Tales of Graces f Remastered is a strong statement of intent for the series' 30th anniversary

As a seasoned Tales enthusiast with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must confess that Bandai Namco has managed to pull off a delightful surprise with the announcement and preview of Tales of Graces f Remastered. This remaster is not just a breath of fresh air for the series, but a testament to the team’s commitment to preserving the legacy of this beloved franchise.


One unexpected way I wouldn’t have thought a game would get a live preview event is the remastered version of “Tales of Graces f“. However, this month Bandai Namco surprised us with an opportunity to explore the upcoming remake of the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 classic. After spending several hours playing the PlayStation 5 version of the game and gaining some enlightening insights into the team’s dedication to porting past Tales games onto contemporary platforms, it seems clear that they are determined to preserve the series’ legacy for both new and old fans alike.

It’s clearly delightful to observe that Bandai Namco’s remaster runs flawlessly in 4K resolution at 60 FPS on PS5, given the game’s age and its original release platforms. It’s not surprising, but the clarity of the visuals is worth noting, especially considering many modern RPGs struggle with image quality on this platform. Although not all improvements are immediately apparent without comparing the games directly, features like location markers (including ones for time-limited events) are definitely appreciated additions.

Tales of Graces f Remastered is a strong statement of intent for the series' 30th anniversary

As a gamer, it’s hard to fathom that some game enhancements I now have weren’t always there. The speed-up feature for dialogues and even skipping cutscenes entirely seems almost unbelievable as a novelty, even though I might not use them often. It’s almost comical to imagine that subtitles for Mystic Artes and post-battle conversations were once missing, especially in this remastered version.

In simpler terms, there isn’t much more to add about the remaster itself, but after spending around 2 hours playing it, we were genuinely impressed with what we saw. This initial experience hints at potential positivity for future remaster projects.

As a gaming enthusiast, I was part of an engaging roundtable discussion that mainly centered around Tales of Graces f Remastered, but the creative minds behind it made it clear they have bigger plans. They’re aiming to revisit and revamp a series of games, with Tales of Graces f being the first in line due to its popularity among fans and the ease of bringing it up-to-date on modern platforms, thanks to its existing localization. Although they didn’t reveal which specific titles will be next to receive the remaster treatment, they did drop a few hints. While having an existing localization certainly makes the decision easier, they emphasized that no game from any platform is off the table in their quest for remasters.

Tales of Graces f Remastered is a strong statement of intent for the series' 30th anniversary

In the Tales of Graces f Remastered bundle, players will be granted access to DLC content that was exclusive to Japan up until now. Given the worldwide expansion of the Role-Playing Game (RPG) market, the team aims to unite players globally by offering these games and additional content, including titles that didn’t make it westward before. Games initially launched on handheld systems are also within reach; however, remastering them for various platforms could introduce complexities in the development process.

If you’re a Tales of fan, I don’t have to tell you that the series has had a bit of a rocky history with remasters. While Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition was generally well-received, the less said about Tales of Symphonia’s remaster the better. While there’s any chance that some more hardcore Tales of fans might discover an issue I overlooked when the game hits shelves, the first impression was very strong – and it’s clear that Bandai Namco themselves are very proud of what the team has accomplished, while the team itself is passionate about bringing more of the series to modern platforms. Here’s hoping this really can be the start of a beautiful trend when Tales of Graces f Remastered launches for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam) on January 17.

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2024-10-30 17:25