Tales of Xillia 2 will put you in massive debt

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Sequels can be tricky beasts. When a game is popular, a follow-up is a profitable no-brainer. However, when the original tied up all its loose ends fairly well, giving the heroes a new evil to repel can feel excessive. Luckily for Tales series fans, Namco's gotten it right with Tales of Xillia 2, striking an important balance between old content and new, and using ideas its predecessor left unexplored to create a brand new adventure.

Picking up a year after the events of Xillia, Xillia 2 focuses on two new characters, Elle and Ludger, as they search for the mythical land of Canaan. Rather than hovering in a narrative vacuum, Xillia 2 takes time to look at world of Elympios post-unification, and consider the implications of two societies coming together after thousands of years in isolation. (Read: It's not gonna be pretty.) At the same time, it doesn't forget about the heroes that made that possiblecharacters from the original Xillia get their own optional backstories to play through, and they occasionally appear in the main story to assist Elle and Ludger.

The game is hardly a rehash though, as it also adds intriguing new options for players to explore. For instance, Ludger starts out the game in massive debt due to shenanigans, so his movements throughout the world are be limited by debt collectors as he earns money to pay them back. Multiple possible timelines are also introduced (which is apparently particularly critical for Elle), and player choice becomes much more critical, setting Ludger up to make critical decisions that affect the game in very real ways. A mechanic like that in a world with multiple realities--which could theoretically cease to exist if the "wrong" choice is made--becomes downright nerve-wracking, only in a good way.

Want to know more? Check out the following slides for screenshots and additional info!

Explore the world of Elympios, previously a vague and mysterious place you now get to see for yourself.

Extensive character backstories let you see what the old gang's been up to over the last year.

Player choice is a bigger deal here, since Ludger's decisions can change the story in a big way.

The battle system is as flourished as any Tales game.

Linking returns, allowing characters to pair up in battle for awesome combos.

Ludger's massive debts cleverly keep you out of critical areas until you pay them down.

But don't let that stop your flashy, sword-slashy fights.

Relationship building is back too, letting you develop friendships between characters to unlock extra scenes and content.