Two millennia before the present day, Minera (a white moon) was in a state of war with itself, and Organica's (the worlds) inhabitants were used by the Minerans as a food source for organic weapons called xeroms. The xeroms were designed to attack Spirias, the crystalline essence of a person's emotions, and either destroyed them or infected them with an ailment known as despir. Some Minerans who sympathized with the Organicans' plight and wishes for peace provided them with weapons to fight off the xerom, called Soma. In the present day, after Minera was destroyed, the xerom continue to threaten the people of Minera and the people who bear Somas and fight the creatures are called Somatics.
Tales of Hearts R is a full remake of the original for the PlayStation Vita. It features fully voiced dialogue, new events, two new playable party members (Calcedony Arkham and Galad Grinus), and 3D graphics. The battles now have a focus on jumping up and taking the fight to the air.
Physical copies of Tales of Hearts R are a GameStop exclusive in the US. The limited number of copies and exclusivity has caused the price to rise.
The limited edition, known as Tales of Hearts R: Link Edition, contains several Vita accessories such as decals, cleaning cloth, and a pouch.