Tales of Eternia Remastered is only my second foray into the luminous Tales series. Originally released on PlayStation in Japan as Tales of Eternia and in North America as Tales of Destiny II, Tales of Eternia later received a limited, European-only localized PSP release, which the remaster is based on. While my modest general knowledge of both the Tales series and Tales of Eternia keeps me from being able to comment on whether this remastered port is a worthwhile replay for those who’ve already taken part in the journey, I can certainly say that I greatly enjoyed my time with it.
I can also safely call Tales of Eternia Remastered the definitive version for newcomers, so long as they don’t mind a few dated gameplay mechanics along the way.
Tales of Eternia Remastered begins when a mysterious girl speaking an unknown language quite literally falls out of the sky in a bizarre metal contraption, stunning the crash’s two teenage witnesses, villagers Reid and Farah. It doesn’t take long for the helpful Farah to enlist the more hesitant Reid to travel with her in the hopes of better understanding the enigmatic girl called Meredy, and learn why she’s even there in the first place. Together with their academic-minded childhood friend Keele, the group travels across their world, uncovering revelations that eventually lead them to assist Meredy on a quest where the fate of two very different worlds hangs in the balance.
To say much more about Tales of Eternia Remastered’s story would be a disservice, as its plot developments and reveals unfold in surprising, memorable ways as the game progresses. However, I sometimes wished the game had explored certain narrative elements further, as they felt rushed at times. Still, everything comes together satisfyingly enough by the end. The found-family dynamic between Reid, Farah, Meredy, and Keele is the narrative’s heart and soul, keeping players invested throughout. I even love the touches of romance that blossom over the course of the story.
All four of our heroes have great character arcs and believable emotional moments that are a delight to behold. I do sometimes wish other characters in the cast got the same treatment, as there are certainly memorable and potential-laden characters throughout the game, some of whom can even optionally join your party at times. Unfortunately, they just didn’t get quite as much focus as our main party members did despite being likable and interesting in their own right. But it’s a testament to how well the game’s writing is for the four main protagonists in particular that you become deeply invested in their journey.
Of course, story and characters are just two key elements to an RPG. Gameplay is equally important, and Tales of Eternia Remastered often stands as a pinnacle of PS1-era game design, though dated mechanics occasionally hold it back. Arguably, its battle system stands out most, with a much more action-oriented core. You can also choose between Auto, Semi-auto, or Manual modes at the press of a button. I like my fighting systems to be more intuitive and interactive, so I admit I never really dabble with Auto myself. However, I imagine it speeds up certain random encounters.
Semi-auto was more my jam because I didn’t have to worry so much about positioning, as the character I controlled darted across the screen and back at the onset of a regular attack. One first equips and then learns button shortcuts for skills before a fight from an extensive, constantly growing collection. After that, you merely have to initiate a regular attack and subsequently enter the button combo for whichever skill you desire to have it play out in a 2D fighter-esque combo on-screen.
You can decide your party members’ usual behavior and tactics best to fit your attack style or a current fight, and you can even open up an item menu when needed for healing and the like. Manual forgoes the auto-positioning, so it’s a tad more hands-on, which can be helpful in certain fights. I also switched to it on occasion when I needed more precise skill use, particularly during one optional Reid solo fight later on.
There’s also Meredy and Keele’s Craymel Cages to consider, where you place an assortment of summon spirits to gain access to various spells of theirs and combinations therein through a process called Fringing that can really open up strategic possibilities during fights. I really enjoyed Tales of Eternia Remastered‘s combat once I got the hang of it and even sought out extra challenges as a result, though it took some trial and error at first. For the sake of survival, it’s essential to equip the best stats gear for your style of play and level grind quite a bit, but I honestly enjoyed the fight system so much that it didn’t really bother me.
Outside of combat, you can hold up to fifteen of the same item in your inventory, which means item management can be crucial during dungeon runs and numerous tough fights. Fortunately, by the middle of the game you can earn enough gald from fights to keep yourself well-supplied with healing items. You can also buy or acquire ingredients, then use them to make beneficial food in a simple but helpful cooking feature.
There are several minigames spliced throughout Tales of Eternia Remastered, ranging from surprisingly fun to at least mildly tolerable. The WHIS card game is actually one of the more entertaining card games I’ve come across in an RPG. Puzzles during dungeons also pop up frequently and vary in terms of enjoyment and complications, but most are cleverly designed. I think the worst puzzle gimmick might’ve been the “shooting a tiny magic orb at targets” one after you acquire a certain ring, as the way to position yourself to hit the targets accurately was more trying than anticipated. Likewise, it was strangely difficult at times to reposition objects to the right spots when needed.
Aside from those somewhat minor annoyances, I think it was tedious backtracking later on between the world map really opening up and the optional airship upgrade. Sadly, this upgrade occurs far too late in the game to make much of a difference. When traveling the world map, you have to keep in mind exactly where certain towns are and how to reach them, even if it means having to again circle large landmasses that’ll undoubtedly double your travel time. There’s no fast travel or teleport option.
On the plus side, Tales of Eternia Remastered does add a map/objective marker so that you know where exactly to go next for either advancing the story or tackling side quests, which is definitely a boon! The skits are also nice little extra story scenes you can view on the world map or at campfires in dungeons too. They aren’t vital, but they help shed more light on how characters interact with each other, and they’re overall amusing and somewhat insightful.
Visually, the 2D sprites for Tales of Eternia are lovely and expressive. The game is visually striking and very colorful, which comes through in its anime-inspired cutscenes, designs, and character portraits. You can toggle between the Remastered graphics and the original graphics, and you can also choose between the character sprites for menus or character portraits as you see fit.
From a script standpoint, the localization is excellent, with hardly any grammatical or typographical errors. You can also choose between Japanese and English voice acting. I was honestly impressed with the English dub, particularly for our four main characters, though I have no doubt the Japanese voice acting would be just as good. The soundtrack is robust, with music that brilliantly fits the areas/events when it plays. I especially like the opening movie and vocal theme song that plays at certain points.
I enjoyed my time with Tales of Eternia Remastered; it’s charming, with a lot of heart and narrative depth. I think those who haven’t played a version of Tales of Eternia yet, as well as those who also have the patience for occasionally dated gameplay elements, should definitely give Tales of Eternia Remastered a try. It’s an updated take on a game that could understandably be considered a PS1 classic. Plus, I must admit it has me even more eager to explore more Tales series outings now!
