Tales of Zestiria

Lore & Background

Tales of Zestiria began development in 2012 as the 20th anniversary title for the Tales series, with multiple staff members returning from previous entries, including producer Hideo Baba, battle programmer Tatsuro Udo, designers Kōsuke Fujishima and Mutsumi Inomata, and composers Motoi Sakuraba and Go Shiina. The game's characteristic genre name is Jōnetsu ga sekai o terasu ārupījī (情熱が世界を照らすRPG, lit. 'RPG of Passion Lighting the World'), with its story focusing on the passion of the characters. The setting is the fictional continent of Glenwood, which also appears in Tales of Berseria, set in the distant past of Zestiria's world. Glenwood is divided between the warring Hyland Kingdom and Rolance Empire, with independent Guilds profiting from the conflict. An impurity called malevolence, generated by human negative emotions, transforms beings into monsters called Hellion. The Seraphim, supernatural beings who can only interact with humans possessing sufficient resonance, have become scarce. Those who interact with Seraphim are called Shepherds.

Reader's Guide

Tales of Zestiria received positive reviews in Japanese gaming magazines and shipped over 400,000 units in its first week. In the West, it garnered mixed to positive reviews, with the majority of praise directed at the battle system, while its story and presentation received a mixed response. Despite the praise, it received criticism from fans in Japan for its handling of the game's characters. The game's battle system, the Fusionic Chain LMBS, uses real-map battles that take place in the same space as exploration, a departure from previous series entries. The Armatization mechanic allows the human characters Sorey and Rose to fuse with a Seraph partner to produce a powerful hybrid form with unique elemental abilities. The game's open world, skits with full-body character representations, and Support Talents for characters were notable features. The equipment system allows skills to be combined for additional effects, and shops can be leveled up through use to unlock higher-end items. The Lords of the Land system grants abilities such as warping between save points and other bonuses tied to area protection.

Did You Know?

• The game uses a variation of the Linear Motion Battle System called the Fusionic Chain LMBS.
• Sorey and Rose can perform Armatization, fusing with a Seraph partner to gain powerful hybrid forms.
• The setting of Glenwood is shared with Tales of Berseria, which takes place in the distant past.