TALES OF SYMPHONIA™ REMASTERED, an enhanced version of the classic action RPG, is now available on PlayStation®4 (compatible with PlayStation®5), Xbox One (compatible with Xbox Series X|S), and Nintendo Switch™ today!
To express our gratitude to those who played the original Tales of Symphonia 20 years ago, as well as new Tales Of fans, we interviewed the staff who oversaw the game's production back in 2003.
Read on to learn about Tales of Symphonia from the perspectives of the narrative lead, game director, and game planner.
Scenario: Takumi Miyajima
She is a freelance writer who works on a wide range of projects, including game scripts and novels. In the "Tales of" series, she has worked on scenarios for "Tales of Symphonia" and "Tales of the Abyss".
- How did you get involved in the production of Tales of Symphonia?
I mainly write scenarios for games. In Symphonia, I was in charge of the world building, character setting, scenario, etc.
- What is the story/theme of Tales of Symphonia? What was it trying to portray?
I believe it is a story of 'forgiveness' and 'rebirth'. The story also explores the relationship between parents and their children.
- What did you want to make people who encountered Tales of Symphonia feel?
I was simply hoping that people would enjoy the game. I would be happy if the experience in the game could be one of the strengths for people to face the real world.
- What were your inspirations in creating the story?
The basic premise of the story was the motif of "Did the people who were chosen for sacrifice in the Mayan and Aztec civilizations feel happy? “I thought that there must have been something immeasurable in our modern senses, and came up with the idea of a story centering on a Chosen.
- Were there any episodes that were difficult during production?
I remember it was difficult to write several episodes because the game had many branches of storylines that were dependent on so many factors. It was fun, but demanding work.
- How do you feel about game fans around the world experiencing the story of Symphonia once again, 20 years after its original release?
It is a strange one, and while it is certainly an old title, I feel that it encompasses a theme that is very appropriate for our times.
While I wish everyone could acknowledge the existence of something they don't like, similar to how Lloyd does, it also takes a lot of courage to acknowledge the existence of something you dislike.
I hope the game will help those who play it understand that.
- Finally, please give a few words to fans in Western.
For those who are playing again, I hope you will enjoy the change in perspective that comes with age, and for those who are new to the game, I hope you will enjoy the choices of the characters who live in this game. Enjoy your journey!
Director: Yoshito Higuchi (Bandai Namco Studio Inc.)
He is active as a game director, game designer, and planning supervisor.
- How did you get involved in the production of Tales of Symphonia?
As Namco's production director, I was responsible for the overall direction and tuning of the game.
- What is the story/theme of Tales of Symphonia? What was it trying to portray?
It may sound like a lot of things, but I would venture to say that I wanted to portray the idea that no matter what your birth or circumstances, there is a place for you and you are welcome to be there.
- What did you want to make people who come into contact with Tales of Symphonia feel?
We had a strong desire to make a game that would be enjoyable for the next 10 years, while still following the tradition of the "Tales Of" series that had been created up to that point.
Happily, this wish has been granted, as it is already being remastered more than a decade later.
- Were there any episodes that were difficult during production?
Because the team was young and there were so many firsts, we had a very difficult time putting the game together from the midpoint onward.
There were some things I had to give up due to time constraints, but I think I was able to put in a relatively large amount of work and am happy with what we created.
- How do you feel about game fans around the world experiencing the story of Symphonia once again, 20 years after its original release?
I am very honored and grateful. Of course, it is not the "newest" game, but I think it has the quality of the excitement of the time, and I hope you enjoy it.
- Finally, please give a few words to fans in Western.
The GC version of Symphonia was widely accepted in WW at the time, and had a great influence on the development and production of the series thereafter.
We are very grateful for that. The fact that Symphonia was loved so much even though it was not made with a strong awareness of overseas markets means that there were many people who thought what we thought was interesting was interesting, and we are very grateful for that.
We look forward to your continued support of "Tales of Symphonia" and the "Tales Of" series!
Main Planner: Takashi Hasegawa (Bandai Namco Studio Inc.)
In the "Tales Of" series, he is also in charge of scenarios for "Tales of Vesperia" and " Tales of Zestiria"
- How did you get involved in the production of Tales of Symphonia?
Development Direction and Planning, Lead Game Design.
- What is the story/theme of Tales of Symphonia? What was it trying to portray?
At that time, “otaku culture” was not as civilized as it is today. So I told Miyajima-san that I wanted her to include as a message in the story that the public does not have to like the Otaku, but that they should be allowed to be there.
- What did you want to make people who come into contact with Symphonia feel?
I wanted people to get excited about saying and hearing about the differences in their own play with acquaintances who also play Symphonia, and I wanted them to enjoy their own style of storytelling experience.
- What were your inspirations in creating the story?
Although I did not consciously incorporate it into my work, I like the novels of the late Shotaro Ikenami, so that may have been an influence.
- Were there any episodes that were difficult during production?
The liking system and the progression route with choices made debugging difficult, as did the implementation. In addition, since the game was initially created with no localization in mind, dialogue, technique names, etc. were written directly in the game's working source code, making the preparation for translation work itself very difficult.
- How do you feel about game fans around the world experiencing the story of Symphonia once again, 20 years after its original release?
I am very happy to be able to touch Symphonia again now.
As a game designer, I feel a little embarrassed to see what I created 20 years ago, as it reminds me of how young and inexperienced, I was back then.
- Finally, please give a few words to your fans in Europe and the United States.
We are truly grateful to all of our fans for their support. We hope you will continue to support the Tales of series.
At the end of this article, we also received a message from Ishikawa-san, who was involved as a producer of this remastering.
“I am happy once again that so many people are interested in "Tales of Symphonia. This work is not a "remake" but a "remaster" work, and although it is not a full remake with the latest battle system or breathtaking graphics, it has the warm, deformed, illustration-style visuals of the original work and the drama depicted by the charming characters. We hope you will join Lloyd, Colette, and the others on their journey of world renewal, a journey that has not faded in the 20 years since the original was first published in 2003.”
TALES OF SYMPHONIA™ REMASTERED is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
For more information about Tales of Symphonia Remastered, check the latest news!
