Tales of the Abyss

Tales of the Abyss

Game general and emulation properties: Languages supported: Region NTSC-U: Serial numbers: SLUS-21386 Release date: October 10, 2006 CRCs: 14FE77F7 045D77E9 (Undub Patch) Windows Status: Playable Linux Status: ? Mac Status: ? Region NTSC-J/C/K: Serial numbers: SLPS-25586 SCAJ-20163 SLPS-73252 (PlayStation 2 the Best) Release date: December 15, 2005 June 28, 2007 (PlayStation 2 the Best) 2005 (Asia) Windows Status: ? Linux Status: ? Mac Status: ?

Developer(s): Namco
Publisher(s): Namco (JP, AS), Namco Bandai Games (US, JP)
Genre: RPG
Wikipedia: Link
Game review links: Metacritic: 78/100
Game description: Tales of the Abyss follows the story of the young aristocrat, Luke fon Fabre. Kidnapped seven years ago, Luke returns to his family with no memories of his life before. In order to protect him, Luke's family keeps him confined to the quite lifestyle of the palace. Suddenly, Luke is thrust into the outside world and caught in the workings of the Order of Lorelei and the Oracle Knights who serve as keepers of the prophecy known as the Score. He knows nothing of those who might be his allies or those who are already his enemies. He must learn of the power of friendship and feel the pain of sacrifice. Luke's actions could save the world or destroy it.

Test configurations on Windows:

Environment			Configurations			Comments	Tester
Region	OS	CPU/GPU	Revision	Graphics	Sound/Pad
NTSC-U	?	Intel Core2 Quad @ 2.20 GHz NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT @ 512 MB	pre-0.9.7 Beta (r1888) Speed Hacks: EmotionEngine Sync Hacks: Use x1.5 Cycle Rate INTC Sync Hack IOP x2 Cycle Rate Idle Loop	GSdx (r1763)	SPU2-X 1.2.0 LilyPad 0.10.0 (r1388)	FPS: 55 - 60 (capped). You may want to try using speed hacks, but all cycle modifying speedhacks (sync hacks) are likely to break the game such as loose music and crash in battles.	KabooZ
NTSC-U	Windows 7 Ultimate x64 (SP1)	Intel Core i5-4670K @ 3.40 GHz AMD Radeon R9 280 @ 3 GB	1.5.0 (dev-2000 g92aa270) Speedhacks: EE Cyclerate: 0 VU Cycle Stealing: 0 mVU Flag Hack: Enabled MTVU: Enabled	GSdx 0.1.16 AVX2 (ToTA 05052015) Renderer: Direct3D11 (Hardware) Internal Resolution: 4x Native Texture Filtering: Bilinear (PS2) Anisotropic Filtering: 16x Hardware Hacks: ToA Ghost Fix Shader Configuration: FXAA: Enabled Shadeboost: Enabled	SPU2-X 2.0.0 LilyPad 0.12.1	BIOS: USA 2.30, Game still runs fine using the patched GSdx to fix the ghosting. Finished the game from start to finish on PCSX2.	Ryudo
NTSC-U	Windows 10 x64	Intel Core i7-4770K @ 3.40 GHz Nvidia Geforce GTX 660 @ 2 GB	1.5.0 (dev-2175 g420f11161) Speedhacks: EE Cyclerate: 0 VU Cycle Stealing: 0 mVU Flag Hack: Enabled MTVU: Enabled	GSdx 0.1.16 AVX2 (ToTA 05052015) Renderer: Direct3D11 (Hardware) Internal Resolution: 4x Native Texture Filtering: Bilinear (PS2) Anisotropic Filtering: 16x Hardware Hacks: Alpha ToA Ghost Fix Shader Configuration: FXAA: Enabled Shadeboost: Enabled	SPU2-X 2.0.0 LilyPad 0.12.1	Added Alpha hardware hack to fix issues with yellow squares around shadows in some areas	Soichiro
NTSC-U	Windows 10 Pro x64	AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 @ 8 GB	1.6.0-20200506140834 (07-05-2020) Speedhacks: INTC sping detection Wait loop detection mVU Flag hack MTVU	GSdx 0.1.16 AVX2 (ToTA 05052015) Renderer: OpenGL(Hardware) Large Framebuffer Internal Resolution: (12x) 6144x5376 Texture Filtering: Bilinear (PS2) Anisotropic filtering 16x Mipmapping (Ins) Full (slow) CRC Hack level Aggressive DATE Accuracy Full (slow) Blending accuracy high Hardware Hacks: Preload Frame Data Trillinear Filtering: Ultra/slow Align Sprite Merge Sprite Half pixel offset: Special (texture) Round sprite: full Shader Configuration: Texture Filtering of Display: disabled FXAA: Enabled	SPU2-X 2.0.0 LilyPad 0.12.1	game 100ish %ed , 1 game breaking issue as noted below	aRciii

Trivia

• Original names: テイルズ オブ ジ アビス (SLPS-25586) & (SLPS-73252)

Some settings information

Which hardware renderer to use?

• Direct3D 11
  • Faster (uses less GPU) of the two
  • Simpler to operate (less options to mess with)
• OpenGL
  • Seems to be more stable/accurate (less frame drops / stutter)
  • More options to help defer GPU resources if Vram is limited

Options that have the largest impact on visual quality

• Resolution - If you can spare the GPU horsepower putting the resolution to 2x or 4x native is the best option to improve visuals of TotA
• Half-Pixel offset - The blending/mixing of the native picture can stand to be improved by enabling either of the listed half-pixel offset settings
  • Normal (Vertex) - The more accurate of the two methods as the crystal grid artifacts don't appear, but has a pixel wide flashing bar on the left and top sides (can help be mitigated by increasing the resolution and thus decreasing the size of the flashing when down-sampled to the screen)
  • Special (Texture) - Fixes the mixing/blending without the flashing bars, but crystal grids can occur (only observable at title screen so far)
• FXAA - When using resolution settings under 2x-4x, this shader option helps sharpen the game, but for anything higher it is unnecessary
• Shade Boost - Enabling this feature allows the tweaking of brightness, contrast, and color saturation (these settings should be calibrated into your monitor first, BUT if the emulator/game is displaying odd enough from other applications/games then try tweaking with this option)

Other graphical notes

• Vsync - Standard and Adaptive didn't seem to improve stuttering/frame-drops and in two reproducible instances would cause it
• The various tick-box rendering hacks - None seemed to help GPU usage or stability in anyway and would sometimes cause a pixel wide streak from top left to bottom right of the screen
• Lines Reappearing - Switching between the half pixel offset:: (normal (vertex))and half pixel offset:: (special (texture)) should remedy the issues. (I think only one time it wouldn't work - aRciii)

Known Issues

Rectangular outlines in the skybox and image ghosting

• Status: Active
• Type: Minor
• Description: When upscaling you can see black lines form a repeating rectangular pattern in the game's skyboxes.
• Workaround: For the outlines, you will need to set the Skipdraw range to 355-359. To do so on 1.6.0 go to "Config' > 'Video (GS)" > 'Plugin Settings' > "Advanced Settings and hacks" menu (you need to check the box first). To do so on 1.7.X go to "Config" > "Graphics Settings" > "Hacks" tab. Alternatively for NTSC-U version (CRC?) you can use the following pnach by sergx12 on the pcsx2 forums:

patch=1,EE,205E570C,extended,00000000

• For the image ghosting, set Half Pixel Offset to "Vertex". It may not resolve all of it, but should clear up most of it.

Teleporter miscalculation causing a soft lock

• Status: Active
• Type: Serious
• Description: When presented with 5 concurrent Teleporters, the back right (white?) one will teleport you halfway into the floor, unable to get out, effectively causing a soft lock until you reload your game/save.
• Workaround: Hold the left analog up when being teleported to avoid getting stuck in the ground.

Gameplay Screenshots

• 
  1. Ghosting fixed with the patched GSdx - Sheridan
• 
  2. Ghosting fixed with the patched GSdx - Battle Screen
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  Standard way the emulator will show the game (without half pixel offset)
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  This is with the half pixel offset set to: special (texture). Looking much sharper
• 
  With the half pixel offset set to: special (texture) the [ghosting] is fixed but instances where lines can appear now, however this seems to be the only case so far
• 
  Resolution table for custom multiples of native for TotA (can differ from game to game and even scene to scene in the same game (however TotA seems to be fixed for the whole game))
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  (aRciii)my current speedhack settings **note** you can unlock the settings by unchecking presets
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  (aRciii)my current Gs window settings
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  (aRciii)my current graphics settings
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  (aRciii)my current advanced settings
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  (aRciii)my current shader settings

	Tales of the Abyss (SLUS 21386) (U) Tales of the Abyss (SLPS 25586) (J)