Tales (video game series)
The Tales series is a franchise of fantasy role-playing video games published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, and developed by its subsidiary, Namco Tales Studio until 2011 and presently by Bandai Namco Studios. First begun in 1995 with the development and release of Tales of Phantasia for the Super Famicom, the series currently spans 17 main titles, multiple spin-off games and supplementary media in the form of manga series, anime series, and audio dramas.
While entries in the series generally stand independent of each other with different characters and stories, they are commonly linked by their gameplay, themes and high fantasy settings. The series is characterized by its art style, which draws from Japanese manga and anime, and its action-based fighting system called the "Linear Motion Battle System". Multiple people have become linked with the series, including character designers Kōsuke Fujishima and Mutsumi Inomata, producers Hideo Baba and Makoto Yoshizumi, and composer Motoi Sakuraba. The series was created by Yoshiharu Gotanda.
Most of the main Tales games have been localized for North America and Europe, although almost none of the spinoff titles have been released abroad. While generally seen as a niche series in English-speaking regions, Tales is considered to be among the most important JRPG franchises in Japan. The series has been gaining popularity in the West since the release of Tales of Symphonia, which is still considered one of its most popular games. As of 2024, the series has shipped over 30 million copies.
Titles
Games
Since the first installment was released in 1995, the Tales series has grown to include the main entries and multiple spin-offs that derive multiple gameplay and narrative elements from the main entries. Except when indicated by naming, the main Tales entries are separate from each other apart from gameplay mechanics and themes. While Tales titles are often ported to new consoles after their original release, these remakes are rarely localized.Main series
The series debuted on the Super Famicom with Tales of Phantasia in 1995, and introduced multiple elements that would become staples of the Tales series. It was released in the West on the Game Boy Advance in 2006. It was also ported to the PlayStation, PlayStation Portable and iOS. The PlayStation received two original Tales games: Tales of Destiny in 1997, which was the first title to be released in North America, and Tales of Eternia in 2000, which was released in North America as Tales of Destiny 2 in 2001.Five titles were released on the PlayStation 2. The true direct sequel to Destiny, Tales of Destiny 2, was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2001 across Asian territories and ported to the PlayStation Portable in Japan in 2007; both versions have yet to receive a Western release. Tales of Symphonia was released in Japan on the PS2 and GameCube. The GameCube version was also released in North America and Europe. It was the first entry to feature 3D graphics for its characters and environments and the first to be released in Europe. Tales of Rebirth was released in 2004 and ported to the PlayStation Portable in 2008, but has not yet received a Western localization. Tales of Legendia and Tales of the Abyss were both released in Japan in 2005, with both being released in North America the following year. Legendia was the first and only Tales game developed by Namco internal development team "Project Melfes", while Abyss was developed by the same team that developed Symphonia, and used its same graphics engine. Abyss was later ported to the Nintendo 3DS and released in Japan, North America and Europe.
Tales of Innocence was the next game released in Japan on the Nintendo DS in 2007. A remake of the game, Innocence R was released on the PlayStation Vita in 2012. Neither version has been released in the West. The first release on seventh-generation consoles, Tales of Vesperia for Xbox 360, was released in Japan and North America in 2008 and in Europe in 2009. A Japan-exclusive PlayStation 3 port with updated content was released in 2009, which became available worldwide in 2019 with the remastered Definitive Edition on PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Tales of Hearts was released on the Nintendo DS in 2008. A remake, Hearts R, was released in 2013 in Japan and 2014 in North America and Europe.
The twelfth entry, Tales of Graces, released on the Wii in Japan in 2009. A PlayStation 3 port, Graces f, was released in 2010 in Japan, and in 2012 in North America and Europe. Tales of Xillia, the series' 15th anniversary title, was released in Japan for PlayStation 3 in 2011, and in North America and Europe in 2013. Xillias direct sequel and the fourteenth main title, Tales of Xillia 2, was released in 2012 in Japan and 2014 in North America and Europe. The series' 20th anniversary title, Tales of Zestiria, was released in January 2015 in Japan and worldwide in October 2015, for PS3, PS4 and PC. The sixteenth main title, Tales of Berseria, was released in Japan for PS3 and PS4 in August 2016, and worldwide for PS4 and PC in January 2017. Tales of Arise, designed as a departure from series conventions, was originally set to release in 2020 for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but was delayed to September 2021 due to internal issues and the desire to launch the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. A new entry in the franchise is currently in development, though no name or release window has been announced.
Sequels and spin-offs
As the Tales series grew, games became categorised under certain branches: "Mothership" for main titles, "Escort" for spin-offs, and "Mobile" for games release for mobile phones. In 2020, a different internal organization scheme was announced; "Original" for games featuring new stories as well as their sequels, and "Crossover" for secondary entries drawing characters and worlds from various past titles.The series has received a small number of sequels, and a large number of spin-off titles and subseries. These games are derivative rather than original works. Three direct sequels have been produced: Destiny 2, Xillia 2 and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World. Eternia received an MMORPG spin-off for Microsoft Windows titled Tales of Eternia Online. Multiple games have been made for mobile platforms, including the Tales of Mobile series, Tales of Kizna, Tales of Card Evolve, Tales of Link and Tales of Asteria. Two titles for the PlayStation Portable have been released in Japan: Tales of VS. in 2009, and Tales of the Heroes: Twin Brave in 2012. The main spin-off subseries is Tales of the World, which has grown to include ten games beginning with Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon, released in Japan on the Game Boy Color in 2000. Only Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology has been released in the West. A second subseries, Tales of Fandom, consists of two puzzle-adventure games released respectively for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 in 2002 and 2007. On February 28, 2017, they had released another mobile Tales game called Tales of the Rays in Japan and worldwide on July 24, 2017. On March 28, 2018, however, Tales of Link ended their service, and a day after the closure, they announced the global version of Tales of the Rays would end their service as well on May 29, 2018, with its Japanese vesion shutting down on July 23, 2024. Tales of Crestoria, another mobile game, was released on July 16, 2020. It ended service on February 7, 2022. Tales of Luminaria, the latest part of the Tales series, was released on November 3, 2021. The game was discontinued on July 19, 2022.
The 2006 Nintendo DS game Tales of the Tempest was originally seen as a main entry in the series, but in 2007 was classified as a spin-off, possibly due to poor reception of that particular title.
Remaster project
As part of the series 30th anniversary, Bandai Namco announced the "Tales Remaster Project" - an effort to start making more previous Tales titles available on modern video game platforms. The project aims to release remasters more quickly and frequently than in the past. The first entry in the project, Tales of Graces f Remastered, was released in January 2025. The second entry, Tales of Xillia Remastered, was released in October 2025. In that same month, Famitsu reported that a remaster of Tales of Xillia 2 was in development. The third entry in the project, Tales of Berseria Remastered, is scheduled for release in February 2026. Older entries in the franchise are set to be announced for remasters in 2026 as well.Related media
The Tales series has expanded into other media, including CD dramas, manga and anime. Multiple Tales games have been adapted into anime OVAs and TV series. The Symphonia OVA was released in three parts between 2007 and 2011, and released as a single collection in 2013. Abyss was adapted into a 26-episode TV series between October 2008 and March 2009. Phantasia and Eternia have also received anime adaptations. The series' first theatrical film, a prequel to Vesperia called Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike, was released in 2009 in Japan and 2012 in North America. A made-for-television anime based on the opening sections of Zestiria, Dawn of the Shepherd, was produced as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations related to the title. It was also released on the game disc. A full series based on Zestiria began airing in July 2016.Books and audio dramas have also been made. Phantasia received multiple CD dramas, including four collected into anthologies in January and March 2000. and a stand-alone drama in December 2001. Symphonia received seven audio dramas. Two CD dramas for Legendia were respectively released in August and September 2005. A manga of Phantasia was written and serialized in 2008 and 2009, while Abyss received three manga adaptations in the years after its release. Symphonia was adapted into novelizations and a manga serial. Destiny, Graces and Xillia also received adaptations of these kinds.