Tales of Graces f Remastered Review
There's something about catching up with an old friend. Whether it’s been weeks, months, or years since you last saw each other, it only takes one moment to reacquaint, and suddenly it’s like no time has passed at all. It has been over a decade since I first played Tales of Graces f on the PlayStation 3, when I enjoyed the game well enough at the time. Yet revisiting this game in 2025 has been nothing short of delightful. Bursting with an endless supply of charming characters, frenetic combat, and a heartfelt story, Tales of Graces f Remastered is a great example of why the series remains beloved, and hopefully a sign of things to come from future re-releases from the series.
First released on the Nintendo Wii in 2009, Tales of Graces did not appear on Western shores until it was released on the PlayStation 3 in 2012 as an enhanced port. Set in the world of Ephinea, Graces sees players assume the role of young Asbel Lhant, a young lord who happens upon a young amnesiac girl who doesn't remember much of anything, let alone her name. Given the name Sophie, she seemingly sacrifices herself to save Asbel, his brother Hubert, and his friend Richard from a monster; an event that fractures Asbel's life and self-esteem.
The story picks up seven years later. During that time, Asbel has fled the family home to enlist in the Knight's Academy and has not seen his family since. On the cusp of his graduation from the academy, he is advised of tragedy at home which finally brings him back to Lhant where his life again will take a turn. At this point, the story has already leaned into a handful of tropes: an amnesiac girl clearly from another world; broad political overtures, and even some classic betrayal. Graces doesn't let off the gas, even as the story hits familiar light sci-fi elements in the third act. Graces wears its heart on its sleeve, fully embodying its central themes of friendship and fighting to protect those we care for. While fans of the Tales series will find themselves right at home here, even newcomers to the series will find themselves charmed by the proceedings, because the cast is so damn earnest and likeable.
I've been a longtime fan of the series - there are plenty of us here - but the characterization here is particularly strong. This is in large part due to the excellent skits, a series of optional vignettes between the characters that occur during their travels in towns and dungeons Here they are fully voiced and accompanied with sharp character portraits, which makes stopping to listen to them a treat. These are typically random bits of banter, but they contribute to both character development and a significant sense of deepening relationships between the cast. These skits, coupled with the outlandish exchanges between the characters after a battle, are so lively and make the characters seem fully realized - especially when they involve some of the quieter cast members.
A great cast of characters isn't enough to carry a game on its own, but Graces delivers in spades when it comes to combat and supporting gameplay. This title uses something called the “Style Shift Linear Motion Battle System”, which emphasizes movement around the field and putting together devastating, flashy attack combinations. Players control one of four party members and can execute Assault or Burst Artes, which expend points from a character's rechargeable Chain Capacity (CC). Unlike some Tales games where your Arte abilities are limited by a TP pool (and thus you’ll have to gobble down Orange Gels like candy), here your CC gauge dictates how many artes you can chain in succession, which increases as you evade attacks and land critical hits. Artes are learned through the use of titles: a barrage of clever nicknames for the character which double as a primary form of progression. Each title, when equipped, earns SP after battle which awards stat boosts, artes, and the like as the character ranks up and permanently earns the reward. There are dozens and dozens of titles for each character, which allows for a broad range of customization across the board.
Combat is frenetic yet strategic, with players needing to block attacks, avoid damage, or sometimes stagger an enemy before it can pull off a powerful arte. Simply spamming the attack button won't get the job done, instead encouraging players to use their CC strategically and to rest to recharge and you build your attack combinations. Being able to switch control between the four members on screen is a nice touch, especially when needing to toss a restorative during a tense moment. Factor in the many tweaks to combat that can be turned on in an optional menu called the Grade Shop - double damage comes to mind - and battles can really get cooking with gas.
It certainly helps that Graces looks and sounds great for what it is as a modern remaster of a 15-year old game. First, brace yourself for the fact this is a remastered port of a PlayStation 3 game, itself a port of a 2009 Wii game. Enhanced for PS5 Pro, this isn't. Battle environments are sparse, and even the overworld and dungeons are tunnel-esque corridors replete with invisible walls or walled-in areas. Yet the character models are well animated; drawn with a classic anime style, designed by the impeccable Mutsumi Inomata, and the towns are charming, if a bit basic. The art style and direction carry the day here, bolstered by a sharp user interface that quietly updates the PS3's menus. There are virtually no loading times, and everything is generally crisp. It’s clear there has been significant effort in upgrading the looks and sound without making drastic changes, and it pays off.
Likewise, sound design is classic Tales. I am a Motoi Sakuraba apologist, so your mileage may vary. Graces features his signature styles, with idyllic, soothing town themes met with vigorous, high-octane battle themes and always at least one classic snowy theme. I personally rank this game's main battle theme as among the best in the franchise.
It's almost overwhelming just how much there is to engage with here. If you aren't in combat or managing titles to learn new artes, you can use the Eleth Mixer to schedule meals to cook mid-combat. If that doesn't satisfy there is always the ability to dualize (the game's version or crafting or synthesis). I spent hours dualizing basic ingredients to eventually make an omelette that would heal a third of my health, and set it to trigger in-combat when a party member's health hit under 30%. You can infuse equipment with shards for additional effects, and more. Graces hits an excellent synergy between its combat design, character progression mechanics, and supporting systems like dualizing.
Quality of life changes like destination icons help quicken the pace and prevent players from getting lost. The options in the Grade Shop are bonkers, unlocked from the start of a new playthrough and give major GameShark vibes: you can skew the game's balance wildly off course at the click of a button, or just go with something mundane, like increasing your movement speed. You're going to need it, too, with the almost offensive amount of backtracking required during large sections of the game. It’s these small annoyances and minor gameplay limitations, products of now twenty-year-old hardware, that marginally diminish an otherwise excellent presentation.
It sounds like a lot - it is - but in the best way possible. There is no shortage of additional things to do: titles to hunt, library books to track down, post-game story content, and dungeons, all of which occur with a cast we've seen go through so much together. It's endearing to watch these childhood friends reunite under the shakiest of terms as adults only to eventually re-discover their shared bonds and affections that made them close in the first place. Watching them heal their literal childhood trauma is, for some reason, significantly more satisfying this time around.
That's the thing about catching up with old friends. It's nice to think like nothing has changed; that no time at all has passed, even though we know it's not true. What a pleasant surprise then, to be able to play Tales of Graces f Remastered and experience something that looks and feels even better than you remember.