Tales of Graces F Remastered Review: Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Top Features

Tales of Graces f Remastered from developer Namco Tales Studio is a sweeping modern update to one of the most interesting entries in a long-running series over the last two decades.

Originally a Japan-only release in 2009 before a PlayStation 3 version was localized in English in 2012, Tales of Graces is the 12th installment in the overarching Tales series.

Beyond that strange, well, tale, Graces has long been well-known as an entry that sits just near Tales of Symphonia in terms of popularity.

It is, as it happens, also well-known for having one of the best battle systems in the entire series—but one of the shakier stories.

A remaster and not a remake, Graces will still have some of those drawbacks, so what else gets updated and how will determine if it can establish major success.

Graphics and Gameplay

Visually, Graces registers as impressive, considering the original effort that came out to console generations on the Nintendo Wii and PS3.

Updates to match modern power backing consoles truly enhance the anime-styled characters and the colorful world. Outright new additions seem few, yet are notable, such as character models seeming more emotive during scenes.

As always in the Tales series, a strong soundtrack backs the drama and action. It’s also always enjoyable to listen to the character skits that are fully voiced—something that is hit or miss to be in JRPGs at all.

Keep in mind the world map and the connecting areas are very linear in nature, so would-be players need to set expectations on that side of things. This is not an open-world JRPG by any means and this remaster doesn’t change up the formula, which some could argue is for the better.

The game’s HUD has also been updated to include objective markers, providing a little bit of must-have modernization.

Combat, though, is where Graces continues to shine the most.

This is very much an action RPG that encourages players to think quick on their feet. Usual series staples like Assault or Burst Artes are in the game, yes. But instead of an ever-exhausting pool of points, players can refill a CC gauge through rest. This actually encourages strategic live-action decisions on a timed basis to succeed.

That means thinking ahead in real-time. In a majority of JRPGs, players can spam abilities, then chug down a bunch of stamina or mana-refilling potions and the like, and get right back to it.

Here, players need to plot out moves and also need to block or otherwise avoid damage, all while monitoring the CC gauge and when to scale back. Keep in mind that, thankfully, players can switch between all four party members, too.

It goes a little beyond that, too. Various challenges will pop up before battles. There are little, quiet wrinkles to the system, too, such as weaknesses to exploit and CC bonuses for the timing of dodges.

Adding to the complexity backing the action, Graces leans heavily into the “title” system like other JRPGs. Equipping those can change or open up different unlockable Artes. There is a daunting number of these for each character, so mixing and matching produces interesting results, both for the short-term battles and long-term outlook of the playthrough.

While a little intimidating at first, it doesn’t take long to see why Graces gets so much praise for its battle system. Just keep in mind it’s a slow starter and doesn’t show off its true fun factor right away.

Story and More

Narratively, Graces is as strange now as it was way back when it released—the story can be eye-rolling in all the expected ways, but the characters are fantastic.

Players assume the role of Asbel Lhant, there’s an amnesia girl plot point again, plus kingdoms and political intrigue, as usual. It’s not bad, but the story is largely fodder.

While there are a handful of played-out tropes and/or cliches (keep in mind, 2009 was the initial release), the game does a fantastic job of fleshing out characters, motivations, and relationships in the voice-acted skits that can occur between towns and the like.

There aren’t a ton of side quests that will steer players off the course, which lends to the aforementioned linearity, but there are some interesting systems at work. That’s not to say it isn’t worth poking around to discover extra skits and the like, but it does feel sort of linear by modern standards.

Notably, players do have the option to turn off battle encounters and focus strictly on the story and exploration, which is a nice touch that more games in the genre should probably look at and consider.

In fact, the game is packed with little JRPGisms that can have big impacts, such as a cooking minigame with rather immense depth that leads to specific stat bonuses. It’s a similar story for an included crafting system, as well as upgrade paths.

The Grade Shop also returns and is unlocked right from the start. This offers intersting game modifiers not unlike cheat codes from back in the day. The one that boosts character movement speed is a good example—and so, so great to have.

Given the style and content, Graces obviously runs well on modern consoles despite the upgrades it has received. And the list of options tucked into the menus is a strong-looking suite. Longtime players will also be happy to hear that all of the DLCs from the original are included in the base offering here.

Conclusion

It’s extremely hard for a JRPG to stand out right now, given the mini-golden era for the genre.

That said, Graces had a leg up on the competition by being able to withstand decades of releases and still remain a beloved entry in one of the most popular series to date.

As such, Graces is hopefully a sign of things to come for remasters in the series. It enhances the visuals and adds some subtle modernization that makes it worthwhile but also keeps the core spirit of the experience intact.

Graces, then, is by far the best way to experience the game, especially for new players with an interest in the genre or series. For anyone who enjoyed the original, this has been a no-brainer from its announcement.