Namco’s got two more entries from its long-running RPG series heading to our shores. North American (NA) gamers can look forward to Tales of Graces f arriving on the PS3 and a port of the PS2 Tales of the Abyss landing on Nintendo’s 3DS. The publisher says that both will have “dynamic real-time battle systems, and deep, captivating stories filled with exciting quests and hidden secrets.” In summary: they’re action-oriented JRPGs.
Graces is a brand new game that will be the first Tales outing to make its way to NA PS3s. Protagonist Asbel Lhant and his chums will have their friendship pushed to the edge during their quest. The title is set to the backdrop of three rival nations fighting over good old fashioned world dominance. In another first for the franchise, players will be given the ability to change combat styles depending on battle situations.
Namco promises that this setup will have smooth controls “while simultaneously adding new levels of tactical depth”. The focus will be on swapping the personalized weapons of individual party members. It’s being developed by the Namco Tales Studio (who else?) and features character designs from Mutsumi Inomata. The game is a direct sequel to the Wii’s Tales of Grace and will, for the first time in gaming history, showcase the power of the lower-cased ‘f’. Odd naming decisions aside, PS3 owners can expect to embark on Asbel’s journey sometime in 2012.
The port of Abyss will, as one would expect, take advantage of the 3DS’s two screens and three dimensional functionality . The game centers around a spoiled aristocrat named Luke, who is the sole heir to a wealthy estate. He’ll have to put aside his childish attitude and sense of entitlement in order to (what else?) save the world, or be responsible for armageddon. Tales of the Abyss is slated for a release in fall of this year.
