Producer Tomomi Tagawa confirmed that the English and Japanese versions of Tales of Crestoria are in the “final stages” and will go live very soon.
Legendary Japanese video game company Bandai Namco has been working on their mobile-exclusive RPG Tales of Crestoria as far back as 2018, and it looks as though they’re finally nearing the game’s official release.
The title’s producer Tomomi Tagawa recently made a statement thanking fans for their support and assuring them that the RPG’s development is finally nearing the finish line.
Tagawa explained how the app is already available for download from mobile stores but will remain in maintenance while his team continues to iron out the last few kinks. Moreover, the producer excitedly revealed that pre-registrations have already surpassed 1 million users across the globe.
Despite the lengthy message, Bandai Namco still managed to sidestep providing an actual release date, though all signs point to its imminent debut.
An update on release date
We have an update on the release date on attached here.Once service has begun, we will be making announcements on the social media channels.
We offer our sincerest thanks for your support for TALES OF CRESTORIA. pic.twitter.com/dCQG7PjOKK— TALES OF CRESTORIA (@to_crestoria_EN) July 14, 2020
What the latest Tales of Crestoria is all about
Unlike the previous mobile entries in the Tales franchise, which were usually crossovers of the previous entries in the series, Tales of Crestoria will feature an all-new narrative with an original cast of characters.
That’s not to say that party members from its predecessors won’t be making their way into the upcoming RPG, as Bandai Namco promises a wide array of characters that include fan-favorites from the previous games.
Tales of Crestoria will revolve around main characters Kanata and Misella as they set off on a journey to find sanctuary from a world that’s turned its back on them.
Instead of continuing the hallmark action-oriented battle system, what the series is known for, the mobile game will be adopting turn-based combat similar to the more recent Persona titles and earlier Final Fantasy entries.
It remains to be seen whether or not Bandai Namco will introduce gatcha mechanics, which is becoming increasingly prevalent among free-to-play titles.
How the Tales began
The Tales series has always been one of Bandai Namco’s leading intellectual properties and is often regarded in Japan as the third-largest RPG franchise behind Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
Its first installment—Tales of Phantasia—made its debut on the Super Famicom in December 1995, and was subsequently ported to the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation Portable between 1998 to 2007.
Tales of Phantasia (Wolf Team/Namco – Super Famicom – 1995) https://t.co/FtuwvFdODS pic.twitter.com/4r81PsmwVC
— Obscure Video Games (@obscurevgs) November 12, 2018
Since then, Bandai Namco has launched north of 20 mainline installments and spin-offs, with an upcoming major release called Tales of Arise set for next year.
Fans eager to try out Tales of Crestoria will definitely want to download the app and pre-register since the mobile RPG is bound to go live any day now.
Featured image courtesy of Crestoria