Tales of Eternia Remastered is an Action RPG that brings a classic entry in the Tales series to modern platforms including Xbox Series X|S. The game follows the story of Reid Hershel and his companions as they travel between the divided realms of Inferia and Celestia to prevent a catastrophic event known as the Great Fall. Players harness the power of Greater Craymels while navigating a narrative centered on discovery and alliance building across the two worlds.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around exploration across connected regions in Inferia and Celestia combined with real-time combat encounters. Navigation benefits from destination markers that highlight main objectives, side events, and points of interest on the overworld. Field movement includes options for faster travel, and random encounters can be adjusted or disabled entirely through settings to suit different play styles.
Combat uses the Aggressive Linear Motion Battle System, placing the party on a 2D plane where players directly control one character while others act under AI. Artes serve as special techniques that can be chained into combos, with positioning and timing playing key roles against enemies. Party members contribute unique abilities, allowing coordination during fights. Boost options let players scale experience gains, gold acquisition, damage output, and proficiency rates to customize difficulty and pacing.
Quality-of-life additions include battle retry after defeat, quick recovery for the party via menu options, and high-speed mode during auto-battle. Graphics and sound effects can be toggled between remastered and original versions at any time. New Game+ carries over learned Artes, skills, items, recipes, and collection progress from a completed save.
Game Modes
The experience centers on a single-player campaign with adjustable parameters that function as difficulty and progression modes. Extreme difficulty is available from the start for players seeking greater challenge right away. An additional Unknown difficulty unlocks after the first playthrough for subsequent runs. Boost settings further modify combat and growth rates independently of the base difficulty level.
Auto-battle can be engaged with a high-speed toggle to accelerate routine fights. Encounter rates are configurable from full frequency down to none, altering the balance between exploration and combat. These options allow the same core journey to be experienced with varying degrees of assistance or intensity without changing the fundamental structure of the story or world traversal.
Story and Characters
The narrative unfolds through interactions with a central group that includes Reid Hershel, his childhood friend Farah Oersted, and the enigmatic Meredy. Additional party members join as the journey progresses, each bringing distinct personalities and backstories revealed through skits and main events. The conflict stems from the impending collision between the two isolated realms, driving the group to seek solutions involving the Greater Craymels.
Exploration reveals more about the history and cultures of Inferia and Celestia. Side events tied to character growth and new Arte acquisition appear with dedicated markers. The remaster restores previously unavailable skits and includes support for both English and Japanese voice tracks with full subtitles.
Is It Worth Playing?
Reception for Tales of Eternia Remastered has been generally favorable, with critic aggregates around 75-76. Reviewers highlight the enduring appeal of the real-time combat system, the depth of the Craymel mechanics, and the restored content that enriches the story and characters. Quality-of-life features make the older design more approachable for new players while preserving the original feel through toggle options.
The game suits those who enjoy single-player Action RPGs with real-time battles and a focus on party coordination rather than turn-based menus. It offers around 40 hours for a main playthrough plus side content, with New Game+ providing replay value through carried progress and higher difficulties. Players interested in classic Tales combat or seeking an accessible entry to an older title will find the remaster delivers a polished version of the experience on Xbox Series X|S.
