For some time now, the creators behind Bandai Namco’s Tales of series
have promised to take the franchise in a different direction.
Though the previous entry, Tales of Berseria, showed flashes of that promise,
it didn’t go quite far enough to break the mold.
Enter Tales of Arise, which finally delivers a refreshing new take
that radically shakes up the established conventions of this long-running RPG series.
This is clear from the opening minutes as Arise puts Unreal Engine 4 to good use,
delivering stunning visuals that surpass anything previously seen in past installments.
Characters, enemies, and environments all look spectacular with captivating designs
that draw you further into this gorgeous world.
The only small blemish on an otherwise amazing effort
is the frequent popping while walking through these massive areas.
After over a decade of seeing Tales games push its aging in-house engine to the limits
with diminishing returns,
it’s wonderful to see the world of Arise brought to life with a beautiful new aesthetic.
Arise’s newfound visual fidelity also greatly enhances the game’s battles and exploration.
Though earlier games made progress
towards alleviating the somewhat stiff battle and traversal animations,
Arise is leaps and bounds above any of its predecessors.
The elaborate effects and fluid movement create a sense of intensity that
feeds into the chaotic nature of fights that are simply a sight to behold.
At its core, the battle system is still very familiar to series veterans, but
Arise throws on several new flashy layers that eventually elevate the combat,
despite it feeling like button mashing in the early goings.
You still throw out basic attacks in succession
and weave in special abilities called Artes to perform combos,
but now you can trigger assist-like abilities from individual party members
that can serve as both a creative extension of your current combo,
or more uniquely, as a specialized call to action.
These assists realize a new element of strategy that comes into play quite often,
especially in boss encounters.
At times, a visual or audio cue
will make you aware of opportune moments to call for assistance.
For instance, your mage Rinwell can interrupt an enemy casting a spell
before it can unleash its devastation.
It’s quite satisfying to decide whether to use one of these assists for offensive purposes
such as extending a combo,
or to pocket it to potentially stop an attack
that could wipe out your party.
Arise throws a lot of new mechanics and systems at you over the course of the first few hours,
but as overwhelming as it all seems, you can focus on the basics and get by for the most part
on the normal difficulty setting.
However, the boss battles are a huge step above remedial battles
in terms of complexity and difficulty, and overcoming each feels immensely gratifying.
While the bulk of the game isn't very challenging,
roughly two-thirds of the way through, it definitely steps things up,
requiring you to burn through lots of items
and to invest in better gear to survive.
It makes getting through some of these latter gauntlets feel like an achievement,
though not always a satisfying one,
as a few of these areas run a bit on the long side with some excessive backtracking.
When you’re not duking it out, you spend the majority of your time exploring the vast world
and its rich environments.
Building upon the foundation established in Tales of Berseria,
Arise further incentivizes you to wander and see what you can find with more hidden paths
and obstacles you can confront after obtaining special abilities.
In general, its diverse areas have a more organic structure that feels so inviting that
you may find yourself journeying off in random directions just to see the sights.
While the main story takes you through most of these areas,
taking on the many side quests
nudges you to more remote destinations every now and then.
The majority of these diversions don’t really stand out in terms of what they ask you to do,
but several offer further insights into the characters or various locations you get to know.
One major downside to the side quest system is that
they don’t specify a recommended level for each task.
It’s not an issue for a good portion of the game, but in the later segments,
it's all too easy to get into a situation where you’re way over your head
without fair warning.
Another standout element of Arise is its post-game content.
The usual fare of high level side quests with tougher bosses is present, but
one of them in particular is something special.
All we can say is that Tales fans are in for a treat, so buckle up.
Other seemingly insane challenges also await, but if you’ve had enough fighting,
you can also dive into a fun fishing side quest
or track down hidden owls and return them back to their forest for cosmetic rewards
to make a fashion statement - the true endgame.
RPGs depend on a strong narrative and cast of characters
to carry you through a roughly 45-50 hour adventure like you’ll find in Arise.
The Tales series has had its highs and lows, but it feels like the writing team
finally delivers something here that’s truly evolved with the times.
Though Arise still has its fair share of anime tropes,
the story appeals to a much broader audience with perhaps
its most ambitious take yet.
Even though previous entries have featured darker storylines, Arise
easily pushes the envelope from the very start
by tackling topics like racism, slavery, and supremacism.
For the most part, it doesn’t try to neatly solve these issues, either,
as characters constantly struggle with the ramifications of their decisions.
Yet through these unsettling themes, your expanding party of characters, all with their own terrible pasts,
slowly comes together to form a bond that feels more genuine
than any past attempts in the series.
The dialogue flows very well, and thanks to solid voice work,
interactions feel more natural.
This very well might be the best ensemble cast of any Tales game.
The only small blemish when it comes to the VO
is a longstanding feature of many JRPGs: excessive chit-chat and battle cries in combat.
Though some may find them enjoyable, the lack of any options to curtail them
is regrettable for those who find them annoying.
Though it still features a handful of gorgeous 2D animated cut-scenes
like its predecessors,
Arise notably ditches this aesthetic for its trademark character skits
in favor of using in-game visuals with a panel presentation
akin to comic books or manga.
The new style definitely works well and helps preserve the visual continuity
between gameplay and conversations.
If anything, it makes the 2D animated sequences, as elaborate and well done as they are,
feel like they’re out of place and more of a novelty than ever,
like the FMVs of old.
Arise’s soundtrack features a handful of standout tunes
that effectively use vocals to achieve a regal sound.
If it were simply a case of quality over quantity, it would be an impressive effort,
but the overuse of the same tracks in multiple areas diminishes their potency.
After previous attempts only achieved half-measures,
Tales of Arise finally takes the series in a new direction.
There are sure to be veterans who lament some of the changes
in the name of expanding the audience, but the risks taken here pay off nicely.
The visuals are a marked improvement from any previous entry,
and the combat looks and feels better than ever,
even if it comes at the cost of losing some depth.
Arise’s narrative admirably tackles some ambitious themes,
though not all beats hit their mark.
However, despite a few flaws,
Tales of Arise is a fantastic RPG that stands as one of the best the series has to offer.
Final score: 8.5 out of 10.
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