: This preview, as you might expect, references events that occurred in the original Tales of Xillia. Beware of spoilers.

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“ Fans of Xillia will be happy to know that many characters from the original reappear in playable form in Xillia 2.

Ludger intends on protecting Elle at all costs.

“ The Affinity system packed into Tales of Xillia 2 also sounds great, because it affects how characters interact with each other.

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“ Oh, if you have a save from Tales of Xillia, hold on to it: having any sort of save will net you some special stuff in Xillia 2...

As Tales approaches its 20th year, the franchise has undergone a bit of a resurgence, at least in the west. PSone’s Tales of Destiny and GameCube’s Tales of Symphonia are among the critical and commercial high points of the series, but it appeared that Tales of Xillia’s success in particular surprised JRPG players and publisher Bandai Namco alike. The game was great , and it sold pretty well too, well enough that Bandai Namco quickly and uncharacteristically confirmed its sequel for western release – Tales of Xillia 2 – as well as upcoming PS3-exclusive Tales of Zestiria and Vita-centric port Tales of Hearts R Out of those three announcements, Xillia 2’s release is most imminent, launching just over a year after the original Tales of Xillia appeared in the west. The sequel begins a year after the events of the original, and places us back in familiar locations. Rieze Maxia – territory where humanity lives side-by-side with a special spiritual energy that allows them to use spells called Artes -- remains separated from a parallel world known as Elympios. In Elympios, the usage of Artes isn't innate, which has created a different kind of society and economy. Since it isn't in-sync with nature, Elympios lacks lush plantlife and has little wildlife. It, unlike the more pastoral Rieze Maxia, is industrial, build-up, and modern.Fans of Xillia will be happy to know that many characters from the original reappear in playable form in Xillia 2. Among those characters are the elderly master tactician, Rowen, Jude Mathis' childhood friend Leia, and the man of questionable repute, Alvin. These characters mix up with some new cast entries, though there's a welcome familiarity in Xillia 2 that will appeal to those who played and beat the first. Unfortunately, the original Xillia's emphasis on seeing the story from two different angles -- in that case, Jude's and Milla's -- is abandoned in the sequel, but at least that means you only have to play it once through to see everything.Bandai Namco is showing a willingness to try different things in Tales of Xillia 2 that readily differentiate it from the original game. While the linking system returns (under the umbrella of the suitably outrageous battle system title Double Raid Linear Motion Battle System), it now has a notable twist. It all takes place in real-time, as always, but Ludger can use three different weapons -- effectively separated as short-ranged, mid-ranged, and long-ranged -- and he can change his reliance on those weapons in battle, opening up new strengths and weaknesses on the fly to take advantage of any situation at hand. This gives multiple permutations to the links that are conducted between him and other characters, adding layers of depth to an already deep combat system, one the Tales' series is well-known for.The Affinity system packed into Tales of Xillia 2 also sounds great, because it affects how characters interact with each other. Better yet, it's all based on how often characters link with one another in battle, and how successful they are when they do. Linking up often and kicking some ass will open up new dialogue choices between characters, open up fresh dialogue that you wouldn't otherwise see, and give players access to new items and skills, too. This gives you reasons to mix things up, even after you find effective links that you might not want to otherwise sever.To give Xillia 2 a less stagnant feel that otherwise arbitrarily ties you to locations until the story is "ready" to move on, the game also comes packing an interesting "debt" feature, in which you have to pay back owed debts to move on to new areas. You can do that by fighting enemies, completing sections of the main campaign, and undertaking special so-called Contracts that can be accessed via numerous job bulletin boards strewn around the world. These jobs require you to find items, deliver goods, fight special enemies, and more (you know, the typical JRPG fare). You can earn Merit Points by doing these jobs, as well, and those points will tie in to Xillia 2's special New Game+ functionality.Oh, if you have a save from Tales of Xillia, hold on to it: having any sort of save will net you some special stuff in Xillia 2, and if you have a cleared game save from the original, what you'll receive in Xillia 2 is even cooler.Tales of Xillia 2 launches exclusively on PlayStation 3 on August 19, 2014, just over a year after Xillia launched in the west. We already have it, so keep an eye out soon for a full video preview and, ultimately, our complete written and video review leading up to its release.

Colin Moriarty is IGN’s Senior Editor. You can follow him on Twitter.