Tales of Xillia Remastered review - Revisiting a beloved JRPG gem

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Tales of Xillia Remastered arrives as part of the Tales of Remastered Project, where publisher Bandai Namco revives older entries in their iconic JRPG series for a modern audience. Originally released exclusively for the PS3 in 2011, this remaster marks the first time this iconic series entry has gone multiplatform. With a host of neat updates and quality-of-life additions following it, this is no doubt the definitive way to relive Tales of Xillia.

But does this nearly-decade-and-a-half-old game stand the test of time, or is it something only hardcore fans will appreciate? Find out in our review of Tales of Xillia Remastered.

Tales of Xillia Remastered is a successful, if otherwise unremarkable, revision of a classic

Jude is one of the two protagonists in Tales of Xillia Remastered (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Note that this is a remaster of the original Xillia game only and does not include the sequel, Tales of Xillia 2. This story takes place in the fantasy realm of Rieze Maxia, where humans and spirits live in harmony. In a world made up of the four great elements, the former gives sustenance to the latter while the latter blesses them with magic for use in day-to-day life.

Milla can summon and command the Great Four Spirits, who constitute the essence of the world (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

The narrative centers around dual protagonists: Jude Mathis, a medical student, and Milla Maxwell, the embodiment of the great spirit Maxwell, who is responsible for creating the world. Accompanied by the four great elemental spirits, Efreet, Undine, Sylph, and Gnome, Milla aims to stop the Lance of Kresnik, a powerful superweapon that spells doom for spirits, while Jude gets caught in the crossfire of this drama.

While players get to choose between either protagonist at the start of the game, and neither changes the core story, it is recommended to start with Jude first, as his arc offers a more comprehensive view of the full story. As such, it is weird why this option is available from the get-go, as it would have been better to offer Milla's side as a New Game+ or second playthrough option.

Meet a vibrant cast of characters across this journey (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Regardless, the core premise is to set out on a grand adventure, which is different for each of the two heroes after finding themselves public enemy number one following an incident at the start of the game: For Jude, it is learning more about the world around him from coming from a scientific background, while for Milla, it is a duty to protect the humans around her.

This diversity is what drives Tales of Xillia Remastered forward. It isn't just the clashing ideals of the two heroes that make for an entertaining journey, but also the colorful and varied cast of party members that join the duo on their mission. This includes the likes of Alvin, a charming mercenary, or Elize, a young girl with a magical puppet.

The party interactions can be quite humorous at times (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Each has their reasons for accompanying Jude and Milla, and the dynamic between them is by far the highlight of Tales of Xillia Remastered. This is in the form of skits or optionally viewable dialogue scenes between characters that pop up as the gang explores areas and maps, which further develop their character beyond mere party members with unique gameplay traits.

All of this is paired with a very anime aesthetic, reflected not just in its art style but also in the presentation and writing, with the latter boasting many humorous moments.

A journey of sightseeing and fistfighting

Explore various biomes in this fantasy realm (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

The adventure takes Jude and Milla to different parts of Rieze Maxia, where they will eventually encounter new allies who will aid their cause as well as foes who will hinder it. Since this is a game from 2011, the scope of its 3D explorable environments is fairly limited. The world is divided into small maps, each with several points of interest, like randomly spawning collectible items and treasure chests.

Certain areas also feature Events, minor cutscenes featuring other characters, which flesh out the world and its denizens. All of this and more, including shops and save points, are visible on the map in both its mini and full renditions. That said, the levels quickly become a chore to traverse, even though they are bite-sized in Tales of Xillia Remastered.

Even a fair bit into Tales of Xillia Remastered, the maps are small and uninteresting (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

This is due to how blandly designed they are, with a handful of disjointed maps separating the towns and villages. This format is repeated pretty much everywhere, even in dungeons, which makes the whole exploration aspect feel monotonous quite early in the game. Thankfully, the solid combat makes up for it. Firstly, most combat encounters are engaged in the overworld by running into foes.

This transfers the party to a battle arena with a group of foes to battle. This is where Tales of Xillia Remastered's Dual Raid Linear Motion Battle System shines. With up to four party members, and one controllable at any time, players can freely move around in the 3D space. Performing attacks, however, limits motion to a back-and-forth stance, with the other party members controlled by AI.

Combo hits, such as melee strikes or spell attacks, consume AC, which regenerates after a short while. At the same time, players can defend against incoming attacks while blocking and using powerful Artes to keep foes on their toes. At the heart of this battle system is performing Linking and Linked Artes. The controllable character can link with any other team member, offering unique tactics in battle, like the other member defending the player from attacks from behind.

Battles demand both strategy and dexterity in Tales of Xillia Remastered (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Once a meter on the left of the screen is full, performing an Arte combo allows unleashing a powerful Linked Arte where the Linked party members unleash devastating and powerful moves, which is key in defeating the stronger foes and bosses. Pair this with the distinctive perks and advantages of each character, and Tales of Xillia Remastered's combat has several layers of depth that slowly unravel over time.

That said, it will take some time to get used to this rather unorthodox battle system, where knowing what actions to perform in the heat of battle is key. That is easier said than done, however, as every action button for attacking, Artes, and blocking is paired with the directional input of the left stick for greater effect. As an example, hitting left on the stick and blocking just when an enemy strikes allows Jud to dodge and teleport behind the enemy.

Unfortunately, it can get rather chaotic in the heat of battle, as it is not possible to flawlessly input what's needed consecutively. This is worsened by a bug in the game that makes left-stick inputs quite sensitive. This can be easily noticed when bringing up the four-directional pause menu during combat and trying to navigate it - pressing the stick left will cause the highlighted option to flick up at times.

Invest in each character's skill tree to raise stats and learn new Skills to use in battle (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

This will be hard to notice for most players, especially if they're playing on the easier difficulties, but it is something worth mentioning, especially if players want to master the combat system. Other than that, players will collect resources from dropped foes and use them to upgrade the vendor Shops, which sell consumables, Armor, Weapons, Accessories, and so on.

The last key progression element worth mentioning is the Lilium Orb system. Upon levelling up, party members gain 3 GP (Growth Points) that can be invested in a web-like skill tree with various skill nodes. It's fairly unique compared to other RPGs in this design, and investing in nodes unlocks the skill at the center of these nodes, which can grant new skills and stat bonuses.

Alternatively, players may prefer to simply auto-level the Lilium Orb, which brings us to QOL additions in Tales of Xillia Remastered.

Setting up a smooth start

Grade Shop options when starting a New Game (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Tales of Xillia Remastered is a dated game without a doubt; however, Bandai Namco aims to alleviate any tedium with some neat additions. For one, the Grade Shop is available from the get-go with 5000 Grade points, allowing players to invest in cheat-like perks right away, such as increased experience gain, more item drops, and so on.

We recommend skipping these altogether until a second playthrough with the second protagonist, minus the 99 Max Item Capacity option, which is a must-have no matter what. Other than that, there is a marker showing the main objective and even a toggle for Enemy Encounters, where enemies ignore the player, making for a hassle-free resource-collecting session.

Graphics, performance, and sound

Although visually dated, the environments in Tales of Xillia Remastered look sharp (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Like past efforts, Tales of Xillia Remastered is a straightforward package. It is the original PS3 game with enhanced textures and resolution, but otherwise, nothing else has been touched, even the visuals. While the end image is cleaner and crisper than ever before, the core assets are still fairly basic and blocky. Most assets are passable, but some look bad, like the shimmering water in Fenmont, which seems to be worsened due to the higher resolution output.

Performance in Tales of Xillia Remastered, meanwhile, is solid, and considering how old and technically constrained this game is, modern rigs should have no issues hitting 120 FPS, even at the highest resolutions.

As for sound, the OST is superb, from the catchy intro cinematic to the overworld exploration themes. The sound mixing, on the other hand, is off, with some voices lower than they should be. Milla's voice actor also has a lower-grade voice quality compared to pretty much everyone else, though that seems to be a remnant from the original game.

Conclusion

Minor technical problems aside, Tales of Xillia Remastered is a competent remaster effort that brings one of the most beloved series entries to modern PC and consoles. Jude and Milla's journey may be dated in some ways, with the bland maps and combat that need adjusting to, but this romp through Rieze Maxia is a classic JRPG affair that will delight both fans and newcomers.