Tales of Innocence (2007). Play online

Summary

I stumbled upon Tales of Innocence on the DS and was surprised by how boldly it pushed handheld limits. The game revamps the series’ Linear Motion Battle System into a “Dimension Stride LMBS”, letting you roam a 3D arena and directly control one character while AI handles the other two. Combos fill a tension gauge that unleashes an awakened state, boosting damage and opening team Artes. What really struck me was the amount of voiced dialogue—roughly three‑quarters of the script—despite the cartridge’s one‑gigabit voice data cap, giving the RPG a surprisingly cinematic feel. The crystal‑clear character models earned it a 35/40 in Famitsu, and the Wi‑Fi‑enabled guild system added cooperative quests you could tackle with friends. For a handheld of its era, the depth feels more console‑like than you’d expect.

Storyline

The world of Tales of Innocence is split between the divine Devaloka—divided into Sensus and Ratio—and the human realm Naraka. In ancient times Asura, a Sensus general, tried to merge the realms with the Manifest, sparking war that ended with his death and a shattered Devaloka.

In the present, Naraka’s imperial capital Regnum and the western nation Garam fight for dominance, while "Avatars"—Devalokans reborn as humans—are hunted or drafted. Ruca Milda, the reincarnation of Asura, rescues Illia Animi, the avatar of Inanna, and awakens his own powers. Captured, they are forced onto the front lines alongside Spada (Durandal reborn) and later join Chitose (Sakuya), Ricardo (Hypnos), Ange (Orifiel) and Hermana (Vrtra).

The party battles rival avatars and the cult Arca led by Mathias, the incarnation of Asura’s wrath. Chitose’s devotion to Sakuya drives her to side with Mathias, creating a rift, but memories of past lives push the group to fulfill Asura’s original wish: unite Devaloka and Naraka. They defeat Mathias in Devaloka’s ruins, Chitose ends her life, and Ruca activates the Manifest, merging the worlds and ending avatar powers.

The Vita remake, Tales of Innocence R, adds QQ Selezneva and Kongwai Tao via a Triverse Gate, but the core storyline remains unchanged.