Tales of Xillia Remastered – Revisiting a classic JRPG that balances heart, history, and modern polish.
The Tales series from Bandai Namco is one of the longest-running JRPG series in the history of video games. It has been going strong for over 30 years. Tales of has undergone significant changes over the years, from the classic GameCube game Tales of Symphonia to the more recent Tales of Arise. However, the series has always had a unique blend of moving stories and smooth, real-time combat.
Tales of Xillia, released in 2011 for the PlayStation 3, quickly became a fan favorite due to its two main characters and a story that was grounded in strong emotions. Now, more than ten years later, Tales of Xillia Remastered lets both old and new fans play this famous journey again. With better graphics, smoother performance, and changes to improve the quality of life, the remaster tries to bring back the magic that made the original so popular, without taking away from its nostalgic appeal.
When Xillia was released, it marked a turning point for the series. It bridged the gap between the more classic games in the series and the more modern designs that later games like Berseria and Arise would use. It wasn’t perfect, but it had heart—characters you could relate to, easy-to-use controls, and a deeply moral story. And since Bandai is already remastering older games like Symphonia and Graces F, Xillia Remastered seems like the next logical step for them to take.
At the start of Tales of Xillia Remastered, the player makes a decision that shapes their journey: do they play as Jude Mathis, a good-hearted medical student who gets caught up in things he can’t control, or as Milla Maxwell, the spirit form of a god who controls the elements? The emotional weight of the game stems from the fact that each path tells the same main story from two different perspectives.
Jude is a good-hearted young man trying to do good in a world full of evil and suffering, so his story feels real. But Milla, who embodies the divine, is struggling with being human and losing her power. Their stories intersect in ways that blend myth and morals, lending the game a perspective that was uncommon in JRPGs at the time.
Tales of Xillia Remastered explores familiar yet timeless themes, such as friendship, faith, purpose, and the cost of ambition, as the story unfolds. How well the story holds up after all these years is still a surprise. It’s comedic and warm, and its balance of lighter emotional moments is enhanced by the trademark “skit” system, in which characters have short, voice-acted talks, which continue to add depth and humor between important plot points.
There’s this warmth and familiarity, but also the knowledge that, believe it or not, there were some good PS3 JRPGs, and Tales of Xillia is definitely one of them.
Tales of Xillia Remastered has the same basic gameplay loop as the original game: you visit towns and dungeons, talk to NPCs, improve your gear, and fight enemies in real-time arenas. The world map isn’t massive by today’s standards, but its centered design and sense of rhythm keep you interested the whole time.
The Grade Shop is one of the first things you’ll notice about this remake. It was there from the beginning. As a player, you can change gameplay factors like how challenging the game is or how forgiving it is. These can range from more experience points to easier levels or bonus items. That’s a good choice for both returning fans and newcomers who want to enjoy the story.
When you’re not in battle, the vendor system is back with its own unique “contribution” feature. You can get new gear, items, and recipes by giving sellers materials or money. The system is easy to understand and use, making every fight and collectible feel worthwhile. New map marks and chest icons make exploring easier than ever. These are just two minor quality-of-life improvements that significantly reduce the game’s load time.
Two simple changes that improve the whole experience—helping you stay on track and rewarding you for exploring and fighting along the way.
Tales games have always been about battles, and Tales of Xillia Remastered is no different. Its Linear Motion Battle System (LMBS) is still one of the best of its time. It’s quick, smooth, and easy to learn but hard to master. Players can control one character at a time while the AI takes care of the others.
The best part of the system, though, is the Link Mechanic, which lets two party members work together in the middle of a fight to use special “Linked Artes.” Each pair makes a different way to fight or work together. For example, when Jude is linked with Milla, who can call up powerful elemental combos, she can heal friends or juggle enemies. With this method, every fight feels fresh and is based on the character.
The higher frame rate makes it easier to move freely, dodge, and chain Artes together than ever before. The remaster always runs at 60 frames per second on modern devices, which makes the game more responsive and gives fights a rhythm that they didn’t have on PS3. On the Nintendo Switch, however, performance is still limited to 30 FPS, which is disappointing when compared to the original PS3’s 60 FPS fight mode.
One thing is for sure, though: once you find your groove in battle, it’s hard to stop. It’s easy to get caught up in the thrill of timing your Artes just right or keeping track of your team’s links during harder battles. However, after a while of playing, the same enemies and fight settings can become boring.
The fighting isn’t just filler; it’s a big part of the story’s emotional bonds, and it brings those bonds to life through motion.
Like most JRPGs, Tales of Xillia Remastered rewards players who stick with it. The Lilium Orb system is like a skill tree. You use the points you get from fights to improve your stats and unlock new Arts. It’s easy on the eyes and lets you customize your characters to play however you like—offensively, defensively, or supportively.
It’s not as boring to grind this time, in part because the pace is smoother and the files load faster. The game keeps you in the action all the time because there is almost no pause between exploring and fighting. The XP system stays fair, so you won’t have to grind too much unless you want to get all of the Artes or learn all of the link combinations.
If you think the game is moving too slowly, the Grade Shop can help you out by giving you extra XP or gold. This allows you to tailor the experience to your needs.
Tales of Xillia Remastered looks great because it’s a good mix of preserving and improving the original art. The game doesn’t change much—it’s still clearly a PS3 game—but the new backgrounds, higher resolution, and better lighting bring the graphics to life. The lighting has been changed to give towns and landscapes a warmer look. Characters look cleaner, and settings have more depth.
The anime cutscenes, created by ufotable, look stunning in higher resolution, preserving the series’ unique style. The colors are warm and inviting, and the character designs still have that classic Tales softness—they look like they belong somewhere between an anime and a watercolor picture.
It’s also good to praise performance steadiness. Tales of Xillia Remastered loads almost instantly on both PS5 and PC, and the frame rate is very fast. It’s not a complete remake in terms of how it looks, but it feels the same as you remember—sharper, more stable, and brighter.
It’s still very much that PS3 game, but it finally looks the way you remember it.
If the images make you feel nostalgic, the sound design will make you feel even better. Motoi Sakuraba’s music still soars. It’s a lively mix of symphonic and rock songs that perfectly suits the game’s mood. The opening theme takes fans right back to the PS3 era, and the remaster’s better sound quality makes every note stand out more.
It is amazing how well voice acting works in both English and Japanese. The story is still carried by the chemistry between Jude and Milla’s voice players, and even small skits feel lively. Small changes have been made to sound effects to make them better, especially in fights, with sharper hits and clearer spatial audio cues.
After playing Tales of Xillia Remastered for hours, it’s clear that Bandai Namco didn’t try to make a new game. Instead, they wanted to remind people of what made the first game so good. As a result, the game has a charm that feels timeless, and the carefully made changes enhance it rather than detract from it.
Even though it’s better, cleaner, and easier to enjoy, it’s still Xillia. It’s still one of the best games in the Tales series, thanks to its touching dual story, well-balanced gameplay, and nostalgic soundtrack. Although there isn’t much new material and the Switch version runs unevenly, this remaster accomplishes its goal: it brings Tales of Xillia back to life.
