Around the time Tales of Graces f released in the West. The JRPG genre wasn’t receiving nearly as much love as it is today. In fact, many players had to wait years before the English release of a game they were interested in from Japan. Tales of Graces f released when I needed it the most. With the FPS genre dominating the West, it was nice to finally see a colorful JRPG on the horizon.
With the announcement of Tales of Graces f Remastered, we had an exclusive opportunity to interview producer Yuki Ishikawa. We wanted to understand the heart of this release and what it means to the developer and the community. With themes of friendship and loyalty at its core, this remastered edition aims to rekindle the spirit of the original while introducing updated features for both new and returning players. We discussed the balance of combat difficulty, new accessibility options, and the challenges of reviving a fan-favorite title.
Azario Lopez: Each Tales of game has a central theme, but this can vary for each player. What do you see as the core theme of Tales of Graces f, and do you think it still connects with players today?
Yuki Ishikawa: The theme for Tales of Graces f is “vows”. The friends who once swore an oath of friendship in their childhood eventually change and become entangled in events that affect the entire world. The protagonist, Asbel, struggles between his desire to uphold the promise he made with his childhood friend and his new vow to protect the world and the people he now holds dear. Even after 15 years from the original release, I believe that the noble act of keeping one’s promise is important, as well as the strong resolve to stay true to one’s own convictions, remains a timeless and significant theme that never fades, no matter the time.
Azario Lopez: From the development team’s perspective, do you think remastering these games helps new developers on the Tales of team understand the series better for future installments?
Yuki Ishikawa: Whether it’s a new title or remaster, it’s a great joy for the development team to see Tales of players spread across the world. We hope that fans of one title will eventually become fans of the Tales of brand as a whole. To achieve this, it’s ideal to have as many titles on current platforms as possible.
Azario Lopez: How did the team approach balancing the combat difficulty and accessibility options? Will there be any harder difficulty levels added after launch?
Yuki Ishikawa: In this remaster, we did not make any direct changes or adjustments to the original difficulty. However, players have the option to use the “Grade Shop” to choose boosts like “Experience Boost” or “Max HP Increase” as needed. The key point is that the decision is in the players’ hands. You can experience the game as it was in the original version or adjust the difficulty as you see fit. While we don’t plan to add post-launch content, the game includes post-main story content just like the original. Please enjoy your journey with the characters to the fullest!
Azario Lopez: I saw some Field gameplay and noticed the quest marker system. Was it exciting for the team to revisit Tales of Graces fand improve on areas that received criticism in the original release?
Yuki Ishikawa: We’re thrilled that you noticed the quest marker system, and I believe the development team is equally happy. The markers appear not only for the main story but also for side quests, so please enjoy exploring! Similar to the difficulty options, players can choose whether to use this feature. Out of respect for both players of the original version and the development team, we added an ON/OFF toggle so that those who want to experience the game as it was originally can do so without interruption. Many other features also come with toggle options for customization.
Azario Lopez: Is there anything you’d like to share with the Tales of community as we get closer to the launch of Tales of Graces f Remastered?
Yuki Ishikawa: Thank you for your continued support of the Tales of series. As a fan myself, I enjoyed this game back in high school when it was first released. The fact that we can once again embark on an adventure with Asbel and his friends is all thanks to your support. I hope you’ll join me in enjoying the exhilarating action-packed battles that are a hallmark of Graces, as well as the deep character-driven drama that defines the Tales of series as a whole. Please look forward to the release—it’s just around the corner!
Tales of Graces f Remastered is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on January 17, 2025.
