Namco Bandai today announced that it will be bringing the latest addition to the renowned RPG series known as Tales to the Xbox 360 later this year. Titled Tales of Vesperia, this latest installment will be the series' first trip onto next-gen consoles which means an all-new graphics engine -- with character designs provided by the famous Japanese artist Kosuke Fujishima -- to render the classic anime style for which the series is known. Namco Bandai also promises massive battlefields to accompany the series' typical real-time combat system.
Tales of Vesperia is set in a world that is reliant on an ancient technology known as "blastia" and follows the quest of a knight named Yuri as he tries to uncover a plot to rule civilization by tapping into this magical power. Yuri will make use of new finishing moves that will allow him to take down enemies with a single blow through a series of properly timed button combinations. Nail the combo perfectly and Yuri will be rewarded with rare pieces of equipment.
"The Tales series is one of our most successful and well-regarded franchises, and we're celebrating its 10th anniversary in a big way with two new games that redefine role-playing on the Xbox 360 and Wii," said Todd Thorson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Tales of Vesperia will be available for the Xbox 360 later this year.