Tales of Graces f Remastered Review Summary

Excellent, fluid, customizable combat: The combat system is a major highlight, praised for being fast-paced, fluid, engaging, and strategically deep. Many consider it the best in the Tales series, offering satisfying combos, responsive controls, and a high degree of customization. The combat remains enjoyable and modern even after a decade.

Significantly improved graphics: The remaster significantly improves the game's graphics, enhancing textures, lighting, and character models while retaining the original art style's charm. The improved visuals contribute to a more immersive and enjoyable experience, making the game look better than ever.

Great, well-developed characters: The game features a cast of well-developed and likable characters with strong chemistry and engaging interactions. The characters' relationships and development are central to the story, making the narrative more compelling and emotionally resonant.

Many quality-of-life improvements: Numerous quality-of-life improvements enhance the gameplay experience, making it smoother, more accessible, and more convenient. These include features like fast travel, skippable cutscenes, customizable difficulty settings, auto-saving, and the ability to toggle enemy encounters, streamlining progression and reducing grind.

Well-balanced and enjoyable gameplay: The game is well-balanced, easy to pick up but difficult to master, and offers a proper level of challenge. Reviewers found the game enjoyable and engaging, with no noticeable bugs during their playthroughs.

Weak, predictable, unmemorable story: The story is generally weak, predictable, and unmemorable, with a slow start and poor pacing. Many reviewers found the plot and characters to be generic, cliched, and lacking depth, making it difficult to become invested in the narrative. Some also felt the story was too short or had an unsatisfying ending.

Tedious, outdated dungeon design: Dungeon design is outdated, uninteresting, and tedious, often requiring excessive backtracking and lacking maps. The fixed camera angle and repetitive environments make navigation difficult and exploration unenjoyable. Some reviewers found the constant navigation display removed the fun of getting lost.

Numerous bugs, poor translation: The game has significant technical issues, including numerous bugs and a poor translation. Some players experienced game-breaking bugs that made the game unplayable, while others criticized the quality of the Chinese and Spanish translations, with some reviewers calling them machine-translated and incomprehensible.

Missing Remote Play Together support: The game lacks Remote Play Together support, a feature available in previous titles, preventing online co-op. Some players also experienced issues with local co-op, such as controller mirroring, making the mode unplayable.

Poorly implemented Grade Shop: The Grade Shop mechanic is poorly implemented, with players starting with enough grade to purchase everything, removing the incentive to earn more. Some options present in the PS3 version are also missing, limiting character customization.

Strategic, real-time combat system: The game features a real-time, action-based combat system (LMBS) with strategic depth. Players manage a Chain Capacity (CC) resource to execute combos, switch between fighting styles, and exploit enemy weaknesses by using both physical and magical abilities (Artes). Mastering the combat system is crucial for success.

Dodging and countering mechanics: Combat encourages strategic dodging and countering, rewarding players with bonus CC for well-timed evasions. The system promotes a balanced approach between offense and defense, requiring players to react to enemy attack patterns and exploit openings.

Deep character progression via titles: The game features a title system deeply integrated with character progression. Players unlock and upgrade titles to learn new skills, enhance stats, and customize combat styles, providing permanent bonuses even when switching titles. This system encourages exploration and completion of side content.

Adjustable difficulty and encounters: The game offers options to disable random encounters and adjust enemy difficulty, but these choices can impact game balance. The game also features visible encounters, bonus conditions in battles, and a gacha element for treasure chests.

Item synthesis and enhancement: The game includes systems for item synthesis, cooking, and equipment enhancement, allowing players to create unique items. The Duelize system adds further depth to item creation and customization.

Smooth performance, high frame rates: The game generally runs smoothly on PC and Steam Deck, often achieving high frame rates (60-120 FPS) at 4K resolution. Some minor bugs, like asynchronous skits, may occur at 120 FPS. The game is also well-optimized, stable, and verified for Steam Deck.

Good Steam Deck battery life: The game achieves 3-4 hours of battery life on the Steam Deck OLED model. Performance is around 800 or 720/90 on the OLED model.

Supports 4K and 120Hz: The PC version supports resolutions up to 4K and refresh rates up to 120 Hz, providing options for players with high-end hardware.

UI upscaling artifacts present: Some reviewers have noticed upscaling artifacts in certain parts of the UI, which may detract from the overall visual experience.

Includes helpful in-game reminders: The game includes road signs and task time reminders, which may help players navigate the game world and manage their time effectively.

Great entry point; enjoyable experience: Many reviewers recommend this game to both newcomers and long-time fans of the Tales series and JRPGs in general. They praise it as a good entry point for new players and a worthwhile experience for veterans, highlighting its engaging qualities and overall enjoyment.

Desire for more Tales remasters: Many reviewers express hope for more Tales games to be remastered in the future, especially older titles. They appreciate the quality of this remaster and see it as a positive sign for the series' future on PC.

Praised combat system; fast-paced: Many reviewers highlight the combat system as a major strength, often comparing it favorably to other titles in the series like Arise, Berseria, and Vesperia. Some suggest it's the best in the series, while others recommend the game specifically for those who enjoy action-heavy, combo-based combat.

Consider buying on sale: Several reviewers suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing, while still acknowledging the game's worth even at full price. Some specifically advise against purchasing the Deluxe Edition, recommending the standard edition instead.

Missing Remote Play Together support: A significant drawback mentioned is the lack of Steam Remote Play Together support. Some reviewers have marked their reviews negatively specifically due to this limitation, particularly for those interested in multiplayer.

Chest passwords provided: Several reviews mention specific passwords for in-game chests. This information is useful for players looking to quickly access these items or complete specific objectives. Providing these passwords enhances the player experience.

Typical JRPG story: The story is described as a typical JRPG tale with themes of trust and friendship. It has a satisfying conclusion, including a 'Future Heritage' epilogue, and features lighthearted, fully voiced skits for comic relief. While adequate, it's not considered exceptional.

Multiple language options: The game supports multiple languages, including Italian subtitles, English dubbing, and Japanese audio. Players can easily change the language settings within the game or through Steam properties. This accessibility enhances the experience for a wider audience.

Remaster with expanded story: The remaster aims to update the graphics and gameplay without changing the core elements. It includes a second story, expanding upon the original release, but some reviewers hoped for more new content like weapons or enemies.

Input bug with Vjoy drivers: Some reviewers experienced an input bug, specifically a constant "down arrow" input. This issue was tied to Vjoy virtual Joystick drivers, even when not actively emulating anything. This is a specific technical issue that can affect gameplay.