Bandai Namco‘s Tales of [insert dramatic third word here] franchise has been around for almost thirty years, featuring some of the most remarkable narratives across 17 core titles. However, despite the frequency with which these JRPGs are launched globally, there remain several aspects of its legacy that have never been translated or appropriately localized outside of Japan.
Tales of Rebirth was initially released on the PS2 in 2004 in Japan and later reissued on the PSP in 2008, yet neither edition received an official English localization, despite the growing popularity of the franchise worldwide in recent times. Rebirth adheres to the dynamic action-slashing mechanics typical of the series, set in a world teeming with escalating racial strife and political turmoil, which undoubtedly makes it a topic of interest for international fans of the series.
Some fans, however, decided to take matters into their own hands, as a fan-crafted English translation patch has just been launched for the PS2 variant. The translation is still technically in beta, but it represents the closest opportunity we’ve had to experience the cult classic in English after two decades. You can check it out on GitHub.
The hope for an official localization – not just in English – is stronger than ever. Bandai Namco is set to remaster Tales of Graces f next month, and the company has confirmed plans to remaster additional titles from the series’ history “fairly consistently” and “as much as possible” to provide access to these less recognized titles on mainstream consoles and PC.
For now, d