New characters and screenshots for Namco Bandai's upcoming Android strategy game, Tales of the World: Tactics Union, have been revealed. In addition, we also have information on the game's actual plot. From Famitsu.
The main plot of Tactics Union revolves around the Tales characters being summoned into the world of Revalia and losing all of their memories.
- Though the beginning of it all isn't clear, but Revalia is a world formed from the dreams of people from countless different worlds. As long as there are those who dream, it continues to exist - when they cease to dream, the world will die. Within Revalia resides the Rufres Clan whose duty is to keep the balance in the world by purifying the nightmares of the people, the incarnation of the people's darkness in their hearts called Vule.
But recently, the Vules, which never had any specific form to begin with, started to appear as monsters and opposed the Rufres called Dream Keepers who had special powers. But one day, those Dream Keepers all simultaneously lost their shape (not sure on this part. What even is this). The remaining still-powerless and immature Rufres all went to a place called the Waking World and tried their best to summon those who can fight the Vules.
But... the ceremony was a failure. Those who were summoned were blown away and scattered in different places within Revalia.
Tern, an infant Rufres that was raised by Nacht, the head of the Rufres Clan and the most powerful of the Dream Keepers, now brings out his courage and leaves their town in order to find the ones they summoned, the "Awakened Dreamers". Sadly, due to bad luck, Tern was found by the Vules, and was surely, going to be killed.
At that exact time, two swordsmen appeared, defeated the Vules and saved Tern. Those two were a few of the Awakened Dreamers that Tern has been looking for.However, as a side effect of the summoning ceremony having failed, the Awakened Dreamers have lost all memory of their previous world, as well as all the strength and abilities they earned from there.
This greatly discourage Tern. Still, after the two learned of the world's circumstances, as well as wanting to find others like them, they decided to fight against the Vules.
Even without their memories, they carry within their hearts their rising spirits, and they embark on this new battle ----
... Yes, that story confused me, too. And how many "buts" and "howevers" were in there?
Anyway, the game mostly features searching for the other Awakened Dreamers (the other Tales characters), but sadly, not everyone seems to be on your side. there are characters in the Player Side, which I assume are the story's main protagonists, and the Enemy Side, which also consist of Tales characters that are against the Player Side's cause. I'm unsure if they get to join you, though.
So far, this is the list of characters. Those in bold are new characters:
Player Side
- Lloyd Irving (Tales of Symphonia)
- Norma Beatty (Tales of Legendia)
- Guy Cecil (Tales of the Abyss)
- Natalia L.K. Lanvaldear (Tales of the Abyss)
- Rubia Natwick (Tales of the Tempest
- Flynn Scifo (Tales of Vesperia)
- Sophie (Tales of Graces
- Asbel Lhant (Tales of Graces)
- Veigue Lungberg (Tales of Rebirth)
- Judith (Tales of Vesperia)
Enemy Side:
- Luke fon Fabre (Tales of the Abyss)
- Meredy (Tales of Eternia)
- Zelos Wilder (Tales of Symphonia)
- Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia)
- Presea Combatir (Tales of Symphonia)
- Jade Curtiss (Tales of the Abyss)
About The Battle System
The game pretty much works like your typical strategy game. Characters take turns, and you indicate what they do, which tile they'll move to, etc. So yes, it's command-based, with the choice of attacking or performing an arte. Depending on the character (mainly, the weapon they use), normal attacks may have different ranges, like Judith who uses a spear having up to two tiles range for hers, or Natalia being able to reach far enemies. Use of artes will use up Artes Points or AP. Events can also be triggered within battle.
As usual, Mystic Artes / Hi-Ougis are activated during OverLimit Mode. Once the gauge for it is full, entering that state will increase stats for the selected character, and if an MA is available, it can be performed. I'm not sure if this will be final, but the cut-ins are just rehashed from Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3.
Characters also have Skills, which they can learn by consuming Skill Points. Skill examples include increasing the max HP, having guard counter, etc. And apparently, in order to remember new skills, as well as artes, you'll need something called a Memory Fragment which can be used at a Memory Hall.
Tales of the World: Tactics Union will be released for KDDI's Android on July 2, 2012.
