Next Tales of Remaster Leaks, Not What You Expected
The Resurgence of the Tales of Series
Since the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Tales of series last year, Bandai Namco has been steadily releasing remastered versions of various titles in the franchise. Last year saw the remastering of Tales of Graces f and Tales of Xillia, and in February, Tales of Berseria also received a remastered version. These releases have been met with varying degrees of enthusiasm, depending on the original platform exclusivity and the necessity of the remaster.
The first two remasters were particularly welcomed, as both games were originally PlayStation 3 exclusives and had not been made available on other platforms—except for Tales of Graces, which was released for the Wii. In contrast, Tales of Berseria felt somewhat unnecessary, as the non-remastered version already looked good on both consoles and PC. However, this did not detract from the overall positive reception of the series' continued remastering efforts.
A New Addition to the Remaster Lineup
It seems that Bandai Namco is once again focusing on bringing older entries from outdated platforms into the modern gaming era. According to a recent PEGI listing, Tales of Eternia Remastered is set to be the next title in line for a remaster. This announcement comes as a welcome surprise for many fans of the series.
Originally released in Japan in 2000, Tales of Eternia was known as Tales of Destiny 2 in the United States. It is important to note that this is not the same as the Japan-only Tales of Destiny 2, which is an entirely different game. Like its predecessor, Tales of Destiny, Eternia is a 2D pixel art JRPG, which was quite unusual for a PlayStation exclusive during a time when 3D graphics dominated the industry. Despite this, the game was popular enough in Japan to warrant a PSP port, which was also released in Europe and Australia.
Why This Remaster Is Significant
While it may come as a surprise that Tales of Eternia is being remastered before other potential candidates like Tales of Xillia 2, the decision makes sense in terms of preserving legacy titles. Tales of Xillia 2 has already escaped the PS3's limitations, but Tales of Eternia remains a classic that deserves a second chance on modern platforms.
Although I am not a huge fan of the Tales of series, I am always excited to see older platform exclusives make their way to new audiences. This remaster could bring a fresh wave of interest in the franchise, especially among those who may have missed out on the original release.
What’s Next?
At this point, there is no official release date for Tales of Eternia Remastered, and the PEGI website currently lists only the Nintendo Switch as a platform. However, it is highly unlikely that this will be an exclusive release. Fans can expect more details to emerge in the coming months, and the anticipation surrounding the game is already building up.
As the series continues to evolve, these remasters serve as a reminder of the rich history and diverse experiences that the Tales of franchise has offered over the years. Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer, there's something special about revisiting these classic titles with updated visuals and enhanced gameplay.
