Tales of Arise is the newest addition to the Tales series of JRPGs from Bandai Namco. The wait for the next mothership title from the Tales series was long, but it was worth it for fans. The series has often been a little polarizing among fans and critics with its stubborn grasp on the series' tradition.

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For many, Tales of Arise is a real step forward for the series. It's been heralded as both the evolution the series needed and as a salute to the Tales series roots that fans love. The gamble on taking the series to the next step has paid off the Tales Studio. It's the best-selling Tales game ever and setting records for the series on the Steam platform.

Updated March 28, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: Tales of Arise is a stunning return to form for the Tales series with its beautiful semi-open world, towns, and dungeons. The story's characters place it among one of the best entries in the long-running JRPG series. Players can now play the complete version of the game, with its story expansion, Beyond the Dawn, included in the package. There are several systems to familiarize oneself before getting started, and this guide has been updated with new useful links and more tips for Tales of Arise beginners.

14 Change The Characters' Looks

Change A Character's Outfit And Weapon Design

The characters in Tales of Arise will unlock new outfits, weapons, and designs as the story progresses. Thankfully, players don't have to stick with one character design through the entire game, and they can change Alphen and his party's costumes and colors at will. Whether the outfits are unlocked through the story or via DLC, use the following steps to change the party's look:

• Press Options or Start to access the menu screen.
• Select Outfits.
• Change haircuts and style.
• Change costumes.
• Add attachments.
• Change weapon skins.

To check for unclaimed DLC outfits, use the following steps:

• In the menu screen, select System.
• Press the X/A button to access the list of DLC.
• Put a tick next to the desired items.
• Some costumes are unlocked in free packs, like the Atelier Sophie Collaboration packs.

13 Learn How To Evade

Evade To Slow Time And Counterattack

In Tales of Arise, the blocking mechanic has been removed in favor of using evasion tactics. Making sure the player character is always on the move will help to create distance between them and the enemy.

Perfecting the evade mechanic will also temporarily slow down time leaving the enemy open to a powerful counterattack. In addition, the evasion mechanic can be upgraded by using the Skill Panel.

12 Keep A Close Eye On Cure Points

The Party Can Universally Lose Their CP

A new mechanic for the Tales series is the use of Cure Points. The CP will put a limit on how many healing and support Artes the characters Shionne and Dohalim can cast in and out of battle.

The Cure Points will also be used for Map Actions. Map Actions are marked on the map with an exclamation point. These will include opening pathways blocked by fire by having Alphen absorb it or healing injured NPCs on the road. To recover CP the party will need to rest at a Camp or an Inn, activating Healing Lights, or by using Orange Gels. However, Orange Gels are an expensive resource in Tales of Arise.

11 Complete Subquests To Earn Skill Points

Subquests Reward SP For The Skills Board

Increasing the party's Skill Points will increase their effectiveness in battle. The player can unlock more spheres, so they can increase the damage executed on a downed opponent, increase the effectiveness of midair attacks, improve evasion mechanics, obtain new, titles, Artes, and more.

As a result, it's more encouraged than ever before to take on the game's subquests as much as possible. In addition to earning more Gald, the party will quickly earn SP. The subquests are completed in short order and very little challenge with the giant super Zeugles being the only exception. The rewards for completing these quests are always worth the time.

10 Avoid Spamming The Same Attacks

Use Combos And Boost Attacks To Mix It Up

The story and the world of Tales of Arise are vast and absorbing. However, players will spend the majority of their time fighting. Luckily, the Tales team has long-established itself as one of the best developers in the world when comes to combat systems, and Tales of Arise may be the best yet.

A well-polished fighting system means that one isn’t going to get away with spamming the same attacks and Artes over and over again. Using the same Arte within a four-hit combo will diminish its effectiveness by half. So it’s always a good to idea mix it up with basic R1 attacks as much as possible.

9 Set The Strategy Preference As Soon As Possible

Give The Team A Fighting Chance By Using The Tactics System

The combat in Tales of Arise is very fast-paced and more powerful enemies can put down the party in an instant without the right strategies in place. By going into the menu and clicking the Strategies symbol players can adjust everything to their liking.

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However, one of the best strategies in the game is to select the ‘Focus on Healing’ option as the main strategy. From there, players can fine-tune their tactics by pressing the Y or Triangle button to ‘Change Tactics Details’ and fine-tune the adjustments.

8 Explore And Grab Everything

Discover Tales Of Arise's Secrets By Exploring The World

It won’t be long before the player can explore the field and start fighting monsters. However, the field isn’t just for grinding levels and getting stronger. There is a lot of loot, ingredients, and other useful items that can be found when exploring.

Thankfully, the world in Tales of Arise is a beautiful one that’s always worth exploring and taking in. That doesn’t mean that one should rush to a sparkly item in the distance without hesitation. Always check the environment. Some of the better items will be guarded by strong monsters.

7 Use Campsites As Often As Possible

Use Campsites To Heal And Eat Food

The campsites in Tales of Arise will serve as a saving grace for many players as they will allow the party to heal. However, the campsites serve as more than just a reprieve for the characters out on the field.

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At camp, the characters can strengthen their bonds with each other by selecting the optional skits. They can also click the reminisce option to watch old skits all over again. Furthermore, the characters can engage in cooking up their ingredients.

6 Always Cook Food For Buffs

Cook Meals For Status Bonuses And Extra Scenes

With cooking at campsites in mind, one should always try and cook a meal before setting off on the journey. In addition to the regular skits and story-based conversations, they provide some entertaining cutscenes of their own.

The real value in cooking doesn’t come from the entertaining scenes. Depending on what one is food is being cooked the party will be able to buff their stats for a while on the battlefield. The other party members will also encourage rest and a meal as the buff begins to run low.

5 Fight Everything

Level Up Fast By Fighting Often

As mentioned above, there is a lot of fighting to be done in Tales of Arise. Fortunately, there will be a lot of opportunities to master the combat system over time. The open-world map is littered with a variety of monsters of varying strength.

While it can be tempting to try and avoid them at all costs, it’s wiser to knuckle down and fight everything in sight. The only exception is the monsters that the party is too under-leveled to fight. Approaching the game with this mindset will have the team reaping the rewards and leveling up fast.

4 Listen Out For Dahnan Owls

Locate The Owls To Get Rewards

One of the more tricky but fun little side quests in Tales of Arise is the seeking out of the elusive Dahnan Owls. These friendly creatures will provide the party with rare outfit accessories as a reward.

These accessories can provide little character bonuses when they are equipped. There are a total of 38 Dahnan Owls to find in the game. The Owls will make a “woohoo” sound when the party is close but they can still prove difficult to find. However, they will become easier to locate once Rinwell joins the party. As her pet, Hootie will alert the party when an owl is near.

3 Watch The Skits

Interact With The Characters To Get New Cutscenes

As with the previous Tales games, the skits are a mechanic that is there to facilitate more character development and add more context to the story. The skits can be serious and personal interactions between characters, or they can be humorous.

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Players need to keep an eye out for the R1 or RB symbol at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. This is a prompt to trigger a skit that initiates a conversation between two or all of the party members.

2 Pay Attention To A Character’s Title

Unlock New Skills When A Character Earns A New Title

Earning a title has been a staple of the series for a long time, and it’s a feature that’s returned in Tales of Arise. Characters will need to fulfill specific requirements to achieve a title, but doing so will reward the characters with new Artes and skills to add to their arsenal.

Each new title unlocks requirements and can be accessed via the Skill Panel. From there the player can spend their Skill Points on new Artes that have been unlocked with a character’s title. In addition, players can set a notification with the X or Square button to let them know that they’ve met the requirements to unlock the skill.

1 Take On Side Quests To Earn Gald

Take On Side Quest To Gain EXP And Cash

Keeping the party’s equipment up to date can be an expensive endeavor so earning extra gald on the side is always recommended in Tales of Arise. The best and quickest way to do this is to accept and complete sidequests.

Approaching characters with the envelope icon above their heads will initiate the sidequest. Most of these quests will involve monster hunting and various fetch quests. Thankfully, they are never too time-consuming. In addition to earning gald, characters will also earn skill points, titles, and other rewards.

Tales of Arise

Platform(s)

PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

September 10, 2021

Developer(s)

Bandai Namco Studios

Genre(s)

Action RPG

See at Playstation Store