Having been shackled to the PS3 ever since its release all the way back in 2011, it’s great to see Tales of Xillia make a deserved comeback through Tales of Xillia Remastered.
Part of Bandai Namco’s ongoing mission to re-release just about every Tales title on as many platforms as possible, Xillia Remastered is a predictably solid offering.
Its visuals have been cleaned up a bit with a boost to colour saturation and resolution, it runs at 60 frames-per-second on PS5, and it boasts a number of welcome quality of life improvements, like objective markers, a sprint toggle, and even a handy autosave.
But for those who have played Xillia before, perhaps the biggest addition is the Grade Shop being open right from the start. Typically saved for New Game+, the Grade Shop features gameplay modifiers that can alter the experience quite dramatically.
You can increase experience point and currency gains to speed the adventure along as you like, making replays a breeze if you’re just here for the nostalgia. Thoughtful stuff.
And we do think that a game like Xillia needs a bit of extra incentive these days. The RPG hasn’t aged badly, but parts of it do feel slightly misguided here in 2025.
For example, there’s a lot of backtracking through same-y environments, the side quests are decidedly dull, and in general, the game just takes a while to really get going.
Story and character-wise, though, Xillia holds up reasonably well. The dual protagonist approach of Jude, a sharp but timid teenager, and Milla, the incarnation of what is essentially a demigod, still works, with both leads bringing completely different perspectives to the party.
The other members, meanwhile, tend to bounce off the twosome brilliantly. There’s an almost prickly, uncertain dynamic to the group, and the tension helps keep the wider plot interesting.
The combat system’s still nice and punchy, too. Many fans will tell you that Xillia’s got some of the most balanced battle mechanics in the series, and they’d be right — it’s a refined mix of big combo damage and unique character abilities.
So, while there are elements of Tales of Xillia that don’t quite measure up to today’s standards, the core adventure remains rock solid, and the remaster brings some welcome additions and extras to the table. This PS3 RPG deserved a good re-release, and it’s got one.