11 Tales of Games in Order: Major Milestones and Iconic Titles

If you’re looking to dive into the story of the franchise, I’ve got you covered. While I won’t cover the entire list of Tales games in order, I’ll shine the light on 11 prominent titles that highlight the growth (and growing pains) of the Tales series.

Our Top Picks for the Best Tales of Games

While this list is primarily concerned with listing important Tales games in order, I should point out that some of them are both historically relevant and top-tier games too:

Tales of the Abyss (2006)

– My personal favorite, this Tales game really dives into the nitty-gritty of character development.

Tales of Vesperia (2008)

– A JRPG that lacks for nothing and is one of the best starting points for players new to the series.

Tales of Berseria

(2016)

– A darker, more mature spin on Tales’ usual hero, as well as dynamic combat, make this one stand out.

But while these are my picks for standouts in this list, they’re not the only milestones in the series, so do read on.

11 Tales Games in Order – Oldest to Newest

Before we begin, I need to point out a few things.

First off:

this isn’t a complete list. There are titles on this list, but the actual number of Tales games (counting spin offs, mobile titles, and more) would be around –, as a ballpark number.

Secondly, games will be listed in chronological order, not descending score. While we’ll go over what made each of these games remarkable, keep in mind that they’re not sorted by best to least best.

Lastly, I will warn you of some personal bias here, and while every game on this list left an important mark on the Tales series, not all of them did so via excellence.

Now, let’s dive right in. Which of these Tales games have you tried?

Tales of Eternia [The Height of Late 90s JRPGs]

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• PlayStation 1, PSP
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• Namco
• Average Playtime
• ~40 hours
• Let’s start with one of the series’ early superstars,

Tales of Eternia

• (or
• Tales of Destiny 2
• in its original NA release). Many, including me, consider this one of the
• best JRPGs of all time
• , and alongside
• Final Fantasy 7
• ,

it epitomizes the storyline, game design, and aesthetic of late 90s and early 2000s RPGs.

And when I mean “late 90s storyline”, I mean it. You’ll play as Reid Hershel, a farm boy living an idyllic existence in Rasheans when a girl falls out of an airship and into your metaphorical lap, who, of course, bears a warning about the apocalypse.

Long story short, you’ll be dragged on a quest to save the world.

Why we chose it While it might seem primitive today,

Tales of Eternia

is still very much worth playing due to the core Tales gameplay and super-satisfying linear motion battle system.

Routine, sure, but for its time, Eternia was (and still is) stellar. There are admittedly better Tales of games today if you’re looking for either a stronger story or combat system, but Eternia is the peak of a simpler, classical era. With good pacing, strong FMVs and graphics, solid RPG foundations, as well as oodles of secrets and extra content, Eternia’s one for the ages.

My Verdict:

Old but gold; while

Tales of Eternia

isn’t strictly the first game in the series, it cements its place as one of the greats due to its outstanding performance in every regard.

Tales of Symphonia

The Jump to 3D

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• Namco
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• ~50 hours
• If you were into the series in the 2000s and had just come off fresh from
• Eternia
• , you didn’t have to wait long for the next game in the series, assuming you had a
• GameCube
• . Released in
• 2003,

Tales of Symphonia

• was kind of clunky and in that awkward phase where the series was attempting to transition to 3D…but
• it remains a beloved staple to this day

.

The JRPG core is still here: you’ll play as Lloyd Irving, a wide-eyed idealist (honestly, kind of an idiot) as he embarks on a quest to protect his childhood friend Colette Brunel on her Journey of World Regeneration. This ritual aims to reawaken the goddess Martel and seal the evil Desians away…but of course, this is a JRPG, so expect things to go sideways many, many times.

Why we chose it Modern gamers will no doubt find Symphonia kind of clunky; keep in mind that Symphonia was transitioning to 3D. Still, if you can look past these faults, Symphonia has the character writing and satisfying combat that are the hallmarks of the Tales of franchise.

While the story wasn’t as widely acclaimed as previous titles, Symphonia remains a very polished game, with a strong soundtrack and lots of replay value. For me though, the star is the combat: yes, it’s clunky, but the departure from the linear motion battle system to a multi-line version heralded the beginning of even bigger Tales games down the road.

My Verdict:

If you’re looking for some nostalgic JRPG action and want to see the roots of the Tales series,

Tales of Symphonia

is an excellent starting point.

Tales of Legendia [Read the Story, Skip the Combat]

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Average Playtime ~35 hours Let’s set the record straight: I don’t think

Tales of Legendia

is bad, but a mong the Tales games, it’s quite contentious. Many will agree that this is a game you play for the storytelling and the character; combat, on the other hand, is widely seen as meh. It’s not terrible, but it looks and feels incredibly dated, and is super basic to boot.

Why we chose it Legendia is a one-and-done kind of game, but I believe it’s an important point in the series. Its lukewarm reception, especially compared to the beloved Symphonia, was a wake-up call to Namco and paved the way for stronger games down the line.

• It’s worth noting that
• Legendia
• ’s faults can be somewhat traced back to its development team. Rather than being handled by previous
• Tales
• game teams,
• Symphonia
• was made by Project MelFes,
• a hybrid team composed of Namco staff, as well as devs from
• Tekken
• and the
• Soulcalibur

series.

Legendia, as with other JRPGs, follows a general “save the world” plot. But what really sets Legendia apart (and perhaps even redeems it) are its character quests: large arcs where you get to know each of your characters more intimately. Say what you want about Legendia’s combat, but the character development and writing here is nothing short of outstanding.

My Verdict:

If you’re willing to put up with the lackluster combat,

Tales of Legendia

’s character quests will constantly wow you with their breadth and depth.

Tales of the Abyss [A Modern Classic]

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• PlayStation 2, Nintendo 3DS
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• Namco
• Average Playtime
• ~60 hours

Now we’re talking.

Legendia was kind of a low point for Tales games, but its successor,

Tales of the Abyss

, more than made up for it.

This one’s a JRPG par excellence, with surprisingly mature storytelling,  a very strong ensemble cast with deep protagonist development, and satisfying combat that puts it on par with the best action RPG games.

In this story, you’ll play as Luke fon Fabre, a rather naive young man who gets blasted halfway across the world with Tear Grants, a mage on a mission to kill her own brother. As with most Tales games, expect many plot twists and gut punches on your quest to once again save the world.

Why we chose it

Tales of the Abyss

is a game that does everything right. Sure, it might not be super innovative and mind-blowing, but everything from the narrative to the combat is precise and well-executed, leading to an all-around superb experience.

Where

Tales of the Abyss

really shines is in its markedly more mature story than its predecessors. Luke is a character that really grows on you, and his slow and painful development from an arrogant, self-centered boy to a true hero is something that you need to experience for yourself.

My Verdict:

If I could pick just one game to represent Tales games as a whole, it’d easily be

Tales of the Abyss

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Tales of Vesperia [Great Intro Point for New Players]

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• Namco
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• ~50 hours
• Going through this list, you can see how the
• Tales
• games have grown over the years, from the shift to
• 3D
• in
• Symphonia
• to a bigger focus on storytelling in
• Abyss
• . Things would come to a head in the beloved

Tales of Vesperia

• , one of the
• best JRPGs on
• Switch
• and
• a very excellent starting point for new players

, so much so that it received a remaster in 2019.

Why we chose it Vesperia is considered one of the series’ high points for a good reason. This game incorporates all the lessons learned from other Tales games and refines them into a punchy, powerful narrative with a fun battle system.

This time around, you’ll be playing as vigilante Yuri Lowell, a former knight who takes a hands-on approach to injustice. As with most Tales games, a simple errand (fountain theft) quickly spirals into something much, much bigger. Spoilers abound, though I will add that I think the story is a bit weaker than the previous game.

Vesperia is a shining example of the maturation of Tales games. By this time, Namco had a concrete idea of what worked and what didn’t, and you can see both how they strived to refine their strong points (particularly the story and the uniqueness of the Tales combat system) while experimenting with how to move the franchise forward.

My Verdict:

Vesperia deserves its places as one of the most beloved entries in the Tales series, and is still 100% worth looking into today.

Tales of Xillia [Dual-Perspective Storytelling]

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• And speaking of experimentation, that’s exactly what Namco did with

Tales of Xillia

• . This one distinguishes itself via its
• dual-perspective storytelling

; that’s right, you get two protagonists and two campaigns for the price of one. I kind of wish they just did a single, bigger, better storyline though.

The story begins in the realm of Rieze Maxia, where humans and monsters co-exist in relative harmony. When medical student Jude Mathis discovers a horrible truth in the heart of the country of Rashugal, he’s saved by Milla Maxwell, and together, they embark on a quest to restore peace to the world.

Why we chose it Xillia’s plot may be kind of eh compared to its peers in the Tales series, but it’s buoyed up by the rest of its good points: a likeable and memorable cast, strong art direction and soundtrack, and tight and modernized combat.

The plot promises an interesting story, to be sure, but the execution is rather lacking. However, this is more than made up for in the battle system.

Xillia’s combat takes the best elements from Destiny’s and Symphonia’s systems, while adding link attacks for even bigger combo potential. It’s seriously fun, and perhaps my personal favorite part of this game.

My Verdict:

While

Tales of Xillia

’s plot is one of its low points, its playable characters, modern aesthetic, and especially its battles.

Tales of Xillia 2 [An Actual Sequel]

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• PlayStation 3
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• ~35 hours

Yup, you read that right:

Tales of Xillia 2

is one of the few games in the Tales series that gets a direct sequel. A miracle, I know.

While it takes place in the same world as the previous entry, Xillia 2’s story is generally seen as an improvement over the first title. You’ll be playing as Ludger Kresnik of Elympios, and together with the cast of Xillia, seek to help a mysterious girl find the mystic Land of Canaan.

Parallel worlds are involved this time, too, and the new story is much darker. Have fun.

Why we chose it The best way to describe Xillia 2 is “Xillia”, but better.

Xillia 2 iterates on Xillia’s gameplay mechanics and improves the pacing of the story, leading to a much better experience.

Xillia 2 also offers a strong follow-up to Xillia’s combat. More of the same, sure, but it’s even more refined. There are lots of tiny tweaks to improve the systems, and every character from Xillia 2’s cast to returning stars from the first game is a blast to play as.

My Verdict:

Tales of Xillia 2

is an incredible successor to an already good game. If you loved

Tales of Xillia

, you’ll definitely enjoy

Tales of Xillia 2

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Tales of Zestiria

A Lesson in Experimentation

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• PC, PlayStation 3/4
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• ~45 hours
• Let’s rewind to that part where I said “Namco was experimenting with how to move the franchise forward”, because
• Zestiria

was definitely not it.

It’s not totally unplayable, but one can’t deny how much Zestiria pales in comparison to the rest of the Tales series, so much so that you’ll probably be wondering why you aren’t just playing other Tales games instead.

The best way to sum Zestiria up is that it’s either too vanilla or too complicated with no in-between. Many criticize the plot for being surprisingly bland for a Tales game. Combat, on the other hand, is an unholy mess of where even basic things (like the equipment system) are a nightmare. I kind of wish they’d just pivoted to their take on a great turn-based-RPG.

Why we chose it Zestiria is a game whose ambition far outweighed its execution. Nonetheless, I will admit that some of its mechanics are genuinely interesting and worth looking into.

That said, Zestiria does have a fan base.

Its soundtrack can be moving at times, and its story supposedly gets better if you stick it out (admittedly, there’s a LOT to chew through). Still, it’s widely regarded as a “what-if” game in the Tales series, with so much potential left unrealized. At least later games learned from this one, I guess.

My Verdict:

If you’re a fan of experimental JRPG mechanics,

Tales of Zestiria

is sure to give you a run for your money.

Tales of Graces f Remastered

More Accessibility for Old Titles

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• ~45 hours
• Last, but definitely not least on this list is the modern remake of an old title,

Tales of Graces f Remastered

. Just to clarify:

Tales of Graces f was an updated Graces, and so Graces f Remastered isn’t just a remaster, but a definitive version with all the DLC and some nice new QOL tweaks, as well as improving its accessibility for modern audiences.

You’ll play as Asbel Lhant, a young (and of course, idealistic) noble who seeks to gain more power to better serve the people he’ll one day rule over. In practice, stuff happens, and more than a few bonds break. Yeah, it’s a very “power of friendship” story, though it does make up for it with its character chemistry and skit writing.

Why we chose it

Tales of Graces f Remastered

is an enjoyable game all throughout, but what really sells it is the CC-based combat system. While some might not like it, I absolutely adore how it makes combat fast, furious, and virtually similar to a fighting game.

Like other titles in the series,

Tales of Graces f Remastered

aims to do well in every aspect. With its frenetic action combat (which I’d say qualify it as a nice little tactical RPG), good pacing, wealth of post-game content, evocative soundtrack, and modern touches, this one’s definitely a Tales game you should check out.

My Verdict:

Tales of Graces f Remastered

is a top-notch modernization job that any Tales player or JRPG fan should consider.