Tales of Hearts

Infobox VG
title =


Tales of Hearts CG Movie Edition Cover
developer = Namco Tales Studio
publisher = Namco Bandai Games
designer = Hideo Baba (Producer)
Kazuhisa Oomi (Director)
artist = Mutsumi Inomata
composer = Motoi Sakuraba
engine =
released = vgrelease|JP=December 11, vgy|2008
series = Tales series
genre = Console role-playing game
modes = Single-player, Multiplayer
ratings =
platforms = Nintendo DS
media = 2 gigabit cartridge
requirements =
input = nihongo|"Tales of Hearts"|テイルズオブハーツ|Teiruzu obu Hātsu is an upcoming game, and the eleventh mothership title in the Tales series exclusively for the Nintendo DS, which is scheduled to be released on December 11, 2008 in Japan. "Tales of Hearts characteristic genre name is nihongo|"To Meet With Hearts RPG""'|心と出会うRPG|Kokoro to deau RPG. The producer is Hideo Baba, the director is Kazuhisa Oomi, the Scenario Writer is Naoki Yamamoto, and series veterans Mutsumi Inomata and Motoi Sakuraba will be the character designer and composer, respectively.cite web|url=http://gamekyo.com/videoen12981_tales-of-hearts-anime-new-video.html|publisher=Gamekyo|author=Antoine Morcos|title=Tales of Hearts (anime) new video|date=2008-09-05|accessdate=2008-09-29] The game will use 2D sprites, 3D backgrounds, and is the first entry in the series to use CG for the characters in event movies. The theme song, nihongo|"Eien No Ashita"|永遠の明日|"Eternal Tomorrow" will be performed by DEEN, who previously performed Tales of Destiny's theme song. The game will be released in two versions: one using the animation, produced by Production I.G., and the other using the CG, produced by Shirogumi.

Gameplay

Battle system

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Instead of TP seen in other entries of the series, all party members have an "Emotional Gauge", or "EG". It is based on the CC system of "Tales of Destiny", in that you are free to create any chain of attacks, skills, or spells until the meter is depleted, and the meter automatically refills when resting. When a character uses the gauge a lot, the gauge reaches a "high" level, causing that character to be able to use more attacks, but they receive more damage. When a character uses the gauge a little, the gauge reaches a "low" level, causing that character to not use as many attacks, but they receive less damage. The character's emotions will also have an effect on the gauge.

Every party member also has a "Combination Gauge", or CG. Through helping party members within battle, the gauge is increased. This gauge is consumed when you call a non-battle party member to battle to perform an attack, called a "Connect Command". Through this, the back-up character will work together with the one that called for help to perform a combination attack.

There are also nine attributes: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Dark, Slash, Strike, and Shoot. Through attacking these weak points, damage, hit ratio, and the critical ratio will go up.

Customization

Customization in the game is handled through the "Soma Build" system, through which the player upgrades the Soma (weapons) of the party and control their growth. Through using Soma Build, members of the party can gain new abilities called "Soma Skills".

When Soma Build is performed on a weapon enough times, the weapon goes through a process called "Soma Evolve", in which the Soma will take various new patterns and/or forms.

oma Link

Throughout the game there are various events in which you can choose different options towards another character, called a "Soma Link". Through certain choices it will cause the outcomes of scenes to change, and the character may gain points towards their "Soma Link Value". Once it becomes high enough, the character can learn various skills.

pir Link and Spir Maze

By using Soma, the party can go into one's heart, called a "Spir Link". The person's mind is like a labyrinth, called a "Spir Maze", a place with various rare items and other things to find. There are chances to go into these during both the main scenario and with NPCs throughout the game, and it is possible to use multiplayer in them as well.cite web|url=http://gmstar.com/ds/talesofhearts.html|publisher=Gmstar|author=Gmstar|title=ＤＳテイルズオブハーツ通販★ゲームスター★|accessdate=2008-09-29]

Plot

tory

Because of the great empire ruling over the whole continent, the people are in complete peace. They pass down fairy-tales such as "The Sleeping Princess of the Thorny Forest", "The Monsters that Eat Dreams", and "The Eventual Fading of the Black Moon". Though recently a disease that contaminates the heart called nihongo|"Despil Disease"|デスピル病|Desupiru Yamai has begun to spread.

Then the nihongo|"Zerom"|ゼロム|Zeromu, the monster from the fairy-tales that eats dreams is shown to exist, and they are beginning to eat into a person's heart, referred to as nihongo|"Spiria"|スピリア|Supiria within the world. To be able to fight the Zerom, the humans' Spiria has created mysterious labyrinths in their hearts, known as nihongo|"Spir Mazes"|スピルメイズ|Supiru Meizu. Only with equipment known as nihongo|"Soma"|ソーマ|Sōma can people go into these Spir Mazes.

The plot follows a young village boy known as Shing Meteoryte, and his adventure after rescuing a young woman named Kohak Hearts on the beach.

Characters

nihongo|Shing Meteoryte|シング・メテオライト|Shingu Meteoraito
Japanese voice: Tetsuya Kakihara
Age: 16
Height: 167cm
Weight: 54kg
A boy with an unusually strong curiosity for the world. He lives with his Grandfather Zeks in the town of Seeble. He inherited the ability to use Soma from his Grandfather and mother, but he hides this fact from them. Because of his curiosity and personal inexperience, he lacks delicacy in his speech and conduct. He notices his mistakes, and is able to properly reflect upon them. He was given the Soma nihongo|"Asteria"|アステリア|asuteria. His last name is based on meteorites, stone or metallic objects from space.

nihongo|Kohak Hearts|コハク・ハーツ|Kohaku Hātsu
Japanese Voice: Marina Inoue
Age: 17
Height: 158 cm
Weight: 45 kg
A girl setting off from her home town for a certain reason, she is in need of Soma. Shing found her collapsed on the beach. She sometimes refers to a being known as "her."　She is the owner of the Soma nihongo|"Elrond"|エルロンド|erurondo. Her name is romanized as nihongo|"kohaku"|琥珀|Kohaku, which in Japanese means "amber", an organic gemstone.

nihongo|Hisui Hearts|ヒスイ・ハーツ|Hisui Hātsu
Japanese voice: Masaya Matsukaze
Age: 18
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 70 kg
Kohak's older brother. Because he lost a relative when he was young, he has a strong sense to excessively try to protect his younger sister. He has a rough outward appearance and acts cool, but inside he has a stubborn heart and is hot-headed. He possesses the Soma nihongo|"Gale Arc"|ゲイルアーク|Geiruāku. In Japanese his name means "jade", a mineral gemstone.

nihongo|Innes Lorenz|イネス・ローレンツ|Inesu Rōrentsu
Japanese voice: Shizuka Itō
Age: 24
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 54 kg (Her claim)
A woman outside the norm with superhuman strength and a glamourous body. She is the manager of the transport shop "Every Day is a Peaceful Day" and is the sole employee of it as well. She gently smiles, though with no breaks in her speech and conduct. The Hearts siblings ask her for Soma, which for some reason she is handling. She possesses the Soma named nihongo|"Folseus"|フォルセウス|Foruseusu. Her name is based on the mineral inesite.

nihongo|Beryl Benito|ベリル・ベニト|Beriru Benito
Japanese voice: Saeko Chiba
Age: 18
Height: 148 cm (she claims it's 155, but requests that it be rounded up to 160)
Weight: 38 kg
A complex girl with a childish face and a short height, that basically ran away from her hometown in order to become the court painter. She has no aims and hasn't decided on one, making her an uncooperative child. She possesses the Soma named nihongo|"Thiers"|ティエール|Tiēru. She is named after the mineral beryl.

nihongo|Kunzite|クンツァイト|Kuntsaito
Japanese voice: Hozumi Gōda
Age: Over 2000 years old
Height: 193 cm
Weight: 77 kg (without armor)
A mechnical guardian knight that was operating more than 2000 years ago. Created to protect someone, he has a heartless-looking face and doesn't choose any means to reach that goal. He possesses the Soma nihongo|"Vex"|ヴェックス|Vekkusu. He is named after the gemstone kunzite.

Development

"Tales of Hearts" was officially revealed in V-Jump Magazine, alongside . It was later shown at the 2008 Fiscal Year presentation for the series, where it was announced that it was the first game in the series for the DS that would be developed by Namco Tales Studio, and that DEEN would be the one to create the theme song for the gamecite web|url=http://www.gpara.com/pickupnews/news/080707_tales/|publisher=Gpara|author=Gpara|title=DS『テイルズ オブ ハーツ』発表 『テイルズ』'08年度ラインナップ発表会|date=2008-07-07|accessdate=2008-09-29] . In an interview with produce Hideo Baba, it was said that the game began development during Winter 2006, after the debugging of "Tales of Destiny" (PS2) was completed. It was also revealed that the game was being developed by a new team, made up of members of both "Team Destiny" and "Team Symphonia"cite web|url=http://www.famitsu.com/interview/article/1216801_1493.html|publisher=Famitsu|author=Famitsu|title=『テイルズ オブ ハーツ』プロデューサー馬場氏と白組・小池氏にインタビュー|date=2008-07-18|accessdate=2008-09-29] . It was confirmed at the "Tales of Festival 2008" that the game would be using a 2 Gigabit cartridge.cite web|url=http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/107/107715/|publisher=Dengeki|author=Dengeki|title=小西克幸氏、檜山修之氏も登場!? 「テイルズ オブ フェスティバル 2008」レポ|date=2008-09-23|accessdate=2008-09-29]

References

External links

* [http://namco-ch.net/talesofhearts/index.php Official site] ja
* [http://blog.bngi-channel.jp/tohblog/ Official Developer's Blog] ja
* [http://www.namco-talesstudio.co.jp/ Namco Tales Studio official site] ja