Next “Tales Of” Game Features Distinctive, Baroque-Inspired Design

The long-running "Tales of" series of games has been typically graced by medieval fantasy looking artwork with a bit of science fiction thrown in for kicks. Colorful and anime-inspired, the series has always been designed in contrast to the more serious aesthetics of the Final Fantasy series—especially the newer entries.

Japanese magazine Famitsu revealed some new concept art of the upcoming "Tales of" game, which offers aesthetics very different from its predecessors in the franchise. The colors seem a little more muted, and the environments look like a combination Baroque architecture and "weird fantasy" speculative fiction—like the kind written by China Mieville.

The series producer Hideo Baba says the upcoming Tales game is a mothership title (as opposed to a spin-off) and will offer a much more modern look than the previous games. However different the look, the game will retain the combat mechanics of the other Tales games.

Baba hinted at the game's premise with the following phrase: "Are you prepared to destroy the world for the sake of a girl," which he says is a key phrase for the game’s story and gameplay systems.