Tales of Innocence-R will bring one of Japan’s most loved role-playing franchises to the PlayStation Vita at a yet-unannounced date in 2012. You’ve seen the trailer, and now we’ve got 22 screenshots.
For this remake of the former DS-exclusive from 2007, publisher Namco Bandai is once again bringing in developer Alfa System to handle the actual making of the game itself, which is fitting, since the company also made the first Tales of Innocence.
Alfa System has also handled other Tales games for Namco Bandai, such as the Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology trilogy. Other titles made by this experienced group include both of Sega’s Phantasy Star Portable titles (PSP exclusive) and Ys III: Wanderers from Ys way back in 1991. The latter was remade for PSP by Falcom and published in North America by XSeed games under a new title.
The first version of Tales of Innocence didn’t come stateside, and Namco Bandai does not seem convinced of the selling power of portable Tales games outside of Japan, so whether the Vita will signify a fresh start for the English-speaking crowd has yet to be seen. The best thing you hopeful Western gamers can do is put your money where your mouth is and buy Tales of Graces F when it hits PS3 next year. That should send the right people the right message about the Tales series’ potential abroad.
