Instruction Manual (English)

Before you play

Up to four people can play at the same time, but only during battles. Playing with others needs the following setup.

Two players

You need two controllers. Connect one to each controller port.

Three or more players

You need a PlayStation 2 multitap (sold separately) and one controller per player. Always connect the multitap to controller port 2 of the console and plug the extra controllers into the multitap. Use multitap ports A, B and C in that order, according to the number of players. Port D cannot be used, and the multitap cannot be connected to controller port 1.

The world of Tales of Destiny 2: Story pages 2 and 3

History of the planet

More than a thousand years ago, a comet with a strange energy signature struck the planet and brought on an age of long winter.

Longing for sunlight, people developed an energy source called the Lens from the matter the comet left behind, and used it to build Dycroft, a city in the sky. What came of it was the rule of the Aeth'er, who lived in Dycroft, over the Er'ther on the ground. The Aeth'er tightened their grip with Belcrant, a weapon that struck the surface from above, but the Er'ther rose up as one and the Aeth'er Wars began.

The team that built Belcrant rejected the Aeth'er way of thinking and defected to the surface. There they created the Swordians, the ultimate weapon and the sum of all Lens technology, to stand against the cities in the sky. Thanks to the Swordians, swords with minds of their own, and the people who wielded them, every aerial city fell and sank to the bottom of the sea.

With the long passing of time all of this became ancient history. But the Swordians, who had put themselves into a long sleep after the war, were steadily drawing closer to the hour of their awakening.

New heroes

Stahn Aileron, a boy who ran away from home in search of thrilling adventure and fame, met Dymlos, a Swordian, a sword with a mind. In that moment fate began to move.

A struggle broke out over a giant Lens called the Eye of Atamoni. Kronos, risen again from the distant past, meant to conquer the world with ancient technology. As one crisis after another struck the world, Stahn met Rutee, Philia, Woodrow, Leon and the other Swordian wielders, fought alongside them, and saved the world.

And eighteen years later

A journey to become a hero. A journey to find a hero.

Before anyone noticed, the memory of those heroes had begun to fade from people's hearts. The one everybody is devoted to now is Elraine, the Holy Woman, who promises to bring happiness to all people right away.

In such times, in the small town of Cresta in the Kingdom of Seinegald, lived a boy named Kyle. With the hero Stahn for a father, he admired heroes more than anyone and spent his days longing for adventure.

Then a girl named Reala appears before him without warning, and meeting her leads Kyle into the adventure of his destiny.

Past, present and future. A grand tale that crosses time and draws in even the heroes of old is about to begin.

The world of Tales of Destiny 2: System pages 4 and 5

The Tales series are role playing games that tell a grand story through systems all their own. This time those systems are freer, easier to use and more fun. Here are the main points.

Customize everything

1. Enchants add extra effects that upgrade your Skills and Spells

Enchant lets you attach additional effects to Skills and Spells. They trigger all kinds of effects when you use that Skill or Spell in battle, and you are the one who picks them. Tune your Skills and Spells to your own taste.

2. Refine combines items, from tools to weapons and armor

The Rune Bottle, the item familiar from the Tales series for transforming items, is now the catalyst for fusing two items into one. Some valuable equipment can only be obtained this way, so try all sorts of combinations.

3. Cooking recipes are now unlimited?!

Cooking has become a fixture of the series. Besides cooking from recipes you are taught, you can now choose the ingredients yourself and create original dishes.

A battle system with real strategy

1. The new TT-LMB (Trust and Tactical Linear Motion Battle) allows finer battle orders

The system rests on trust and tactics. Give each character a role such as attacking or healing when you set the tactics, and battles go your way. Trust your companions' strength and build a careful strategy.

2. Spirits, a character's mental strength, largely decide victory and defeat

The Spirits gauge shows a character's mental strength and concentration. When it drops, accuracy and evasion fall with it. Keeping your own Spirits up while wearing down the enemy's is what settles a fight.

3. Chains are more fun and easier

The combo system, one of the pleasures of the series, has evolved. Attacks come in four broad kinds: normal attacks, Skills, Arcane Artes and Spells. Attack in that order and they link together easily, and Enchants make even longer chains possible.

4. Four player battles are recommended

With a PlayStation 2 multitap, up to four people can fight at once. The camera moves to keep both the controlled characters and the targeted enemy on screen, so you never lose sight of your own character.

Starting the game pages 6 and 7

Title screen

After the opening animation, the title appears with the options NEW GAME, CONTINUE, CUSTOM and PREVIEW. Choose with the directional buttons or the left stick and confirm with ○. Press START to skip the opening animation.

NEW GAME	Start the game from the beginning.
CONTINUE	If a memory card (8MB) for PlayStation 2 holds save data, you can pick up where you left off. Choose CONTINUE, then the save you want to load. To start from suspend data, choose Resume. The game only uses MEMORY CARD slot 1.
CUSTOM	Settings such as message speed and battle difficulty. The same settings are under Custom in the in game menu (see Custom).
PREVIEW	Movies of upcoming Namco games.

Naming characters

You can rename the heroes at any time from Status in the menu. Put the cursor on a character's name and confirm to open the name entry screen. Hiragana, katakana and ABC (alphabet) are available. Switch between them on screen or with L1 and R1. Enter a character with ○ and delete one with □. When you are done, choose the confirm option and press ○. Default restores the original name and Clear erases what you typed.

Saving

Save your progress from Save in the menu. On the 3D field map you can save anywhere. On normal maps (towns and dungeons) you can only save while standing on a memory circle.

Saving needs a PlayStation 2 memory card (8MB) with at least 61KB free, inserted in MEMORY CARD slot 1. Pick the file to save to. You can keep up to 99 files. Overwriting a file erases the data that was there.

Where saving is not possible, the Suspend option inside Save lets you interrupt the game. Suspending needs 287KB of free space and returns you to the title screen. To carry on, choose CONTINUE on the title screen and then Resume. Suspend data is deleted as soon as it has been loaded once.

Memory circles

You cannot save just anywhere. Saving is basically limited to the 3D field map, but in dungeons and other normal maps you can save while standing on a memory circle.

The game screens pages 8 and 9

The game has four kinds of screen.

3D field map

Here you move your character from town to town and search for the next destination. Vehicles you obtain during the adventure are also controlled on this screen. Monsters live here, so battles can break out while you travel.

Normal map

Entering one of the towns or dungeons dotted around the 3D field map brings up this screen. Most of the story unfolds here, with all kinds of events along the way. Talk to people in town to gather information, take on a new dungeon, and return to town to rest when the fighting has worn you out.

Towns have shops that sell items, inns and more. Press ○ to talk to people or to examine things. Try it in all sorts of places.

Dungeons are full of contraptions. Look for hints, try whatever actions are possible, and use special items to solve the puzzles and press on.

Menu screen

Press △ on the 3D field map or a normal map to open it. Check your characters' condition, use tools and Spells, and change settings here.

Battle screen

Shown when you run into enemies on the 3D field map or in a dungeon, or when an event pits you against one. Defeating enemies earns experience, and the heroes level up and grow stronger.

How the screens connect

The game moves back and forth between these screens. The menu can be opened anywhere except during battle, and battles take place on the 3D field map and inside dungeons.

Key help

If you leave the menu screen idle for a moment, key help appears. Put the cursor on an entry and it shows the controls that apply there. Press SELECT to show or hide it.

Basic controls pages 10 and 11

The controls differ from screen to screen. On the menu screen, the key help is a useful reference too. The buttons used in battle can be changed under Custom.

The ANALOG mode switch is always on (LED lit red) and cannot be turned off. Vibration can be switched on or off under Custom. The R3 button is pressed by pushing the right stick in. The game requires an analog controller. A DUALSHOCK works the same way as a DUALSHOCK 2.

3D field map

Normal map

Menu screen

Battle screen

3D field map pages 12 and 13

You travel between towns and dungeons on the 3D field map.

Reading the screen

Move with the directional buttons or the left stick. L1, R1 and the right stick let you move the camera freely. R3 shows the World Map, and START shows or hides the compass and the navigation map.

Compass	Shows east, west, south and north (E W S N). The red arrow points toward your current destination.
Navigation map	A map of the surroundings with your position and the direction the character and camera are facing. White dots are towns, red dots are dungeons, and the yellow circle is your current destination.
Altitude meter	Shows how high the party is. The meter turns red as altitude increases.

World Map

Once you obtain the World Map item you can view a map of the whole world. Besides your position it lists the towns and dungeons you have visited, and lets you check the shops there and what they sell. Press R3 to open it and × to return to the 3D field map. It can be opened on normal maps too.

Press ○ on an entry in the list of towns and dungeons to see the goods carried by the shops at that location. Only shops you have visited show their stock.

Towns and dungeons

There are many towns and dungeons on the 3D field map. Go near one and its name appears together with ○ Enter and × Cancel. Press ○ to go in. When you try to leave a town or dungeon, a prompt to leave appears. Press ○ again to step out onto the 3D field map.

Screen Chat

On the 3D field map and on normal maps you can listen to the characters talk among themselves. Press SELECT to start a Screen Chat. They range from idle chatter to conversations with important hints. Subtitles can be switched on or off under Custom.

The airship Ixifoslar

As the adventure moves on, an airship called the Ixifoslar appears, and getting it widens the area you can reach. The airship flies over the 3D field map. It cannot land on special terrain such as sea or mountains, or when it is flying too high.

Boarding and leaving
Board	Go up to the airship and press ○
Get off	Descend a little, then press ×
In flight
Directional buttons / left stick	Up and down: climb and descend. Left and right: turn
○	Forward
□	Backward
L1 / R1	Turn (same as the directional buttons and left stick)
Right stick	Analog turning and camera tilt

Normal map: towns and dungeons pages 14 to 17

Entering a town or dungeon from the 3D field map switches to this screen. You move the adventure forward by using the facilities in town and taking all kinds of actions.

Reading the screen

Character: Move Speed under Custom sets whether the directional buttons walk or run by default.

Treasure chests: press ○ to take the item inside.

Talking and examining

Face a person or an object and press ○ to talk or to examine it. Chests are opened the same way. Towns and dungeons hold information you need to progress. Talk to people often, examine anything that looks suspicious, and collect as much information as you can.

Moving objects

Some objects in towns and dungeons can be moved. Face one, hold ○ and press the directional buttons or the left stick. You can pull as well as push. If you get stuck in a dungeon, look around for something movable and try this.

Sorcerer's Ring

Once you have the Sorcerer's Ring, R2 fires a heat ray that strikes with force. It works without being equipped and has many uses, such as lighting things or hitting distant switches. Each shot uses up one Lens, so fire only when you need to.

Sorcerer's Scope

The Sorcerer's Scope has a detection function that finds things you cannot normally see. Once you have it, press L2 (no need to equip it) to scan the area around the character for a few seconds. Each use consumes Lens, so scan only when you need to.

Facilities in town

Towns have inns, item shops, weapon shops and other facilities that help your adventure.

Shopping

Talk to the shopkeeper and four options appear: Buy, Sell, Equip and Leave shop.

Buy

Pay for items with Gald. You can hold up to 15 of each kind of item, so you can buy up to 15 including the ones you already own.

1. Choose Buy with the directional buttons or left stick and confirm with ○.
2. Choose the item you want from the list. While equipment is selected, the characters who can equip it are shown at the top left and the change in stats at the bottom left. With several characters, switch between them with △. To buy several kinds at once, pick the kind with up and down and set each quantity with left and right before confirming.
3. When asked "Is this OK?", press ○ to complete the purchase or × to cancel.

Sell

Sell anything you own except valuables. Selling several kinds at once works the same way as buying.

Equip

Opens the same screen as Equip in the menu, so you can equip on the spot.

Leave shop

Stop shopping and leave. Cancelling with × also ends the shopping.

Menu screen and Active Level Graph pages 18 and 19

Press △ on the 3D field map or a normal map to open the menu, where you use items, change equipment and adjust settings.

Reading the menu screen

The top four characters on the screen take part in battle. Use △ to change who fights. The character shown at the very top is the player character you control on the maps and in battle.

Active Level Graph

Active Levels are the values you need in order to learn Skills and Spells. There is a Skill family and a Spell family, and the Active Level Graph plots the value of each level. Your current levels and the levels each Skill or Spell requires can be checked under Enchant. Using and setting what you have learned is covered under Artes.

Skill Active Levels

The values needed to learn Skills. There are four: Attack, Skill, Magic and Chain. Each Skill has a required value for each of them, and you learn the Skill once all are met.

Spell Active Levels

The values needed to learn Spells. Each Spell requires levels in four elements, and you learn it once all are met. The elements differ by character: each has four of the six (Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Light, Dark) from the start, and this cannot be changed.

Artes pages 20 and 21

Each character learns their own Skills and Spells. To use them in battle you have to set them up on this screen.

Use and set Skills and Spells here. This is also where you choose how each character is controlled in battle and pick the battle mode. Press L1 or R1 to switch between characters.

Choosing the battle mode

First choose a battle mode: Auto, Semi-Auto or Manual. When playing alone, set every ally other than the player character to Auto. With several players, set each character to suit its player. During battle, SELECT switches the player character's battle mode.

The player character is the one you control directly on the maps and in battle: the character shown at the top of the menu screen.

Auto characters

A character in Auto mode shows the screen on the right. Select a Spell shown in white to use it right there. Skills and Spells you dim with △ will not be used in battle.

Selecting a Skill or Spell brings up a help panel. TP is the TP it costs, ARMD and ACTION show the Enchants currently set as Armed and Action (see Enchant), and COUNT is the number of times it has been used so far.

Semi-Auto and Manual characters

A character in Semi-Auto or Manual mode shows the screen on the right. Skills and Spells registered here are triggered in battle with a combination of the directional buttons or left stick and ×. There are four slots, one per direction input. L2 and R2 each hold a shortcut.

Below the character's name, move the cursor to the right to reach the use screen, where Spells shown in white can be cast. How to use them in battle is covered under Skill and Spell attacks.

Skill and Spell shortcuts

On the Artes screen of a Semi-Auto or Manual character you can set shortcuts. L2 and R2 take one Skill or Spell each and trigger it at a single press during battle. A shortcut can hold any Skill or Spell of any character taking part in the battle.

Enchant pages 22 and 23

An Enchant is an additional effect attached to a Skill or Spell you have learned. Set one and it takes effect in battle.

Every Skill and Spell has two kinds of Enchant: Armed Enchants, whose effect appears automatically during battle, and Action Enchants, extra effects you trigger by hand.

Reading the screen

The Enchant screen changes depending on whether you are looking at a Skill or a Spell, and on whether it is learned or not.

Learning Enchants

Learning an Enchant requires specific Active Level values: Skill Active Levels for a Skill, Spell Active Levels for a Spell. They come in four stages, and the levels are raised the same way as for learning. An Enchant only works once it is set, and setting one requires having used that Skill or Spell many times. The help panel shows the Active Levels and the count (number of uses) each one needs.

Setting Enchants

Select the Skill or Spell, then choose Armed or Action. From the list on the right, pick a level from 1 to 4 for the Enchant you want and register it. The higher the level, the stronger the effect.

White text means learned and ready to set. Red means learned, but you lack the Enchant points to set it. Blue means not yet learned.

The number in parentheses next to the name of the Skill or Spell is its Enchant points.

Armed Enchants

Effects such as stat boosts that apply automatically whenever you use the Skill or Spell in battle. The kinds available differ for every Skill and Spell.

Action Enchants

While using a Skill or Spell in battle, an input such as holding ○ triggers the extra effect you set beforehand, at a cost in SP or TP. Kinds and effects differ for every Skill and Spell, and some, such as healing Spells, have no Action Enchants at all.

Tactics pages 24 and 25

Here you tell characters in Auto mode how to behave in battle. Four things can be set: orders, tactics, attack and defense.

Reading the screen

MEMBER'S POSITION	Shows where each character stands in battle under the tactics you chose: rear, middle or front. Allies basically advance toward the right side of the screen.
Orders	Each of the three orders stores a complete way of fighting. Press △ to show the list.
Character status and tactics	Use left and right on the directional buttons or left stick to set tactics, attack and defense for each character. Press △ to show the list.

Orders

Choose three orders you like, and for each one set every character's tactics, attack and defense. Select an order during battle and the Auto characters act on the instructions stored in it. A battle always starts with the middle of the three orders selected. Change it with L1.

Tactics

Sets a character's overall behavior in battle, including their place in the formation.

Attack

Sets the conditions under which a character attacks physically or with Spells.

Defense

Sets the conditions under which a character guards or casts healing Spells.

Cooking pages 26 and 27

Combine the ingredients you have gathered into dishes, and fine tune cooking, for example which dish is made automatically after a battle.

Cook with the ingredients you carry. Effects range from HP recovery to TP recovery, and some dishes even raise the Active Levels needed to learn Skills and Spells. You can only make one dish at a time. Depending on the mix of ingredients the effect may be weaker than the proper dish, and you cannot cook while the party is full (right after a meal).

Reading the screen

A dish with an "A" in front of its name has an auto setting.

Skill Level	Your overall cooking proficiency.
Adequate Level	The proficiency this dish calls for.
Ingredients	Shown as ingredient name, amount used / amount you have.
Auto Set	The current auto cooking setting. Press △ on a dish name to open its settings menu.
Effect	What the dish does.
Dishes learned	White: recipes you were taught. Dark text: not enough ingredients. Dishes of your own are shown in yellow (good result) or purple (bad result).

New recipes (original dishes)

Pick between two and six kinds of ingredients from what you carry and cook them. When the dish is done you are offered ○ to save it or × not to. Press ○ to keep the recipe. You can give the dish a name as well. An original dish can also fail. In that case nothing is made and the recipe cannot be saved.

Auto Set (settings menu)

Have a dish cooked automatically when a battle ends.

Auto-Cook Overlap (settings menu)

When the auto conditions of two or more dishes are met at once, the dish is picked by the method chosen here.

Custom pages 28 and 29

Adjust the game to your liking, from message speed to sound.

Undo restores the settings as they were before your changes and Default returns everything to the initial settings. Change each entry with the directional buttons or left stick, and press × at the end to finish.

Sound Test

Sound Test, inside Sound, plays the music, sound effects and voices of the game. Select with the directional buttons or left stick and confirm with ○.

Type	Listen to BGM (music), SE (sound effects), VOICE (shouts) and more.
Play time / track number	Press ○ on the time to open the control panel. Press it on the track number to list the tracks.
× icon	Hides the controls. Press ○ or × to bring them back.
Speaker icon	Adjusts the sound on this screen. Raising the tempo number speeds up the pitch of the track.
Bars icon	Switches the analyzer.
Note icon	Shows what each instrument is playing.

Items pages 30 and 31

You get items by winning battles and by buying them at facilities in town.

Check and use the items you carry. Select a weapon, armor or other piece of equipment and you can quick equip it right here. Items are sorted into New, Item, Weapon, Armor and Trinket, and everything except New is divided further.

Using items and quick equip

Move the cursor to one of the categories and confirm, then choose an item. Next choose who will use or equip it and confirm with ○. If using or equipping it changes any stats, the change is shown beforehand as in the picture.

Item categories

Equipment that is currently equipped does not appear on the Items screen, unless you own more than one of it.

Item icons

Every item has an icon, and the design depends on the kind of item. Consumables that can be used at any time, such as Apple Gel and Life Bottle, show a gel. Consumables that can only be used in battle, such as the Magic Lens, show a bottle. Equipment icons take the shape of the thing itself: a sword for swords, armor for armor. Some icons have a frame around them. See When an item icon has a frame.

Examples of item icons
	Consumable that can be used at any time.	Apple Gel, Life Bottle
	Consumable that can only be used in battle.	Magic Lens
	Consumable that cannot be used in battle.	Sage
	Valuable. Cannot be discarded.	World Map
	Cooking tool.	Vegetable Knife
	Ingredient for cooking.	Cheap Meat, Apple
	Sword type weapon.	Short Sword
	Two handed weapon.	Poleaxe
	Body armor.	Leather Armor
	Helmet.	Leather Helm
	Jewelry.	Poison Charm
	Outfit.	Leather Cape
	Boots.	Leather Boots

Equip pages 32 and 33

How to equip weapons and armor, and how the slot effects attached to equipment work. Equip can also be opened while shopping.

Equip the gear you carry. First select the part you want to change, then pick a sort order and the item list appears. The change in stats that the selected item would bring is shown on the left. If you are happy with it, confirm with ○. Press △ to take off the item currently equipped, and L1 or R1 to switch characters. Put the cursor on a character's name and press □ to equip the strongest items automatically. Quick equipping is also possible from Items.

Reading the screen

Sort	The sort options depend on the kind of item. Attack, Defense, Slot Level, Block Count, Stats and Evade sort from the highest value down. Alphabetical sorts by name. Price (high) and Price (low) sort by price.
Equipment list	Shows only the items the selected character can equip.
Help	Press □ to see the stats of a piece of equipment.
Current equipment	Shows the items equipped and where they are worn.
Slot effects	If the item currently equipped has slot effects, they are listed here.

Slot Level

Some equipment carries special effects called slots. While you wear a piece with a slot effect, certain stats of that character go up or a special effect is active.

There are many kinds of slot, each with a level from 1 to 8. The higher the number, the stronger or more advanced the effect. By combining items with Refine, a single piece of equipment can carry up to two slot effects. The icon of an item with slot effects has a blue or green frame.

The name of a slot changes as its level rises.

When an item icon has a frame

Item icons can have a yellow, blue or green frame. These mark special conditions such as slot effects.

	Shown on special items, such as ones that cannot be discarded.
	Shown on equipment with one slot.
	Shown on equipment with two slots.

Refine, Save, Status pages 34 and 35

Refine

Combine items you carry. Refining needs the item Rune Bottle and uses up a set number of Lens. If you combine items that have slot effects, those effects carry over into the result.

Sort	Tabs for Items, Weapon, Armor and Trinket.
Item list	Choose the items to combine from here.
Materials and results	The numbers next to an item are the amount used for refining / the amount you have. While choosing the second material from the list, press left to preview RESULT A and right to preview RESULT B.

MATERIAL

• The two items used as materials. Press △ to remove the selected one.
• Rune Bottles: the number needed for this refine / the number you have.
• Lens: the number this refine consumes / the number you have. The cost depends on the combination.

RESULT

Put the cursor here and press ○ to carry out the refine. Some combinations of materials offer a choice of two results, in which case one is shown under A and one under B.

Save

Save the game or suspend it (see Saving).

Status

Check each character's status. Names and titles are changed here as well.

Name	Can be changed at any time (see Naming characters).
Title	Shows the current title. Titles are earned by meeting certain conditions in events and battles, and some of them change the character's parameters. To change it, put the cursor on it, confirm, and pick the one you like from the list.
Parameters	See the table below. TP and the experience needed for the next level are shown in the character window of the menu screen.
Equipment	The items currently equipped as Weapon, Body, Head, Arm, Outfit, Boots and Jewelry.
Elements	The character's current elemental values.
Active Level Graph	The current Active Levels.

Battle screen pages 36 to 39

Meeting an enemy on the 3D field map or in a dungeon switches to the battle screen.

Reading the battle screen

Press R1 during battle to see the whole battlefield and change your target. The enemy's status is shown at the same time.

SP (Spirits Points) gauge

SP stands for each character's mental strength and concentration, and enemies have it too. Basically it goes down when you attack, and when it is low your accuracy and evasion drop. It recovers while you are not attacking, and guarding and Spells restore it as well. SP always starts a battle at 100%. When there is not enough of it, "SP××" is shown next to the character.

Spirits Blaster

Keep repeating actions such as attacking the enemy, taking hits and guarding against attacks, and the character begins to glow and enters a state called Spirits Blaster for a while. In this state SP is locked at 100% and attacking does not lower the gauge. Enemy attacks still land, though, and the damage you take shortens the effect.

Your attacks are not interrupted when you are hit and carry straight on. Spirits Blaster ends when a certain time has passed, when your side uses a healing Spell or healing item, or when HP reaches 0. If HP reaches 0 during Spirits Blaster, the character is left at 1 HP instead of being KO'd.

When a character turns red, Spirits Blaster is close.

TP (Technical Points) gauge

TP is what Skills and Spells run on. Each use spends a set amount, and it comes back as time passes. It also recovers when normal attacks hit, among other things. Unlike SP, TP is not restored automatically when the battle ends.

Battle rules

The battle is decided when every enemy is wiped out, or when every ally taking part is KO'd (at 0 HP).

Battle menu

Press △ during battle to open the battle menu, where you can change settings and use Skills and Spells. It works basically the same way as the normal menu screen.

Artes	Besides the settings, you can have any character use a Skill or Spell on the spot.
Tactics	Change the tactics.
Equip	Change equipment on the spot.
Items	Use items that work in battle. Right after using one, this command cannot be selected. The seconds left until it can be are shown at the top of the menu.

Battle results

Win a battle and the results screen appears. Items gained, level ups and any Skills or Spells learned on levelling up are shown here. If auto cooking is set, the dish is made at this point.

While "PRESS BUTTON TO STAY" is shown at the bottom right, holding any button keeps the results on screen so you can take a good look.

The total of your GRADE points is not shown during the game.

Status ailments

Some kinds of attack can afflict a character's status.

	Poison	HP keeps draining little by little. The effect remains after the battle, and HP drops as you move.
	Weak	TP keeps draining little by little. The effect remains after the battle, and TP drops as you move.
	Para	The body goes numb and cannot move freely, which can restrict all kinds of actions. The effect remains after the battle.
	Slow	Movement speed and SP recovery drop. The effect ends with the battle.
	Freeze	The character cannot act until a certain time passes or an enemy hits them. The effect ends with the battle.
	KO	HP is 0 and the character cannot fight. It does not wear off when the battle ends.

Controls in battle pages 40 to 47

In battle you control the player character. The controls below are described for a character facing right in Semi-Auto mode. Allies other than the player character fight on their own according to the tactics you set.

In these explanations ↑ ↓ ← → mean holding up, down, left or right on the directional buttons or left stick. When the character is facing left, left and right are reversed.

Basic actions

Escape

To run away, move the player character to the left edge of the screen and keep holding left. An ESCAPE GAGE appears at the top of the screen, and once it is full you get away. This works in Auto mode too.

On the enemy's right side

During battle an ally can end up behind the enemy, on the right side of the screen. Be careful: while there, the maximum SP and TP and the rate at which each recovers are halved, and HP recovery is halved too. Return to the original position on the left side of the screen and the state is lifted.

The current SP and TP values are not cut in half the moment you cross to the enemy's right side.

Defense

These are the ways to defend in battle. Some guards work against particular attacks and some cost SP. The jump here is not the same thing as a jump attack.

Normal attacks

Attack the enemy directly with the weapon the character has equipped. In Semi-Auto mode the character dashes in to attack when the enemy is far away. There are three kinds of weapon attack: normal attacks, three hit normal attacks and jump attacks. The motions differ a little from character to character even with the same input.

Three hit normal attack

Keep entering normal attacks and you can link up to three of them. Any combination works. The example shows three slashes: ○, ○, ○.

Jump attacks

While dashing after pressing ○ (when the enemy is some distance away), these inputs make the character jump and attack.

Skill and Spell attacks

Skills and Spells are special attacks unique to each character, learned by raising Active Levels (see Active Level Graph). They are essential to fighting well. Skills also have a higher tier called Arcane Artes, learned the same way. A Skill can be chained from normal attacks, and an Arcane Arte from normal attacks and Skills.

Using Skills and Spells

Hold a direction on the directional buttons or left stick and press × to use the Skill or Spell registered for that input. L2 and R2 can also hold, and fire, Skills and Spells of characters other than the player character (see Artes).

(no direction) + ×

↑ + ×

← / → + ×

↓ + ×

While casting a Spell

Shorten the cast	Press the directional buttons or left stick in the direction shown. During the cast a directional button mark appears by the SP and TP gauges. Keep entering what it shows and the casting time gets shorter.
Cancel the cast	Hold □ and press ↑ to stop casting partway.
Fine movement	Hold □ and press ← or → to shift position little by little while casting.
Change the enemy (or ally) target	Hold × and press ← or → to change who the Spell is aimed at, even while casting.

Examples of Skills and Spells
Character		Skill or Spell	Description
Kyle		Souhajin	Skill. A slash whose shock wave flies at the enemy.
		Sanyoujin	Skill. Sword strokes fast enough to shred falling leaves.
		Garen Souhajin	Arcane Arte. A flurry of charged blows that ends in a shock wave.
		Kuuha Zeppuugeki	Arcane Arte. Lightning fast thrusts whose gust blows the enemy away.
		Wind Slash	Low level Spell. Summons blades of vacuum at any distance from the target.
Reala		Tenshoudan	Skill. Leaps and fires a spirit shot downward.
		Revitalize	Spell. Restores HP to everyone on the map, or to allies within range in battle.
		Aqua Spike	Low level Spell. Launches a fast spinning jet of water.
		Splash	Mid level Spell. Pounds the ground with one torrent after another.
		Final Embrace	High level Spell. Seals the enemy in a coffin of ice and brings the end.
Loni		Soudashou	Skill. A two part attack with a manly punch mixed in.
		Raijinshou	Skill. Calls down lightning, the fruit of his training, and unleashes its force.
		Kappa Bakusougeki	Arcane Arte. Swings down, hauls the enemy in and drives them back with a charge.
		Heal	Spell. Restores one ally's HP.
		Delta Ray	Low level Spell. Fires three bolts of light at once.
Judas		Hirenzan	Skill. A double slash that can strike airborne enemies.
		Sourengeki	Skill. Four strikes with alternating blades.
		Senretsu Kokousen	Arcane Arte. Launches the enemy and catches them with thrusts at blinding speed.
		Stone Zapper	Low level Spell. Hurls several stones at the enemy in an arc.
		Air Pressure	Mid level Spell. Crushes with a gravity field that shatters the very ground.
Nanaly		Flare Shot	Skill. An arrow that explodes on impact.
		Storm Glare	Skill. Three arrows loosed in a row with a practiced hand.
		Flame Drive	Low level Spell. Several fireballs seek out the enemy.
		Photon Blaze	Low level Spell. Creates intense heat in one spot and slays the targeted enemy.
		Burn Strike	Mid level Spell. Rains fire bombs that set off powerful blasts on the ground.

Chain attacks

Chaining means attacking without a break: no pause after a blow and no opening for the enemy to hit back. To chain, you have to link the different attacks in a set order. Enchants make longer chains possible. Combine three hit normal attacks with Skills to chain, and use the special situations that come up in the exchange of blows to sharpen your technique.

The basic chain

Normal attacks (three hits), then a Skill, then an Arcane Arte.

Using Action Enchants

Use an Action Enchant (AE, see Enchant) during a Skill or Spell and you can link attacks even more freely. Going from a Skill back into normal attacks, impossible by ordinary means, becomes possible with an Action Enchant. An Action Enchant triggers the extra effect you set through an input such as holding ○.

For example: Skill, AE during the Skill, normal attacks (three hits), Skill, Arcane Arte, AE, Spell, and so on.

Techniques in battle

In the give and take of battle, the situations below arise for enemies and allies alike. Some depend on fine conditions such as the amount of SP (Spirits Points) or the number of guards, and using them well makes for a battle with real strategy. Several more situations exist besides these, so experiment and look for them.

Parry, Press Guard and Break Attack are not announced by text on screen.

Characters pages 48 to 52

Kyle Dunamis

Age 15 · 160 cm · 55 kg

A boy born to two heroes, his father Stahn and his mother Rutee. Stahn set off on another journey when Kyle was small, and Kyle grew up with Loni and the others at the Dunamis Orphanage that Rutee runs. He looks up to the father whose face he does not even know, and never doubts that he will become a hero himself. His straight as an arrow nature and his trouble getting out of bed both come from his father.

Reala

Age 16? · 155 cm · 41 kg

A mysterious girl who suddenly appeared from inside a giant Lens. Her presence is what spurs Kyle on to adventure. She is bright and full of curiosity, but also earnest, with a sense of responsibility that runs too strong. She tends to try to settle everything herself and to carry her burdens alone.

Loni Dunamis

Age 23 · 180 cm · 75 kg

Raised at the Dunamis Orphanage. To Kyle, his childhood friend, he is like an older brother. His flippant words and manner make him seem unreliable, but he is in fact a steady man with a strong sense of justice. He is forever putting the brakes on the reckless Kyle.

Judas

Age 16 · 159 cm · 48 kg

A mysterious swordsman who appears whenever Kyle is in a tight spot. He always hides his face behind a mask, so nobody knows who he is. Why he helps Kyle is unknown as well.

Elraine

Age 27? · 160 cm · 43 kg

The Holy Woman of the Order of Atamoni, revered as a living god. Bringing people happiness is her joy, and she draws on the power of the Lens at will to work miracles. Because of this, there is no end to the people who come to offer up Lens in the hope of receiving her blessing.

Nanaly Fletcher

Age 19 · 162 cm · 49 kg

A beautiful woman warrior. Her skill with the bow is strong enough to put men to shame. She holds firmly to her own values and her strength of will stands out, yet she is easily moved and in truth very delicate. With cooking and sewing for hobbies, she has a feminine side too.

Harold Berselius

Age 23 · 149 cm · 35 kg

A famous genius scientist. People tend to assume from the name and the achievements that Harold is a man, which does not bother her in the slightest. Outside of science she is hopeless, no better than a child. She gets so wrapped up in research that she has some alarming catchphrases, like "Be my sample!" and "Collecting data!"

Barbatos Goetia

Age 32 · 187 cm · 82 kg

A warrior who made his name in the days of the Aeth'er Wars. His strength was a match for Dymlos, one of the Swordians, but he did exactly as he pleased and was erased from history for it. Brought back to life by someone's hand, his reason for fighting may be to seize proof that he ever lived.

Handling notes back pages

The last page of the booklet carries the standard PlayStation 2 notices. In short:

• Disc case: press the PUSH button in the middle of the case and lift the disc out once it has popped up. To put it back, press just outside the centre hole until it clicks. Forcing the disc can crack or scratch it.
• Memory card holder: with the arrow mark facing up, slide the connector end under the hook on the left at an angle, then press the right end down. To take it out, lift it from the right end.
• Use: the disc is for Japanese (NTSC J) PlayStation 2 consoles. Keep it away from direct sunlight, heat and humidity, hold it without touching either surface, do not stick anything on it or write on it, and wipe it gently from the centre outward with a soft cloth. Do not use a cracked, warped or repaired disc.
• Health: take a break of about 15 minutes every hour, and about every 30 minutes when playing with vibration. Play in a well lit room, away from the screen, and not when tired or short of sleep. Stop at once and see a doctor if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell while playing.