it's just Namco being Namco, I don't know. I wonder if the international release will be the same.

 

[redlemon]

Have it preordered. It'll be nice to play a version without horrendous load times.

 

[@MUWANdo]

Oh, and there's this Iwata Asks article with some Tales producer, too:

http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/creators/7/0

 

[Luigiv]

I truly don't think so, it's Namco lol


EDIT: Well shit.

Sorry for getting your hopes up.

Oh, and there's this Iwata Asks article with some Tales producer, too:

http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/creators/7/0

Oh cool, I'll add that to the OP.

Edit: Oh yeah, I remember that one, it was published around launch.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

February cant come soon enough, it will be fun to finally play a Tales game again after my last encounter with the psp Tales of Eternity.

 

[storafötter]

I wont get this game immediately as I have finished it before, and not fan of going through that backtracking anytime soon. However I might get it for my sister and girlfriend to enjoy. Other than that it is a great game with an enjoyable cast which will be worth every penny spent for people who have not played it before.

 

[Volodja]

Just as I was asking myself why there was still no OT for this one.
I'll be there day 1, I should have completed Super Mario 3D Land by then.
Hopefully I'll manage to actually finish this someday.

 

[Aru]

Gonna grab it this week if it shows up on the site of a specific french retailer (FNAC) because I should have some vouchers to use on that site.

I hope it's good ! Haven't played a Tales games since Vesperia.

 

[slaughterking]

I wish they would release this at a different time. I think the US release is much better.

 

[Crazetex]

not enough enthusiasm

(I'd buy it if I owned a 3ds)

This. Abyss is what pulled the Tales series out of the mud for me. I still can't stand anything that came before (except Legendia's music), but TotA is my jrpg soft spot.

Too bad I still can't justify a 3DS.

 

[nincompoop]

I'm probably gonna pass on this due to the downgraded framerate, unless they let you play it at 60 fps in 2D. (Which more games really need to do, since if the game can run at 30 fps in 3D then there's no reason that it shouldn't be running at 60 fps in 2D.)

 

[AndyMoogle]

Same here.
But probably wont be able to play it this year.

Yeah, it's going to be tough to find time for this game this year. I haven't finished Skyrim yet, and I have Skyward Sword and Super Mario 3D Land to play as well. Not to mention Mario Kart 7 next week...

I'm still buying this game day 1 though. Considering that Namco released about 3 copies of Tales of Symphonia in Europe, I'm not going to wait for a price drop on this one.

 

[@MUWANdo]

I'm probably gonna pass on this due to the downgraded framerate, unless they let you play it at 60 fps in 2D. (Which more games really need to do, since if the game can run at 30 fps in 3D then there's no reason that it shouldn't be running at 60 fps in 2D.)

Rock-solid 30FPS is better than 30FPS+jittery 60FPS+slideshow of the original. EDIT: not to mention the huge difference in load times

 

[Stuart444]

What about adding the character videos with english voices?

Luke
Tear
Guy
Jade
Anise
Natalia

Got them from the Tales FB page (the Tales of characters section).

 

[Luigiv]

What about adding the character videos with english voices?

Luke
Tear
Guy
Jade
Anise
Natalia

Got them from the Tales FB page (the Tales of characters section).

Okay, I'll add those to the Media section. I'm not going to bother add a dedicated characters, plot or systems section to the OT. It's an old game so there's not point in retreading on tired ground (plus I wouldn't really have a clue on what I'd be talking about).

 

[hamchan]

Can't find the game in JBHifi's online store. The game better be coming out on the 24th here in Australia or I'll be mad Namco.

 

[Zarovitch]

Is it better than Tales of Symphonia?

 

[M3d10n]

I'm probably gonna pass on this due to the downgraded framerate, unless they let you play it at 60 fps in 2D. (Which more games really need to do, since if the game can run at 30 fps in 3D then there's no reason that it shouldn't be running at 60 fps in 2D.)

That's not how it works. Switching from 3D to 2D affects mostly GPU load. Since the GPU and CPU can work mostly in parallel a 30fps game has twice the time to process game logic (physics, AI, sloppy code, etc) than a 60fps game, regardless of rendering in 3D or not.

 

[Labadal]

Forgot that the game releases so soon. I still have it pre-ordered, so I'm good to go. This will be my first actual 3DS game I play on my 3DS.

 

[mclem]

I'm probably gonna pass on this due to the downgraded framerate, unless they let you play it at 60 fps in 2D. (Which more games really need to do, since if the game can run at 30 fps in 3D then there's no reason that it shouldn't be running at 60 fps in 2D.)

That's not *quite* true:

Running at 30FPS in 3D requires, per frame:

* Game logic update
* Render Frame 1
* Render Frame 2
* Send to screen

Running at 60FPS in 2D requires, per *two* frames:
* Game logic update
* Render Frame 1
* Send to screen
* Game logic update
* Render Frame 2
* Send to screen.

That's where things get a little awkward; that second logic update. That *could* tip the framerate below 60FPS.

Edit: Ah! Beaten by M3d10n

 

[Luigiv]

That's not *quite* true:

Running at 30FPS in 3D requires, per frame:

* Game logic update
* Render Frame 1
* Render Frame 2
* Send to screen

Running at 60FPS in 2D requires, per *two* frames:
* Game logic update
* Render Frame 1
* Send to screen
* Game logic update
* Render Frame 2
* Send to screen.

That's where things get a little awkward; that second logic update. That *could* tip the framerate below 60FPS.

Edit: Ah! Beaten by M3d10n

Also worth pointing out that in 3D you don't actually need to render the entire frame twice. There are apparently parts of the frame that can be processed once and then shared between both views. I'm not entirely sure as to which parts, though. I believe M3d10n knows.

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

Also worth pointing out that in 3D you don't actually need to render the entire frame twice. There are apparently parts of the frame that can be processed once and then shared between both views. I'm not entirely sure as to which parts, though. I believe M3d10n knows.

If you want proper S3D (i.e, not the fakie Triovis crap), the only things you can render once are the HUD elements and framebuffer reprojections in 2D (things like video billboards for racing games etc)

There's no way to get around the stereo rendering requirement (unless you go the Triovis route, but that looks like garbage and no 3DS game does that thankfully!)

 

[Why would you do that?]

Don't some games update their logic based on a Delta time between frames instead of a straight, hard-coded FPS? I would assume many games would strive to do something like that for compatibility between PAL's 50 Hz and NTSC's 60 Hz. (But I am definitely not an expert on this matter.)

 

[mclem]

Strictly speaking, it's *anything* that you want rendered at the plane of the screen. That's generally HUD, though.

 

[mclem]

Don't some games update their logic based on a Delta time between frames instead of a straight, hard-coded FPS? I would assume many games would strive to do something like that for compatibility between PAL's 50 Hz and NTSC's 60 Hz. (But I am definitely not an expert on this matter.)

Most do these days, yes. The ones with the terrible PAL ports are the ones which don't!

That doesn't affect how *often* it has to update the logic, though.

 

[APZonerunner]

If anybody has any burning questions, I'm playing through a copy of this for review right now and can answer.