Tales of Xillia 2 is a sequel to the original Tales of Xillia and takes place a year after its conclusion. The sequel features an improved battle system which allows the player to switch between different weapon styles at-will during battle. Direct choices can now be made during specific cutscenes similar to Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII-2 which affects the outcome of the events in real-time.

As can be seen in the scans, Ivar from the original Tales of Xillia will be returning for the sequel. After being defeated by Jude he wandered around until he was recruited to work for Clanspia doing various odd jobs. Unlike some of the other characters we've seen so far, though, he appears to have a similar outfit except for the addition of his new sunglasses.

The scans also give a better explanation of the new story structure found in Xillia 2 with its requirements of needing to pay off Ludger's debt before progression. In-between each of the chapters you can access various "character episodes" which are triggered by talking to a character with a specific icon over their head. If you complete these episodes you will unlock exclusive items tied to them and learn more about the character involved.

And we get a better look at the second stage of Ludger's "Corpse Shell" ability. According to the scan once this second stage is triggered it will increase Ludger's attack power.

Tales of Xillia 2 will be released in Japan on November 1. The first game will be released sometime in 2013 in both North America and Europe.