Tales of Graces f Remastered — The return of an old JRPG that will transport you to the games of your childhood – Ruetir

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TALES OF GRACES F.webp by Ditible

Tales of Graces f Remastered

Gameplay – 86% Story – 82% Music – 75% Graphics – 85%

Summary

Tales of Graces f Remastered is the perfect opportunity for you to meet and fall in love with this classic franchise. The narrative is nothing revolutionary, but if you are a fan of JRPGs, you will surely find that something magical that made you fall in love with the genre.

Genre: Action, J-RPG. Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S. Release: 01/16/2025. Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment. Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment.

If we talk about J-RPG, what names do you think of? Final Fantasy, like the obligatory one, Chrono Trigger, like the classic one, and even Persona, like the one from the modern era. What about the Tales of franchise? Although in Japan it is as big as the others, here in the West it enjoys the same fame. Today we want to contribute to correcting that error and that is why we review Tales of Graces f Remastered.

Tales of Graces was originally released in 2009 for the Wii and was later ported to the PlayStation 3 with additional content. Today, celebrating 30 years of the franchise, Bandai Namco has decided to remaster this title on multiple consoles. Here I tell you about it so you can decide if you want to play it.

Everything you need to know about Tales of Graces f remastered

A simple story, but it fulfills

First of all, if you’re worried that you haven’t played any previous Tales of games, don’t worry. The vast majority of the installments have no significant connection with the others, so that as far as story goes, you can play them in any order you want. Well, but then what is this installment about?

In Tales of Graces f Remastered you will follow the story of Asbel, a boy who, together with his brother and his childhood friend, discover a mysterious amnesiac girl. Asbel, being a classic protagonist of the genre, nobly declares that he will help and protect her until they find someone who knows her or recovers her memories.

tales of graces 1 by DitibleFuente: Bandai Namco

However, after a tragedy where Asbel fails to protect his loved ones, he joins the knight academy to become stronger. Seven years later, a war breaks out and he will have to rise to the occasion, leaving his doubts aside. fears and insecurities to protect his kingdom and his friends from evil.

The story of Tales of Graces f Remastered, frankly, is not a big deal. If you are a fan of JRPGs, you have surely played many titles with similar stories. You know, young warrior embarks on an epic adventure to rid his nation of the evil army that threatens it.

The cast of Tales of Graces f Remastered will win your heart

Although the plot twists are predictable, where this installment of Tales triumphs over other games is in the charismatic characters that inhabit its world. The game dedicates a correct and sufficient amount of time to them so that you can understand and empathize with their fears, goals, desires and failures.

Tales of Graces takes every opportunity to develop its endearing cast. For example, after each battle, during the victory screen, the characters converse with each other, both seriously and playfully, so that it is impossible not to get attached to them.

tales of graces 2 by DitibleFuente: Bandai Namco

The motivations of the characters is another point that I would like to highlight. Again, they’re nothing revolutionary, but the execution is quite competent. The struggle of Asbel, the protagonist, to find his place in the world and the difficulty he has in getting back up after failing feels sincere and gives humanity to the game’s plot.

Of course, if you’re not a fan of JRPG clichés, Tales of Graces is not for you. It won’t be much to your liking if you don’t like the 2000s anime art style. You know, that era where characters’ eyes, especially women’s, took up 45% of the space on their faces.

tales of graces 3 by DitibleFuente: Bandai Namco

Action gameplay!

Tales of Graces f Remastered features many of the elements we’ve all come to associate with the genre, minus the turn-based combat. Its gameplay is more action-oriented, where each confrontation is fought in a small circular arena.

After encountering enemies in the overworld, you will change to a screen where your team and the enemies will fight to the death. Most fights are quick, lasting no more than 30 seconds, with the exception of bosses which can take a few minutes, depending on the difficulty you have chosen.

tales of graces 5 1 by DitibleFuente: Bandai Namco

During combat, you will use skills called Arts, spending a resource called Chain Capacity (CC) that regenerates over time, by chaining attacks and defending or dodging your enemies. Your goal will be to chain together devastating combos to finish off your rivals.

You might think that combat comes down to just mashing buttons until the enemy is dead. And, well, of course, that strategy always works. However, due to the various mechanics that interact with each other, the combat in Tales of Graces f Remastered has a good degree of complexity.

You can freely switch between which character you want to control, but you will only control one at a time. The other members of your team will be used by the AI ​​according to the commands you have previously given until you decide to take command again.

Each member of your team has a different combat style, but they are all fun and require skill to control. So, regardless of whether you prefer swordsmen, magicians, healers or melee combatants, you are sure to find a character for you.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

As the name indicates, this game is a remaster, not a remake, so the changes it has compared to its original version are, for the most part, quality of life. And of these changes, the two biggest are its localization and the ability to customize your experience at the start of the game.

Tales of Graces f Remastered has dubbing in English and Japanese and is also translated into multiple languages, including Spanish. Of course, I regret to inform my Latin American brothers and sisters that the game only has a Spanish translation from Spain. Still, it is appreciated for those who do not know English or Japanese.

tales of graces 4 by DitibleFuente: Bandai Namco

My favorite change, without a doubt, is found at the beginning of the game, where you have access to a special menu where you can change the amount of experience, money, skills, and more you acquire. This way you can increase or reduce the amount of grinding according to your preferences. An excellent idea that respects the player’s time.

Should you play Tales of Graces f Remastered?

Although this remastering does not add new content, it really doesn’t need it. With over 40 hours of gameplay (even more if you do all the side quests) and almost all of the DLC from the original, Tales of Graces f Remastered has a lot to offer whether it’s your first time in this world or you’re visiting again.

Tales of Graces f Remastered reminded me of games from my childhood. Those with simple stories where good triumphed over evil, where the journey mattered more than the destination. Although I had never played a Tales of before, my time with this game still felt nostalgic, like a reunion with an old friend.

tales of graces 7 by DitibleFuente: Bandai Namco

Is this the game of the year? Of course not. But does it need to be? Of course not. I really enjoyed my time with Tales of Graces f Remastered and I’m sure if you love JRPGs, you will too.

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We played Tales of Graces f Remastered on Nintendo Switch with a code provided by a Bandai Namco representative in the region.

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