The Tales series is one of those JRPGs that sometimes flies under the radar. It doesn’t typically get the same hype as Final Fantasy or Persona, but Bandai Namco has been consistently putting out solid Tales games for 30 years. Tales of Graces f Remaster continues that tradition, bringing one of the best entries in this franchise to modern consoles.
As the name might imply, Tales of Graces f Remaster is a port of a port of a game that first appeared on the Wii in 2009. That version only got a release in Japan, so those of us in the West had to wait until the PS3 English-language release in 2012 (which added the 'f'). Now, more than a decade later, the remaster of that port is a game that, for good and ill, looks and feels like it is from generations ago.

Like most Tales games, this is a largely standalone story that features a few references to other entries in the series. It follows a group of friends as they are driven apart by tragedy and then brought together years later. Most of the characters fit into one cliché or another, though there is always just enough of a twist to keep them from being forgettable.
One of the most interesting aspects is how the characters change over time. The first three hours or so take place when they are all children and is followed by a seven-year time skip. Asbel goes from the headstrong leader of his pack of friends to a sullen, serious knight-in-training who takes the weight of the world on his shoulders. His brother starts out as timid and deferential, only to become angry and bitter when we next see him. There is a real sense of growth and change in these characters that you don’t always get in a JRPG.
When you aren’t watching cutscenes or the short vignettes that pop up as you explore the map, you’ll either be exploring that map or battling monsters or enemy soldiers. Exploring is a bit of a strong word, though, since the maps are definitely a product of their time. Most are just long corridors that you’ll have to revisit multiple times throughout the game, which gets repetitive and frustrating after a while.

Fortunately, the combat is generally fun. The 'Style Shift Linear Motion Battle System,' as it is called here, is similar to other Tales games. You control one of up to four characters and move around a battlefield. Each attack consumes your Chain Capacity points, which recharge as you move around, and unleashes a set of Artes. New Artes are learned through the Title system, with characters unlocking new Titles as the story progresses or when you perform certain actions.
There is depth here if you want to get really involved in the game’s systems, but you don’t have to micromanage everything if you just want to fly through and unleash your powers on unsuspecting baddies.
You can switch between characters on a whim or you can have a friend control one of them for you. Multiplayer is a bit limited here — other players can only control the characters in combat so they will be sat doing nothing most of the time — but it is still a nice touch. Anytime we have the opportunity for couch co-op, we’ll take it.

Of course, if you’re just here for the story, there is also the Grade Shop, which has features like Double Damage or 3x Experience Points. These are purely optional but can really change your play experience. Turning all your Experience Points into money will make you very rich but leave you under-levelled and relying on your mastery of the combat system. We definitely recommend turning on the 'double movement speed outside combat' feature, though, just to cut back on the aforementioned backtracking. Everything else is just about customising the game to your preferred experience.
Visually, Tales of Graces f Remastered feels somewhere between nostalgic and modern. The characters are well designed and memorable and the upgraded graphics do the best they can with a game that is well over a decade old. However, the animations are clearly from a bygone era and feel stilted and stiff compared to what you might see in a modern JRPG. Not enough to put us off or detract from our enjoyment but enough to remind us how far we've come.
We didn’t encounter any bugs or glitches during our time with the game, but it should be noted that you will encounter a lot of load screens as you spend the couple dozen hours needed to beat it. They tended to be short enough that they didn’t slow us down too much but, added together, they took up a big chunk of our time.

More than 15 years after it was first released, the strength of Tales of Graces is still its characters. They are fun and change enough over time to give life to an otherwise standard fantasy setting. While the world won’t do much for you if you’re after an open-world adventure, the combat still feels fresh and challenging all these years later. For JRPG fans, Tales of Graces f Remastered is a solid port of one of the best games in the Tales series.
Conclusion
Tales of Graces f Remastered occasionally feels dated thanks to its visuals and limited map, but the unique structure of the plot and fun combat make it a worthwhile addition to the library of any JRPG fan. The characters remain the stars of the show, with more growth and change over the course of the game than we expected. If the frequent but short load times don’t get in your way, it is easy to sink dozens of hours into this adventure.
Comments 46
Bought this on Switch and expected the 30fps only. Still weird to have it locked in 30fps even during battle. It's all fine and dandy but probably my gripe is the load times, especially during combat where it will take a couple of seconds before it starts compared to the PS3 version where it's immediate.
Other than that, I like this game. Has great combat mechanic, characters and story. This was the first tales game that I actually liked
Still haven't opened my copy of Symphonia, but I'll likely get this at some point. Love Vesperia and Arise.
My favorite Tales of game getting its recognition
Thanks for the review, got a discounted physical copy from my usual retailer and I'm looking forward to eventually playing it even more than I already was after reading this - I haven't played a Tales of yet (apart from Dawn of the New World, but only barely so it doesn't count) so I'm undecided about which one to start with when I can between Graces F, Vesperia and yes, even Symphonia despite its issues on Switch!
I loved Tales of Symphony on the GameCube but was very disappointed by Vesperia on the Switch. Because of the issues in the Switch version of Symphonia, I haven’t had the chance to test how much nostalgia is impacting my opinion of that game. I’m willing to try at least one more Tales game in my lifetime, but I think I’ll wait for one of the more modern entries to come to the Switch 2 (presumably).
I'll be grabbing this at some point in the future.
One of the few Tales games I would had said was an instant classic to me but since this is my first time actually playing it despite knowing it was a Wii game at one point, I had to say this remastered is quite good. Just kinda wish I had play the original too so I get a fair comparisons of the many differences between both. I know this game should had felt special to me but since it was never an exclusive like Symphonia was it lost that specialty feel to me. These graphics for a Wii game was impressive back in the SD era but for Switch they just look so meh to me, like I say had I play this during the Wii era I would had feel some kind of amazement with them but since it never got brought to NA for that it just never felt me the same way. Thanks for actually giving us this PS3 port Bandai Namco but you ruin the excitement of the original for me so had that not happen this port would had hit me a different way than now. The story for this is decent though so it's not all bad. Now give us an original Tales game before Switch 2.
I hope one day they can make a Tales game with an art style that looks exactly like that gorgeous cover art 😍
Tales always have strong character progression, while the main arc seems to be just there. Observed in Tales of Vesperia. The storytelling in these pieces is an aquired taste.
@JohnnyMind I guess in the end it doesn't matter which one you start with, but if I had to pick, I'd definitely say don't miss your chance to play Symphonia. I played it on GCN, so I can't speak to the Switch version, but the story and characters were definitely worth it.
I'll get this one down the line, but XCX is my next game purchase for Switch.
@MeloMan Yep, that's exactly why I'll eventually play Symphonia for sure and maybe even as my first Tales of regardless of the issues of the Switch version (and to be fair to a lesser extent also on other systems when it comes to that rerelease based on what I've heard) - thanks for the recommendation!
I remember liking this one on PlayStation 3 back in the day, but I never revisited it after finishing it, and I'm not sure I feel like doing so now. Glad to hear it's a good port though, you can never trust Namco after the way they handled Symphonia, and for inexplicably removing the dub in Baten Kaitos
I loved Tales of Symphonia but have drifted apart from the series as of late. I remember being gutted back in the Wii era when we didn't get Graces in the west until Graces f for the Sony console (which I didn't own either way).
Got this one pre ordered if only for nostalgia's sake. I wish we would get another chance to play Tales of the Abyss though
I've been watching my wife play this on the PlayStation 5 while I play Super Mario Bros. Wonder on the Nintendo Switch. Seems like it would be a fun game for me down the road!
Played Tales of Graces F back in the PS3 days. It was my 2nd Tales entry after playing Symphonia on GCN. Great game. Glad the Switch version is decent and more get to experience this JRPG gem. Also played the Vesperia Switch remaster which still has one of my longest play times on my console even now. Keep bringing all the Tales entries to Switch Bamco!
Still the Tales of with the best, complex and engaging Battle system of all. Probably the most difficult one as well.
The fact that this version of the game is the only one that actually manages to run worse than the very original Wii game is, frankly, inexcusable. They released Vesperia on Switch and it ran incredibly well, only compromising the overworld map travel and some more active town segments, which are excusable when the performance matches the PS3 version that port was based on. This porting job is so far below that level that it's astounding, really, especially when all the other versions manage to run fine and are the definitive version of this great game.
I can only hope they would patch this version to include some kind of performance mode to make it match at least the Wii original and the later PS3 port when it comes to performance, but I'm having my doubts since I contacted the publisher immediately about this issue when the initial frame rates were revealed, they gave a cookie cutter "anything isn't final yet" answer and here we are, nothing was changed.
I loved this game on PS3 and would have really wanted to have a similar stellar port job of it on Switch like they did with Vesperia, but this is another Symphonia-level blunder, just only on Switch. Which makes it almost doubly more unfortunate.
No mention of the framerate at all? Feel like that's something a review really should acknowledge.
I'd be all over this if they hadn't downgraded it compared to Wii, but any step backward is a dealbreaker. Can I hold out hope for a Switch 2 upgrade maybe?
@JohnnyMind My first three Tales games were Dawn Of The New World, Vesperia, and Graces. I played Symphonia many years later. Vesperia is the most beginner friendly, but Graces has the best gameplay mechanics. Symphonia is charming but it's just an older and harder Vesperia that is stingy with save points, albeit Symphonia has a better story. Most people suggest Symphonia simply because they played it when it first came out 20+ years ago. I'd really suggest Xillia to start, but it's not on Switch.
@Ashina A shame to see that they're continuing to have the same issues in their Tales remasters.
I could tolerate the 30 fps in Symphonia but the added load times (when things loaded fine in the 20-year old Gamecube original) ultimately put me off the game.
@Solomon_Rambling That's interesting. I played Vesperia and Symphonia back to back, they're very similar. Vesperia is more like Symphonia than Symphonia's sequel.
@JohnnyMind @MeloMan
Some would say that if you played Final Fantasy X, then you played Symphonia, and they wouldn't be wrong. Symphonic was the first in Europe, but it's far from being the best. Graces is definitely a great entry, but I would also encourage Phantasia, and if we ever get it in English, Rebirth. The first Xilia is also a strong entry. But let's be honest, Tales Of always were mediocre JRPGs (except for Phantasia), and even the best ones are not on par with the worst of other series.
@Bobb Abyss beats Graces in story and characters, but Abyss's gameplay is not even close to Graces level. I'm halfway through Abyss but started playing the Graces port when it came out.
@Buizel The load times might be like a second longer but it saves instantly(the PS3 took forever to save).
@ArcticEcho @Astropez Thank you both for your recommendations, will keep them in mind when I have to choose which game to play first!
one of the issues i have heared with the switch version (aside from it running at 30fps in combat wheres the ps3 and even wii version ran at 60) is that theres also additional input lag (which looks visibly noticeable) which in a game where on higher difficulties things such as last second dodges and the like are vital in order to keep combos going and avoid damage sounds like it could be a major issue.
curious if its related to the framerate being lower than the original since some older games would still tie things like game logic to the framerate, hopefully it is something that can be fixed via a patch especially considering the combat is a major highlight of this.
A generous minimum of backhanding by NL review standards (although 8s still don't seem high enough to warrant further elaboration on the gameplay even though the addictive loops provided by the synergy of requests, dualizing and mixer systems are arguably on par with those of Xenoblade series or [insert any renowned roguelite]. Between these and the combat, this is one of the not overly common JRPGs where you can find yourself motivated to engage every single enemy you encounter, including respawns (some of which don't even require switching areas), and the whole bunch of mechanics makes exploring/revisiting the local "corridors" ever busier than the article makes it sound, too.
The loading times prove to be typically varying mileage as well - in my experience, all the transitions have been remarkably snappy. But the biggest blinker I keep seeing here and elsewhere is the allegation of the game "showing its age". Uh, the age of what, the years that codified the bulk of the genre to this day? Regarding animations and graphics (the latter in contrast to proper visuals which Graces remains a master class in), I hate to break it but the likes of Final Fantasy, Xenoblade or Elden Ring don't quite qualify as "modern JRPG standards" because their respective budgets are anything but standard. And overall, it's always hilarious to see labels like "outdated" thrown at a series that pioneered a lot of modern stuff across stories and gameplay alike years to decades before Final Fantasy or Persona ever did. And, regardless of some may allege, has continued to cook with gas for most of its history.
@JohnnyMind if you're in doubt and not gravitating towards any particular entry interest-wise, release order is always a sensible default acquainting one with the evolution of the series at hand.
@missingno_fgc false indispensability of excessive framerates aside, IIRC someone tried to artificially double the frames of the modern Symphonia ports and got pure chaos through what reportedly boils down to framerate-based animations and game speed overall. So I doubt NS2 hardware would influence anything meaningfully in this regard.
@Astropez not quite on par with the likes of Xenoblade, perhaps, but that's what makes Xenoblades outstanding among the greats. The latter having stably included Tales since day one, with even the hiccups like the conspicuously underpolished Tempest offering a fair share of positive memories. Phantasia is actually (and unsurprisingly) the most comparatively lowkey among the bunch it paved the way for, if still a milestone game in its own right and my own top fave SNES JRPG even in the presence of other titans like FFVI or Chrono Trigger. The way this franchise energizes the gameplay, curveballs plentiful tropes and thrives on variable amounts of sci-fantasy makes for a genre treat pretty much wherever you poke your finger.
Honestly, this is one of my least favorite Tales games, so this one is not for me. I played through it once on the PS3 back in the day, and that was enough. They need to bring back Eternia.
@nhSnork Definitely and even more so since I'm already kind of gravitating towards Symphonia considering what others mentioned. Thanks for the recommendation!
Still my favorite Tales Game, even in terms of combat^^ happy to see it pop up again^^
I find it weird that the Switch version is locked to 30 FPS even though it's a port of an old Wii game that then got remastered as a PS3 game. Skyward Sword HD ran at a silky smooth 60 FPS and even Tales of Vesperia was 60 FPS during battles for the Switch port. Sounds like Namco once again was cutting corners which isn't surprising given some of their recent HD ports on Switch.
As for the game itself I found it to be mediocre. The art style is gorgeous but the story and combat I was not a fan of when I played this on PS3 years ago.
The Tales games have always been a hit or miss for me, they're decent games but not amazing and are outclassed by other JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Persona and Xenoblade.
@EarthboundBenjy Every re-release of Symphonia has been based on the (Japan-only) PS2 version's source code, apparently because of rights issues around Nintendo funding the GCN version themselves.
@FX29 The PS3 version was the remaster, not the Wii version (The Wii version was Japan-only, and the first printing of it was such a bug ridden mess that people had to send their discs back to get replacements).
And the likely reason this runs at 30 is because they targeted the PS5 as the lead platform for this, and then had to scale it down for the Switch.
@SpecialStreamCannon What's about dual audio option?
Cool, definitely going to pick this one up. I’ve played a bunch of Tales games over the years, but I didn’t own a ps3 so I missed this one. Tales of Berseria was my favorite, but Tales of Arise is pretty darn good.
Love this series. Not played one I've not enjoyed at least a bit yet, and I've done most of the more recent ones. Symphonia. Vesperia. Xillia. Berseria. Abyss. Zestiria. Arise.
Got no reason to believe I won't enjoy this too. When I get around to it eventually!
@AllieKitsune
Sorry my wording was a bit off but yes I meant the PS3 version was the remaster and was aware of that. Also I'm not giving Namco the benefit of the doubt since they haven't exactly done a great job with their remasters in recent years.
To throw another opinion into the ring, every Tales from Xillia on to Arise is mediocre, while Symphonia, Abyss, and Vesperia are king.
To throw another (unasked for, if not umprompted) opinion into the ring, I think the DQ and Xenoblade series are pretty average as far as JRPGs go, too. Not including XCX, which is fantastic.
I'd say the highs of Tales stand toe-to-toe with the genre's bests. The lows, well, at least they're playable.
I'm looking forward to playing Grace f (which I think of as kind of standing guard between Good Tales and Bad Tales).
Graces F was one I sank a lot of time into. Still gotta finish it on ps3. But I don't think there's anything extra enough to get me coming back for Switch version.
@FX29 From what I understand, Tales of Symphonia's "remaster" was pretty poor. Speculation is they lost the original source code....
I really wanted Tales of Xillia and Xillia 2 on Switch, but at this point, it's looking like the dream will have to move on to the switch 2.
Love the subtitle for the article
@Mariotag Not lost. Couldn't use it. Nintendo funded Namco to develop the GCN version, so Namco(-Bandai) had to base all re-releases off the PS2 version, which only ran at 30 FPS.
@AllieKitsune Ohhh. I see. Well, honestly a shame. At the same time though, the latest remaster seems worse than the ps3 version, from what I've read.
£28.76 using discount code CHILLY20 [until 3rd Feb] from The Game Collection Outlet / eBay (free delivery) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/387720310451
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