Costumes

Costumes (衣装, Ishou^?) are a recurring feature in the Tales series either for aesthetic value or for gameplay purposes. Costumes can be in-game rewards for completing typically late-game subquests. They can be downloadable content, purchasable using real-world money or via pre-ordering. In the Narikiri Dungeon series of games, costumes play a crucial role in battle and leveling for the protagonists, as Mimics can use the abilities of the costume.

Types[]

Since the introduction of costumes several types of outfits have become recurring across the series, including:

Butler/Maid outfits - male characters are depicted as butlers, while female characters are depicted as maids.
Casino outfits - characters are depicted in lavish outfits that suit gamblers.
Christmas outfits - characters are depicted in a variety of Christmas-themed outfits, such as Santa Claus and reindeer.
East Asian outfits - characters are depicted in fashion associated with Eastern Asia.
Halloween outfits - characters are depicted in various Halloween-based outfits, like witches and wild beasts.
iDOLMA@STER outfits - characters, more prominently females, are depicted in various outfits from the iDOM@STER series.
Kimonos - characters are depicted in various kimonos; usually associated with New Year and cherry blossom viewing.
Marching band outfits - characters are depicted in costumes appropriate for a marching band performance.
Orchestra outfits - characters are depicted in formalwear appropriate for performing in a concert.
Pajamas - characters are depicted in their pajamas.
Pirate outfits - characters are depicted in a variety of pirate-based costumes.
Sailor uniforms - characters are depicted as sailors wearing their trademark white and blue outfits.
School uniforms - young characters are usually depicted as high school students, with the very young ones wearing more casual costumes, and older characters are depicted as members of faculty staff, like a principal, PE teacher, and a nurse.
Swimsuits - characters are depicted in various beachwear.
Valentine's Day outfits - female-centered outfits in which they are depicted as pastry cooks.
Wedding outfits - female characters are depicted with wedding dresses, while male characters wear suits.
White Day outfits - male-centered outfits in which they wear elegant suits in which they depicted as pastry cooks.
Wild West outfits - male and female characters are depicted in cowboy and cowgirl costumes, respectively.
Legacy Costumes - costumes with direct references to other characters in the series. Other costumes sometimes reference characters from games outside of the Tales series. In some games, arranged soundtracks originating from some Legacy Costumes can be played in battle.

Appearances in Original Titles[]

Tales of Symphonia[]

Tales of Symphonia was the first game in the series to formally introduce costumes, known as Costume Changes (コスチューム変化, Kosuchuumu Henka^?). Its predecessor, Tales of Eternia, featured costume changes for the four main protagonists when they venture to Mt. Celsius, but Symphonia integrated costumes as optional aesthetic features via subquests. Each character is given several options, ranging from beach to formal attire, as well as costumes unique to each character, usually involving a subquest related to them.

The costumes are applied through titles, typically sacrificing some bonuses that titles provide as a result. In the Grade Shop, titles can be carried over, meaning costumes as well. In the PlayStation 2 release of the game, each character was given a new costume. In the PlayStation 3 release of the game, Legacy costumes were made available via having a save file of certain other games in the series, or by completing the game at least once; subsequent releases made them available through the latter method.

Tales of Legendia[]

Tales of Legendia features a two sets of costumes for the protagonists: Formal and Mascot, purchasable only via the Grade Shop. Buying either one will unlock all of those types of costumes for each playable character. These costumes only appear in battle and cannot be toggled. Purchasing them in the Grade Shop makes them permanent throughout the next playthrough.

Tales of the Abyss[]

Tales of the Abyss reprises the costume system from Symphonia, albeit doing away with the stat changes associated with titles. These costumes are all obtained through subquests and provide the character with a unique effect, as per the role of titles in this game.

Tales of Innocence R[]

Tales of Innocence R uses the same system as Abyss, as well as including DLC costumes. The game's original, Tales of Innocence, does not feature costumes in any way.

Tales of Vesperia[]

In Tales of Vesperia, costumes appear through titles, which serve no other purpose in the Xbox 360 version of the game. The PlayStation 3 release, however, provides several new costume titles available as downloadable content, also known as DLC. This represents the start of a new sales and marketing model used by the series' creators, in which individual costumes or costume sets are offered for sale on the PlayStation Store while not being provided with the standard game, even if the data exists on the disc.

Some of these DLC costumes grant new altered artes that are initially available only while the costume is equipped, until the artes have achieved mastery and are learned by the character as part of his or her movelist. After this point, the costume can be removed and the arte can still be used, but the altered function that replaces an existing arte will not activate unless the costume remains equipped. Costumes should not be confused with attachments, a new feature replicated in subsequent games.

Tales of Hearts R[]

Tales of Hearts R features costumes as special equipment separate from items, while also including DLC. The game's original, Tales of Hearts, does not feature costumes in any way.

Tales of Graces[]

In Tales of Graces, costume changes remain as a function tied to titles in the original Nintendo Wii release, but the PlayStation 3 port establishes a new function that allows costumes and titles to be used independently of each other. This allows the equipped effects of certain titles to be retained even while wearing a costume, though the costumes themselves are still tied to a title and will not be available until the title is unlocked.

DLC becomes the means of obtaining several of these costume titles in both versions of the game, but the PlayStation 3 port also includes music for battles and victory screens with some of these titles as part of the DLC package. This music is taken from the games that are associated with the costumes, and it overrides all existing music while the costume is equipped, regardless of the battle.

Tales of Xillia and Tales of Xillia 2[]

Both Tales of Xillia and Tales of Xillia 2 introduce costumes as being set apart from titles. The DLC costumes from Xillia can be imported to Xillia 2, which features some pre-order cameo costumes.

Tales of Zestiria[]

Tales of Zestiria features costumes as Preorder items because they were initially available via pre-order, and individual outfits have their own unique names.

Tales of Berseria[]

Tales of Berseria features costumes via the Tales of Legacy Bundle, with individual outfits called "Legacy Outfit (<Character Name>)".

Appearances in Crossover Titles[]

Tales of the Rays[]

In Tales of the Rays, characters are always recruited with their initial outfit. At the start of the service, new outfits were also introduced for them that could be bought at Turtlez Shop with no time limit. However later on, costumes started to be given out mainly via time-limited mirrage summons, event point exchanges, and/or completing a Challenge Quest in the associated event.

Tales of Crestoria[]

In Tales of Crestoria, alternate outfits for characters come as separate units for a character. While their artes are ones that they have already used in the past, the mystic artes associated with them are original and based on on existing artes. In Main Story Chapter 5, Kanata Hjuger, Misella, and Aegis Alver dress up as pirates for a play.