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| Jeremy Harnage |
More details on the pendulum-wielding loner and battle system surface.
05.25.14 - 3:30 AM
If you missed our last Tales of Zestiria update, a new addition to the party, Dezel, the pendulum-wielding loner, was announced. While details were initially sparse, Famitsu has published a slew of additional information on the new cast member.
Dezel, voiced by Daisuke Ono and designed by Daigo Okumura, stands 185cm tall and doesn't seem to be much for talk. A member of the Family of Heaven (or Heavenly Tribe, depending upon your translations), Dezel is strongly aligned with the wind element. As with all Family of Heaven members, he will make use of Heaven Echo Artes, and will calmly and coolly make his way around the battle-field.
Described as an outlaw-type, Dezel works with those on the fringes of human society to further his lust for revenge. While specifics on the impetus of this have not yet surfaced, we do know that he's on the hunt for a Hyouma that has killed someone dear to him.
His original announcement scan even included the following quote, directed at the protagonist, Slay:
"I'll only say this: you would do best to stay out of my way. I really don't care if you’re a Doshi, I won’t allow your interference."
Additional details were also recently released giving us more insight into the battle system that Tales of Zestiria will employ.
Firstly, the "Around Step", previously found in Tales of Graces, will make its return in Tales of Zestiria. A side-step of sorts, this ability allows players to dodge an enemy attack and instantly move behind their foe.
Additional details were also listed that clarified the various gauges and meters shown throughout the battles. Above, you'll notice the character icons for each party member as well as numbers listed next to each. Those numbers are the "Blast Gauge". This gauge fills any time a party member uses a healing or defensive type move and will play heavily into battle tactics throughout the game. Once this meter fills, it has multiple uses, depending upon your characters and/or preference. The most common uses so far are to recover your "Spirits Chain" or to trigger a blast that throw many enemies away from whoever uses it, providing many characters with room to breathe. While these are only some of the confirmed actions listed so far, additional actions will be available.
Left of the Blast Gauge number you'll notice the small blue bar. This is the "Spirits Chain" meter. Similar to an MP pool, this meter will be used to employ character Artes abilities. With that in mind, combinations utilizing the Blast Gauge and Spirits Chain meter will be up to the player to determine, learn, and ultimately master.
Finally, Famitsu provided us with more on the beginnings of the game itself. After becoming the Doshi (monk), Slay is summoned to the palace by a group of Ministers. Upon arriving, Slay witnesses a darker side to the dealings that take place at the palace. While he is unable to overlook these dealings, what he chooses to do about them has yet to be announced. All we can say is that, from the looks of the above screenshot, it seems like they won't be leaving the palace peacefully.
Tales of Zestiria is still in development for PlayStation 3 at this time. However, it has already been confirmed for a North American release. We'll be sure to keep you updated with new details as they emerge!
