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| Jesse Woo |
Yarr.
06.28.16 - 9:24 PM
Tales of Berseria made a strong impression on our team at E3, impressing with its revamped battle system and crisp look. Recent releases on the game's Japanese blog discuss now offer even more than we got to see at the show.
For starters, Bandai Namco is introducing more high-ranking members (called Legates) of the Abbey. Shigure Rengetsu is Rokurou's elder brother and the family's heir. He uses the same unique fighting style known for its incredible strength and lives to test himself against powerful opponents. Hi devil-may-care attitude often doesn't fit in with his fellow Legates, but he earns his keep with his exceptional skill in battle.
Melchior on the other hand is a seasoned strategist and advisor to Artorius, the head of the Exorcists. He believes in Abbey's mission so deeply that he is willing to employ less-than-noble means to achieve its ends. In addition to being the Abbey's principal strategist and scholar, he is a powerful artes user.
Finally, Benwick is the young member of the Aifread pirates who serves as your principal point of contact when you want to board the pirate ship.
As mentioned in previous posts, mechanics such as Mystic Artes and cooking will make a comeback, but Berseria will of course introduce many new elements to keep the series fresh. In one, players can guide Bienfu to jump off a dock into the water, competing with themselves to jump the farthest distance. In another, players will race against the clock to pop balloons with their favorite character. Berseria is also introducing a card game with characters from across the Tales universe. But can it compete with Gwent?
Nor is the card game the only diversion. With the exploration function, Velvet can send scouting vessels to chart unexplored waters, returning with materials, treasure, and recipes as a reward. As players open up new areas of the map, so too will their opportunities for exploration expand. Also scattered throughout the world are Katz boxes, special treasure chests that require a Katz Spirit to open. If you have collected a Katz Spirit from someplace on the map, a Katz will pop out with a special reward like a piece of equipment.
Finally, and somewhat anachronistically, is the Rare Board, a special mode of transport that lets you move rapidly and reach spots that you couldn't get to on foot alone.
Tales of Berseria comes out in Japan on the PS3 and PS4 August 8, and in the West on PS4 and PC in 2017. Check out the latest new trailer below, and the truly massive number of new screenshots in our gallery including the new DLC costumes.
