Tales of Xillia 2 Guide 1 Game System Game System

The Affinity System

As you play through the game, there are many ways to build a bond with each of the playable characters and several critical NPCs. The process of improving this bond is raising the affinity with a character. The most obvious way to increase affinity is through character dialogue choices. These are called out throughout the Walkthrough and listed for every Character Episode. Another more subtle way to increase affinity is by linking with characters during battle.

Way to Increase Affinity

Method	Affinity Boost
Character Episode Clear	250–750 points
Conversation Choices	0-1000 points
Win a Battle While Linked	10 points
Use a Unique Linked Arte	10
Use a Common Linked Arte	5
Use a Friendship Item	500

Affinity Max in Chapters/Episodes

Character	Main Story	Character Stories
Jude	3000	5200
Milla	4350	4150
Alvin	1800	5700
Elize	1900	5500
Rowen	1200	6300
Leia	2200	4900
Gaius	2550	4300
Muzét	1800	4300

Affinity with NPCs

You also achieve affinity with Elle, Julius, and Bisley, and since they are not playable, you only earn it from conversation choices. At the end of Chapter 15, if you’ve build enough affinity with NPC characters Bisley, Julius, and Elle, you’ll receive a unique weapon as a prize in Ludger’s mailbox at his apartment. So when making Ludger’s dialogue choices, you should generally choose the option that builds the most affinity with those three characters. However, getting the weapon from Elle requires so much affinity that it isn’t technically possible to do it on your first pass through the game; you’ll have to carry over your affinity into New Game+ and complete the game a second time to get it! Because of these, you should prioritize raising affinity with Bisley and Julius on your first pass through the game. Pay close attention to the dialogue choices and you can earn some awesome items.

Unique Affinity Items

Character	Max Affinity	Affinity to Get Weapon	Weapons
Elle	10000	8000	Pollux Twins
Julius	5500	4000	Spirius Surrender
Bisley	4650	4000	Spirius Model-4304

Affinity Rewards

The other playable characters will speak to Ludger when their affinity goes up a level, but you aren’t simply increasing the closeness just to be a nice guy. There are very valuable rewards at stake. Also, when you complete the game and challenge the Illusionary Darkness dungeon, you can only use characters that have at least eight hearts of affinity. There is also a special reward if you can max out a character’s affinity.

Rewards from Raising Affinity

Heart Marks	Affinity	Rewards
1	1000	Get a skill item, new post-battle victory pose/line
2	2500	Triggers a short skit
3	4000	Get a skill item and title
4	6000	Triggers a short skit, chromatus gauge fills 5% faster when linked to that character
5	8000	Get an arte
6	10000	Get a title, triggers a short skit and a new post-battle victory pose/line
7	12500	Transformation time increases by five seconds when linked to that character
8	15000	Can enter the post-game hidden dungeon together
9	17500	Can use linked mystic arte
10	20000	Get title, triggers new post-battle victory pose/line, can see new event scene at the end of which you receive a new skill item

Max Affinity Events

The event you trigger for maxing out your affinity (10 heart marks) can be triggered during any Interval scene. Go to the character and talk to them; they’ll have a green ! over their head. (If they have a Character Episode available, that will trigger first.) As a result of these events, your linked mystic arte may get a new name. These mystic arte name change events can be repeated. Other events involve Ludger getting new costumes. At the end of the event, you get the final skill item from that character.