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[Father_Brain]

I assume the 3D they're referring to is the 3D gimmick of the 3DS.

Exactly. It would be just bizarre if only a portion of the game supported stereoscopic 3D, despite the entire game featuring 3D (as in polygonal) visuals.

But if that's the case, it's another sign (along with the paucity of 60fps games) that 3DS developers haven't quite figured out how to optimize their engines for stereoscopic 3D yet.

Spoiler

Or that the system is just a tad underpowered, but it hasn't even launched yet and I'd rather be optimistic for now.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

This better get a NA release.

It boggles my mind that it isn't automatically assumed it's coming to launch and Namco isn't confirming that assumption.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Would buy it day 1 if it comes to NA.

 

[Rpgmonkey]

If it's localized or whenever I can get through region-locks, I'm sold. Shorter loading times is almost good enough for me.

Probably going to add in a few things like some of the artes that weren't in any version of the game, along with basic gameplay changes.

 

[Seda]

It boggles my mind that it isn't automatically assumed it's coming to launch and Namco isn't confirming that assumption.

Especially considering the article (apparently) states that this is based off the NA version AND the voices are intact.

 

[shintoki]

Abyss is no load times? And Portable. This is the first double dip for me in a long time.

 

[dragonlife]

Especially considering the article (apparently) states that this is based off the NA version AND the voices are intact.

That's a good sign, yeah.

But you never know...

Anyway, will buy day one like I did TotA on the PS2.

 

[FINALFANTASYDOG]

Hey you forgot the most important part!

that they are "taking care not too add to much"

 

[Seda]

Hey you forgot the most important part!

that they are "taking care not too add to much"

I stated "- Only a few new elements". Perhaps clarification is useful, of course.

 

[FINALFANTASYDOG]

I stated "- Only a few new elements". Perhaps clarification is useful, of course.

Heh, no i just like the marketing speak for "we need to get this out, so don't expect too much new stuff"

 

[Seda]

Heh, no i just like the marketing speak for "we need to get this out, so don't expect too much new stuff"

I Gotcha.

 

[Snaku]

Haven't played this one, glad it's a port. Now to see if it'll come to NA.

 

[neo2046]

some new direct feed screens
ttp://www.famitsu.com/news/201102/09040185.html

 

[Shirokun]

some new direct feed screens
ttp://www.famitsu.com/news/201102/09040185.html

I'm not sure how this compares to the original game, but that aliasing is painful to look at. : /

 

[Rpgmonkey]

Widescreen is quite awesome.

I'm not sure how this compares to the original game, but that aliasing is painful to look at. : /

There's a shot of the PS2 version there for comparison. Looks about the same to me.

Game was always kinda ugly.

 

[mutsu]

I tried so hard to play this game on PS2. I really tried. But gave up. The load times was just unacceptable.

I really loved what I have played though. Can't wait to get this day 1 on 3DS.

 

[Father_Brain]

It boggles my mind that it isn't automatically assumed it's coming to launch and Namco isn't confirming that assumption.

Seriously - minimal additional localization, and Symphonia ought to have proven just how well the series can do in the States on an RPG-starved platform, which 3DS will almost certainly be for at least its first year.

 

[Datschge]

Earlier screens were obviously anti-aliased compared to the PS2 ones. The fact that they now are aliased as well makes me think 3D is used not only for battle but everywhere. Not using ant-aliasing in 2D on 3DS seems like an odd move (as well as limiting 3D only to battles, I think that was just a specific mention since sense of depth on a 3D plane actually helps gameplay in hectic 3D battles).

 

[Spiegel]

Earlier screens were obviously anti-aliased compared to the PS2 ones. The fact that they now are aliased as well makes me think 3D is used not only for battle but everywhere. Not using ant-aliasing in 2D on 3DS seems like an odd move (as well as limiting 3D only to battles, I think that was just a specific mention since sense of depth on a 3D plane actually helps gameplay in hectic 3D battles).

Or the previous ones were bullshots/concepts and now they are showing direct feed screens.

2D mode doesn't give free antialiasing.

 

[Gravijah]

What the heck does the shirt on the left mean? Was an ad on famitsu.com

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

So basically, it's identical to the US version (both gameplay and graphics) with better loading times and 3D.

Pretty much exactly what I was expecting.

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

Its not bad, but Abyss deserved better, either a full remake or a really nice powered-up port. This looks like a quick test water project but its wasting Abyss, I think they should have done Symphonia instead, and keep Abyss fresh for later.

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

What the heck does the shirt on the left mean? Was an ad on famitsu.com

French for "nobility obliges". Eden of the East merchandising?

 

[MoogPaul]

Seems like an easy way for namco to make a bunch of money/give the series exposure by being on of if not the first rpg on the system in NA. Make it so.

 

[Bizzyb]

Official Website is up, and it has a pseudo 3D effect.

Also, The Widescreen is VERY nice esp compared to the 4:3 version on PS2

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/02/09/tales_abyss_3ds_vs_ps2/

It's early so I'm hoping they can polish up the graphics a bit more, maybe add some extra effects.

 

[Seda]

Also at Famitsu.com is a first glimpse at the 3DS version's new battle interface. You can issue commands to allies by tapping the bottom screen.

Interested in how well this is going to work or not.

 

[Datschge]

2D mode doesn't give free antialiasing.

If 3D is usable but the player chooses to disable nevertheless the saved power from rendering one instead two images can be used for anti-aliasing according to Capcom. The question is rather whether Namco indeed limits the use of 3D to battles, needing the saved power to show all the geometry as is in aliased 2D (and lacking said power to show it in 3D). TotA didn't have any particularly complex geometry though even for a PS2 game afaik.

 

[Netto-kun]

Reminds me of the Connect Command in Hearts. But judging by their comment, they most likely won't allow players to map artes for non-battle party members, or expand it to 6 panels (so it's more like the right analog stick). Still double dipping even though I just finished the 2nd part of the game!

 

[Jeels]

I will Double Dip/Buy this as my first 3DS game if it comes out in NA.

 

[M3d10n]

If 3D is usable but the player chooses to disable nevertheless the saved power from rendering one instead two images can be used for anti-aliasing according to Capcom. The question is rather whether Namco indeed limits the use of 3D to battles, needing the saved power to show all the geometry as is in aliased 2D (and lacking said power to show it in 3D). TotA didn't have any particularly complex geometry though even for a PS2 game afaik.

...or maybe it's just because this is a quick port job and developers didn't have enough time/talent/manpower to properly optimize the graphics code. There are quite a few differences between the PS2 GPU and the 3DS GPU, and some things must be done in a different way in order to get good performance.

For example, I'm sure the 3DS GPU, like most post-Xbox GPUs, works best when geometry is kept in buffers in VRAM in charge of the GPU, without the CPU meddling with it. The PS2 was the opposite: the CPU had do babysit the vertices through the VUs.

 

[Lone_Prodigy]

WOOOO

Please make it to English speaking countries.

First reply nailed it.

 

[EatChildren]

I assume this is a comparison of the original and the 3DS port?

 

[TL4E]

What the heck does the shirt on the left mean? Was an ad on famitsu.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noblesse_oblige

 

[Jeels]

I feel like the colors in the game could use a little more saturation/contrast. It always looked so washed out to me.

 

[matmanx1]

Would totally get this if it came over to NA. I'm liking the widescreen look and I'm guessing that the aliasing wouldn't be as noticeable in actual gameplay as opposed to still screens. Make it happen, Namco! =)

 

[Datschge]

For example, I'm sure the 3DS GPU, like most post-Xbox GPUs, works best when geometry is kept in buffers in VRAM in charge of the GPU, without the CPU meddling with it. The PS2 was the opposite: the CPU had do babysit the vertices through the VUs.

Eh, the platforms are so different that I can't imagine anything other than especially high level code being reused at all. And while the possibility is rather high the port will not be perfect (ToD2 and ToR on PSP also had slowdowns) the battles still have been consistently at the high end of the fps scale in the whole series, so having only that of all parts use 3D is like working only on the hardest part.

Anyway there's no real use in discussing this until we get some hands on impressions.

I feel like the colors in the game could use a little more saturation/contrast. It always looked so washed out to me.

Team Symphonia likes it better with less saturation apparently.

 

[Rpgmonkey]

So basically, it's identical to the US version (both gameplay and graphics) with better loading times and 3D.

Pretty much exactly what I was expecting.

No, there's going to be a little more stuff than what the NA version got.

There's still several voiced but unused artes, so it's most likely going to be stuff like that and a few minor additions/enhancements. From the Japanese version to this isn't that different from the Symphonia port.

Reminds me of the Connect Command in Hearts. But judging by their comment, they most likely won't allow players to map artes for non-battle party members, or expand it to 6 panels (so it's more like the right analog stick). Still double dipping even though I just finished the 2nd part of the game!

I was hoping they'd fit the Overlimit button and party status informaiton on the bottom screen too, but it looks like that's not happening. :/

 

[Amir0x]

Come on North American release! The reduced loading is what I want baby!

 

[Sammy Samusu]

I feel like the colors in the game could use a little more saturation/contrast. It always looked so washed out to me.

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/09/29/your-first-look-at-tales-of-the-abyss-on-3ds/

Better?

 

[Witchfinder General]

French for "nobility obliges". Eden of the East merchandising?

Yeah, it is. I tried damned hard to order one of those shirts for my wife but the site was just too hard to navigate for a non-Japanese speaker.

 

[Bel Marduk]

I still don't understand the complaints for load times...normally the load times for me in normal areas took like 2.5 seconds or something. World map like 4 seconds. I went into the game on the PS2 expecting bad technical issues but I played it and was confused about what people thought was a problem...only thing I didn't like about it technically was the jaggies, espcially in places like Grand Chokmah.

What were the load times for other people?

 

[Rpgmonkey]

Its not bad, but Abyss deserved better, either a full remake or a really nice powered-up port. This looks like a quick test water project but its wasting Abyss, I think they should have done Symphonia instead, and keep Abyss fresh for later.

Short of a remake (which is still quite far away looking at the current order of remakes), the game already has as much if not more content than most other Tales games and doesn't have much room for some of the additions Vesperia or Graces f got.

The game's execution is a little sloppy, but they really did manage to implement a ton of stuff the first time around.

I still don't understand the complaints for load times...normally the load times for me in normal areas took like 2.5 seconds or something. World map like 4 seconds. I went into the game on the PS2 expecting bad technical issues but I played it and was confused about what people thought was a problem...only thing I didn't like about it technically was the jaggies, espcially in places like Grand Chokmah.

What were the load times for other people?

Average for me was 6-8 seconds for pretty much any loading to a different area or to a battlefield.

 

[Bel Marduk]

Average was 6-8 seconds for me pretty much any loading to a new area or battlefield.

Either there was something wrong with your disc or your PS2...or both.

 

[Urban Scholar]

Average for me was 6-8 seconds for pretty much any loading to a different area or to a battlefield.

I had the same for myself as well and I was/am playing this on my PS3 too. The loading was noticeable and the move to a different platform should encourage fixing the original's shorting comings. Ideally that would be the plan I'd like to see but I'm not holding my breath to be honest.

 

[Shalashaska161]

Everyone buy Graces so there will be a 0.6% chance this will come to NA!

 

[Rpgmonkey]

Either there was something wrong with your disc or your PS2...or both.

Played it on both a fat PS2, and later on a pretty recent (for the time) slim PS2.

Could be the disc, but I think it's just a poorly optimized game.

 

[Gospel]

Hey look a bunch of new screens

Anoop writes that event scenes will be in 3D. bit of a stretch, but I'd guess everything else will be as well. puts my worries about the 3DS hardware at ease.

 

[AceBandage]

Ugh, this needs a western release.
I mean, it's all fully translated and voices already!

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Hey look a bunch of new screens

Anoop writes that event scenes will be in 3D. bit of a stretch, but I'd guess everything else will be as well. puts my worries about the 3DS hardware at ease.

lots of good pics there. I need this.

 

[Gospel]

if namco were smart, they'd have both the Japanese version and an overseas version ready for launch window. Peeps who'd want to get their rpg on would have no choice but to buy this game.