Tales of Arise is by far the best entry in the series and one of the best JRPGs of the generation.
I have been playing videogames for decades and RPGs are without a doubt my favorite genre. I'm not one of those people who think every game they play is the greatest thing ever, nor am I one of those jaded cynics who refuse to enjoy anything. So believe me when I say that Tales of Arise is absolutely phenomenal.
The Tales series has been a beloved, albeit niche, JPRG series for decades. I have heard it been said that the series as a whole can be described overall as "mid". I have played my fair share of tales titles and before Tales of Arise, I would have agreed. For every good thing the games did, they stumbled in other critical areas. Though not for lack of ambition or lack of trying, which I truly respect from developers. Some critics of the Tales series have described it as a "budget Final Fantasy". Believe me, they cant say that about Tales of Arise.
~Graphics and Art Direction~
Namco really took a financial risk with Tales of Arise and my goodness did it pay off! Compared to previous titles, Tales of Arise takes a huge step forward into a more "realistic", high budget art style (while staying true to its anime roots). Graphically, it's nothing like the previous (with all due respect) Tales titles. The art direction and environments are truly beautiful. The game's world is divided into different elemental zones, each with their unique flair, and they all look fantastic in their own way. I often found myself stopping and taking screenshots of the different environments
The main cast looks amazing and well designed. The weapons for each character had a lot of detail put into them and I really appreciate things like that. The monster variety is nice, and they all look and move wonderfully. There are a lot of palette swaps though. Overall the new style of the series has really made it stand out and shot the series into the top tiers of RPGs, in my opinion.
~Story~
*NO SPOILERS*
Tales of Arise, much like its predecessors, has an ambitious, world-shaking storyline. In fact, the overall story is much in the same "style" as previous titles. So what makes it better? It seems that this time, between the characters, the pacing, plot, and all the other ingredients that go into making a spectacular story, they captured lightning in a bottle. It just works so well in a way that previous storylines in Tales games didn't. To put it in other words, imagine the same dish cooked by an amateur chef vs a master chef.
The main cast of the game is extremely likeable, though some characters, particularly, the female co-main, Shionne might rub people the wrong way for a while due to her icy manner (and that's putting it lightly, she's initially worse than Velvet). Also, there is a lot of racism in this game. Think of Wakka with the Albeds in Final Fantasy X. I personally found it hilarious, especially when characters of opposing races start smack-talking each other in the middle of combat. Trust me when I say Shionne gets better and so does everyone else in the cast. They all progress and develop throughout the game, so give them a chance.
The cast are all well written without falling into boring anime tropes. Alphen, the main character, is one of the best Tales protagonists ever. Finally a JPRG lead that is 1) a grown man and not a teenager, 2) Has a romantic interest while not being a damn simp (looking at you, Jude) and 3) has an actual personality (*cough*Asbel*cough*).
Another note, the game is long, but the plot moves along briskly, with new twists and turns, new environments, a story that never slows down, and never feels like a chore. I don't know if it's pure writing talent, luck, or a little of both, but they NAILED IT with the story in this game. MUCH better than Berseria or Vesperia. Trust me!
~Gameplay~
Tales of Arise takes the Action JRPG combat of the Tales Series to the next level and is soundly the absolute best in the series. The combat is fast paced and challenging, make no mistake. If you play this game on at least normal (I cleared 100% on moderate, which is harder than normal) you can expect a challenge. On moderate, the game starts to demand serious skill. On hard, even more so. I think this may be one of the toughest JRPGs in terms of average difficulty. However, the combat is fair, fast, and so gorgeous and that you will want to "git gud", as the kids like to say. (There are easier difficulties as well for games journalists and other assorted individuals with little self respect.)
The side quests in this game were never tedious or boring, unlike in FF15 (remember the frogs? What the hell were they thinking!?). They were fun, unique, sometimes funny, always rewarding. One minor complaint I can say about the side quests is that there are a few that become available way too early in terms of level. For these, you'll have to progress more before you can tackle them and I cant help but wonder if the devs would have been better off just introducing them a bit later in the story.
I want to give a special mention to the boost attacks, which are basically unique super moves between 2 party members. They are fast, furious, and spectacular. I never got tired of using all of them in the 100 hours I put in this game. They make the combat in this game so flashy and fun. You have no idea how cool they are until you try it. Finishing off a tough boss with an over-the-top explosion of magic and steel gives you a satisfaction you wont encounter in most other JRPGs.
~Miscellaneous Notes ~
The music in this game is good, but not amazing. Some people really liked it, but for me, while I recognize it as good quality and appropriate to the story and setting, it did not catch my attention.
All Tales series have an anime opening which I really like. It serves to get you hyped up for the game. Tales of Arise has TWO (2) openings. The initial one and a 2nd one which unlocks later in the story. Think of it like an anime's season 2 opening. The animation for both is fantastic, by far the best in the series. However, I do think the opener music itself is not top tier compared to other entries in the series like Graces, Xillia 1-2, or Berseria. (Arise runs circles around these games in everything else besides music though) This is an incredibly minor and pedantic complaint that I just had to mention to try and say something "negative" about the game. When I'm stooping to this level to find something bad about it that says a lot about how good it is.
One of the unique aspects of Tales games, and one which I think more JRPGs should adopt, are the skits. Tales of Arise has about 320 of them. In my initial playthrough, with no guides or anything, after I finished everything, I got 317/320 which is more than I expected. The campfire system allows you to view skits you may have not activated (but met the requirements for). As for the skits themselves, they have the usual great banter between party members that the series is known for. I will say that while Arise has its fair share of hilarious skits, there do seem much more serious/somber/info-dump ones as well. However, given how messed up the Tales of Arise world is, that is understandable. Nevertheless, this is one of the best aspects of the Tales series and Arise does not slouch in this area!
The fishing mini game, which is near ubiquitous in JRPGS at this point, is one of the better games I've come across.
Tales of Arise is a JPRG through and through. If you're not in the mood for a long, story-driven, investment, then hold off on this game until you are. This is a title you really have to invest time and effort into to appreciate. Rushing through this game would be a huge waste. Make sure you go into this experience with the right mindset!
This is honestly one of the best JRPGs of the generation and is immediately in my Top 10 JRPGs of all time. I made it my 100th platinum trophy, I wanted it to be something special, and I'm glad it was this game. It's that good.
Finally, last but definitely not least:
I love Kisara and her great, big....heart.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Frequently bought together
This item: Tales of Arise - PlayStation 4
$14.99
Get it as soon as Friday, Aug 2
In Stock
PlayStation 4
+
$15.29
Get it as soon as Friday, Aug 2
Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
PlayStation 4
+
$16.17
Get it as soon as Friday, Aug 2
Only 10 left in stock - order soon.
PlayStation 4
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Videos
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
Videos for this product
1:42
Click to play video
Tales of Arise trailer
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
Videos for this product
1:20
Click to play video
Tales of Arise
Merchant Video
Videos for this product
1:46
Click to play video
Tales of Arise - Reheat trailer
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
Videos for this product
0:29
Click to play video
Is it worth the hype? Tales of Arise_ Standard
DenisReviews
Reviews with images
Best compat system in the tales franchise
One of the best games to play when looking for interesting combat and character growth.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2024
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Best compat system in the tales franchise
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
One of the best games to play when looking for interesting combat and character growth.
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2024
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
So where to start with this game. I bought this game thinking it was going to be amazing and it could have been. But to be honest square enix kind of messed that up for me. One big flaw with this game is there is a lot and I repeat a lot of cutscenes. Unnecessary cut scenes it's so bad you get to the point where you're just skipping everything just to make it through the game. And that's bad really bad. I was able to beat this game and still understood the storyline and knew where it was going, a lot of it seems generic but the storyline could have been way better. I do not like the fact that when you get weapon upgrades you have to get the skins separate, so when your weapon is upgraded you don't see the upgraded weapon unless you have the skins apply to the upgrade. This also coincides with their outfit / armor upgrades too. Unless you download the kits off the PlayStation store or wherever you playing the game from that is the only way you will see what the skin of the outfit or the weapons might look like depending on if you don't get it in game already. If you looking for a game to kill time and you don't mind grinding this is the games for you. Again the storyline could have been better but they kind of ruined it with a lot of the cut scenes and unnecessary dialogue the locations were nice but it's a typical RPG with a lot of back and forth traveling so I'm not going to say it's a bad game but it wasn't a great game.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Fabiano billxplay
Game interativo
Reviewed in Brazil on July 13, 2024Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Fabiano billxplay
Reviewed in Brazil on July 13, 2024
Images in this review
Amazon Customer
im enjoying this alot
Reviewed in Canada on September 1, 2023Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Antonio Perez Correa
De los mejores Tales.
Reviewed in Mexico on August 25, 2023Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Fremen72
Not for the game itself
Reviewed in Japan on July 14, 2022Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Fremen72
Reviewed in Japan on July 14, 2022
Images in this review
Herbert Lenon Moraes Lino
Muito bom
Reviewed in Brazil on April 25, 2024Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
