Look, let’s be real for a second. If you’re jumping into the Tales of Graces f Remastered walkthrough, you’re probably doing it because the original game was notorious for locking you out of the best content if you blinked at the wrong time. It’s a classic JRPG trap. You finish a twenty-minute cutscene, walk three feet in the wrong direction, and suddenly you’ve missed a character’s best costume or a piece of world-building that makes the ending actually make sense.
This remaster, which hit consoles on January 16 and PC on January 17, 2025, changes the math. Bandai Namco finally added some quality-of-life features that stop you from pulling your hair out. But even with the new "hourglass" icons for missable events and a dash button that makes backtracking less of a chore, there’s a lot you can still mess up. I've spent enough time in Ephinea to know that "the power of friendship" won't save you if you forget to feed the cats.
The Childhood Arc Isn’t Just a Tutorial
Most people want to rush through the opening where Asbel and the gang are kids. Big mistake. This isn't just a "learn to move" phase; it's the foundation for your entire build. In the childhood arc, you’re basically farming SP for titles that will define your stats later.
Specifically, keep an eye out for Side Quest #1: "Wishing the Pain Away." After you meet Kerri (your mom) for the first time, you have to find Cheria outside her house. If you don't do this, you miss an early Apple Gel—which sounds trivial—but it sets the tone for 100% completion. Also, go to the meadow on Lhant Hill. There’s an event star by the tree. Watching that scene gets Cheria the "Sympathetic Soul" title. You want that.
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Why the Grade Shop is Broken (In a Good Way)
One of the biggest shifts in this remaster is the Grade Shop. Historically, you had to beat the entire game once to unlock the fun stuff. Now? It’s open from the jump. When you start your first playthrough, you’re handed 3,190 Grade to spend.
Honestly, use it. You can toggle these effects on and off in the menu later, so you aren't "ruining" the challenge. If you find the combat a bit restrictive early on, buy the "Chain Capacity (CC) +1" or "Double SP." Graces' combat is all about CC. Without it, you’re just standing there waiting for a bar to refill while a wolf bites your face. If you’re a veteran, the "5x Damage" option is there for those who want to see the story without the 60-hour grind, but it applies to enemies too. You’ve been warned.
Essential Grade Shop Picks for a First Run:
- Double SP (200 Grade): Titles are everything. You want to learn skills fast.
- Expand Inventory (100 Grade): Carrying 30 Gels instead of 15 is a literal lifesaver.
- Chain Capacity +1 (30 Grade): It’s cheap. It makes combos longer. Just get it.
- Maximum Speed (50 Grade): Even with the new dash button, you want this.
The "Don't Sell Anything" Rule
If you take one thing away from this Tales of Graces f Remastered walkthrough, let it be this: do not sell your old weapons and armor. In most RPGs, you buy a Steel Sword, sell your Iron Sword, and move on. In Graces, that’s a one-way ticket to frustration.
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The Dualizing system (this game's version of crafting) is deep. And weird. You’ll need those "low-level" items for Inn Requests later. These requests are how you unlock some of the best titles and end-game items. If you sell a unique piece of gear early on, you might be stuck waiting until the "Lineage and Legacies" post-game arc to see it again.
Missing the Unmissable: The Hourglass Icon
Bandai Namco added a "missable event" tracker in the form of an hourglass icon. It shows up on the map and over the heads of NPCs. It’s great, but it’s not foolproof.
The tracker usually only triggers when you’re in the same geographic region as the event. If you’re in the desert nation of Strahta and a side quest opens up back in the snowy mountains of Fendel, you might not see the icon on your mini-map unless you’re actively looking at the world map. Get into the habit of checking the global map every time the story takes a major turn. If you see an hourglass, drop everything and go there.
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Combat Mechanics: Forget Everything You Know
Graces f has arguably the best combat in the Tales series, but it feels nothing like Symphonia or Vesperia. There is a "Free Run" button, but you should basically never touch it. The game is designed around "Around Step"—dodging left, right, or back at the last second to restore CC.
If you’re struggling with bosses, check your titles. Levels are just numbers; titles are where the actual power comes from. Don’t just stick with Asbel, either. Playing as Sophie or Hubert changes the flow entirely. Hubert, specifically, is a glass cannon. If you’re playing him, you need to be precise. Also, a pro tip: when Richard joins the party temporarily in the early adult arc, strip his equipment before he leaves. He tends to walk off with whatever you gave him, and you won't see those items again for a long time.
Feeding the Cats (Yes, Really)
Every town has a cat. You’ll find them tucked away in corners or near shops. Always have fish in your inventory. When you feed a cat, it helps with a "Dispatch" style mechanic later in the game. If you ignore them, you’re going to spend the final hours of your playthrough backtracking to every single village just to hand out sardines. Save yourself the headache and feed them the first time you see them.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
- Activate the Grade Shop: Don’t be a martyr. Buy the SP and CC boosts immediately to make the early game feel modern.
- Watch the Map: Every time a "Chapter Clear" style event happens, open the world map and look for hourglass icons.
- Master Dualizing Early: Don’t just smash shards together. Look at the "Qualities" (the 4-letter or 5-letter names like "Cool" or "Hard"). Combining matching lengths helps create higher-tier gear.
- Set Titles to Auto: In the menu, you can set titles to automatically switch once they reach a certain rank. This prevents you from "wasting" SP on a title you’ve already milked for its best skills.
The beauty of the Tales of Graces f Remastered walkthrough is that it’s now much harder to truly "fail" a 100% run, but the game still rewards the observant. Keep your items, feed the cats, and for the love of everything, don't forget to check Lhant Hill every now and then.
Next Step for You: Focus on gathering "Discoveries." These are sparkling spots in the environment. Finding them triggers skits, and those skits often lead to titles that provide massive stat boosts you can't get through leveling up alone.