Tales of Innocence - Tokyo Game Show Impression

Platform: Developer: Tales Studio Release Date: Winter 2007 (Japan)

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by Paul Koehler

One of the longer running series in the console RPG world has yet another addition: Tales of Innocence for the Nintendo DS. Like other Tales titles of the past it features a real-time battle system, although on the DS it works quite well with very little lag time. It is interesting that this title was cordoned off to the back of the Namco Bandai Games booth, although as a new title for a console as influential as the DS it should do well. "And as far as graphics go, this is one of the better offerings at the show on the DS." Those who have played the Tales series before will be familiar with not only battle mechanics but also little features such as cooking, character skits, and items. Where Tales games have faltered in the past is their ability to have their fast-paced battles be...fast-paced. There is a slightly noticeable lag with Tales of Innocence, but it is slight at best. As with most DS RPGs it takes advantage of the second screen during most situations, and this is especially convenient during battle. Navigation on the world map is also fairly fluid, which is important considering it was a huge weakness in Tales of the Abyss. And as far as graphics go, this is one of the better offerings at the show on the DS. Will it make a difference in the end? Hard to say at this point. The game is more or less ready to go in the Japanese market, although offerings of the series have been hit or miss in North America. Given that it is a DS title of a major series, there is a good chance this will make the trip over the Pacific. As with all impressions, the final product is what matters the most, but this looks good!