Tales of Zestiria

Tales of Zestiria (テイルズ オブ ゼスティリア) is the fifteenth Mothership Title in Tales series. The title was announced on Nico Nico Live on December 12, 2013 as the series's twentieth anniversary title. An English localization has been announced despite the game not having been released in Japan yet. Its characteristic genre is "RPG of Passion that Illuminates the World" (情熱が世界を照らすRPG).

Story
Unlike Tales of Xillia 2, Tales of Zestiria returns to a normal fantasy setting. On the continent of Greenwood, there are two main powers, namely the Kingdom of Highland and the Empire of Lowlance, fighting for rule and supremacy. There are multiple religious beliefs in Greenwood, but the people all have their beliefs in the Divine people, believing in their existence despite not having seen them themselves. This is because there are people who appear from time to time and can communicate with the Divine. These people are able to borrow the Divine's power and are called priests.

A long time passed, and deep within a forest called the Divine Forest lies something that resembles a utopia, where humans and the Divine can live together. Here, other humans cannot enter, and the "impurity" that has been spreading throughout the world does not affect the place. The story begins when Sorey, a young man forbidden to go outside of his village deep within the forest, meets Princess Alisha, who serves her country as a knight, in an ancient ruin, when it collapses. This young man is accompanied by Mikleo, who is one of the Divines, as well as Sorey's childhood friend.

Characters

 * Sorey - A kindhearted man. He has a positive outlook on life. He grew up in the Divine Forest, and due to his high spiritual power, he can see the Divine. He has a strong fascination with ancient ruins. He wields a one-handed sword in battle and is able to fuse together with a Divine in a process called Kamui. He is voiced by Ryouhei Kimura.


 * Alisha - A princess who is the farthest away from inheriting the Highland throne. She has dedicated her life to that of a knight in order to serve her country. She speaks in both a serious and masculine manner. Alisha fights with a long spear. She is voiced by Ai Kayano.


 * Mikleo - A Water Divine who is childhood friends with Sorey. He is a calm and composed individual. In battle, Mikleo uses divine Water artes and a long staff. He is voiced by Ryouta Oosaka.


 * Edna - An Earth Divine who has been living alone on a sacred mountain. She is seemingly apathetic but likes to poke at other people with her words. Edna distrusts humans. She uses divine Earth artes and an umbrella in battle. She is voiced by Misato Fukuen.


 * Lailah - A Fire Divine who has been residing in the priests' legendary sword. She forms a contract with Sorey and guides him into becoming one of the legendary priests. She uses divine Fire artes and paper in battle. She is voiced by Miyu Matsuki.


 * Dezel - A Wind Divine who lives in the shadows of human society. He usually acts at his own accord, which makes him an outlaw of the Divines. He wants to take revenge on the people who had killed his friend. He uses divine Wind artes and a pendulum as his weapon. He is voiced by Daisuke Ono.


 * Zaveid - A man from the Family of Heaven. He maintains a jovial demeanor and can be seen as a jokester, but when he gets serious, he has no qualms about picking a fight, even with Sorey, making his overall alignment ambiguous.


 * Rose - The cheerful mood-maker of the group, armed with two daggers. She is the daughter of a merchant.


 * Maltran - A female knight and Alisha's instructor. She serves the Highland Kingdom and is known as the "Blue Valkyrie".


 * Bartlow - A man who oversees both the bureaucracy and cabinet ministers of the Highland Kingdom. Because the kingdom's real political power now lies within its bureaucracy, with royalty and aristocrats becoming increasingly figurative, Bartlow is the essence of its leadership. He is cautious of Sorey and his friends.

Trivia

 * As the game returns to its medieval roots, many of the location names and themes are based on Arthurian legends.