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Tales of Rebirth
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Information
Game Systems PlayStation 2
PlayStation Portable
Developers Namco Tales Studio
Publishers PS2 Namco
PSP Bandai Namco Games
Character Designers Mutsumi Inomata
Daigo Okumura
Composers Motoi Sakuraba
Shinji Tamura
Animators Production I.G
Japanese Releases PS2 December 16, 2004
PSP March 19, 2008
Opening Theme "Good Night" by
Every Little Thing
Ratings PS2 CERO: FREE (all ages)
PSP CERO: A (all ages)

Tales of Rebirth (テイルズ オブ リバース Teiruzu obu Ribaasu?) is the sixth main title in the Tales series, released on the PlayStation 2 and later ported to the PlayStation Portable. The character artwork and designs of this game are designed by Mutsumi Inomata, and the music is composed by Motoi Sakuraba. The game's characteristic genre translates to "Where You Will Be Reborn RPG" (君が生まれ変わるRPG Kimi ga umarekawaru RPG?).

Story[]

Calegia Emblem (ToR)

The kingdom of Calegia's official emblem, representing both Huma and Gajuma.

Tales of Rebirth is set in a world where humans, called Huma, and Gajuma, beast people, coexist in relative peace. In ancient times, both races joined forces to found the kingdom of Calegia. At the age of 60, the Gajuma king, Ladras Lindblum, who has wisely governed the kingdom for years, gradually weakens and dies a mysterious death. On the day of his death, chaos unleashes in the kingdom, and since then, people refer to this day as the Dusk of Ladras. His daughter, Agarte Lindblum, the only remaining blood relative and heir to the throne, is being advised by Zilva Madigan. Veigue Lungberg lives in a village, Sulz, located in the cold yet beautiful northern region. While he has never thought about leaving the village, he begins pondering this option after his familiar surroundings, including his friend Claire Bennett and himself, come under attack. Force, a power of an element or something other that a person may possess, once only belonged to Gajuma, but Huma are now able to use it, sometimes resulting in the inability to control it.

During the initial unleashing of the king's power, Veigue's Force becomes unstable, causing his friend Claire to become imprisoned in an ice pillar. One year after this, Veigue is contacted by Mao and Eugene Gallardo, who help free Claire from her ice prison. Shortly after this, Claire is taken away by the King's Shield, searching for the most beautiful Huma woman in the land. Veigue departs with Mao and Eugene to rescue Claire, eventually joining forces with Annie Barrs, Tytree Crowe and Hilda Rhambling. Upon reaching the royal capital of Balka, the group finds Agarte using her Force of the Moon to resurrect Geyorkias in the belief that the spirit will save her kingdom from the chaos consuming it, having been prompted by Zilva.

When summoned, Geyorkias declares his intent to destroy the Huma population, forcing the group to attack and destroy his physical form. With Geyorkias gone and Claire rescued, the group parts ways but are brought back together as outbreaks of racial violence from both Huma and Gajuma begin destabilizing Calegia, caused by the hatred the summoned Geyorkias released after his defeat. To quell the violence, the group decides to summon the other Sacred Beasts in the hope of purging Geyorkias's hatred from the land. After rescuing Agarte from a Huma mob, it is revealed that Agarte switched bodies with Claire during the ceremony. In the aftermath, Agarte reveals that she originally captured Claire so she could switch bodies with her and have Milhaust Selkirk reciprocate her love for him, as relations between Huma and Gajama are taboo. Unfortunately, the trauma of events has caused Agarte to lose her Force abilities, leaving Claire and Agarte trapped in each other's bodies.

After reviving the Sacred Beasts, the hatred is purged, but the racial tensions remain. Veigue begins to have difficulty in dealing with Claire's condition, and his cold attitude causes her to leave with Milhaust. Eventually, Veigue opens up to the rest of the group and overcomes his difficulties. As the continuing negative feelings of Calegia's population are beginning to damage the world, the group decides to revive Georgyas again and bring him round to their way of thinking. At Geyorkias's resting place, Mount Sovereign, Zilva appears and reveals herself as the mastermind behind the incidents, declaring that she will use Geyorkias to destroy the Humas and create a Gajuma-ruled kingdom.

After Zilva's defeat, the group revives Geyorkias, and he, in turn, reveals that the force influencing Zilva and spreading hatred was actually Yuris, who has become a threat to the world. The group travels to confront Yuris but is initially sapped of strength by its negative emotions. The growing positive emotions of the people of Calegia as the racial disputes fade give them the strength to destroy Yuris's core. Agarte then recovers her Force, returns herself and Claire to their original bodies, and summons the Sacred Beasts to destroy Yuris. The effort costs Agarte her life, however, and she leaves Calegia in Milhaust's command, revealing her love for him before dying. The group then goes their separate ways to resolve the remaining conflicts in the land.

Characters[]

Protagonists[]

  • Veigue Lungberg (ヴェイグ・リュングベル Veigu Ryungeberu?) - The 18-year-old protagonist, Veigue wields a broadsword and possesses the Force of Ice. An orphan whose parents died when he was young, Veigue was raised in the village of Sulz by Claire's family. Veigue is cold, unsociable, and withdrawn, but when he is with Claire, he softens. Throughout the story, he becomes more open to other people, especially his allies. Due to his Force going berserk in the beginning of the story, resulting in Claire being encased in ice, he concerns himself with her safety at all times.
  • Claire Bennett (クレア・ベネット Kurea Benetto?) - Claire is the 17-year-old heroine of the story. Her family took Veigue in when he was a child. She has rarely left her village of Sulz, but she is taken forcefully from her home at the start of the story, prompting Veigue to chase after her. Her focus on the positive traits of others, good heart, and optimism have earned her respect and admiration in the local community. Prior to the events of the story, she is encased in ice by Veigue when his Force goes berserk. After being freed, she becomes a pivotal character in the story. At some points in the story, Claire's point of view is shown during scenarios collectively known as "Claire Side". During these short portions, the player can control Claire in her current setting, although there are no battles.
  • Mao (マオ Mao?) - Mao is a boy possessing the Force of Fire who has no memory of his childhood. Traveling with the imposing Gajuma warrior, Eugene Gallardo, whom he views as a father figure, the two encounter Veigue guarding Claire's ice prison and invite him on their journey. Wise for his age, Mao usually imparts advice and knowledge of Force-related subjects at the beginning of the story. Throughout the story, he provides a cheery and child-like manner, often using humor to lighten the mood.
  • Eugene Gallardo (ユージーン・ガラルド Yuujiin Gararudo?) - A powerful 40-year-old, spear-wielding Gajuma warrior with the Force of Steel, Eugene travels with Mao. He is revealed early on to be the ex-commander of the King's Shield, though his situation behind leaving is a mystery to many. His past in revealed slowly throughout the story and is tied into that of Annie's. Known throughout the kingdom as a respected and strong commander, he is revered by many he comes across.
  • Annie Barrs (アニー・バース Anii Baasu?) - A 15-year-old girl with the Force of Rain, Annie is introduced a short way into the story as a girl who has a strong dislike of Gajuma. This hatred is explained as the story progresses and is tied into Eugene's past. Her father was a doctor, and she is very knowledgeable on the practice. Beginning as an enemy of the group, she eventually joins them.
  • Tytree Crowe (ティトレイ・クロウ Titorei Kurou?) - A 17 year-old factory worker in Petnadjanka with the Force of Wood, Tytree cares deeply for his big sister, Selena Crowe, and has big ideals of racial equality, unable to understand those who are against either race. The group initially meets Tytree as his Force is going berserk and has overtaken the Petnadjanka factory with vines and plants. After the ensuing battle, however, he joins the group. Throughout the story, he develops a close friendship with Veigue.
  • Hilda Rhambling (ヒルダ・ランブリング Hiruda Ranburingu?) - A beautiful but cold 21-year-old fortune teller, Hilda possesses the Force of Lightning. Initially encountering the group as an enemy, she fights them twice. After being abandoned by the King's Shield, however, she joins the group. Revealed to be a Half, with both Huma and Gajuma blood, she has developed a strong hatred for both the societies that have shunned her, as well as her own heritage, going so far as to cut off half of her own horns. She hides her animalistic ears and what remains of her horns with a hat. Cold and logical, she provides a keen insight as the group continues their journey. She had a close friendship with fellow Half, Militsa, of the King's Shield.
  • Agarte Lindblum (アガーテ・リンドブロム Agaate Rindoburomu?) - Daughter of Ladras, Agarte is the heir to the throne by blood. She is in love with her general, Milhaust Selkirk, but due to their racial difference, she seeks a Huma body to be on equal terms to love him. She possesses the Force of Moon, which can be used to swap bodies.

Antagonists[]

  • Milhaust Selkirk (ミルハウスト・セルカーク Miruhausuto Serukaaku?) - The main general of the Calegian army. Milhaust loyally serves Calegia, and although antagonistic at times, he is a man of honor and cares for the future of the country.
  • Saleh (サレ Sare?) - A twisted Huma who takes delight in the suffering of others. He possesses the Force of Storm, granting him access to powerful Wind-elemental spells.
  • Tohma (トーマ Tooma?) - A brutal, Minotaur-like Gajuma who is keen at manipulating others for his own gain. He possesses the Force of Magnet, granting him incredible physical prowess.
  • Walto (ワルトゥ Warutou?) - An older, bat-like Gajuma who opts to serve his country in spite of his own ideals. He possesses the Force of Sound, allowing him to manipulate the waves of a person's brain and temporarily control that person.
  • Militsa (ミリッツァ Mirittsa?) - A determined Half who feels as if the King's Shield is the only place where she can be accepted due to her race. She possesses the Force of Rainbow, which allows her to create copies of herself.
  • Zilva Madigan (ジルバ・マヂィガン Jiruba Madiigan?) - Agarte's adviser who also possesses the Force of Moon. She harbors an extreme dislike toward Huma and would like nothing but their extermination. For this, she manipulates Agarte and controls many things, such as Eugene's fall from grace.

Gameplay[]

ToR PS2 (NTSC-J) game cover

Cover for the PlayStation 2 version of the game.

Battle System[]

Tales of Rebirth breaks slightly from the series with a new take on the Linear Motion Battle System, the so-called "Three-Line Linear Motion" system. The player's characters and enemies are placed on three different planes, and the player has the ability to switch between these planes during battle. This system makes pre-battle positioning of party members on the three different planes critical to success. Two possible options are to place party members on different lines or to stack all characters on the same line, which makes battles more closely resemble those of previous Tales games that, in effect, only had one line or plane. Also, a new "Force Gauge" replaces the Technical Points, or TP, of the previous games. Tales of Rebirth allows the player to assign four skills to the four buttons on the directional pad.

In battle, skills have a recovery time that is directly related to the strength of the skill. The Force Gauge is a set of four diamond-shaped marks near the character's portrait in battle, where each diamond corresponds to the recovery time remaining on each of the skills assigned to the four-way directional pad. The new "Rush Gauge", which measures a character's emotional levels during battle, is located in the lower left corner of the screen during combat. As the gauge fills up during battle, a character's offensive power will increase at the cost of decreased defense. The battle system also includes unique "Secret Justice" moves, extremely powerful combination attacks triggered by an attacking character and a supporting character. Due to the power of these techniques, they can only be performed under very specific conditions.

Equipment Enhancement[]

Another innovative feature added to Tales of Rebirth to improve the Linear Motion Battle System is styled "Enhance". After victory in battle, the player will receive "Enhance Points" (EP) that can be used to improve weapons and armor. EP can be used to improve basic parameters of equipment, such as attack and defense, and unlock latent added effects. Some of these added effects include double damage and protection against status effects. Finally, enhanced features from one piece of equipment, such as a weapon, can be transferred to another weapon.

Ports[]

ToR PSP (NTSC-J) game cover

Cover for the PlayStation Portable version of the game.

Tales of Rebirth (PlayStation Portable)[]

Like Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Rebirth was ported February 15, 2007 for the PlayStation Portable.

Changes[]

  • Once the player reaches a certain point in the game, an arena is added to the gymnasium in Minal.
  • An Illustration Book was added.
  • Additional cut-ins for Fusionic Force Finalities were added.
  • More events were added.
  • An additional difficulty level called "GOD", which is higher than the "UNKNOWN" level, which is the highest in the PlayStation 2 version) of the game, was added.
  • Apple Gummies can be purchased at stores.
  • The walking speed in dungeons and towns was increased.
  • Suspend data is retained even after loading it.
  • New items were added to the Grade Shop.
  • The BGM that plays while riding on Shaorune was shortened.

Pre-order Bonuses[]

A drama DVD entitled Dramatic DVD: Peach Pie Chapter (ドラマチックDVD ピーチパイ篇?) was the pre-order bonus for the port. It contained the chat drama Tales of Rebirth: Re-Birthday Celebration Chapter (〜テイルズ オブ リバース再誕記念篇〜?); interviews with voice actors of Veigue, Mao, Eugene, Tytree, Milhaust, and Saleh; and the actual recipe and ingredients for Aunt Popura's peach pie, among other things.

The chat drama is a conversation between the characters themed after the PlayStation Portable port of the game. It begins three years after the original release of Tales of Rebirth. Mao, Eugene, and Tytree go to find Veigue, who has, for some reason, put himself into a cold sleep with his Force powers, to tell him about the PlayStation Portable port of Tales of Rebirth. Since he has been in a cryogenic state for the last three years, Veigue does not know what the world is like now, and the main topic moves on to him learning about the additional features added in the PlayStation Portable version.

Other Installments[]

ToR Group Illustration (1)

Illustration artwork.

Original Soundtrack[]

Tales of Rebirth Original Soundtrack

Novelization[]

  • Tales of Rebirth - Written by Shou Yuuki, illustrated by Mutsumi Inomata and Tokuyuki Matsutake. Three volumes total, published by Super Dash Bunko. This novelization generally follows the story from the game, but certain events are re-imagined, which causes certain plot points to be changed. In addition, in following with the publisher's word usage guidelines, the term used for children of a Huma and a Gajuma is not "Half", but rather, "mixed blood".
Rebirth Cast (ToLink)

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

  • Tales of Rebirth - Written by Sara Yajima, illustrated by Mutsumi Inomata. 5 volumes total, published by Famitsu Bunko.

Drama CDs[]

  • Tales of Rebirth Volume 1: Agarte and Claire
  • Tales of Rebirth Volume 2: Searching for Holy Power
  • Tales of Rebirth Volume 3: Chain of Hatred
  • Tales of Rebirth Volume 4: The Reborn World

Version History[]

Game Title System Catalog Number Release Date Region
Tales of Rebirth
テイルズ オブ リバース
PlayStation 2 - September 24, 2004 Japan (TGS 2004 Demo)
Tales of Rebirth
テイルズ オブ リバース
PlayStation 2 SCAJ-20112
SLPS-25450
December 16, 2004
December 16, 2004
Asia
Japan
Tales of Rebirth
テイルズ オブ リバース
PlayStation Portable UCAS-40200
ULJS-00132
ULKS-46175
ULJS-19033
March 17, 2008
March 19, 2008
March 20, 2008
January 28, 2010
Asia
Japan
Korea
Japan ("PSP the Best")

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • The story of the game dives into issues of racism, which was the result of the work of Masaki Hiramatsu, who wrote most of the main scenario. He cites his trip to Yugoslavia, where ethnic strife is prominent, as an inspiration for the story.[1]

References[]

  1. [JP] Tales of Rebirth Complete Guide. 466. Namco Books. 2005-01-31. ISBN 978-4902372052.

External Links[]


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