After probably the longest delay for an anticipated title since Metal Gear Solid, Tales of Vesperia kinda fell into Australia today. No fanfare, no official release date, just a quiet drop of a small shipment.

I say that, because I only found it after doing some IT maintainence for a retailer (Yes, I sadly have a day job) and while working on PC’s in the backroom one of the staff was SMS’ing preorders.

I picked up a copy on my way out, and it’s obvious they were pretty keen to get it on shelves. There are a few clues.

Firstly, the game that is being currently sold in Australia isn’t being locally distributed. This copy looks to be imported from the UK, which used to happen before Microsoft started locally stamping discs, manuals and cases. You can also see the hastily stuck on OFLC “Fisher Price” classification sticker, rather then it being printed on the insert. The disc inside has been left with the “UK12? rating rather then the yellow PG rating too.

But what really pours salt into the wound is the stupid red sticker on the right. “Japan’s 2008 best selling game on Xbox 360?. Good work Namco, just remind us that it took you guys almost a year to do “translations”. Even when, really, a AU/UK release could have just been a rebadged US release, which is what this one pretty much is anyway.

Unfortunately, no PAL only additions to soothe the pain. Oh well, at least it’s finally here.

Will update with some impressions post-play.

[Post lifted from James's Blog]