In just a few months, Bandai Namco will release Tales of Arise, the 17th entry in the long-running JRPG franchise that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Game ZXC recently got to play a preview build of the game during a remote play event to see how Tales of Arise is shaping up with just a few months to go.
Tales of Arise was originally due to release in 2020, but due to the developer's ambitions and COVID-19, the game was pushed to September 1oth, 2021. Like most entries in the Tales series, Tales of Arise takes place in its own world with a new cast of colorful characters with no knowledge of previous games in the series needed. The preview version we played saw the party of characters making their way to the city of Vicint and dealing with monsters called Zeugals along the way.
In the preview build, we could play six different party members, including the two characters revealed in the Tales of Arise E3 2021 trailer. The cast of characters includes Alphen, Shionne, Rinwell, Law, Dohalim, and Kisara, all of whom have their own personalities, playstyle, and special abilities. The party arrives in an area called Elde Menancia and discovers the place overrun with Zeugals. It is not long before a fight breaks out with these creatures, and Tales of Arise has a chance to shine with its new and improved real-time combat system.
Combat in Tales of Arise is fast-paced and rewards players who can respond well to the flow of battle. While all previous Tales games have their own unique addition to the combat system, Tales of Arise has changed a lot, and it is for the better. Four out of the six party members will participate during a battle, though the remaining two still play important roles. A string of normal attacks can combo into special moves called Artes, allowing the player to use another basic hit string. Each Arte is a stronger move than a normal attack with either a secondary effect or elemental modifier.
Tales of Arise is all about combining these normal attacks and Artes to extend combos. While this may sound par for the course for most Tales fans, the system has been streamlined. Three ground-based and three ariel-combat Artes can be assigned simultaneously, and some moves work well together. For instance, a player can perform a normal attack string and end with an Arte that launches the enemy, and the player character will follow them into the air and then begin another attack string which ends in an ariel Arte. Of course, attacking is only one part of Tales of Arise's battle formula, as players will also need to react to the enemies.
Tales of Arise rewards attentive players who study the enemies they face and learn how to counter and evade them. Every character can evade enemy attacks reducing or avoiding damage. On top of that, every party member (including those not in the battle) has special abilities that, if used correctly, counter the enemy and give the party an advantage. A good example of this is the recently revealed Kisara, who wields a large shield and can be called upon to block an enemy as it charges and knock it down. Another good example of this is Rinwell, whose ability allows her to steal the spell of a casting enemy and fire it back at them. Learning the enemies' abilities and the party's skills is key to mastering Tales of Arise's combat system, and it feels great.
Another impressive part of the preview build is the world of Tales of Arise. Unfortunately, the preview build of the game only featured a field route to a major city and another area in which a powerful Zeugal had made its home. Despite this, there was a lot to discover and exploration felt really rewarding. Early on in the preview, an NPC warns the player to avoid combat with the Zeugals and stick to the main path but straying from the main path feels worthwhile. First and foremost, the game looks beautiful, and the art style is reminiscent of a storybook. The area's topography is well designed as well. Despite looking simple enough, there are higher and lower areas, and little caves tucked away to discover. Over the course of the preview build, upgraded weapons for each party member were found scattered around the map. Tales of Arise's exploration definitely feels like a step up from previous games in the series.
Players are even rewarded for exploring in combat. While sticking to the main path, players may encounter three flying enemies or three enemies that quickly jump around the map. This provides relatively simple battles, though still allow players to use party skills to control the fight. However, straying from the path, a player may encounter different combinations of creatures. These fights require the player to put to use all the skills Tales of Arise has to offer.
During both exploration and combat, the individual personalities of Tales of Arise's character are well demonstrated. For example, Shionne tries to avoid fighting when possible and is looking for a nice place to rest, but she is ready and intimidating when combat breaks out. Another great example of characterization comes in Boost Strikes, which are instant kill, collaborative moves that feature two characters teaming up. For example, Shionne uses her flames to ignite Alphen's sword as he jumps forward and slams it down on an enemy. In this quick move, the game offers an idea of the relationship between these two characters. There were only three of these Boost Strikes in the preview build, but the developers promised there are more in the full game.
With all the changes being made, some long-term Tales fans will be worried about missing features. Well, while they were absent in the preview build, the developers have also promised the return of the Tales series skits, a staple of the franchise. According to the information provided, these skits have been revamped, and more will be revealed very soon. It seems that, despite the changes being made to the Tales formula, the developer has not forgotten what makes these games special and unique.
Tales of Arise looks to be another great entry in the franchise and does a great job of marking the series 25th anniversary. The combat felt rewarding, the world offered plenty to explore, and the characters and story are intriguing. As the Tales of Arise release date approaches, it is definitely a game to watch.
Tales of Arise will come to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S on September 10th, 2021.