Tales fans could finally play the games that were never released in the West, director Hints

The Tales games have spent three decades in the apparent of one of the most sustainable RPG franchises there are. De as Stories of Lot And Stories about Symphony Feel as timeless stories, but it is not to deny that the output of the series has been delayed in recent years.

We have not seen a new game since 2021 Stories from AriseAlmost every sales record broke that the franchise had. But for his 30 -year anniversary, Tales is in the midst of a comeback. Bandai Namco is working on a huge “remastered project” to routinely reduce games that are difficult to find and play now. Stories from Graces F Remaster Is the first step in that.

The Tales franchise also has a few notorious games that never started west. One is Stories of rebirthwho just had a huge release of fan translation last month. However, there is a chance that we can finally see the interest of the fan of games, it appears sufficient.

‘If we can release games that have not been available in the West through future remastered projects, we would be very happy, “says Tales IP director Yusuke Tomizawa,” we would also like to hear requests from fans in the west to bring them remastered versions to their regions. “

Reversed had the chance to talk to Tomizawa and Stories about greasy f Producer Yuki Ishikawa about the ambitious comeback plans of the franchise, including why Grace It was first chosen how the remastered project is standardizing elements throughout the series, and why we usually see remasters instead of remakes.

This interview has been edited for clarity and concise.

Why was Stories about greasy f The title you chose to start the 30 -year anniversary? Is Grace A good introduction for players who have never tried the Tales series?

Tomizawa: There have been individual remastering projects in the past, but because the titles have been developed under different circumstances and in different environments, the production difficulty levels varied and it was not possible to offer them in an easy-to-understand size.

We have finally made progress in our preparations, so that we can deliver remastered titles to players in a more continuous and united format. As a result, we have decided to release the remastered games under the title ‘Remastered Project’, starting with the 30 -year anniversary.

In such a suitable time I believe that Stories from Graces F Remaster Is one of the best games for new fans to enter the series. There are elements that remain unchanged during the series, such as the deep, rich story that reflects the bonds and growth of the most important party members. The Battle System, which is one of the most appreciated in the series, is exciting and rewarding.

Although the game is 15 years old, the remaster has retained its beauty and the art remains timeless. I believe that this game is strong enough to help newcomers who have not played the series, the core value of The Tales of Series appreciate.

Grace Has a very clear art style. How did you visually improve the game, while you made sure that the art style still felt clear and unique?

Ishikawa: The key was to preserve and retain the lines and color of the characters designed by Mutsumi Inomata-Sensei. Increasing color saturation or thickening the lines during the remastering process would have reduced the feeling of lightness and vulnerability of the original. It was a challenge for the development team to maintain the delicate qualities of the original and at the same time improve the overall visual quality.

How did you decide what improvements of quality of life you add to such a huge RPG?

Ishikawa: We started transferring the game to the current generation consoles, aimed at maintaining the original Gameplay experience. As many developers have noticed, there is a lot of work when getting an old game to make it go smoothly.

We then made graphic improvements and added new functions. The quality of life was determined by me and the development team after playing different games and discussing which improvements would make Border f more fun.

As part of the wider Stories about Remastering project, we are working on standardizing quality functions in titles, including consistent options for quality of life. We also wanted to give players the flexibility to switch on or off certain functions, even after starting the game.

Personally, as a fan of the series, I would like to compete against even more characters from the franchise in areas such as the Arena. Although this provides challenges with models and movement data, I am looking forward to seeing more characters in future remastered projects and in the development of the Stories about series.

Has the success of Stories from Arise Change how you approached the series? What did you learn from To arise Be so popular and well received?

Tomizawa: Stories from Arise is a game that embraced countless challenges under the theme ‘Evolution and inheritance’, aimed at redefining the future of the series on a global scale. The record -breaking success worldwide serves as a guide for the direction and quality of future titles. However, just replicate Arises Success is not the right approach every time, because the future always evolves and is unpredictable. While we continue to develop RPGs, our goal is to navigate through these changes for the curve while we release games that resonate with each era.

On the other hand, I believe that this remastered project has been made possible because To arise has expanded the horizon of the series. Although I respect the expressions of each era, I believe that it is important to rediscover these stories and characters, whose timeless attraction remains intact, in updated and accessible environments that fans offer a way to enjoy this series.

A handful of Tales games have never been released in the west, such as Stories of rebirth. Have you thought about releasing those games in one way or another?

Tomizawa: Including the games released before this title, we have already published remastered versions in regions where the original games were never available, with languages ​​that were not included in the original versions. Tales of Vesperia definitive edition Is an example of this.

From this perspective, if we can release games that are not available in the West through future remastered projects, we would be very happy. We would also like to hear requests from fans in the West to bring these remastered versions to their regions.

We have now seen a few remasters of the Tales series – Vesperia, Symphonia, and now jewelry. Did you consider Remakes at some point? Do you think remakes would fit in the Tales series?

Tomizawa: In contrast to Remasters, remakes are being developed with completely different ideas and methods. This not only applies to the stories of the series – when the environments and experiences of older titles are presented again using modern RPG standards, challenges arise naturally. The extensive scope of an RPG may, for example, require that the content is divided into different parts to fully capture the depth, making the process more complex.

The challenge of confronting the own cherished memories, combined with the fact that Remakes are often more difficult to develop than new titles, contributes to the complexity. In addition, since the Stories about Series has constantly evolved, especially in terms of his action -oriented combat systems that reflect both the identity and the current trends of the series, finding the right timing for a remake is also crucial.

In that sense, it can be difficult to say that the stories of the series are easy to re -make in modern times. That said, I would like to continue to investigate whether it would be possible to reach a remake by finding the right balance in our approach.

RPGs have enjoyed a revival in recent years, from the success of persona to abundant remakes of old games. What do you think the future of the Tales franchise looks like? How do you build on his 30-year inheritance?

Tomizawa: First of all, I am very happy to see that JRPG-like games are once again popular in the world market, including those of other companies. Due to the challenges we were confronted with Stories from AriseI believe we have learned that there is still room for the stories of the series to evolve, as well as a deeper understanding of the unique value and style that we need to retain and how well it resonates with players.

By adding this remastered project to our portfolio, we are committed to continuing the pursuit of evolution while maintaining the fundamental nuclear perspective of character -driven RPGs.

Moreover, if a long -term and cherished character -driven brand that has overstrained for 30 years, becomes richer with time without losing its essence, I think it is important to continue to pull new fans to the series and to continue to honor the lasting value.

Stories about greasy f Remastered is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, Nintendo Switch and PC.