Tales of Berseria Remastered is one of the more puzzling choices from Bandai Namco when it comes to revisiting older titles. The game is nearly a decade old, but it originally launched on PS4 and was also available on PC. A remaster makes sense if the goal is to bring it to Switch and Xbox, but it raises a fair question for PC and PS4 players. What does this version really offer them? Since there is no upgrade path, the remaster needs to offer more than simple quality-of-life tweaks to justify its price.
Tales of Berseria Remastered takes place in the Holy Midgand Empire. The story follows Velvet Crowe, a young woman who lives in a quiet village with her siblings, until one tragic night, known as the Scarlet Night, changes everything. In this world, a plague called Daemonblight is spreading, turning people into monsters. During this chaos, Velvet’s brother is sacrificed by Artorius, who is also her brother-in-law. Velvet is transformed into a Daemon and survives the night. She later sets out on a path of revenge, determined to confront Artorius and the church he leads, which appears to control the world from the shadows. The game includes animated cutscenes that highlight major story moments, while most of the narrative is delivered through well-directed real-time scenes.
As for the remastered content, the game now runs at native 4K resolution at 60 FPS on the PS5. This is an improvement over the 1080p presentation on the PS4, but beyond that, there are no major visual upgrades aside from small tweaks. As a result, the game still looks dated when compared to more recent entries in the series. The so-called quality-of-life additions are fairly basic. They include a Grade Shop, the option to skip cutscenes, and minor adjustments to the world map. The Grade Shop works like a set of cheat options that can be activated before starting the story, offering bonuses such as increased stats and experience gain. These features are standard for remastered versions of older titles.
Another addition in Tales of Berseria Remastered is access to all of the post-launch DLC from the original release. Most of this content consists of extra costumes, and there is no major story expansion included. The game also benefits from faster loading times on PS5, which may be one of the more meaningful upgrades aside from the jump to 4K resolution. Whether this justifies buying the game again depends largely on how much you enjoy the Tales series and whether you have already played it. The original version often goes on sale at a low price, but it does not include the DLC, the quality-of-life features, or the higher resolution on PS5. On PC, however, the case for upgrading feels weaker, since that version did not face the same limitations.
Like earlier Tales games, Berseria uses the Linear Motion Battle System. It plays out in real time and focuses on action-driven combat. Players can move freely around the battlefield and chain together combos based on different attack inputs and special abilities. A key part of the system is the Soul Gauge, which requires careful management to make the most of each encounter. Having played most of the previous entries in the series, I found the combat here very enjoyable. There is strong depth in how artes blend with regular attacks, which keeps fights feeling fresh. At the same time, managing the Soul Gauge adds a layer of strategy that prevents battles from becoming mindless.
Tales of Berseria Remastered may not stand out visually, even with the remastered label, but it tells a dark and mature story that explores personal struggle and the emotional journey of its main character. The story is presented well, with strong cutscenes and solid overall direction. The cast is varied and well-developed, which adds to the appeal. The main drawback is that this remaster lacks a meaningful visual upgrade. It also raises the question of whether other entries, especially some of the older PS1 and PS2 Tales games, might have benefited more from this level of attention.
Tales of Berseria Remastered Game Information
- Price: $39.99
- Publisher: Bandai Namco
- Developer: D.A.G.
- Platform: PS5 (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
