Aselia Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Tales of Legendia
ToL Logo
Information
Game Systems PlayStation 2
Developers Namco ("Project MelFes")
Publishers JP Namco
NA Namco Hometek
Character Designers Kazuto Nakazawa
Composers Go Shiina
Animators Production I.G
Japanese Releases August 25, 2005
North American Releases February 7, 2006
Opening Theme "TAO" by Do As Infinity
Ending Theme Main Quest: "My Tales" by
Donna Burke and Gab Desmond
Character Quest: "Hotarubi"
 by Donna Burke
Ratings JP (original) CERO: FREE (all ages)
 ("the Best") CERO: A (all ages)
NA ESRB: T (Teen, recommended 13+)

Tales of Legendia (テイルズ オブ レジェンディア Teiruzu obu Rejendia?) is a role-playing game that was developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the seventh Mothership Title in the Tales series and the first in the main series not to be developed by the Namco Tales Studio. The game's characteristic genre translates to "RPG Where Bonds Spin Legends" (絆が伝説を紡ぎだすRPG Kizuna ga densetsu wo tsumugidasu RPG?).

Story[]

Setting[]

Tales of Legendia is set in a world covered mostly in water, with all the events of the game taking place aboard a massive, country-sized ship called the Legacy, a remnant of a highly-advanced ancient civilization. The population is divided into two groups: the Orerines, "the people of the land", and the Ferines, "the people of the sea", a race of fair-skinned, light-haired people with the ability to live underwater. The tensions between these two races serve as the backdrop to the game's plot. In addition, a select portion of the population are known as Erens, people born with the ability to use special powers known as Eres, which are divided into two groups: Crystal Eres, which includes casting magic spells, and Iron Eres, which revolves around physical abilities. A fictional language known as Relares appears throughout the game, forming the basis for some location and character names.

Plot[]

Tales of Legendia is unique to many Japanese RPGs in that the game actually consists of two quests. The first quest, the Main Quest (メインシナリオ Mein Shinario?, "Main Scenario"), is the typical "save the world" quest similar to most games of its genre. After the first quest is completed, credits roll and a song plays, usually signaling the end of the game. However, a second quest begins afterward. This part consists of Character Quests (キャラクタークエスト Kyarakutaakuesuto?), designed with the purpose of exploring the problems and pasts of all the characters. Throughout the Character Quests, there is also an overall storyline tying all the different Character Quests together. Senel Coolidge, an Alliance Marine, and his younger sister, Shirley Fennes, drift across the ocean on a tiny ship.

As food ran out and their strength deteriorated, an island suddenly burst through the storm and approached the boat with astonishing speed, causing it to capsize. When Senel and Shirley awoke on the shore, they realized this was no ordinary island. Its surface was covered in lush forests teeming with life, but despite its appearance, the ground that stretched out before them was actually an enormous ship called the Legacy. The game begins as Senel and Shirley wash ashore on the Legacy after their boat is tossed in a storm. Shirley is soon kidnapped by a bandit named Moses Sandor, prompting Senel to team with a local sheriff named Will Raynard and a female knight named Chloe Valens to rescue her. Will explains that Shirley's arrival coincided with a pillar of light at the center of the ship, leading many to believe that she is the legendary Merines, a person destined to lead the Ferines to prosperity.

After finding Shirley at the thieves' hideout, she is captured yet again by a Ferines soldier named Walter Delques, who takes her away. When the group eventually catches Walter, he reveals that he was only protecting her from the real enemy: the Crusand Empire's army, led by a man named Vaclav Bolud, who promptly arrives and abducts Shirley himself. While in captivity, Shirley becomes friends with another captive, a young Ferines girl named Fenimore Xelhes. Senel and his team are joined by a treasure hunter named Norma Beatty, as well as Moses, who has decided to atone for his earlier actions. Together, the team travels deeper into the ship, where they discover that, not only does Vaclav have Shirley, but he also has her older sister, Stella Telmes, whom Shirley and Senel believed dead three years earlier when the Empire's forces invaded their hometown. After being forced to escape when they are confronted by Vaclav's underlings, the Terrors, the team regroups and meets an amnesiac women named Grune and a boy named Jay, both of whom join the team and accompany them to the Legacy's Bridge.

They confront Vaclav once more, who plans to use Shirley and Stella's latent Merines powers to activate a giant laser cannon located on the ship to destroy the Ferines' village and later subjugate other countries around the world. Although the group is victorious, Vaclav sets the cannon to fire in his final moments, with Stella, in turn, awakening her powers just in time to fly into the path of the beam, sacrificing herself. Shirley resolves to complete a ritual to fully become the Merines and fulfill her destiny, meeting with Walter and the Ferines leader, Maurits Welnes. However, soldiers from the country of Gadoria attack during the ceremony, attempting to kill her and believing she willfully sided with Vaclav, with Fenimore jumping in the way of one of their blades and dying instead.

The traumatic event causes Shirley to be fully engulfed by Nerifes, the malevolent spirit of the ocean itself, before leaving with Maurits. The group pursues her, passing through the deeper areas of the ship, where they discover from fractured recordings that the Legacy was a colony ship from another world, and that the Ferines came to the planet and made war with the Orerines around 4,000 years ago. Arriving at Maurits's stronghold, the group faces Walter, who reveals his jealousy over Shirley choosing Senel over him, and fights until his life gives out. They learn from Maurits that it was actually the Orerines, not the Ferines, who were the outsiders.

Maurits explains that the Orerines' terraforming technology upset the will of the sea so much that his people can no longer live in it, and that he wishes to use Shirley to flood the world and appease the ocean so that the Ferines can thrive once more. After he is beaten and Shirley has been brought back to her senses, Maurits summons a physical manifestation of Nerifes itself, which is driven back by Senel and his friends. In the end, Maurits resolves to put aside old hatreds and work toward an era of peace between Orerines and Ferines as the characters return to their old lives.

Characters[]

Protagonists[]

  • Senel Coolidge (セネル・クーリッジ Seneru Kuurijji?) - Although young in years, Senel is a skilled fighter and adept at Iron Eres. He also excels at piloting boats and swimming due to his years battling monsters while patrolling the seaways as an Alliance marine. Strong-willed and highly focused, he never backs out of a commitment, no matter the circumstances.
  • Shirley Fennes (シャーリィ・フェンネス Shaari Fennesu?) - Two years younger than Senel, Shirley constantly worries about the dangers her brother faces. Delicate and frail, she is allergic to ocean water and even sea breezes. Due to her introverted nature, others often view her as weak-spirited, but her sense of determination knows no equal.
  • Will Raynard (ウィル・レイナード Wiru Reinaado?) - Will is the first person Senel encounters aboard the Legacy. A trustworthy man, Will has put his Crystal Eres to good use, serving as the sheriff of Werites Beacon at the behest of Madame Musette. It should be noted that, while the townspeople address him as sheriff, he has apparently refused the title and insists he is nothing more than a natural historian.
  • Chloe Valens (クロエ・ヴァレンス Kuroe Varensu?) - A practitioner of Iron Eres, Chloe has an extraordinary talent for wielding the sword. Once a family of distinguished knights in a former kingdom, the Valens name is also well-known in other countries. Pressured by her family's reputation, Chloe constantly tries to act as tough, as a knight should. On the inside, however, she can be very adolescent and even cute.
  • Norma Beatty (ノーマ・ビアッティ Nooma Biatti?, "Norma Biatty") - A practitioner of Crystal Eres, Norma is a treasure hunter whom Senel's group encounters on their journey. She came to the Legacy in search of the Everlight. Cheerful and comical, she banters with those around her and is not above poking fun at herself in order to get a good laugh.
  • Moses Sandor (モーゼス・シャンドル Moozesu Shandoru?) - Hailing from a clan of beast tamers, this javelin-wielding, Iron Eres-practitioner is always accompanied by Giet, his pet Galf. The notorious leader of a clan of mountain bandits aboard the Legacy, Moses leads his band in raids across the surrounding lands.
  • Jay (ジェイ Jei?) - This cryptic boy is a practitioner of Iron Eres. A master analyst, he calmly observes events from the sidelines and often serves as a strategist and tactician.
  • Grune (グリューネ Guryuune?) - This mysterious Crystal Eren possesses the ability to infuse in others a warm feeling of inner peace and tranquility, no matter what the circumstances. The only memory she has is that of her name, yet this fact does not dispirit her, and she can always be found smiling gently.

Antagonists[]

  • Vaclav Bolud (ヴァーツラフ・ボラド Vaatsurafu Borado?) - The primary antagonist of the game's Main Quest. He is a maniacal prince of the Crusand Empire who commands a large army.
  • Melanie the Crimson (閃紅のメラニィ Senkou no Meranyi?) - One of Vaclav's three Terrors. She, like other Crusand soldiers, enjoys killing and causing pain to others.
  • Cashel the Phantom (幽幻のカッシェル Yuugen no Kassheru?) - Another of Vaclav's three Terrors. He enjoys taunting others by pointing out their weaknesses or bragging about his victories.
  • Stingle the Vicious (烈斬のスティングル Retsuzan no Sutinguru?) - The final member of the Terrors. He is quiet and the most mysterious of the Terror trio, concealing a tainted past.

Gameplay[]

Battle System[]

X-LMBS (ToL)

Screenshot of the game's battle system.

Tales of Legendia features the Linear Motion Battle System (LMBS) that has been present in some form throughout the Tales series. The system is essentially real-time battle skin to a fighting game where each character and his opponent fights on a 2D line. The player controls one character, while the others are controlled by the game's artificial intelligence. The Tales series is also famous for its "Manual" combat mode which allows the player full control over his character's basic movements such as running, jumping, and special attacks, instead of default semi-automatic control.

The battle engine is commonly considered a step back by fans of the series due to its lack of innovation, as well as omitting features like a multi-player mode and mystic artes, powerful special attacks, available in previous games. While the older Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of Rebirth brought a 3-D battlefield, three line LMBS and Spirit Points, respectively, Legendia does not bring a major addition to the battle system. This inconsistency with the overall trend of the rest of the series is likely due to Legendia being Namco's first major Tales game that is completely developed internally instead of by the series' usual developer, Namco Tales Studio and Wolf Team.

Eres[]

In Tales of Legendia, Eres is the art of harnessing minute energies found in the air and using them to perform extraordinary feats. A person who uses eres is known as an eren. These feats correspond to the spells and skills seen in previous games in the Tales series, and are divided into two categories: Iron and Crystal. Iron Eres have the ability to attack enemies with physical moves and they are able to be fused after being mastered to make arcane eres or fusion skills. Crystal Eres are spells that focus on status attacks, elemental attacks, and healing moves. Unlike other games in the series, crystal eres are obtained by scrolls and can only be learned when the party collects Eres Stones from monsters.

Skits[]

Legendia Cast (ToLink)

Artwork of the game's cast for Tales of Link.

Skits are very common short conversations in the Tales series where the characters will pause on the maps in the games by pressing the select button. Although very common in the series, this game's skits are similar to the Chats from Tales of Destiny 2 and Tales of Rebirth, since they show full portraits of the character instead of a box with just the characters head. Unlike most other entries in the series, most of Legendia's skits revolve around the player's achievements, such as learning a new eres or forging a certain weapon, rather than happenings in the plot. Tales of Legendia marked the first time in an English localization that the skits were fully voiced.

Controls[]

The controls in Tales of Legendia differ from the other Tales games on the PlayStation consoles, originally previous games released on the Sony System were required to hit circle to attack and cross to use artes. With Legendia some new controls were added, cross was changed to attack, circle was changed to use artes, triangle is used to open the item menu, square is to guard, R2 and L2 can be used for shortcuts for eres, and L1 can be used to unleash Climax Mode.

Version History[]

Game Title System Catalog Number Release Date Region
Tales of Legendia
テイルズ オブ レジェンディア
PlayStation 2 SCAJ-20145
SLPS-25533
SCKA-20050
SLUS-21201
SLPS-73242
August 23, 2005
August 25, 2005
October 11, 2005
February 7, 2006
June 7, 2006
Asia
Japan
Korea
North America
Japan ("PlayStation 2 the Best")
Tales of Legendia PlayStation 2 - October 13, 2005 North America (Fall Bash 2005 demo)

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • When spoken to, the Automata state the names of the game testers in binary ASCII.
  • Like many of the other Tales games, Tales of Legendia contains several references to other Namco titles.
    • One of the objects that the Wonder Baker hides in is a statue of Pac-Man.
    • Another of the Wonder Baker's hiding places is a flag from Rally X.
    • Another hiding place of the Wonder Baker is a drum from Taiko: Drum Master.
    • One of the rare monsters the player can find and battle with the Sorcerer's Scanner is a type of dragon called "Quox", an enemy that originates from Tower of Druaga and its sequels.
    • Another of the rare monsters is "Bacura", an enemy from Xevious, which also appeared in Tales of Symphonia as a cameo enemy.
    • Will can gain the special title "Heihachi", a character from Tekken.
    • One of Chloe's titles is "Soul Edge", a reference to the evil sword featured in Namco's Soulcalibur series of fighting games.

External Links[]


Advertisement