Tales of Xillia English screens are full of wide-eyed wonder

I'm very excited about Tales of Xillia finally getting a western release in 2013 but this latest batch of screenshots makes nearly every female cast member look like she's been lobotomised.

Just look at these wide-eyed, drooling automata; the stuffed cat one of them is holding looks more intelligent than its owner. Thankfully Milla, the scantily armoured one seen strolling through the environment and in profile with fellow protagonist Jude, generally shows a bit more spunk - and also beats the crap out of things on a fairly regular basis.

You can choose either Milla or Jude from the beginning of the game, according to a little Namco Bandai blurb which accompanied these shots, an explore the world of Rieze Maxia, "where humans and spirits live together in harmony".

"The kingdom of Rashugal has been experimenting with a powerful device that has been draining the mana from the world. Realizing the harm it is inflicting on the world, Milla and Jude set off on a journey to destroy the device and restore the mana back to the land. Over the course of the game their lives will intersect with a vast ensemble of characters that will teach them the strength of unwavering conviction."

Right. Skip the justification and let me smack things and level up, please. Tales of Xillia arrives on PlayStation 3 in the west sometime next year; a sequel hits Japan on November 1.

Thanks, Siliconera.