Play Tales of the Tempest Online

Summary

Tales of the Tempest (often just called Tempest) packs a full‑blown Tales experience into the Nintendo DS’s dual screens, rendering the world in 3D while keeping the action portable. The developers aimed for a compact, on‑the‑go version of the series, even delaying the launch twice to polish the feel.

Combat uses a scaled‑down 3‑on‑3 Linear Motion Battle System where characters can shift among three movement planes, a step up from the single‑plane fights of older titles. The touch screen lets you trigger special attacks and even unleash werewolf transformations that boost power and speed at the cost of techniques. Switching control between party members on the fly adds a tactical edge.

A day‑night cycle changes enemy behavior and town access, while a cooking mechanic lets you combine ingredients via the stylus to create meals that restore health, TP, or grant buffs. After progressing far enough, a local‑multiplayer dungeon opens, supporting up to three players who must cooperate to reach the treasure.

Presentation is streamlined: voice work is limited to ability cues and cooking, and the opening blends in‑game CGI with animated segments from Production I.G. The soundtrack, composed by series veteran Motoi Sakuraba, features the pop‑flavored theme "VS" performed by misono, giving the title a distinct musical flavor.

Storyline

Tales of the Tempest is set on the continent of Areulla, where humans coexist with the half‑beast Leymons. The Leymons once ruled using a dangerous technology called Precepts, but the creation of the "Law of Life" gem called the Patient caused a catastrophe that wiped out most of their kind and sparked the Beast War. After the war, humans rewrote history, labeling Leymons as "Lycanths" and hunting them for reward. The story begins a century after this conflict, with the church‑run regime oppressing the remaining Leymons. Caius Qualls, a young Leymon with human blood, lives with his foster father in a remote village. When a Spot attacks after Caius saves an Imperial Guard soldier and receives a crystal, the villagers discover his foster father’s Lycanth heritage and turn hostile. With his guardian and parents captured by church authorities, Caius joins a band of outcasts to rescue them and topple the oppressive clergy. Rubia Natwick, his childhood friend whose priest parents were slain by the inquisitor Rommy, seeks vengeance alongside him. The party expands with Tilkis Barone, a sword‑wielding scholar from a distant land; Forest Ledoyen, a knowledgeable Lycanth guide; and Arria Ekberg, a priest who opposes the persecution of her fellow Lycanths. Their enemies include Vincent Bridges, a pope with two Leymon sons, his hunter son Lukius Bridges, and the cold Spot Rommy. Other figures of note are Albert Mueller, leader of the Black Knights dreaming of kingship, and Arella VIII, a child‑bodied Spot who has ruled for over a hundred years.