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As a longtime fan of the Tales series, I quite enjoyed Tales of Berseria and felt that it was a return to form after the missteps of the previous lackluster entry. Following that, when they revealed Tales of Arise, it looked to be a departure from the...
With an excellent story and cast and a reinvigorated combat system, Tales of Arise is the shot in the arm the long-running Tales RPG series needed to recapture its best moments.
The Spark of Revolution The naming convention of the Tales series has produced some odd titles in the past. It's hard to keep a straight face when you tell someone you're playing Tales of Legendia. Still, at least they were all grammatically correct....
Taken as a whole, Tales of Arise is a very good RPG, boasting beautiful visuals, a wonderful cast of characters, and engaging combat mechanics--but its flaws (and that odious DLC) are also difficult to ignore. If you're looking for a lengthy, charming, and engaging JRPG to play on your shiny new console or PC gaming rig, Tales of Arise is certainly a fine choice. Just don't go into it expecting an all-time classic.
Tales of Arise doesn’t exactly forge new ground in the JRPG genre, but a fast-paced battle system and a well-told story make it easy to pick up, and hard to put down.
With that said, there are still plenty of nagging issues. Alphen as a protagonist is dry and makes illogical decisions, there are plenty of JRPG tropes used in frustrating ways, and some of the combat flaws rear their head more than they should have. Fortunately, these pale in comparison to the sixty plus hours you’ll be investing in this newfound adventure. Tales of Arise maintains all the charisma of past Tales games, but wraps it neatly in an inspiring, fresh experience that will leave you wanting more.
Tales of Arise rides the high of a brilliant battle system and a charismatic supporting cast. It's not always the smoothest ride, especially when the back half of Bandai Namco's game stumbles into interplanetary affairs and storytelling that goes for something a little more grandiose, but the combination of compelling characters and a plot that'll genuinely get you rooting for everyone involved is a sublime match.
Tales of Arise is a masterpiece with a deep story and endearing cast that will keep you hooked as you fight for freedom from tyrants. Meanwhile, the action-intense battles are great fun as you plan your moves to take down enemies as efficiently as possible. Exploring the dungeons and overworld is a joy, too, especially with new map abilities that make traversal engaging. It's the best Tales yet!
GAME INFOTales of AriseSeptember 10th, 2021Platform PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox OnePublisher Bandai NamcoDeveloper Bandai NamcoThe Tales series has been around for quite some time, but for years it failed to make...