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 was announced despite the game not having been released in Japan at the time of the announcement. Its characteristic genre is "RPG of Passion that Illuminates the World" (情熱が世界を照らすRPG). On June 7, 2015, during Tales of Festival 2015, it was revealed that the game will receive an anime adaptation done by Ufotable, and it is to air in 2016. A Steam port of the game was announced to be released on October 20, 2015, the same day as the PlayStation 4 version.

Story
Unlike Tales of Xillia 2, Tales of Zestiria returns to a normal medieval high-fantasy setting. On the continent of Glenwood, there are two main powers, namely the Kingdom of Hyland and the Rolance, fighting for rule and supremacy. There are multiple religious beliefs in Glenwood, but the people all have their beliefs in the seraphim, 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 seraphim. These people are able to borrow the seraphim's power and are called Shepherds.

A long time passed, and deep within a forest called the Aroundight Forest lies something that resembles a utopia, where humans and the seraphim can live together. Here, other humans cannot enter, and malevolence 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 Diphda, who serves her country as a knight, in an ancient ruin, when it collapses. This young man is accompanied by Mikleo, a seraph and Sorey's childhood friend.

Characters
Sorey (スレイ) - A kindhearted man. He has a positive outlook on life. He grew up in the Seraphim's Forest, and due to his high spiritual power, he can see the seraphim. He has a strong fascination with ancient ruins. He wields a one-handed sword in battle and is able to fuse together with a seraph in a process called Armatization.

Mikleo (ミクリオ) - A Water seraph who is childhood friends with Sorey. He is a calm and composed individual. In battle, Mikleo uses divine Water artes and a long staff.

Alisha Diphda (アリーシャ・ディフダ) - A princess who is the farthest away from inheriting the Hyland 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.

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

Lailah (ライラ) - A Fire seraph 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.

Edna (エドナ) - An Earth seraph 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.

Dezel (デゼル) - A Wind seraph who lives in the shadows of human society. He usually acts at his own accord, which makes him an outlaw of the seraphim. He wants to take revenge on the people who had killed his friend. He uses divine Wind artes and a pendulum as his weapon.

Zaveid (ザビーダ) - A man from the seraphim. 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 prior to him joining their party.

Downloadable Content
Since the game's release, several sets of costumes were released, ranging from school, cameo, and crossover ones, as well as several boosts to HP, various inventory items, and skits. Only skits are free content, while the rest of the DLC requires payment.

On February 12, 2015, a DLC episode titled "Alisha After Episode: What Is Reflected in the Eyes" was released, concentrating on the events following the game's ending, where Alisha and Rose team up. The story of the episode concentrates on Alisha and what happened to her during her absence from the party. The story begins when, during her journeys, Alisha is attacked by radicals, but is saved by Rose. The radicals also appear to have some connection to hellions. Lailah and Edna also return as party members. The episode gives Alisha a change of outfit, which is also present in her skit images, consisting of a blue attire with a large hat. She also gains a new mystic arte and cut-in to accompany her new look.

Trivia

 * The game carries a medieval theme, featuring location names and themes based on Arthurian legends.