Tales of Eternia

🎮 Overview

• Title: Tales of Eternia (originally released as Tales of Destiny II in North America on PS1, but its true name is Eternia)

• Platform: PlayStation Portable (PSP) — released in Japan (2005) and Europe (2006); not officially in North America.

• Developer: Namco Tales Studio

• Publisher: Namco

• Genre: Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG) / Action RPG

• Style: Part of the long-running Tales series, known for its anime-inspired art and real-time battle system.

📖 Story

The game is set in the world of Inferia, which exists alongside a parallel world called Celestia.

• The story follows Rid Hershel, a carefree young swordsman from Inferia, and his childhood friend Farah Oersted.

• One day, a mysterious girl named Meredy crash-lands in their world, speaking an unknown language. She warns of an impending catastrophe that threatens both Inferia and Celestia.

• Joined by their scholarly friend Keel Zeibel, the group sets out to prevent the destruction of both worlds.

• Themes include cultural misunderstanding, friendship, and cooperation, as Inferians and Celestians must learn to work together.

🕹 Gameplay (PSP Version)

Tales of Eternia retains the beloved Linear Motion Battle System (LMBS) of the series, while optimizing for handheld play:

• Exploration:

  • Top-down, 2D overworld and towns.

  • Fully explorable dungeons with puzzles, treasures, and enemies roaming on-screen.

• Combat (LMBS):

  • Real-time, side-scrolling battles.

  • Players directly control one character (usually Rid) while AI handles the others.

  • Combos: Chain normal attacks with Artes (special moves and magic).

  • Skills and spells consume TP (Technical Points).

  • Quick, dynamic combat compared to turn-based RPGs.

• Party & Characters:

  • Party of up to 4 characters in battle.

  • Switch controllable character or adjust AI tactics.

  • Each character specializes (Rid = swords, Farah = martial arts, Keel = magic, Meredy = elemental spells).

• Progression & Customization:

  • Level up to increase stats and learn new Artes.

  • Equip weapons, armor, and accessories.

  • Cooking system: characters cook recipes to restore HP/TP or grant buffs.

• Side Content:

  • Mini-games (cooking contests, racing, puzzles).

  • Optional dungeons and hidden bosses.

  • Collectibles like items, titles, and skills for replay value.

🎨 Presentation

• Graphics:

  • 2D sprites and environments faithfully ported from the PS1 version.

  • Anime-style character designs and expressive battle animations.

• Sound:

  • Classic Tales soundtrack with upbeat, adventurous themes.

  • Full Japanese voice acting (PSP version retains the Japanese dub; no English voice acting).

• Tone: Lighthearted and adventurous, but with serious undertones about conflict and unity.

📝 Reception

• Praise:

  • Smooth, fast-paced real-time combat system.

  • Charming characters and engaging story.

  • One of the most polished handheld JRPGs on PSP.

  • Tons of side activities and replay value.

• Criticism:

  • PSP version is largely a direct port with minimal enhancements.

  • Graphics look dated compared to later PSP RPGs.

  • Lack of official English voices (text-only localization in Europe).

✅ In short:
Fables of Eternia for PSP is a faithful port of the classic PS1 JRPG, bringing the fast-paced Linear Motion Battle System, charming story, and anime-inspired presentation to handheld players. While not a remake, it’s considered one of the best portable Tales experiences, especially for fans who enjoy real-time action combat in their RPGs.