GR:We might be wrong, but the vibe we're getting is that Vesperia is meant for hardcore Tales fans and Dawn is more for Symphonia/Nintendo fans. Is this a proper feeling or are we misjudging?
TG: We are trying to make Vesperia a benchmark for how we will be approaching Tales games on high definition consoles in the future. In that sense, the game is not only for longtime Tales fans but also those who might be unfamiliar with the genre but are interested in manga or Japanese animation.
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, as a spin-off, is definitely for users who are familiar with Symphonia, but also for the many Wii owners who might want to get acquainted with role-playing games.
GR: Many of the characters in Dawn of the New world are returning from Symphonia- about how many original characters are there in Dawn?
TG: I can’t reveal the full list, but Emil and Marta are two new characters that will play a large role in the game. You’ll also meet a lot of returning characters, so we have quite a large roster for players to choose from, in addition to all the monsters you can use in your party.
GR:We’ve heard a lot about Emil Castagnier and his troubled past, but what can you tell us about the female lead, Marta Lualdi? Why does she take it upon herself to protect the Ratatosk Core?
TG: This is a pretty big plot point, so I wouldn’t want to spoil it for your readers!
GR:We understand the old affection system has shifted to focus on the monsters in Dawn of the New World- does that mean we won’t get any human romance subplots? There’s got to be something with Lloyd and Colette now being on opposing sides of the conflict...
TG: It’s true that the affection system won’t be the same in this game, but the storyline should offer a lot of these interpersonal elements that fans are hoping to get into.
GR: Is Lloyd the main antagonist in Dawn of the New World, or is there another sinister power Emil and Marta are up against? Might Lloyd join with Emil at some point down the road?
TG: This is a big mystery in the story and I’m aware that everyone wants to know what happened to Lloyd. I’ll just say that Emil hates him and will be pursuing him throughout the game. Anything beyond that would ruin the story!
