Though to some, the Tales series from Namco might be new, think again, because it is not. The Tales of Symphonia for the Gamecube brought the series in full view to an audience that have never come across it before and now think this is the first ever title. In actual fact, although it is the first title for the Gamecube, there have been many others in the series, most of which have been released throughout the decades on the Playstation. Namco managed to hit the top spot of the Gamecube charts, after the company finally realised that the gamers of Nintendo has been deprived of true RPGs since the old Super Nintendo. With the great success that Tales of Symphonia have brought, Namco have gone a step further and are going to continue on the wave of accomplishment by releasing a title for the Playstation Portable; Tales of Eternia.
Tales of Eternia is, in actual fact, a port of the original Japanese game for the Playstation. The name as it is otherwise known, Tales of Destiny II, was the title given to it when it was released in America. In looks, the design aspects of the game are similar and show that the game itself was created during the era when such anime-based Japanese titles were in full flow. With all of the character models full of colour and expression, movement and simple perfection, the PSP presents this remake with clear and bright graphics. All of this has been made evident from the screens released by Namco. The pure design joy does not just stop with the characters or design style from that period of the gaming world, as the surroundings of the world itself are magnificent. Rich with colour and detail, lush forests, stone castles, shops full of items, armouries full of weapons, taverns with merry customers, all of which are multi-level in a superb 3D design keeping in tune with the anime theme. All text flows and rolls nicely within the boxes that appear at the bottom of the screen and there is never a moment of freezing and stopping as the game loads.
The story of the game is not yet clear, as all of the text in the screens released are in Japanese and illegible. However, the hero, or main character, of Tales of Eternia is called Rid Hershel who lives in a peaceful town known as Rasheans. What you would expect to find in a village is here, buildings and homes, shops and stables. As with most Japanese RPGs, the hero is a normal and quiet boy from a equally quiet village until some dramatic and action packed event changes his life forever and he has to travel the world. What that event might be is still a mystery.
Another thing that remains a mystery is the battle systems for Tales of Eternia. Namco might have kept it as it was in the original or they might have changed it to a similar style that was taken on in Tales of Symphonia – a style that many enjoyed and prefer.
Tales of Eternia, or T.O.E. as it has been abbreviated for the PSP, looks as though it needs more of a development, an obvious, as it is not yet completed. Games of such a high calibre no longer seem to exist within the game industry and even though new titles are being released, such as Tales of Symphonia or even games from other series such as Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, gamers hark back to the old days and classic titles. The Game Boy Advance has brought so many excellent titles back to life such as Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the Breath of Fire series, Shining Force I and II, Fire Emblem and the recently re-released Final Fantasy I and II. The PSP looks to do the same with the well-known and much-loved RPGs that were released during the Playstation’s golden years of RPG gaming.
With beautiful anime, the cut-scene at the beginning of the game from the original more than anything else but also the design and colour of the in-game surroundings and characters, Tales of Eternia is sure to be a best seller and relived once again in the hearts of many.
Tobias Rowe
