XBOX REVIEW | Tales of Xillia Remastered

I never played Tales of Xillia when it first launched back in 2011, but it always lingered on my radar, one of those “I’ll get to it eventually” JRPGs with a reputation for heartfelt storytelling and fast-paced combat. Now, with the remastered release, I finally had the chance to dive in, and I’m genuinely glad I did. Tales of Xillia Remastered begins by offering a choice between two protagonists: Jude Mathis, a bright-eyed medical student, and Milla Maxwell, the resilient and mysterious Lord of Spirits. For this review, I chose to experience the story through Milla’s perspective, which lends a commanding, otherworldly tone to the unfolding events.

The story centres on the Lance of Kresnik, a powerful weapon that drains elemental spirits, and the conspiracy behind its creation. As Milla and Jude dig deeper, they uncover a conflict that spans nations and blurs the line between science and spirit, threatening the balance of their world, Rieze Maxia.

It’s a tale of trust, sacrifice, and identity, brought to life by a cast that evolves meaningfully. Alvin’s shifting loyalties, Elize’s quiet resilience, and Rowen’s political insight all add emotional weight to the journey.

Even without nostalgia, I was drawn in by the expressive writing, fluid combat, and thoughtful quality-of-life upgrades. Autosave, clearer map markers, and a more generous Grade Shop make this the most accessible version yet, perfect for newcomers like me. And for returning fans? It’s a chance to revisit a classic with sharper visuals and smoother pacing.

With Milla leading the charge and the remaster casting its spell, let’s break down what worked, what faltered, and everything in between.

Things I liked!

• A Tale Worth Telling | I didn’t know what to expect from Tales of Xillia’s story, but I wasn’t prepared for something this layered. What starts as a simple mission quickly spirals into a tale rich with emotional nuance, political intrigue, and clashing ideals. It’s not just good versus evil, it’s about how characters interpret justice, loyalty, and sacrifice in their own way. Some act out of selfish ambition, others from duty, and watching those values collide makes for compelling drama.
  
  The story unfolds across four distinct chapters, each raising the stakes and reshaping party dynamics. Characters grow, stumble, and surprise you. Milla’s shift from divine detachment to empathy, and Jude’s rise from observer to leader, both feel earned. It’s a narrative that respects its cast enough to let them change,  and that made it all the more gripping for me as a newcomer.

• Visuals That Shine | Tales of Xillia Remastered looks clean, vibrant, and full of life. Rieze Maxia bursts with colour, lush forests, glowing artefacts, and dramatic battle effects all pop thanks to sharper models and smoother environments. The bright, expressive palette gives each location its own mood, from sunlit plains to eerie labs. Even skits and cutscenes benefit, with cleaner animations and more emotive faces. The game also runs at a smooth 60 FPS, which makes everything, from exploration to combat, feel fluid and responsive. As a first-time player, the visual polish made the whole experience feel fresh, like stepping into a classic that’s been lovingly restored.
  
  
• Audio That Elevates | If the visuals drew me in, the audio sealed the deal. Tales of Xillia Remastered features a stellar voice cast, Milla’s calm authority, Jude’s earnestness, and Alvin’s slippery charm all shine, with even minor characters delivered with care. Sound effects are crisp and dynamic, from crackling spells to shifting footsteps, adding subtle immersion throughout. The soundtrack is phenomenal. Light jazz bubbles during exploration, while sweeping orchestral pieces elevate key moments. It adapts beautifully to the mood, reinforcing tension, joy, or sorrow without ever feeling forced. For me, it was one of the standout elements, constantly enhancing the emotional impact of every scene.
  
  
• Gameplay That Grows With You | Tales of Xillia’s gameplay hooked me fast. Combat is real-time, flashy, and responsive, with linked attacks and just enough strategy to stay engaging. Unlocking artes and experimenting with character pairings adds depth, especially when playing as Milla, I enjoyed switching between support and offence depending on the fight. Controls are flexible: manual, semi-auto, or full auto let you tailor the experience. You’ll mostly play as Milla or Jude, but you can switch leaders and assign moves to button combos, making combat feel fluid and personal.
  
  Exploration is smooth, with clear objectives and enough side content to stay interesting. Quality-of-life tweaks like autosave, faster loading, and a cleaner UI keep things snappy. Progression feels rewarding too, with meaningful levelling, customisable skill trees, and the Grade Shop encouraging experimentation.
  
  
• Getting to Grips with the Controls |Tales of Xillia’s controls take a little getting used to, but they’re intuitive once you settle in. The left stick handles movement, with a click to toggle between running and dashing. X opens the area map with quest markers and collectibles, while the right stick brings up a world map for fast travel. Y opens the main menu, items, artes, equipment, skills, quests, and settings are all neatly organised. Combat controls shift dramatically, with over a dozen buttons handling artes, guarding, dodging, linking with allies, and issuing commands. It can feel overwhelming at first, but a quick button press brings up a full guide, and it soon becomes second nature.
  
  
• Replayability | I’ve only completed the game as Milla so far, but Tales of Xillia Remastered does offer good replay value. Playing again as Jude gives a slightly different perspective, with unique scenes and party dynamics. After finishing once, you can start a New Game Plus save, carrying over some, but not all, items and progress via the Grade Shop.
  
  
• Accessibility Options | Tales of Xillia Remastered offers plenty of options to tailor the experience. You can adjust difficulty at any time (five levels available), remap buttons, toggle enemy encounters, and switch between English and Japanese audio. Music, sound effects, and voice volume are all adjustable too.

Mixed & disliked!

• Minor Technical Issues | A few small bugs are worth flagging. The subtitle toggle doesn’t work properly, subtitles still appear during voiced scenes and are essential for NPCs with no dialogue, which feels inconsistent. Pausing cutscenes can also cause voice audio to drop when resumed, and I’ve noticed occasional visual pop-in during Chapter 2. None of these break the experience, and I expect they’ll be patched, but they’re worth noting.
  
  
• Achievements: The Long Game | Achievements in Tales of Xillia Remastered aren’t easy to unlock. Some are earned through story progression, while others require finishing the game with both characters or completing specific tasks, like defeating rare monsters, using special moves repeatedly, or reaching a high number of enemy encounters. I’ve hit 779 and still haven’t unlocked that one. With no in-game tracker, it’s hard to know how close you are. Based on what I’ve seen, unlocking everything might take three or four full playthroughs.
  

• When the Pace Slows | I did feel the pacing dipped slightly during Chapter 2. It’s not a major issue, but that section leans more heavily on cutscenes, and the shift in tempo made the gameplay feel a little slower than usual. The scenes themselves are well-written and important to the story, but I found myself keen to get back into exploration and combat sooner.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 40 Hours
How long to beat the story? 25-30 Hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 6/45 OR 180/1000G
How long to achieve 1000G | 100+ Hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Edge of Eternity and Tales of Grace f Remastered

CONCLUSION

Score: 88/100

Tales of Xillia Remastered doesn’t just revisit a fan-favourite, it refines it. With expressive writing, fluid combat, and thoughtful upgrades, it’s a heartfelt JRPG that still holds its own. A few technical hiccups and pacing dips aside, this remaster makes a strong case for newcomers and returning players alike. Whether you’re here for Milla’s commanding presence or the emotional arcs that unfold around her, Xillia’s charm shines through.

And with the remaster of Tales of Xillia 2 now officially announced, I’m genuinely excited to continue the journey and see how the sequel holds up in its refreshed form.