Partner characters are critical in Tales of Xillia. In addition to chaining attacks, each character has a signature support move.
We mentioned this earlier, but in case you missed it Jude, using his medical knowledge, can revive incapacitated characters in battle with "Restore."
Milla can freeze enemies in their tracks with "Bind" and this status puts the poor wolf in position for a pincer attack.
Rowen’s support skill, "Auto Magic Guard," creates a barrier for him and his partner character. This move is automatically triggered if an enemy casts a spirit magic spell. The shield stays with both characters, so you’re free to move around.
If you have Elise as your partner and you knock an enemy in the air there’s a chance "Tipo Drain" will activate and Tipo, her doll, will drain HP and TP.
Slam an enemy to the ground and Leia will attempt to swipe an item using her "Item Steal" partner skill.
Battle-hardened Alvin may have the second most useful partner skill. For enemies that frequently block, "Breaker" can crush their guard and has a chance of paralyzing a foe.
Tales of Xillia comes out on PlayStation 3 this year in Japan. As of now, Xillia has not been announced for North America, but Namco Bandai appears committed to releasing Tales titles overseas.
