[AlphaDragoon]

Meh. It wasn't forced comic relief like with Colette. It was just a set up to her changing her outfit. Though honestly, I'd rather that play outfit had been her default instead.

If her Heroic Actress outfit had her default good hairstyle, I'd never take it off. That outfit was awesome.

[Jiraiza]

I remember posting exactly about how Namco should do a Tales in a modern setting. Didn't think they'd actually do it. I'm all hyped up.

[AliceAbstract]

Slight update on this. Apparently there is some sort of interview in Famitsu (or another mag, I dunno...) with Hideo Baba. He confirms that the next Tales game is a mothership title, and that it is not a sequel or anything, but a brand new game. The setting will be closer to modern technology and our civilization, rather than high fantasy. The main theme in the game seems to be the question "Are you prepared to destroy the world for the sake of a girl?"

I was both pleased and displeased with Milla because: badass female heroine, yay! But then she gets the women in refrigerators treatment something like 3 times, and the story ends up being all about Jude even in her route. So if this is what they 'learned' from Xillia, count me out.

[chickdigger802]

Ohlol. Edit: As much as I dislike Colette and her apologetic clumsiness, Tear is higher on my female shit list. Annoyingly dull character.

But she has boobs and likes cute stuff!

[Laughing Banana]

But she has boobs and likes cute stuff!

Meh.

What bothered me the most about Abyss is how they make Luke as the typical boring whining suicidal hero after his transformation.

I prefer his annoying-brat-but-good-at-heart persona at the beginning of the game. At least it is somewhat original to have a lead character acting like that.

[InfiniDragon]

Meh. What bothered me the most about Abyss is how they make Luke as the typical boring whining suicidal hero after his transformation. I prefer his annoying-brat-but-good-at-heart persona at the beginning of the game. At least it is somewhat original to have a lead character acting like that.

Long haired Luke = best Luke.

Even Tales Studio realized it and that's why in most games where he appears or cameos he's cool asshole Luke.

[AlphaDragoon]

Meh. What bothered me the most about Abyss is how they make Luke as the typical boring whining suicidal hero after his transformation. I prefer his annoying-brat-but-good-at-heart persona at the beginning of the game. At least it is somewhat original to have a lead character acting like that.

Long-haired Luke was the shit. However there is one thing I will always love short-haired suicidal Luke for, and that is that he was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, pissing off his annoying asshole party members in the process.

Because he had basically went from being Van's "puppet' (which made sense given his relationship with Van), which was so terrible and bad and Luke's a horrible person and blah blah blah, to being the puppet of his so-called "friends", which was great in their eyes and Luke has changed and he's a great guy now and all that bullshit.

He told every single one of them with that act, "fuck you, I'm my own person and I make my own goddamn choices, deal with it".

[Datschge]

I don't see this as a good thing, as much as I like Legendia. That's one of the things I was afraid of when Tales Studio got absorbed.

I guess we will see soon enough if that only affects the assets/grunt work staff (where more collaboration and exchange is a good thing variety and possibly shorter development time) or the game design staff as well (where I'd want more internal consistency finally, not less).

[R_thanatos]

Slight update on this. Apparently there is some sort of interview in Famitsu (or another mag, I dunno...) with Hideo Baba. He confirms that the next Tales game is a mothership title, and that it is not a sequel or anything, but a brand new game. The setting will be closer to modern technology and our civilization, rather than high fantasy. The main theme in the game seems to be the question "Are you prepared to destroy the world for the sake of a girl?"

Yep ... if the world is making my beloved cry .. i'd Majinken everyone on my way !!

HERE i said it ... Now namco bring in the trailer !!!

I didn't think Colette was a good character at all, but I didn't hate her. Then again, it takes A LOT for me to get 'fed up' with pretty much anything.

I don't hate Collette at all ...Everyone on the cast is superior (No contest here ) but i like her..The amount of time i spent in SO4 is irrevelant

[Sammy Samusu]

Since no one made the joke I guess I'll have to. I actually played this game before when it was called World Destruction. It sucked. :(

I started playing this game yesterday.

It does not suck.

[Dark Schala]

I guess we will see soon enough if that only affects the assets/grunt work staff (where more collaboration and exchange is a good thing variety and possibly shorter development time) or the game design staff as well (where I'd want more internal consistency finally, not less).

Really. I hope I get another Udo game from this. But I guess we'll see when this game is announced/released to see who's on the staff now. Kinda hope the internal situation hasn't changed too much.

Long haired Luke = best Luke. Even Tales Studio realized it and that's why in most games where he appears or cameos he's cool asshole Luke.

Now this we can agree on.

[BluWacky]

I started playing this game yesterday. It does not suck.

Oh, boy, you ain't seen nothing yet.

[dramatis]

I'd only destroy the world for that girl if she is really worth it.

Which means she has to put out, but that's never going to happen in a Tales game.

[SatelliteOfLove]

Karol exists solely to be Rita's punching bag in my mind.

Yes, well, Tales will never have anything like that. Tales games will always have two characters who are afraid to say anything to each other and expects the other to be a mind reader. And when someone hints that one might have feelings for the other, one of them will go "WHAT!! DON'T BE RIDICULOUS/!!/" and hurt the other's feelings. This will repeat over and over and nothing will ever develop further because they're children.

It is amazing how emotionally stunted this is in too many JRPGs. Persona 4 and Xenogears felt like breaths of fresh air for this.

All y'all suck. Colette is awesome. :P Cheria is rubbish, Sagitario has it correct. She's so terrible that just knowing that her and Asbel were gonna be "tru wuv forevah!" made me turn off and never finish the Future Arc of Graces f. And I regret nothing.

It didn't help that Asbel reverts mentally and emotionally back into an 11-year old around Wallbridge, either. Sad, really. They dropped a good angle with Cheria being lower-class than Asbel, but due to the plot early on, that burden is removed, leaving only their changed attitudes (Cheria thinking he's still 11, and being ego-drunk off her own healing power and charity work, Asbel with the "I've served my country!" and such) causing drama and clashes. But nooooooOOOOOOoooooo...

[chickdigger802]

*internal monologue that probably could have made the game 30 hrs shorter.*

"Yo bob, what's up?"


"nvm let's go"

[kayos90]

Slight update on this. Apparently there is some sort of interview in Famitsu (or another mag, I dunno...) with Hideo Baba. He confirms that the next Tales game is a mothership title, and that it is not a sequel or anything, but a brand new game. The setting will be closer to modern technology and our civilization, rather than high fantasy. The main theme in the game seems to be the question "Are you prepared to destroy the world for the sake of a girl?"

Wait.... does this mean romance is the center of the narrative focus in this game? FUUUUUUU YERSSSSSSSSSSS

[R_thanatos]

Wait.... does this mean romance is the center of the narrative focus in this game? FUUUUUUU YERSSSSSSSSSSS

i'm not sure a romance focused rpg ( with romance being a very strong point ) will be a good thing...

Last time someone tried that i remember , it was FF8 and i hated this game

[Sagitario]

I guess we will see soon enough if that only affects the assets/grunt work staff (where more collaboration and exchange is a good thing variety and possibly shorter development time) or the game design staff as well (where I'd want more internal consistency finally, not less).

Yeah, I don't mind assets/grunt work staff (Legendia is beautiful).
Battle system aside, consistency in design between teams has been needed for a while. Playing Graces right now (and reading certain things about Xillia) has made me realize how such things could improve the experience so much.

I believe you touched this topic in a previous post, IIRC.

[kayos90]

i'm not sure a romance focused rpg ( with romance being a very strong point ) will be a good thing... Last time someone tried that i remember , it was FF8 and i hated this game

FF8 is my favorite FF because of it. To each their own though.

[ULTROS!]

I'm curious if this will be a Team Destiny, Team Symphonia, or Team absorbed-by-Namco-thus-it's-a-mix game.

[R_thanatos]

FF8 is my favorite FF because of it. To each their own though.

Alright Not saying i'll avoid it or something ... I did say up there that as long as i can majinken my ennemies to death i'll be happy ..

After all i did enjoy legendia besides all the sherley "mayhem".

[Why would you do that?]

I'm curious if this will be a Team Destiny, Team Symphonia, or Team absorbed-by-Namco-thus-it's-a-mix game.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a Symphonia style game, only because it seems to be more popular. That would be a little unfortunate...

While I'd love Destiny's battle system, it'd be more awesome if you could switch between the two systems.

Oh, and I want Destiny's skits.

[Kagari]

Modern setting has me really interested. Show it to me already Namco :0

[FSLink]

Wait.... does this mean romance is the center of the narrative focus in this game? FUUUUUUU YERSSSSSSSSSSS

Hopefully it's a good romance plot and not a Destiny 2 romance plot.

You don't need a fancy car like you just the way you are~

*groaaaan*

[charlequin]

After hearing some videos of Karol's English voice, I find that one much preferable to his JP voice.

The English version of Vesperia has a pretty great voice cast, IMO.

[DMPrince]

This is probably Versus XIII in disguise.

[BY2K]

*internal monologue that probably could have made the game 30 hrs shorter.* "Yo bob, what's up?" "nvm let's go"

Makes me mad every time in Symphonia and DotNW.

*Realizes or Discuss a major plot point that if talked with the rest of the group could save a LOT OF TROUBLE*

- What's wrong?
- It's nothing.

AAAAARRRGH!

[Netto-kun]

Famitsu posted the Hideo Baba interview along with better quality for the concept arts: http://www.famitsu.com/news/201205/21014890.html

[jj984jj]

I'd guess that Takashi Hasegawa and Team Symphonia is working on this from that concept art. That city especially looks like the scope they went for in Abyss and Vesperia.

[Kagari]

Looks really nice, at least in concept.

[Rpgmonkey]

Missing the alleyway/street artwork. D:

Really hoping he's not exaggerating somewhat and this overall theme goes beyond one or two cities...

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

When they said more modern, I thought they meant like modern day.

Makes a lot more sense now from the concept art.

Kind of getting Lost Odyssey vibes, from the train pic at least.

[androvsky]

Nice to see someone's making a Final Fantasy game. :)

[duckroll]

Hmmm... I see battleships buried in the sand...

[Fuu]

Pretty good settings in that art.

[Dark Schala]

Missing the alleyway/street artwork. D: Really hoping he's not exaggerating somewhat and this overall theme goes beyond one or two cities...

Yeah, keeping hopes low because it might just be one or two towns that exhibit this sort of thing. I thought Xillia was going to be full of stuff like Il Fan, but it kinda wasn't.

[Coxy]

those locations look really awesome, if the characters dont look completely moronic this could be big. that might be a big if though

[Kagari]

Yeah, keeping hopes low because it might just be one or two towns that exhibit this sort of thing. I thought Xillia was going to be full of stuff like Il Fan, but it kinda wasn't.

Xillia was a bit rushed in a lot of ways... maybe they'll have spent more time on this one.

[Aeana]

The art looks nice.
We'll see.

[Thoraxes]

I still think it looks like future Baticul and future Yulia City.

[Augemitbutter]

looks like FF8.

[DR2K]

looks like FF8.

Um actually yeah I can see a lot of FFVIII in those concepts.

[Bladenic]

Ay Dios THOSE CONCEPTS LOOK INCREDIBLE!!!

Honestly it's so hard to even get excited about a new Tales though considering the localization stuff. Importing Xillia if no Director's Cut is announced at this event.

[Sagitario]

I still think it looks like future Baticul and future Yulia City.

I was thinking they look like those cities.

[duckroll]

The first TVCM for the new Tales game should be airing in 7-8 hours. I don't expect any actual footage though.

[grandjedi6]

Well a Tales of the Abyss 2 would definitely solve the trademark problem....

Though chances are that its just indicative of having a shared concept artist. But that in of itself could be suggestive that this is the project the missing Symphonia leads have been working on. Hmm

[Seven Force]

Yeah, I definitely agree with those FFVIII vibes. Which is cool, since that's my favorite FF game, especially concerning aesthetics.

[Dark Schala]

Xillia was a bit rushed in a lot of ways... maybe they'll have spent more time on this one.

I hope so. But I can't help but to feel a little cautious given that Xillia was released last year, and I would presume that this game might be released the end of the year or early next year. I thought they would've gone straight to Xillia DC and then left more time to develop a new mothership title.

Art still looks nice, but it seems like it's mostly of one area? I like looking at architecture and looking around in the game in general, but admittedly, a wide range of colour used is the biggest thing that I look for presentation-wise. Please let this game have more colour. Xillia went a little overboard on the sepia in some places, but I guess the between-town environments' lacklustre aesthetics didn't help much either.

With that said, I really like this concept art:

Employs enough colour and blends in nicely with the majority grey. Building sorta reminds me of Mannerist styles.

[R_thanatos]

Hmmm... I see battleships buried in the sand...

I'm expecting a great world setup with those kind of past events leading to those results

I still think it looks like future Baticul and future Yulia City.

So glad i'm not alone thinking this

[SMT]

lol, looks like water is a thing of the past. Loving the art however, it's too beautiful, I don't think current-gen can pull-off something like that.