Bandai Namco has offered fans a peek at its upcoming JRPG epic Tales of Arise with an impressive-looking demo. The last entry in the mainline Tales series was the excellent Tales of Berseria in 2016. As a result, it marks the longest waiting time between the series' mothership titles in Tales' history.
The new title also marks the first time the series is incorporating the Unreal Engine, to give the game a modern look and feel. There are modernizations to the combat, the environments, skits, and more. Let's take a look at what this demo offers fans of old and those new to the series.
10 It's The Best Looking Game In The Series
It should go without saying that Tales of Arise is the best-looking entry in the Tales series to date. The transition of the series into the Unreal engine has been a successful one so far. It still retains that classic anime art style that Tales fans have come to know and love, but now it is richer in detail and more explorable than ever.
There are some technical issues, like texture pop-in when exploring on the PS4 and Xbox. However, considering this is a demo of an unfinished product, these issues should be addressed in the full game.
9 The Free-Flowing Combat
In addition to the visuals, the combat system has seen a huge upgrade as well. In the past, the Tales games have always gone to some length to implement a version of the Linear Motion Battle System. Tales of Arise, however, is free-flowing and reminiscent of the flashiness seen in the Final Final VII Remake and Final Fantasy XV.
The depleting TP Artes system has now been dropped in favor of a regenerating Artes system. They are divided into aerial and ground-based Artes, and are mapped to the face buttons. Even though it may seem complex and overwhelming at first, combining basic and special attacks has never been easier. The basic attacks – triggered by the R1/RB button – flow seamlessly into powerful Artes attacks and back again with ease.
8 Boost Attacks And Boost Strikes
In addition to basic attacks and Artes, Tales of Arise features Boost Attacks and Boost Strikes. The Boost Attacks are individual attacks, which can be activated by pressing an arrow on the D-Pad that corresponds to the character in the party.
Meanwhile, Boost Strikes are powerful tag-team co-op attacks that can defeat a powerful non-boss enemy in one move. These attacks are triggered by pressing the D-Pad when the gauge is full. The moves activate stunning animations that pause the action, and look similar to the special co-op attacks in Scarlet Nexus.
7 Adjustable AI Behavior
The Tales series has always allowed players to adjust how the AI-controlled party members behave in battle. The Battle Actions menus and Support Talents options in Tales of Vesperia and Tales of Zesteria give players some flexibility before a series of battles begin.
Tales of Arise, however, goes a little further by giving the player more control over battle strategy than ever before. Players can select and edit one of the many premade strategies, or create a new one of their own. It’s a system reminiscent of the Gambit system from Final Fantasy XII, allowing for depth in addition to the flashy set-piece moments in combat.
6 Cooking Is More Interactive
The cooking mechanic has always been an important aspect of the Tales series. It provides the party with stat boosts that last for a short time on the field. However, the developers at the Tales studio have given the cooking more life and character this time around.
It's reminiscent of Final Fantasy's XV cooking system. This time, however, the characters have a bit more banter and fun at the campsites after a chosen character has cooked something. Alphen, for example, will burn a roast chicken and try disguising it by using too many spices. As a result, the other party members think they are being gassed by an enemy on the field. Using different characters yields different scenes, resulting in much more fun than its predecessors.
5 The Orchestral Music
Even though Tales of Arise marks a new beginning for the series by making it more accessible than ever, there is still enough there that will be familiar for fans. The soundtrack, for example, has been composed once again by the series’ veteran Motoi Sakuraba.
However, this game has a more serious tone and grandiosity that is more epic and distinct than its predecessors. As another first for the series, Tales of Arise features a full-sized orchestra that can be heard all around the game’s world and in boss battles. Additionally, the regular battles use an in-studio strings theme and some rock tracks with a Ys series feel.
4 A Large Seamless World
The move to Unreal Engine 4 for this entry in the Tales series has paid off in many ways. The series finally has a big budget feel to it that can match its mainstream rivals. It’s a world that makes the player want to explore every nook, cranny, and waterfall to find all the treasures the game has to offer.
In addition, the characters move in and out of battle arenas seamlessly. There are none of the post-battle victory scenes that were once a staple of the series. Instead, characters will chat and interact as the player’s character continues ahead with their journey.
3 A Good Variety Of Monsters
Even though this is a short demo for Tales of Arise, there are still many things to discover and aggressive monsters to fight. In keeping with the seamless feel of Arise’s world, the monsters are visible on screen.
One may be reminded of other open-world RPGs like Monster Hunter and Xenoblade when exploring. It would be very surprising if there isn't a monster-hunting theme or side quests in the finished product.
2 Skits Are Still There
Fans of the older entries in the Tales series will be pleased to know that Skits are still present in Tales of Arise. They are no longer still screens of a character’s profile image, but partially animated scenes that play out similarly to the cooking scenarios in Arise.
As before, they do an amazing job of helping the player to get to know the characters and learn about the game’s mechanics, as well as creating a sense of world-building. Furthermore, players can replay older skits at a campsite by selecting the Reminisce option.
1 It Still Has That Tales Charm
Obviously, the Tales Studio wants Tales of Arise to reach a larger audience by making it accessible, bigger, and more visually appealing. Judging by the demo, Tales of Arise is all those things and more, but it is still unmistakably a Tales game.
It’s as charming as it has always been, and maintains all the right ingredients to keep old-school fans happy. It does this while moving the series in a new direction with its darker tone, beautiful world, and deep but accessible combat system.