If you ask a group of JRPG fans about the best entry in Bandai Namco’s long-running franchise, you'll hear a lot about Symphonia’s plot or Abyss’s character growth. But bring up Tales of Graces f and the conversation immediately shifts to one thing: the gameplay. It’s been well over a decade since this enhanced port hit the PlayStation 3, and honestly, the genre still hasn't quite caught up to what this game achieved with its Style-Shift Linear Motion Battle System. It's fast. It’s punishing. Most importantly, it's incredibly satisfying in a way that later entries like Tales of Arise didn't quite replicate.
The game follows Asbel Lhant and his group of childhood friends—along with a mysterious, purple-haired girl named Sophie—as they navigate a world fueled by "Eleth." It starts with a lengthy childhood arc that some players find a bit slow, but stick with it. That prologue sets the emotional stakes for the "Adult Arc" and the PS3-exclusive "Lineage & Legacies" epilogue.
The combat in Tales of Graces f is just different
Most Tales games use a system where you move on a 2D plane toward an enemy. Tales of Graces f threw that out for a 360-degree sidestep mechanic that changed everything. You aren't just running at monsters; you’re dancing around them. By timing a sidestep perfectly, you regain "CC" (Chain Capacity), which is the resource that lets you keep attacking.
It creates this addictive loop. You're constantly weighing the risk of staying close to an enemy to trigger a perfect dodge versus backing off to recharge.
The "Style-Shift" part of the name refers to how every character has two distinct move sets. Asbel, for instance, toggles between quick draws with his katana tucked away and aggressive, unsheathed sword strikes. You aren't just mashing X. You’re managing a complex economy of movement and resources. Unlike Symphonia or Vesperia, where you had a limited number of "Artes" you could map to a button, Graces uses an A-Arte tree. You chain moves together by pressing directions on the d-pad, meaning you have access to dozens of moves at any given time without ever pausing the menu.
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It’s complex. It’s overwhelming at first. But once it clicks? You feel untouchable.
The Elephant in the Room: The "Friendship" Plot
Let's be real for a second. The story in Tales of Graces f is cheesy. Like, really cheesy. The word "friendship" is used so often it could be a drinking game. Asbel is the quintessential "I must protect everyone" protagonist, and his naivety can be grating if you’re looking for a dark, gritty narrative like Berseria.
However, there’s a sincerity here that's kind of refreshing. The chemistry between the cast—especially the banter between Pascal and Hubert—is top-tier. Pascal is a chaotic genius who lives in ruins and smells like old socks, and her interaction with the rigid, military-focused Hubert provides some of the best "Skits" in the entire franchise. The game doesn't try to be something it's not. It’s a story about fixing broken bonds, and by the time you reach the f exclusive content, you’re genuinely invested in seeing these idiots succeed.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Dualizing System
If you go into the crafting system—called Dualizing—expecting a simple "combine A and B to get C" mechanic, you're going to have a bad time. This is where most players get stuck. Dualizing is the heart of your progression in Tales of Graces f. You don't just find a better sword in a chest and equip it; you take your current sword, temper it through combat, and then fuse it with "Shards" to increase specific stats.
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- Tempering: Using a weapon enough until it becomes "Refined."
- Shards: Items dropped by enemies that carry qualities like "Sturdy" or "Magical."
- Gems: The byproduct of fusing two tempered weapons, which you can equip for massive passive buffs.
The depth is staggering. You can spend hours min-maxing a single piece of gear to have the perfect balance of accuracy and evasion. It’s a tinkerer’s dream. If you ignore it, the late-game bosses—especially on "Evil" or "Chaos" difficulty—will absolutely steamroll you.
Title-Based Growth
Forget traditional level-ups. In this game, your stats and skills come from "Titles." You earn them for doing basically anything: finishing a story beat, using a move 100 times, or even just standing still in a shop. Each Title has five levels. As you earn SP from battles, you rank up the Title to unlock permanent stat boosts or new Artes.
This means you’re never "wasting" time. Even if you’re grinding for a rare drop, you’re constantly mastering Titles that make your character fundamentally stronger. It’s one of the most rewarding progression loops in any JRPG ever made.
Why the "f" Version is the Only Way to Play
The original Tales of Graces was a Wii game released only in Japan. It was... buggy, to say the least. The PlayStation 3 version, rebranded as Tales of Graces f, fixed the technical issues and added a massive chunk of content.
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The "Lineage & Legacies" arc isn't just a tiny DLC mission. It’s a 10-to-15-hour epilogue that takes place six months after the main game. It introduces new mechanics, like "Accel Mode," which gives every character a unique "super" state. More importantly, it actually addresses some of the lingering plot holes from the main ending and gives Sophie—the heart of the game—some much-needed closure. If you haven't played the f content, you haven't actually finished the game.
Tactical Advice for Modern Players
If you're picking this up today, whether on original hardware or through emulation, keep a few things in mind. First, don't play on Normal. The game's mechanics are so robust that Normal difficulty actually discourages you from using them because enemies die too fast. Bump it up to Hard as soon as you can. You’ll earn more SP, better shards, and you'll actually be forced to learn how to sidestep.
Second, pay attention to the "Eleth Burst" and "Eleth Break" gauges. When your gauge fills, you get unlimited CC for a short period. When the enemy's fills, they become uninterruptible and can launch Mystic Artes. Managing these gauges is the difference between winning a boss fight and seeing the "Game Over" screen in ten seconds.
Finally, explore the world map. While the game is mostly linear, there are tons of "Discovery" points hidden in the environments. These trigger Skits that flesh out the world and give you items for your Eleth Pot—a magical device that cooks food and generates items while you walk.
Tales of Graces f is a masterclass in mechanical depth hidden behind a bright, optimistic exterior. It’s a game that respects your time by making every battle feel like a puzzle to be solved at 60 frames per second.
Next Steps for Your Journey through Ephinea
- Prioritize the "Book of Rarefication" for your Eleth Pot early on to increase shard drop rates.
- Focus on mastering A-Artes for Asbel before worrying too much about his B-Artes; the A-Artes are essential for breaking enemy guards.
- Check the Turtlez shops frequently, as their stock for Dualizing materials rotates based on your progress.
- Switch your controlled character often. Playing as Malik (the magic-flinging instructor) or Cheria (the healer who throws knives) feels like playing a completely different game.