Tales of Berseria will launch for PlayStation 4 and PC in North America and Europe in early 2017, Banadi Namco announced.

In Japan, the game was recently dated for an August 18 release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 3 version will not release overseas.

View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Get some new information below, via the Tales of Blog

■ Characters

Eizen

Gender: Male – Age: 1,000 years old (his appearance is 30 y.o.)

Height: 187cm

Weapon: Bracelet

Fighting type: Pugilist

Tribe: Malak

Japanese voice actor: Toshiyuki Morikawa

Eizen, nicknamed “The Reaper”, is the skipper of Aifread’s pirates and he always makes his own decisions. Though he is a Malak (a spiritual being that can harness the power of nature), he sails the Van Eltia pirate ship on the open seas to follow his own creed. While looking for the missing Captain Van Aifread, he meets Velvet and joins her to fight their common enemy, the Abbey. His immense knowledge and experience of surviving the underworld will greatly help Velvet in her quest for revenge.

It seems all his life he’s brought misfortune to those around him. However, the pirates do not care at all and they continue their journey with Eizen.

Aifread’s Pirates

The pirates led by Captain Van Aifread. They are sailing the open seas on a pirate ship, the Van Eltia.

However, Captain Aifread is now missing, so Eizen and the Aifread pirates are searching for their captain.

Eizen and Velvet help each other fight their common enemy.

Both Eizen and Laphicet are malaks but Laphicet doesn’t have a will. Eizen teaches Laphicet the meaning of living with his own will as an ally.

Rokurou and Eizen have a conversation. Their ways of life and fighting styles are different but they find common ground.

Eizen warns Magilou against playing too many pranks.

We also had introduced Eleanor previously but are now ready to announce she’ll be playable alongside the others! Despite their clear conflict of purpose, Eleanor becomes a member of Velvet’s party. What are the real intentions behind her actions?

Even after joining the party, she frequently disagrees with Velvet’s opinion.

Eleanor is distressed about something.

Eleanor has a gentle nature. She treats young Laphicet with kindness.

■ Skit System

Every Tales game has a skit system where the characters talk to each other outside of battles and cutscenes. It’s a great way to get to know everybody better. Discussions can range from serious emotional moments to funny scenes that have you dying of laughter.

For Tales of Berseria the skit system introduces a “cut-in” effect. Character illustrations are inserted into corresponding converstaions in a variety of ways. Sometimes a skit describes a single character’s facial expression, sometimes it shows a conversation among multiple characters. The expressions change depending on the cut. This new way of portraying enables the team to highlight characters’ relationships in the conversations.

A skit can show the relationships of characters not seen in the main story.

There are also big full-screen illustrations!

■ Battle System

Switch Blast

The Switch Blast is a character switch system that enhances the degree of freedom in battles and expands strategic gameplay. Let’s delve into what this really means…

Switch Blast is the action that the player switch a character in battle to back up character.

The backup character has one more soul than usual when joining a battle. So, if a character in battle loses “Soul” and is at a disadvantage, a player can strategically utilize this action.

(1) When pushing down on the d-pad, a player can be switched with the targeted character (Magilou in this case)

(2) When Magilou joins the battle, she attacks.

Then, she has one more “Soul” added to the “Soul” she originally has.

When the backup character joins the battle that character is uses an attack.

Just push the up or down button on the d-pad to switch a battle member with a selected back up character. Switch Blast consumes 1 gauge of BG (Blast Gauge).

The Switch Blast is tied to a character’s Blast Gauge. As a reminder, this gauge is necessary to execute specific actions. In Tales of Berseria, this gauge can be filled predominantly by using “Break Soul”.

“Switch Blast” and “Mystic Artes” (to be revealed later) can be executed by consuming Blast Gauge.

If a player loses Soul, for example when they are inflicted with a status ailment, sometimes the player can find themselves in a tricky situation. In such a difficult situation, the player can overcome this danger by using Switch Blast.

Eleanor has only one Soul. She can execute just one arte and is in trouble.

Switch with Velvet by using Switch Blast.

Velvet joins the battle with one more Soul added and the player now can make combo chains to attack enemies.

New Characters’ Battle Styles

—Eizen

Eizen uses boxing attacks in melee battles and uses malak artes in long-range battles. Eizen can be a great vanguard and rear guard.

Eizen’s Break Soul – “Draconic Drive“: Area attack ability with strong power and wide range to be executed only when the condition is met

Eizen’s Break Soul can be executed only when the enemy is stunned or down.

This ability can deal high damage by spewing flames from the air and consuming the enemies around.

The required condition to execute this Break Soul is more difficult than the other characters but its strength is overwhelming.

This can be executed even if a non-targeted enemy is stunned or down, so pay attention to the other enemies on the field to gain the chance to use Eizen’s Break Soul.

—Eleanor

Eleanor fights with a spear for long reach and can attack middle-range with artes. Eleanor is good in melee/middle range battles.

Eleanor’s Break Soul – “Aerial Strike”: This launches an enemy into the air and can link to the aerial combo!

Eleanor can launch an enemy into the air with a spear and keep her combo against the falling enemy.

Her action is simple and easy to use. It is easy to include this in the combo and also it is easy to use to achieve Guard Break.

When she learns more abilities, she become able to do a following up attack in the air.