Tales of the Tempest

Tales of the Tempest (テイルズ オブ ザ テンペストTeirizu obu za Tenpesuto) is the 10th main game in the Tales series and also the first major to title to have been released on a handheld console. Developed by Dimps and Namco, it was released on the 26'th of October 2006 in Japan with currenly no release date set for a Western launch. Likely due to its poor reception, Tales of the Tempest was taken out of of the main series, and given the status of an "Escort Title"

Storyline
Throughout the history of the continent of Aruera, a race of beast-people called the Lycanthe dominated. The Lycanthe came to build a sophisticated civilization and an orderly society. They developed their own unique physique, with high physical strength and a strong spirit. Technology, however, appeared, which the civilization was not ready for. A large number of Lycanthe were slaughtered by this forbidden technology. While mass-slaughter had not been the intent, it nevertheless caused the nation to descend into civil war, in a conflict eventually called the "Beast War". With the Lycanthe having lost the greater bulk of their population, the leaders transferred the right to rule the continent to the Humans, who were at that point a small and weak race. As disorder continued to plague the diminishing Lycanthe population, the Humans reconstructed the nation and returned the land to prosperity.

The Humans came to think of the Lycanthe as the "race which ruined the world", and made their intent to mass-exterminate the Lycanthe known. While Lycanthe are normally Human-like, the Humans came to believe that the Lycanthe were dangerous in their beast-forms due to their lack of ability to think. Under the order of the king, the church began to exterminate the Lycanthe under acts of heresy. The knights were armed in preparation for any invasions or uprising by foreign nations and the Lycanthe alike. A Lycanthe extermination movement, called the "Lycanth Hunt", was launched and encouraged the population to turn in Lycanthe for rewards.

One day, an injured knight arrived at a village. Areura's disturbances and conflicts now became the focus of Caius's attention...

Characters
Caius Qualls: The game's protagonist is a young boy with the blood of both a Lycanthe and a human. Following a prison raid in the capital city of Janna, he was marked as a criminal and was forced to go on the run from soldiers.

Rubia Natwick: An aspiring priestess who joined Caius Qualls after her parents were killed by Lycanthe hunters.

Tilkis Barone: The prince of a faraway land who travelled to Aruera, seeking help from it's king.

Forest Ledoyen: Forest is Prince Tiklis' bodyguard, sent to protect him on his journey into the kingdom of Aruera.

Arria Ekberg: A priestess-soldier working for the church, Arria joined Caius' group after deciding that killing Lycanthe is a crime.

Lukius Bridges: A mysterious young Lycanthe hunter who wears a mask whilst he's on duty. Just what could he be hiding?

Albert Muelller: A blonde-haired swordsman working for King Aruera's Black Armour Knights. He hunts Caius' party down relentlessly, yet nobody quite knows how he's able to track them down so easily.

Rommy: A cold-hearted young woman who hunts down Lycanthe with the help of Lukius Bridges. There is no life in her eyes...

Couber:

Ramus:

King Aruera: The king of Aruera lives in a huge castle atop Mount Ayre. Nobody has ever seen his face...

Gameplay
Tales of the Tempest utilizes the "3-on-3 Linear Motion Battle System" (3on3-LMBS). "3-on-3" refers to the fact that this is a 3D battle system based on Tales of Rebirth's "3 Line LMBS". Like the "3 Line" system, 3on3-LMBS places 3 combatants on a battlefield with 3 linear planes. Players can move between these three planes at will, and unlike in the "3 Line" system, they can attack enemies on other planes by adjusting their position.

The game also features the "beastman transformation" system, where Lycanth characters are able to morph into their beast form during battle, which increases their strength and attack power. Like other Tales games, cooking is featured, as well as "camp skits", which allows the player to learn more about the personalities of the characters.

A multiplayer mode will be available to take advantage of the DS's wireless capabilities. The mode is enabled by an item found in one of the dungeons of the game, "Eleusis's Key". Different players will be able to journey through the same game world using their own characters, and combat can be initiated when they come into contact. While items and gald earned in the multiplayer mode can be carried over to the single-player mode, any experience gained will not.

Reception
Since its launch, Tales of the Tempest has received lukewarm reviews from the media, with acclaimed Japanese magazine Famitsu giving it 28/40. Fans on the other hand, are a little more harsh toward the title, complaining about its lack of character development, huge world map and relatively short lifespan. Despite this however, it still sold well, with first week sales totaling 88,137.