As you may have gathered from our article about importing video games, we like foreign goods. So, while scouring (yet again) the Japanese version of Xbox Live Marketplace, we found a demo for Namco's latest installment of the "Tales" franchise, which will soon appear for the first time on Xbox 360. Tales of Vesperia is an Xbox 360 exclusive, so what do Xbox 360 owners have to look forward to? If you played Eternal Sonata, you have a pretty good idea. And since the demo we played was in English, you shouldn't have to wonder much longer, as Tales of Vesperia should hit North America's Xbox Live Marketplace soon.
The Tales series has a fair bit of depth, with a rich and colorful palette that lets not only the cel-shaded characters pop out, but also the items that players can combine, the food they can create and the enemies they can encounter randomly along the pre-rendered an somewhat limited map. The first thing many people ask with a cel-shaded or Japanese game is "how turn-based is it?" Well, the combat in Tales of Vesperia is a real-time affair, and it actually involves more than just pressing a button. Special moves are usually a matter of a button-and-thumbstick combo, although even more elaborate combos can be performed that kill an enemy with one powerful blow.

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