Top 5 Tales of cartoon introductions
In reality, the series only started showing off these cinematics from the second chapter, Tales of Destiny, which dates back to 1997, using the optical support of PlayStation: later, Namco retroactively produced an animated opening sequence also for Tales of Phantasia, when he brought it to the Sony console in December of '98. And since then the animated introduction has not been lacking anymore and, indeed, it has often been entrusted to prestigious studios and singers, leaving it to be revealed some time before the release of each game, as if it were a kind of highly anticipated ritual by fans of the brand. .
Tales of Arise, out September 10 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC, brings the series back to the spotlight five years after the release of the previous Tales of Berseria. Despite being a cross-generational title, Bandai Namco has promised that Tales has made important steps forward both in technical and gameplay terms, which we can begin to evaluate with our hands thanks to the demo that will be available from 18 August 2021.
In the meantime, we were able to enjoy the wonderful introduction to cartoons, made by Ufotable on the notes of the song Hibana by the band Kankaku Pierrot. The intro immediately became a favorite of ours, but there are others that we remember with pleasure and that, in a sense, trace the growth of Tales of as a brand. For this reason, the five intros that we propose below are not in order of preference, but chronological, according to the release of the respective games.
Tales of Destiny 2
Unfortunately this 2002 title for PlayStation 2 has never been localized in the West, and it is a shame because it is certainly one of the most valid and exciting Tales, especially because it continued the story started years earlier in Tales of Destiny by telling the adventures of a new generation of protagonists . However, it is very important for the purposes of our discourse because this kinematics establishes a sort of formula or structure that will then respect all the Tales to follow.If the previous intros were made up of decontextualized shots of the protagonists, interspersed with fragments of the few intermission cinematics in the actual game, Tales of Destiny 2 is the first Tales to show off a film designed specifically for the introduction by Production IG The highlight of this intro, however, is Mai Kuraki's song Key to My Heart. Soft and delicate, the song accompanies the cinematics on melancholic notes that blend well with the tone of the story and the picturesque cast of protagonists.
Tales of Symphonia
Starting with Tales of Symphonia, the animated introductions also begin to use another expedient: on some occasions they represent one or more important scenes in the story which, perhaps, in the actual game are not even animated. In retrospect, after experiencing that scene in the game, the cinematic introduction acquires an added sentimental value: in the case of Tales of Symphonia, we obviously refer to the short sequence in which Colette writes with her finger on the palm of Lloyd's hand.At the first viewing, this scene does not tell us anything, but we challenge you to look at it without the magone after reaching that narrative point in the game. That said, the animated intro of Tales of Symphonia, produced by Production IG, has been revived in various versions that stand out from the accompanying song.
Our favorite is Starry Heavens from Day After Tomorrow which accompanied the original intro for Game Cube from 2003, but with the orchestral rearrangement of the Tales of Symphonia Chronicles for PlayStation 3 from 2013: it has a fantastic rhythm that goes very well with the fluid and lively visuals depicting the characters and their adventurous journey. >
Tales of the Abyss
Let's admit we have a soft spot for Tales of the Abyss, which still remains the best chapter of the entire franchise in practically every respect, except for ... the animated introduction, which in fact, in terms of direction and structure, is certainly not the best of the bunch. So what are you doing in this top 5? The answer is simple: Karma by Bump of Chicken.The accompanying song is so full of energy that it enhances the animated sequence, marrying perfectly with the images that follow one another on the screen and that depict the extraordinary cast of the JRPG . The intro starts immediately in fourth, then slows down on the presentation roundup of the characters to explode almost immediately on the action scenes. Then he catches his breath, accompanying on more melancholic notes some of the key moments of the story, and unleashes at the end, in the spectacular duel that pits the protagonist Luke against his nemesis Asch.
Too bad that at its first location for PlayStation 2 , in 2006, had been deprived of the actual song: Bandai Namco had kept only the rearranged melody, removing the lyrics. The full intro was then restored to Nintendo 3DS in 2013.
Tales of Xillia
Tales of Xillia has been, hands down, our favorite intro so far. Starting with this 2011 title, the Ufotable studio takes care of the cinematics, and immediately begins with a bang by making not one, but two animated introductions. Actually only a few scenes change, but it's a very nice trick: since the player can choose whether to approach the story from the perspective of Jude or Milla, the introduction splits and in some passages it follows one rather than the other.Ufotable is a studio particularly well versed in the management of lighting and effects in post processing, therefore the kinematics of the Tales make a significant qualitative leap from a technical point of view, but this is not the only thing that makes the introduction animated of Tales of Xillia so precious: the song Progress by Ayumi Amasaki is also very important, accompanying with a pressing and compelling rhythm all the cinematics, which are strongly based on action, creating a correspondence between images and melodies that are truly perfect.
Tales of Zestiria
The cinematic introduction of Tales of Zestiria also underwent the "Abyss" treatment, meaning that for the Western Band localization ai Namco has well thought of removing the sung text and keeping only the musical accompaniment. The funny thing is that it is Superfly's song White Light that makes the introduction magnificent, net of a JRPG that remains among the weakest in the franchise in terms of history and gameplay.The band worked hand in hand with the developers because he wanted the song and the animated sequence to strongly reflect the tone of the game and above all the cast, which in fact was really memorable. White Light has grit, there is little to add: the song, with an unusual melody for a Tales, infuses the kinematics of an important charge, and the action scenes designed by Ufotable, characterized by subtle slow motion effects, take on a sort of of epic aura that helps to embellish the animated sequence especially at the end, when Sorey punches Heldalf metaphorically transforming himself into all his fellow adventurers on the notes of the chorus.
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