In just a few months, Bandai Namco will releaseTales of Arise,the 17th entry in the long-running JRPG franchise that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.Game Rant recently got to play a preview build of the game during a remote play event to see howTales of Ariseis shaping up with just a few months to go.
Tales of Arisewas 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 theTalesseries, Tales of Arisetakes 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.
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In the preview build, we could play six different party members, includingthe two characters revealed in theTales of AriseE3 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, andTales of Arisehas a chance to shine with its new and improved real-time combat system.
Combat inTales of Ariseis fast-paced and rewards players who can respond well to the flow of battle. While all previousTalesgames have their own unique additionto the combat system,Tales of Arisehas 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 Ariseis all about combining these normal attacks and Artes to extend combos. While this may sound par for the course for mostTalesfans, 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, attackingis only one part ofTales of Arise’sbattle formula, as players will also need to react to the enemies.
Tales of Ariserewards 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 masteringTales of Arise’scombat system, and it feels great.
Another impressive part of the preview build is the world ofTales 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’sexploration definitely feels like a step upfrom 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 useall the skillsTales of Arisehas to offer.
During both exploration and combat, theindividual personalities ofTales of Arise’scharacterare 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-termTalesfans will be worried about missing features. Well, while they were absent in the preview build, the developers have also promised the return of theTalesseries 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 theTalesformula, the developer has not forgotten what makes these games special and unique.
Tales of Ariselooks 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 theTales of Ariserelease dateapproaches, it is definitely a game to watch.
Tales of Arisewill come to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S on September 10th, 2021.
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