Bandai Namco's ‘Tales Of Berseria’ To Have Lone Female Protagonist

Bandai Namco has announced it is updating the “Tales of” series with “Tales of Berseria.” The latest entry in the long-running role-playing game (RPG) series will come to the Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 platforms.

In addition, Bandai Namco has announced “Tales of Zesteria” -- a special anime based on the most recent “Tales of” game -- as part of the series' 20th anniversary.

“Tales of Berseria” is a history-making game for the series, not just because the title will be coming to a next-generation console like the PS4, but also because it will feature a new, lone female protagonist named Velvet, who will be voiced by Rina Satou. Previous games, like “Tales of Xillia,” have had female protagonists, but they usually shared the spotlight with a male character. So the fact that the spotlight will be on Velvet makes this a first for the series.

Forbes has confirmed the return of artist Mutsumi Inomata, who will do the character designs for “Tales of Berseria.” Inomata has been well-regarded among the “Tales of” fan base, as she has been making character designs for the series since “Tales of Destiny” for the original PlayStation.

As for the “Tales of Zesteria” anime, not much is known about the upcoming anime, though it’s clear that it will be based on that particular game. This won't be the first anime made for a “Tales of” game, as the incredibly popular “Tales of the Abyss” also got an anime adaptation, along with “Symphonia,” “Eternia” and “Phantasia,” as reported by Game Informer.

It seems like the “Tales of Zesteria” anime is being made to help promote the Western release of the game -- which will be a PlayStation 3-only release, unlike “Tales of Berseria.” The official release date for either game hasn’t been confirmed yet, though “Zesteria” will be coming to North America sometime this year.

Tales of 20th Anniversary Animation (Credit: YouTube/Bandai Visual)