Platform: PlayStation 3
Theme/Genre: Passion Illuminates the World RPG
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Directors: Yuuta Hase, Mari Miyata
Producer: Hideo Baba
Composers: Motoi Sakuraba, Go Shiina
Animation: Ufotable
Character Design: Daigo Okumura, Kosuke Fujishima, Minoru Iwamoto, and Mutsumi Inomata
Release Dates:
-Japan: January 22nd, 2015
-North America/Europe: TBA 2015
Theme Song: "White Light" by Superfly
Videos
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PV4 (Story System)
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Tales of Zestiria takes place on the continent of Greenwood, a land primarily controlled by two nations: the Highland Kingdom and the Laurence Empire. A land of myths, folktales, ancient traditions, and superstition, it is said that when darkness begins to overtake the world, a savior will appear with the power to bring back the light and restore peace. In the present day various disasters are occurring throughout the continent, and a force born out of negative emotions known as the Corruption has started to materialize. This is where our lead Sorey comes in: with abilities uncommon to normal humans, he eventually sets out on a journey to develop his powers and save the land.
Sorey
Voice Actor: Ryohei Kimura
Character Design: Kousuke Fujishima
A young man raised in the village of the Tenzoku, he possesses an abnormally high level of spiritual power, allowing him to see the normally invisible beings. Fascinated with ruins, he sets out to explore the outside world after meeting Alisha. He later learns that he has the power to stop the Hyouma and stop the corruption taking over their world.
Alisha
Voice Actor: Ai Kayano
Character Design: Daigo Okumura
Last in line to succeed Highland's throne, she sees herself not as a princess but as a knight. In search of a solution to the disasters occurring in her country, she eventually makes her way to the land of the Tenzoku, where she encounters Sorey.
Mikleo
Voice Actor: Ryota Osaka
Character Design: Mutsumi Inomata
A young Tenzoku who has been friends with Sorey since their childhood. The more level-headed of the two, he attempts to make Sorey see reason and the two frequently argue. Also interested in ruins, he has a sort of rivalry with Sorey and the two set out from their village together.
Edna
Voice Actor: Misato Fukuen
Character Design: Minoru Iwamoto
A Tenzoku girl with the ability to use earth magic. She has a sharp tongue and is distrustful of others, particularly humans, and tries to keep her emotions suppressed.
Lailah
Voice Actor: Miyu Matsuki
Character Design: Mutsumi Inomata
A Tenzoku woman with an affinity for fire, and the first to form a pact with Sorey. She serves as a guide to Sorey as he learns and develops his powers, explaining to him and his friends about the ancient world and its practices.
Dezel
Voice Actor: Daisuke Ono
Character Design: Daigo Okumura
A wind Tenzoku, he is tracking down a Hyouma to get revenge for a friend that was killed by it. He generally keeps to himself, and appears to have done something to keep his inner emotions from corrupting him.
Zaveid
Voice Actor: Kenjiro Tsuda
Character Design: Minoru Iwamoto
Another wind Tenzoku, he enjoys fighting Hyouma and is always in search of a strong opponent, even attempting to fight Sorey. His true motives and allegiances are unknown.
Rose
Voice Actor: Mikako Komatsu
Character Design: Kousuke Fujishima
A human girl working as a member of the merchant guild "The Sparrow Feathers", she has a level of spiritual power comparable to Sorey. She lost her ability to see Tenzoku as a child, but after spending some time with Sorey she quickly begins to regain her original abilities.
Fusionic Chain Linear Motion Battle System
A spiritual sucessor of sorts to Tales of Graces' battle system, Zesitira's battle system carries over a lot of features from that game. Some of the things brought over include having two sets of artes assigned to the X and O buttons, the ability to time dodges for bonus effects, and a damage multiplier for hitting enemy weaknesses. The game also has a collection of newer features:
- Kamui - The primary new feature of the combat, it allow a human and a Tenzoku to fuse into one being, unlocking powerful elemental attacks.
- Real-time transitions - A first to the series, battles no longer take you to a separate battlefield. Instead the battle begins in the same location it was initiated.
- Spirit Chain - Zestiria uses a new resource system instead of AC, TP, or CC. It works similarly to CC and AC in that it quickly recovers once you stop taking action. The main difference is that each character has a maximum of 100 SC, meaning you basically need to have a certain percentage available to use an action. This applies from the beginning of the game it also doesn't use CC's Min-Max mechanics.
- Blast Gauge - Filled through fighting and defending, this gauge lets you use extra abilities and fusion. You can build a stock of it, and use abilities that require building it up to a particular level, such as Mystic Artes.
Map Actions
Sorey can use his sword or call upon his allies to perform actions on the field, allowing you to remove obstacles, reach new areas, or interact with enemies. Sorey can use his sword to cut down obstacles or hit enemies, fire shoots a fireball, water forms a bubble barrier, wind allows you to move quickly over gaps, and earth lets you break down objects like boulders. You can use these abilities to hit enemies and if they have a weakness to it, deal additional damage when the battle starts.
Normin and Tenzoku Blessings
Magical creatures known as Normin are littered throughout the world. If you find one, they will allow you to use various bonus effects, such as increasing the drop rt of equipment with certain skills. There is also a Tenzoku known as "The Lord of the Land", by offering them Grade you can get various blessings, such as respawning chests or reducing the cost of warping between save points.
Accompanying Character
A party member can follow Sorey around as he travels. This partner can be spoken to, opening up conversations about your current task or their backgrounds and opinions.
Equipment
In Zestiria equipment can have different skills attached, even equipment that’s the same otherwise. These skills have particular attributes, which line up on a 5x10 sheet. You can choose to either stack up skills of a particular attribute, or arrange them in various ways on the skill sheet to unlock bonus skills that will give you various bonuses. You can also synthesize equipment, combining them with each other to form a new piece of equipment that has higher stats and combines the original two parts’ skills. Equipment has a refinement level, which increases by winning battles. You can increase it up to five levels, and doing so will give you character various benefits.
Maps
Kamenin (Turtlez) are back from Graces in Zestiria, but instead of offering a shop or transportation services, they sell maps. These maps open up new locations for you to visit, some of which are optional and open up the world to further exploration.
Other Stuff
There's also a lot of series staples and other content in the game:
- Cooking - Cooking have been split up into two categories: actual food and snacks. Food can only be made at Inns, and lasts for a particular number of battles. You can learn new recipes and increase the duration by eating more. Snacks are made through the characters' support talents. These snacks are like items, and can be used anywhere.
- Shops - Like Graces or Xillia, shops have a rank. By buying and selling things you can increase this rank and they'll offer different things. The equipment they can sell may have different skills, and they only sell 1 of a particular item.
- Discoveries and Stone Monuments - Like in Graces or Rebirth, you can find discoveries, which will unlock skits. Stone Monuments increase your AP for Battle Acts.
- Skits - Pretty well known by now, they work similarly to Xillia, with full skits and smaller ones that happen during battle on while traveling.
- Titles - This generally works as it did in Graces: you can obtain titles by doing various things in the game, and they have some sort of benefit or special effect. You can also level them up through battling, which will make the character learn the arte the title offers.
- Support Talents - Each character has a collection of special talents that can be equipped. This ranges from making snacks, to creating bottle items, to increasing movement speed after a battle. You can learn them from various sources.
- Battle Acts - These function like Skills in Vesperia or Xillia. Each skill needs a certain amount of AP to be equipped, and they'll give your character various abilities in battle. It appears that Free Run is one of those skills, rather than it being an inherent part of the controls.
Downloadable Content
Evangelion - January 22, 463 Yen per character (Lailah, Alisha, Sorey, Rose, Edna)
Idol M@ster - January 22, 278 Yen per character (Rose, Alisha, Lailah, Edna)
School Collection - January 29, 278 Yen per character (Sorey, Alisha, Mikleo, Edna, Lailah, Dezel, Rose, Zaveid)
Blue Exorcist - January 29, 463 Yen per character (Sorey, Mikelo, Edna, Lailah)
Sengoku Basara 4 Attachments - January 29, 185 Yen each (total of six)
Tales Collection - February 5, 278 Yen per character (Sorey, Alisha, Mikleo, Edna, Lailah, Dezel, Rose, Zaveid)
Swimsuits - January 29, 278 Yen per character (Sorey, Alisha, Mikleo, Edna, Lailah, Dezel, Rose, Zaveid)
