Aselia Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Tales of Innocence
ToI Logo
Information
Game Systems Nintendo DS
PlayStation Vita
Developers Alfa System
Publishers Bandai Namco Games
Character Designers Mutsumi Inomata
•Taketoshi Inagaki
Composers Kazuhiro Nakamura
Animators Production I.G
Japanese Releases NDS December 6, 2007
VITA January 26, 2012
Opening Theme NDS "Follow the Nightingale" by Kokia
VITA "New Day, New Life" by Kokia
Ending Theme "Say Goodbye and Good Day" by Kokia
Ratings NDS CERO: B (recommended 12+)
VITA CERO: B (recommended 12+)

Tales of Innocence (テイルズ オブ イノセンス Teiruzu obu Inosensu?) is a Tales game released on the Nintendo DS in the fourth quarter of 2007. It is the ninth Mothership Title in the Tales series. Mutsumi Inomata is the character designer for the title. The opening is completely animated, with art by Production I.G. The theme song, "Follow the Nightingale", is performed by Kokia, as well as the ending theme, "Say Goodbye and Good Day". The music is composed by Kaz Nakamura. The game's characteristic genre translates to "Connecting Thoughts RPG" (想いを繋ぐRPG Omoi wo tsunagu RPG?).

A trademark was filed for the game in North America in 2007, and on April 7, 2011 Namco Bandai Games America filed another trademark. However, according to an interview between Kotaku and Tales series producer Hideo Baba, there is no planned localization for Tales of Innocence R (テイルズ オブ イノセンス アール Teiruzu obu Inosensu R?), the game's re-imagnination, because "the PS Vita itself is doing relatively poor in the West".

Story[]

Setting[]

The world of Innocence is divided between the divine world of Devaloka, once divided between the regions of Sensus and Ratio, and the lower human world of Naraka. As Devaloka needed human souls to survive, the Sensus general Asura decided to use the Manifest, an artifact created by the ancient Primeval Giant, to merge Devaloka and Naraka. This plan was opposed by many, leading to war between Sensus and Ratio. Asura was aided by the Devalokians Inanna, Orifiel, and Sakuya; his sentient sword Durandal; and his dragon companion Vritra.

Asura eventually won the war, defeating the Ratio general Hypnos in battle. Before he could use the Manifest, however, Inanna betrayed and stabbed him with Durandal. He kills her before he dies, leaving the unification of Devaloka and Naraka unfinished. Most of Devaloka's population is killed in the process, with the others eventually dying years later. In the present, Naraka is governed by the imperial capital of Regnum and the western country of Garam, who are in a state of war. Added to this is the emergence of the Fallen, who are actually the Reborn, Devalokians reincarnated in human form who hold supernatural powers. They are hunted and inducted into Regnum's military and used for experimentation or as front line troops in the war.

Plot[]

The story begins when Ruca Milda, the reincarnation of Asura, encounters another Reborn, Illia Animi, the reincarnation of Inanna. She is being chased by agents of Regnum. Ruca decides to protect her, awakening his supernatural powers. However, the two are eventually captured and forced to become fighters on the front lines, along with swordsman Spada Belforma, the reincarnation of Durandal. During their time as prisoners, Ruca develops a relationship with Thitose Cxarma, who is a reincarnation of Sakuya and retains her former self's deep love for Asura. Ruca, Illia, and Spada eventually escape, briefly encountering the mercenary Ricardo Soldato, who is the reincarnation of Hypnos. The three are eventually joined by Ricardo, along with Ange Serena and Hermana Larmo, the respective reincarnations of Orifiel and Vritra. During their travels across the war-torn land, they are confronted by the Reborn in the service of multiple nations, as well as Arca, a cult comprised of the Reborn led by a mysterious woman known as Mathias.

Innocence Cast (ToLink)

Artwork of the game's cast for Tales of Link.

Thitose joins Arca to further their cause of a utopia for the Reborn and attempts to persuade Ruca to join, causing a rift between them. The conflicts between the groups is further inflamed as more people regain their memories as warriors of Sensus or Ratio, sparking old conflicts. During their adventures, the group works to end the fighting and learns more about their past lives. When the full truth is revealed, they decide to fulfill Asura's wishes and unite the two worlds. This brings them into conflict with Mathias, who is revealed to be the incarnation of Asura's wrath at being betrayed and now wishes to destroy both Devaloka and Naraka. Thitose, consumed by Sakuya's love for Asura, helps Mathias in her task. The group confronts Mathias and Thitose in Devaloka's ruined capital, where the Manifest is hidden. They defeat Mathias, and Thitose kills herself in a fit of despair. Ruca then proceeds to use the Manifest to merge Devaloka and Naraka, nullifying the Reborn's powers and lessening the chance of future conflicts. The group then returns to their normal lives.

Innocence R mostly preserves the story of Innocence, while adding two further characters: a spearwoman named QQ Selezneva and a spellcaster named Kongwai Tao. These two belong to different worlds and enter the world of Innocence through the so-called Triverse Gate. Kongwai came to save two souls, Thitose and the antagonist Hasta Ekstermi, a reincarnation of the demonic spear Gae Bolg, while QQ is an archaeologist who comes to investigate the world of Innocence. Each enters and leaves the world while leaving the main events mostly unaltered. While they appear to be on friendly terms, a second playthrough reveals that they are bitter enemies who have been playing a "friendship game" while in the world of Innocence. As they return to their own worlds, they part ways, with QQ swearing to kill Kongwai the next time they meet.

Characters[]

Protagonists[]

  • Ruca Milda (ルカ・ミルダ Ruka Miruda?) - The game's main protagonist. His weapon of choice is a giant sword, and he uses Fire-elemental magic. Ruca is an introvert and is picked on by many of his classmates. He lives in the capital with his parents, who planned to have him take over their merchant business before the events of the story, but he actually wants to be a doctor. After meeting Illia, he slowly becomes more confident in himself and tries to become closer to her. He was Asura in his past life.
  • Illia Animi (イリア・アニミ Iria Animi?, "Iria Animi") - The game's heroine. She wields two pistols and possesses healing and Water-elemental magic. She is somewhat of a tomboy and tends to openly reject the concept of the love-smitten heroine. It is revealed that her dream is to someday be a principal of her own school. She was Inanna in her past life, the most beautiful woman in all of Devaloka. A strange creature named Coda accompanies her.
  • Spada Belforma (スパーダ・ベルフォーマ Supada Berufooma?) - Another character who joins the team. He uses two swords and Wind-elemental magic during battle. Spada comes from a family of knights, but he severed ties with them prior to the beginning of the story. In his past life, he was an enchanted sword known as Durandal that belonged to Asura.
  • Ange Serena (アンジュ・セレナ Anju Serena?) - A holy sister from the city of Naohs who is rescued by Ruca, Illia, and Spada. She defends herself with a knife, much like the Thief class from the Radiant Mythology series, and uses Light-elemental magic, as well as exceptional healing spells. She was the brilliant tactician of Ratio, Orifiel, in her past life.
  • Ricardo Soldato (リカード・ソルダト Rikaado Sorudato?) - A man employed as a bodyguard for Ange. He uses a large rifle and casts both Earth- and Darkness-elemental spells. He was Hypnos in his past life.
  • Hermana Larmo (エルマナ・ラルモ Erumana Rarumo?) - A young girl who was orphaned by the war. Upon reaching Mamut and hearing a similar accent, the group determines that Hermana's parents must have been merchants there. She fights using martial arts and can learn spells of all elements. She was Vritra, the caretaker of Asura, in her past life.
  • QQ Selezneva (キュキュ・セレツネワ Kyukyu Seretsunewa?) - A newly-introduced character in Tales of Innocence R who comes from a different world, claiming to be an archaeologist curious about the world of Naraka.
  • Kongwai Tao (コンウェイ・タオ Konwei Tao?) - Another newly-introduced character in Tales of Innocence R who claims to have come from another world for the salvation of two souls in Naraka.

Antagonists[]

  • Thitose Cxarma (チトセ・チャルマ Chitose Charuma?, "Chitose Cxarma") - A young mysterious woman who harbors a deep infatuation for Ruca and later reveals herself to be an agent of Arca.
  • Gardle (ガードル Gaadoru?) - A strange man with an unknown antagonist cause against the protagonists. He leads the Grigori people and is in search of the Manifest.
  • Hasta Ekstermi (ハスタ・エクステルミ Hasuta Ekusuterumi?) - A psychotic assassin with a bloodthirst that does not discriminate. His only goal seems to be finding a worthy opponent.
  • Sian Tenebro (シアン・テネブロ Shian Teneburo?, "Chien Tenebro") - A young orphan boy who lives on the streets with his two pet dogs. He is later revealed to be an agent of Arca.
  • Albert Grandeioza (アルベール・グランディオーザ Arubeeru Gurandiooza?) - An aristocrat who seeks the Manifest for war-related purposes. He has a strange fascination with Ange.
  • Mathias (マティウス Matiusu?) - The game's primary antagonist and leader of Arca. She makes her appearances veiled by a mask and, like many others, seeks the power of the Manifest.

Features[]

Battle System[]

ToI NDS (NTSC-J) game cover

Cover for the Nintendo DS version of the game.

Tales of Innocence uses the Dimension Stride Linear Motion Battle System (DS-LMBS). Combining the battle systems of Tales of the Abyss and the PlayStation 2 port of Tales of Destiny, it allows players to move around the field in full 3D movement and use attacks and skills in mid-air. Tales of Innocence includes many classic trademarks of the series with various changes, such as Gald and items being picked up from the ground after an enemy is defeated, and a lettered score depending on performance in battle.

The game also significantly changes the AI system. Instead of just basic commands, players can assign AI-controlled characters five specific commands, each with its own priority level. Players can create and switch between five different AI combinations to fit different situations. All playable characters have a "Tension Gauge" which when filled lets that character enter the Awakening state. Movement speed and attack power are increased, and TP consumption and chanting time are decreased, allowing for more powerful attacks and longer combos. If a party member is in the Awakening state, Infinity Jam can be activated, which lets players create a long combination of attacks for a short time, and switch between the three characters used in the battle freely for better connection of attacks.

Ability System[]

Title Screen (ToI)

Title screen of the game.

Characters in Tales of Innocence are able to have their own "Style". Players are able to equip a style to a character, and each style gives that character increases in stats. The styles also level up, and when that style has leveled up enough that character gets abilities for use in battle or on the field. In weapon shops around the world, players can also add abilities to weapons with materials found throughout the game, allowing the creation of custom weapons different from those normally bought in shops, with abilities like poison or paralysis.

Guilds[]

Returning from Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology, Innocence uses a Guild, a place that players can go to accept requests, quests, or favors in return for Gald, Grade, and various other rewards. Dungeons have randomly generated maps to challenge players in each quest. When a quest is cleared, the player earns Guild Points. When the player earns enough Guild Points, their Guild Rank rises, allowing them to accept tougher quests, and possibly earn better rewards.

Development[]

ToI-R Logo

Logo for the remake of the game.

Namco added the "Staff Voice", a blog in which the developers of the game can put information on the development and features of the game. The first large announcement was that the game would give one the choice of having a "model outline", a dark outline around the models that gives the game a cel-shaded look. Another announcement was that the "Voice Adventure DVD", the pre-order item for the game, was going to be an adventure in which the player make decisions to continue, which can have good or bad consequences. Later, it was shown that the bottom screen would be used for a map.

Version History[]

Game Title System Catalog Number Release Date Region
Tales of Innocence
テイルズ オブ イノセンス
Nintendo DS - September 20, 2007 Japan (TGS 2007 Demo)
Tales of Innocence
テイルズ オブ イノセンス
Nintendo DS NTR-P-AYTJ
NTR-P-AYTJ-1
December 6, 2007
October 30, 2008
Japan
Japan ("Welcome Price 2800")
Tales of Innocence R
テイルズ オブ イノセンス R
PlayStation Vita VLJS-00004
VLJS-50006
January 26, 2012
April 25, 2013
Japan
Japan ("PS Vita the Best")

Trivia[]

  • Tales of Innocence is the first game in the series to be rated for any demographic other than "all ages" in Japan, receiving a CERO rating of "B" as a recommendation for audiences at or over the age of 12 due to violent scenes and mild use of offensive terms. Most later titles also received the same rating, showing that the focus of the series has started to shift to older audiences through an emphasis on more mature content.

External Links[]


Advertisement