We have a few new bits of information from Famitsu.com about Tales of the Abyss 3DS, as well as a few comparison screenshots between the PS2 and 3DS versions of the game.
Apparently, there was also a four-page spread on Famitsu magazine regarding the game, though I haven't seen any scans yet. This info is from Andriasang.com, which according to them is from the magazine:
Characters, backgrounds and other art elements have little changes from PS2 to 3DS. The game doesn't delete any of the character voices, so expect the same level of voice acting from the PS2 version. The game will be based off the PS2 US version, so expect that the 3DS version will have the same extras that we got when ToA PS2 was localized. Events are in widescreen and battles are in 3D, though expect the same feel of controls as in the PS2 version. There are new elements, though the production is taking care not to add much. And lastly, which is probably the best thing, is that loading times have been reduced.
Info from the Famitsu.com article includes just character introductions of the party. During battle, you can also issue commands to your other party members using the bottom screen.
And for the comparison shots, the one on the left is the PS2 version, while on the right is the 3DS version:
Screenshots and art will be added to our own gallery once non-watermarked ones appear.