| Tales of the Abyss | |
|---|---|
 North American PlayStation 2 version cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Namco Tales Studio |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Director(s) | Yoshito Higuchi |
| Producer(s) | Makoto Yoshizumi |
| Artist(s) | Kōsuke Fujishima |
| Writer(s) | Takumi Miyajima |
| Composer(s) | Motoi Sakuraba Shinji Tamura Motoo Fujiwara |
| Series | Tales |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Nintendo 3DS[2] |
| Release | PlayStation 2 Nintendo 3DS |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Tales of the Abyss[a] is an action role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio as the eighth main title in their Tales series in celebration of the series' 10th anniversary. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, the game was published by Namco in Japan in December 2005, and Bandai Namco Games in North America in October 2006. Its development team included director Yoshito Higuchi, producer Makoto Yoshizumi, and character artist Kōsuke Fujishima. The game features music by series composers Motoi Sakuraba and Shinji Tamura, and includes the opening theme song "Karma" by Bump of Chicken, which is replaced with the instrumental version in the western release. Namco has given Tales of the Abyss the characteristic genre name To Know the Meaning of One's Birth RPG[b]. A port for the Nintendo 3DS handheld was released in Japan in June 2011, followed by an Australian and European release in November 2011 and a North American release in February 2012.
Taking place in a fantasy world, the story focuses on Luke fon Fabre, a young swordsman whose pampered life turns upside down when he unwittingly becomes the target of a military-religious organization known as the Order of Lorelei, who believe him to be the key to an ancient prophecy. Together with his companions, Luke attempts to discover the truth and significance of his own birth, as well as unravel the mystery of The Score, the prophecy that has bound humanity's actions for thousands of years.
Reviews for both its original console and handheld releases were mostly positive, with critics praising the title's combat system yet remarking that the game's plot had a tendency to move slowly and adhered to many stock Japanese role-playing game conventions[citation needed]. The PlayStation 2 version has sold approximately 734,000 copies worldwide. A 26-episode anime adaptation by Sunrise was also produced, which first aired in Japan on MBS between October 2008 and March 2009.
- ^ "Tales of the Abyss for Nintendo 3DS". Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
- ^ Gantayat, Anoop (September 29, 2010). "Tales of the Abyss Set for 3DS". Andriasang. Archived from the original on October 2, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
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