To celebrate the release of Tales of Berseria the 16th major title in the Tales of series just around the corner, 27th of January I’m going to look at some of the most iconic characters in the Tales of series as well as showing off the stars of Tales of Berseria.
Kratos Aurion – Tales of Symphonia
Kratos from Tales of Symphonia
Kratos Aurion is one of the stars of Tales of Symphonia, the cold, calculating warrior that joins the team on their Journey of Regeneration. Throughout the story of Tales of Symphonia, the player and the team are never quite sure where Kratos’ motivations lie until many bombshells are dropped including the fact that Kratos is over 4,000 years old. As well as being impressively old Kratos is a dangerous and wickedly skilled swordsman with a Shakespearean background, and that’s why he’s one of the mostt famous characters in this fantastic franchise.
Sophie – Tales of Graces
Sophie from Tales of Graces
Tales of Graces was my first Tales of game, and it was the re-release Tales of Graces F, and I was enchanted by the cast of characters which I would later learn was a common element of the Tales of series. The character that stood out to me was Sophie, such subtle nuances and emotions that later in the game would instantly be dropped for intense outbursts due to her loving connection to her friends. Combine this with a fascinating mystery surrounding Sophie’s origin, and you have an excellent character arc that ends on a touchingly bittersweet note. In my eye’s she is the River Tam of the Tales of series to give people an indication of the kind of intense character she is. Technically her fighting style in Tales of Graces ‘s hard to master but once you do she is easily one of the most powerful warriors in the game.
Milla Maxwell – Tales of Xillia
Milla Maxwell from Tales of Xillia
Possibly the only female in the Tales of series that could beat out Sophie for hard-core warrior is Milla Maxwell. She’s a no-nonsense spirit who is in charge of the care of all spirits on her planet. Milla is considered by many to be the Lord of Spirits and one of the most powerful beings in Tales of Xillia and Tales of Xillia 2. She is a wonderfully deep character and has a fascinating arc throughout the two Tales of Xillia games. Her connections with the other characters of Tales of Xillia are brilliant, especially with co- lead Jude Mathis who she forms a deep loving bond with. Her fighting style is a combination of summoning mystical gods, swordplay and aerial combat which is a spectacle to watch. If Sophie is River Tam, then Milla is Eshonai from Brandon Sanderson’s best-selling Words of Radiance books.
Ludger Will Kresnik – Tales of Xillia 2
Ludger Will Kresnik in Tales of Xillia 2
Ludger is the lead protagonist in Tales of Xillia 2, the first silent protagonist the series has had in a while Ludger is a blank slate that the players can attach all their ideals onto. The option of choosing what he says to the other characters is an excellent aspect of the game. His journey throughout Tales of Xillia 2 makes you feel that you have now entered the world of Xillia and are meeting all these characters from his point of view. His failures are your failures, and his triumphs are your triumphs. On the gameplay side of Ludger, he is one of the most diverse characters in the history of the Tales of series. He switches between 3 distinct fighting styles and then goes through a transformation that combines all three into a devastating flurry of combos. Ludger is simply the best.
Now with the release of Tales of Berseria on January 27th we have a whole host of new characters being inducted into the hallowed halls of the Tales of series with the rest of these legends.
In Tales of Berseria players embark on a journey as they assume the role of Velvet, a young woman whose once gentle nature has been replaced and overcome with a festering anger and hatred after a traumatic experience three years prior to the events within Tales of Berseria imbued her left hand with a special ability. Velvet will visit a wide range of breathtaking environments as she travels the world in an all-new adventure developed by the celebrated team behind the Tales of series. Along her journey, Velvet will meet a whole cast of characters, including a young boy named Laphicet. If Velvet is the embodiment of “darkness,” then Laphicet is created in the image of “light” and will be an important ally to Velvet.
It’s clear from the synopsis that Tales of Berseria plans to continue the quality of storytelling and writing we’ve come to expect from the much-beloved series. This cast of characters has a lot to live up to but they all sound fascinating.
- Velvet sounds like a complex and engrossing new lead for gamers to get their teeth into. Her weapon of choice is a gauntlet blade which looks equal parts impressive and imposing. Will she be able to knock off fan favourites Milla and Sophie. Only time will tell.
“I’ll never give up. No matter what it takes, I’ll devour them all.”
- Laphicet’s design and weaponry are intriguing, being the embodiment of light and paper as his weapon shows a clear pacifist nature that will work in tandem with Velvets darkness.
“It just seems too lonely for her to bear all of it by herself.”
- Rokurou looks like a long lost ronin devoid of master and focus, his dual blades are a personal favourite of mine. I’m looking forward to what his journey through Tales of Berseria will entail.
“Surely you know me by now. I might not look it, but I’m a man of duty.”
- Eleanor fills the slot of the responsible but young warrior who clearly is taking on more than she can handle. Her weapon of choice is a spear, and she is one of the few playable human characters in the party meaning her playstyle and her connection to most of the other heroes will be interesting.
“I won’t turn a blind eye to the consequences of my actions. I chose this path to seek the truth, not to deny it.”
- Magilou and Bienfu are the human/malak combination that will deliver a lot of the comedy in Tales of Berseria with Bienfu being the butt of a lot of Magilou’s jokes.
“I suppose you’ll never understand. People can be so miserable. Not that, it matters, really.”
“Bieeen! The bad times have returned!”
- Eizen seems to be the dark, brooding and dangerous hero that we all swoon over. His weapon of choice is his bracelet, and his design is fairly imposing. His Break Soul ability transforms him into a strange draconic being which has me majorly excited.
“This is what it means to walk with the reaper. Don’t blame me.”
This has been a look at the shining legacy of the Tales of series as well as a look to the bright future that’s coming later on in the month. Let us know in the comments below who your favourite characters in the Tales of series have been and what you’re looking forward to from Tales of Berseria.
Tales of Berseria will be available on January 27th, 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and PC via STEAM. For more detailed information on the newly revealed features, please head to the official Tales of Blog.
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