History VideoGame / TalesOfVesperia

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''Tales of Vesperia'' is the tenth mainline entry in the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries''. The game was released on August 7th, 2008 in Japan on the UsefulNotes/Xbox360. It received an international release on August 26th, 2008 in North America and June 26th, 2009 in Europe.

On their journey, they acquire an eclectic party: Repede, Yuri's faithful hound; Rita Mordio, a spunky and [[NoSocialSkills anti-social]] [[BlackMagicianGirl genius mage]]; Karol Capel, a boisterous young boy trying to prove himself to his Guild; Judith, a busty and enigmatic [[OurElvesAreDifferent Krityan]] woman who is destroying Blastia for secretive reasons; and Raven, the [[GrumpyOldMan middle-aged]] [[TheConfidant confidant]] of a high-ranking Guild leader. The UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 UpdatedRerelease adds Patty Fleur, a young {{pirate}} searching for the treasure of the legendary pirate Aifread.

''Tales of Vesperia'' is the first HD game of the VideoGame/TalesSeries. It later received an UpdatedRerelease for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, which [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]], leaving diehard fans to rely on a FanTranslation once modifying [=PlayStation=] 3 games became possible. However, for the game's [[MilestoneCelebration 10th anniversary]], the [=PS3=]'s version contents were brought over in another re-release as ''Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition'', on January 11, 2019 for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, PC, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch.

** The first time you meet Raven is actually the earliest of ''any'' of the other party members, as he is locked in the cell next to Yuri in the castle. At first it seems innocent, but the fact that Alexei of all people comes to collect him is odd, something Yuri even notes. [[spoiler:When Raven later takes Estelle, Yuri flashes-back to this moment and realizes that Raven being there had to be because he was an ally of Alexei.]]
** There's a cheesy, jazzy little theme [[{{Leitmotif}} associated with Raven]] that plays whenever he shows up early in the game. It also plays during a scene in Heliord that he's not present for...but it's the scene where [[spoiler:Alexei asks Schwann to follow Yuri, Estelle and Rita, which hints that they're the same person.]]
*** There's another, more blatant one. When getting past the blockade of Nordopolica, Raven distracts the Schwann Brigade by calling them to attention. This just seems like a funny gag at the time, with them being [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy the usual, bumbling guards they are]]. [[spoiler: Of course, they had a very good reason for reacting the way they did: Raven ''is'' their commanding officer, after all.]]
*** Raven also is called out by Rita for knowing that aer can effect blastia, something that isn't that well known outside of researchers like her. [[spoiler:Considering he has a blastia in his chest replacing his heart, he's got a very good reason to know that.]]

* BonusBoss:
** Cameo battles ([[spoiler:Dhaos, Barbatos, Shizel, and Kratos]]), Giganto Monsters, [[spoiler: Gauche/Droite]], and, if you collect all of the {{Infinity Plus One Sword}}s, [[spoiler:Duke's new final form]].
** The UpdatedRerelease adds two more Giganto Monsters (the Green Menace in Keiv Moc and the Bloody Beak in Weccea), three fights against the Sword Dancer, [[spoiler:Clint]], and multiple monsters in the Necropolis of Nostalgia. The latter includes a being named Ohma and [[spoiler:the king of the Entelexeia, the Spiral Draco]], which is level 200 and arguably the most difficult boss ever to appear in the VideoGame/TalesSeries.

* LateArrivalSpoiler: For ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia.'' Renaming the [[spoiler:BonusBoss Kratos as "Traitor to Heaven" basically spoils two of the four major Kratos-related plot twists,]] not to mention how he shows off his [[spoiler:shiny angel wings]] during his Mystic Arte. This also holds true to some degree for the other cameo bosses, but less directly than [[spoiler:Kratos]].

* IdealistVsPragmatist: Both Yuri and Flynn recognise the Empire as corrupt, but their ideas on how to fix the problems that arise from such things causes conflict between characters. Flynn represents the idealistic side of the conflict (seeking to [[InternalReformist work within the system to reform the empire]]) while Yuri is the more pragmatic side of things. Yuri in particular, upon seeing that Ragou got off fairly light for all the horrible things he did, decides to just take justice into his own hands to end it. When he sees Cumore doing similar things, decides to also punish Cumore simply because he feels that he can't trust the system. The characters of course [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality point out that he wasn't justified in his actions even though he had every reason to be angry]], while Flynn inists that he is able to do it, even when he himself has to follow orders and do things he doesn't like, such as having to arrest Yuri.

* MurderTheHypotenuse: Though it's a little more complex than just "trying to get rid of the rival for his affections," [[spoiler:Sodia]] attempts this on [[spoiler:Yuri at the end of Zaude, as she blamed him for the injuries - both mental and physical - that Flynn had suffered.]]

* OrderVersusChaos: One of the central conflicts of the game. On one side, Yuri is always willing to break the rules to do good things or punish someone who deserve it [[spoiler:(like vigilantism)]]. On the other side, his best friend Flynn believes in the order (bordering to lawful stupid territory sometimes) and wants to do his best under the rules. [[spoiler:Later in the game Yuri calls out Flynn about this after corrupt nobles used their position to do what they want, like killing people for their own amusement]].

''Tales of Vesperia'' is the tenth mainline entry in the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries''. The game was released on August 7th, 2008 in Japan on the UsefulNotes/Xbox360. It received an international release on August 26th, 2007 in North America and June 26th, 2009 in Europe.

On their journey, they acquire an eclectic party: Repede, Yuri's faithful hound; Rita Mordio, a spunky and [[NoSocialSkills anti-social]] [[BlackMagicianGirl genius mage]]; Karol Capel, a boisterous young boy trying to prove himself to his Guild; Judith, a [[BoobsOfSteel busty]] and enigmatic [[OurElvesAreDifferent Krityan]] woman who is destroying Blastia for secretive reasons; and Raven, the [[GrumpyOldMan middle-aged]] [[TheConfidant confidant]] of a high-ranking Guild leader. The UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 UpdatedRerelease adds Patty Fleur, a young {{pirate}} searching for the treasure of the legendary pirate Aifread.

* KnightOfCerebus: ''Vesperia'' is an inversion for the entire series. From this point on, the games stopped focusing on serious issues like CloningBlues, FantasticRacism and free will and instead focusing on more traditional JRPG themes of {{Green Aesop}}s and ThePowerOfFriendship. Ironically, the vigilante killings give ''Vesperia'' some of the series' darker moments.

* BackStory: Unusual for a Team Symphonia Tales game, Raven is the only one with a past that is significantly fleshed out. The other party members ''do'' have backstories, it's just that they're not that important to the plot and you have to go out of your way to find out about them. And even then, [[JigsawPuzzlePlot you have to piece a lot of it together yourself]]. For more information on Raven`s past, check the novel and drama [=CDs=].

Yuri, Estelle, and Flynn are also playable characters in the crossover game VideoGame/ProjectXZone and its sequel.

See also VideoGame/ScarletNexus, which was shares a lot of the team behind this game.

* NerfArm: Estelle gets a cat toy, Judith gets a broom, and Repede gets Grilled Chicken. Estelle and Judith's gag weapons allow them to perform new attacks such as cleaning the enemy off or sweeping them up, but they're a lot more painful than they sound.

* NerfArm: Estelle gets a duster, Judith gets a broom, and Repede gets Grilled Chicken. Estelle and Judith's gag weapons allow them to perform new attacks such as cleaning the enemy off or sweeping them up, but they're a lot more painful than they sound.

* GratuitousGreek: Adephagos is Greek for "[[MeaningfulName gluttonous]]". "Entelexeia" refers to a theory of being in Aristotelian philosophy.

* {{Irony}}: The cause of the FantasticRacism and [[spoiler:the Great War]] between [[spoiler:humans and Entelexia]] was actually indirecty started by [[spoiler:a [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Krityan inventor]], who had no malice for either humans or Entelexia]].

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: We start with a SuccessionCrisis and ruminations on the nature of justice, and then [[spoiler:a giant malevolent octopus from beyond dimensions breaks in to deliver a GreenAesop.]] Of course the latter is not exclusive of the former. [[spoiler:The giant malevolent octopus crisis ends up CuttingTheKnot in regards to the SuccessionCrisis and the ruminations on justice and morality comes to a head as the FinalBoss is planning on pulling a KillEmAll to defeat said EldritchAbomination, an extreme solution that runs counter to the revelations and choices of the main party.]]

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Nan's Mystic Arte has her spinning around ''a lot''. Yuri also spins his sword around for no reason sometimes. Indeed, some of Yuri's best artes are Shining Fang (he spins his sword vertically around his hand) and Dragon Swarm (he gracefully unleashes a combo consisting of vertically-spinning slashes and kicks).

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: The [=PS3=] and later versions, the Secret Mission for the [[spoiler:Flynn duel]] is a lot harder because the boss has more artes than in the 360 version. [[spoiler:However, he cannot use Burst Artes, Altered Artes, or Divine Streak even if he learned them as a playable character, thus keeping his artes list reasonable for this Secret Mission.]]

* EvolvingAttack: In the form of altered artes, which are variations on the normal artes with different, usually more powerful abilities. Some arcane artes are also made by combining two base artes, or even two other arcane artes. Many artes also obtain new properties the more they are used, such as Yuri's Azure Edge increasing in size and speed and many others allowing themselves to chain into new artes midway through the attack. [[UpToEleven Using an arte 9,999 times]] makes it permanently deal three times the damage as well.

* UpToEleven: The original game allowed you to use 8 artes at once (neutral, up, down, and side inputs, plus the four directions on the right stick) and granted a maximum level of 4 for Over Limit. The UpdatedRerelease adds items that allow you to use ''16'' artes at once (by holding the left shoulder button in addition to the normal inputs) and a level ''8'' Over Limit (allowing ''two'' party members at once to go level 4 Over Limit).

''Tales of Vesperia'' is the first HD game of the VideoGame/TalesSeries. It was first released in 2008 as an exclusive for the UsefulNotes/Xbox360, and became a CultClassic despite the unusual choice of console (as previous ''Tales of'' games had generally preferred Sony's or Nintendo's consoles), to the extent that it managed to make the otherwise-extremely-unpopular system sell out in Japan. It later received an UpdatedRerelease for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, which [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]], leaving diehard fans to rely on a FanTranslation once modifying [=PlayStation=] 3 games became possible. However, for the game's [[MilestoneCelebration 10th anniversary]], the [=PS3=]'s version contents were brought over in another re-release as ''Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition'', on January 11, 2019 for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, PC, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch.

* ShutUpHannibal: [[spoiler:When Phaeroh describes how Estelle must be killed for the sake of the world, Yuri bluntly says, "I don't buy that for a second" and explains their determination to save the world ''without'' sacrificing Estelle to do it. Unfortunately, Phaeroh used the [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike used the exact same metaphor]] about cutting off an infected limb to save the whole that Yuri had used to justify murdering Ragou and Cumore, making Yuri's response look [[{{Hypocrite}} astonishingly hypocritical]].]]

* ShutUpHannibal: [[spoiler:When Phaeroh describes how Estelle must be killed for the sake of the world, Yuri bluntly says "I don't buy that for a second" and explains their determination to save the world ''without'' sacrificing Estelle to do it.]]

* MythologyGag: ''Tons'' of them, mostly in the form of cosplay outfits and accessories.
** The PopQuiz in Nam Cobanda tests your knowledge of the VideoGame/TalesSeries. In a nice touch, the American and European releases removed questions on games that had not been released in their respective regions.
** The "Gentlemieu", "Gentlereplica", and "Gentlesinger" monsters are clear references to ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''. They are also the only monsters that drop Cheagle Fur, Fragments of Hyper-Resonance and Fonstones, respectively.
** There's also Judassey, a large frog-type enemy...with the color scheme and mask of, you guessed it, [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny Judas]].
** Yeager [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny uses]] [[VideoGame/TalesOfEternia extremely]] [[VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia subtle]] [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Title Drops]] [[VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss of previous]] VideoGame/TalesSeries [[VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia games]]. Pay close attention to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np3fAs1MEHc the]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dEFGWJE4AU conversations]] at the beginning of the two halves of the fight. It's taken directly from the Japanese version, where he pronounces the words ''in English'', so it's most likely done intentionally. Also to be noted is that he also throws in "[[VideoGame/TalesOfRebirth Rebirth]]" there, which the English dialogue skipped out on because it was never localized.
** Just as subtle is Tison's attack, Rising Dragon: [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld Ratatosk]]. It's hard to catch, since it only flicks up on screen for half a second.
** [[spoiler: Alexei]] talks about [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny destiny]] and [[VideoGame/TalesOfRebirth rebirth]] during his battle and the scene preceding it.
** A particularly memorable callback, especially to ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'', in the UpdatedRerelease: Rita unlocks her second Mystic Arte (Indignation) by re-enacting the opening to ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' in the 200-Man Melee against Dhaos. If she gets Dhaos to under half his HP and casts Thunder Blade in Overlimit 4 or higher, she'll cast Indignation instead. Dhaos will utter the classic ''"ThisCannotBe"'', and the spell will instantly kill him.
** The UpdatedRerelease adds a ton of [[AndYourRewardIsClothes bonus cosplay outfits]]. Not only do Yuri, Flynn and Estelle get to cosplay from ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' as a pre-order bonus, but every party member gets a cosplay outfit (and associated skill) from a previous ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' character as a reward for completing the 200-Man Melee. If every party member puts on their cosplay outfit, there's even a skit where they start acting like their "characters" against their will.
** Two of the Fell Arms, Abyssion and Nebilim, are named after the equivalent [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'', respectively.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair:
** Most characters have natural hair colors, but Estelle has pink hair and Judith has indigo hair. However, Judith isn't human, and Estelle's pink hair [[spoiler:is implied in the [=PS3=] version to be common with Children of the Full Moon. Which leads to the party's own FridgeHorror at what that implied about Zagi...]]
** Cumore and his sister (who you meet in a sidequest) Mimula have very bright blue hair to match their lipstick.