Anime has completely changed character interaction in video games. The Tales series embraces this with little animated skits that offer a brief glimpse into how the cast responds to each other and the environment. In my experience, these sketches only distract from the overall tone of the game and offer very little insight into the overarching plot.

Recently, I've tried getting back into Tales games. I do this from time to time, as I truly want to understand what draws fans back to them. The aforementioned skits are truly a stumbling block for me. Well, that was until I started playing Tales of Graces F.

Graces takes the sometimes goofy character interaction from previous Tales titles and blends it with a hard-hitting story of friendship and redemption. Many fans list Tales of Vesperia as the turning point for this series as the entire game shifts tone partway through as you find out the main character isn't exactly what he seems.

Tales of Graces improves on the anime style by decreasing the intense juxtaposition between humor and drama. The whimsical art style remains but is cut by how the world is structured. Trees are full of life, crisp streams burble on merrily through meadows, but everyone is treading lightly. War is everywhere. Death and conflict are ever-present weights on the minds of adults and children.

That theme isn't very different from many Tales titles, but Graces simply feels more mature. Compared to Tales of the Abyss (which I played most recently), Graces is positively dark. The main character, Asbel, is the oldest son of a lord and is totally rambunctious. The game starts when he is 11 and chronicles the rocky relationship he has with his father and his complete disregard for responsibility. As he ages, the world he took for granted turns on him, leaving Asbel desperately grasping for relevance.

This glimpse into self-discovery actually hinges on how characters behave. Rather than breaking from Asbel's doubt and uncertainty, the skits magnify how alone and confused he feels even in a group of close friends.

I...like Tales of Graces. It's difficult for me to say that given the problems I've had with it. While the skits are much more mellow and purposeful, the major plot points are sadly predictable. I wanted the story to follow a much less traditional good vs. evil path given the struggles Asbel faces, but it falls victim to the usual RPG tropes.

Graces gives me hope for future Tales games. If the abject silliness vanishes, I can see this series becoming what I've always wanted out of Final Fantasy. I want stories about war-torn countries and an overwhelming amount of political intrigue. Graces ramps this up while balancing its historical connection to tension-breaking non sequiturs.

Tales of Graces is the beginning of a wonderful new face for the series. I only hope that the next titles are not a giant step backward when this more serious face doesn't sell well.