On the planet Dahna, reverence has always been given to Rena--the planet in the sky--as a land of the righteous and divine. Stories handed down for generations became truth and masked reality for the people of Dahna. For 300 years, Rena has ruled over Dahna, pillaging the planet of its resources and stripping people of their dignity and freedom. Our tale begins with two people, born on different worlds, each looking to change their fate and create a new future. Featuring a diverse cast of characters, intuitive and rewarding combat system, and a captivating story set in a lush world worth fighting for, Tales of Arise delivers a first-class JRPG experience.
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Look, okay, yes: the story is mid as hell. But aside from Abyss, that’s honestly pretty par for the course for Tales, let’s be really real with ourselves. What this has that past games in the series don’t is fire ass combat and a cast of characters that I like and also really good visuals. Shionne and Dohalim are so stupid fun to use that I can easily forgive a crap villain and some weird but not egregiously awful narrative choices. Great game, remake Abyss in this style and Tales will finally have its masterpiece.
made me wanna blow my brains out tbh
This review contains spoilers
This was the first Tales games I've ever played, and it left me with mixed feelings – some awe, some joy and some total bafflement.
In terms of presentation, the entire game felt spectacular. The OST, the crisp visuals, the imaginative and vibrant world design, the outfits and weapons and the main character designs all really impressed me. It felt like a quality product through and through – and it was always a delight to traverse the game's world, backed with a soaring score and a medley of impressive vistas.
Initially, the game impresses with a bold story centred around a deeply unequal society, with the Renans harvesting the fruit of the Dhanan's labour. The opening hours set the game up nicely, with amnesiac protagonist Alphen (who I mentally referred to as 'Alpen' the entire game) providing a nice twist on a tired cliché by having his memories welded shut behind his iron mask. After teaming you up with Renan dissident Shionne, the game wastes no time in inviting you to delve into the world's politics, hierarchy and plucky rebel groups. It's a fantastic start and hooked me in from the word go – and I found myself invested in the entire party as their stories played out.
The combat throughout Tales of Arise is swift and satisfying, as elemental attacks stack up as you dodge-roll around the battlefield and summon your party members' stunning special moves. Buzzing with kinetic energy, each encounter held my attention. The combat in Arise stands as one of the better real time combat systems I've come across. A good thing, too, as the game pretty much entirely evolves around exploration or combat. Even during some of the lengthier dungeons at the game's end, the combat was always a joy.
For me, great combat is a key pillar of any JRPG. The other is a story that keeps me invested and makes me want to discover more. For most of its run time, Tales of Arise gave me both. Even the somewhat trope-y ensemble had enough interesting wrinkles to make me want to learn more about them, what makes them tick and where their motivations lie. Two of the later party members you recruit felt adult and mature in a way that too few JRPG characters too, which was a pleasant surprise. Sadly, the occasionally deft writing gets bogged down in some incredibly cheesy melodrama, and, eventually a story that buckles under its own weight.
That initially grounded story – full of interesting lore, gorgeous locales, gradual character development and a relatable desire for justice in a world that seems devoid of it – goes to pot as the game nears its conclusion. I'm not going to go into spoilers, but there is such a ridiculous amount of preposterous plot twists, dull exposition and cringeworthy over-emoting contained in the game's closing hours that it completely soured me as the closing credits approached. They even try to pull off the sentiment of 'both sides are as bad as each other' when referring to one race that has enslaved another! That's a cardinal sin for me and undoes the momentum of the previous 30+ hours of playtime. Honestly, it feels like the core team wrote 80% of the game's story and then they entrusted the finale to the boss' infant child.
A rushed, nonsensical finale is especially disappointing, considering the game had managed to knock it out of the park for so much of its runtime. Apparently this sort of mind-bending final chapter is common fare for the Tales series, but I couldn't stand the amount of garbage it crammed in – and it's an even greater sin when it's all being dumped all over a game I was really enjoying.
That leaves me feeling a bit conflicted over Tales of Arise. As a proof of concept of just how stunning a JRPG can be, it's right up there with the FF7 Remake in terms of artistic vision. The combat is an example on how to meld traditional JRPG mechanics with a frenetic and fun modern system. The writing was even genuinely moving when it decided to veer away from melodrama. Unfortunately, even after delighting in all the game had to offer across the initial 30 hours, Tales of Arise decided to slap me in the face for the final 10. And that's a huge shame, considering all the game did so well.
In terms of presentation, the entire game felt spectacular. The OST, the crisp visuals, the imaginative and vibrant world design, the outfits and weapons and the main character designs all really impressed me. It felt like a quality product through and through – and it was always a delight to traverse the game's world, backed with a soaring score and a medley of impressive vistas.
Initially, the game impresses with a bold story centred around a deeply unequal society, with the Renans harvesting the fruit of the Dhanan's labour. The opening hours set the game up nicely, with amnesiac protagonist Alphen (who I mentally referred to as 'Alpen' the entire game) providing a nice twist on a tired cliché by having his memories welded shut behind his iron mask. After teaming you up with Renan dissident Shionne, the game wastes no time in inviting you to delve into the world's politics, hierarchy and plucky rebel groups. It's a fantastic start and hooked me in from the word go – and I found myself invested in the entire party as their stories played out.
The combat throughout Tales of Arise is swift and satisfying, as elemental attacks stack up as you dodge-roll around the battlefield and summon your party members' stunning special moves. Buzzing with kinetic energy, each encounter held my attention. The combat in Arise stands as one of the better real time combat systems I've come across. A good thing, too, as the game pretty much entirely evolves around exploration or combat. Even during some of the lengthier dungeons at the game's end, the combat was always a joy.
For me, great combat is a key pillar of any JRPG. The other is a story that keeps me invested and makes me want to discover more. For most of its run time, Tales of Arise gave me both. Even the somewhat trope-y ensemble had enough interesting wrinkles to make me want to learn more about them, what makes them tick and where their motivations lie. Two of the later party members you recruit felt adult and mature in a way that too few JRPG characters too, which was a pleasant surprise. Sadly, the occasionally deft writing gets bogged down in some incredibly cheesy melodrama, and, eventually a story that buckles under its own weight.
That initially grounded story – full of interesting lore, gorgeous locales, gradual character development and a relatable desire for justice in a world that seems devoid of it – goes to pot as the game nears its conclusion. I'm not going to go into spoilers, but there is such a ridiculous amount of preposterous plot twists, dull exposition and cringeworthy over-emoting contained in the game's closing hours that it completely soured me as the closing credits approached. They even try to pull off the sentiment of 'both sides are as bad as each other' when referring to one race that has enslaved another! That's a cardinal sin for me and undoes the momentum of the previous 30+ hours of playtime. Honestly, it feels like the core team wrote 80% of the game's story and then they entrusted the finale to the boss' infant child.
A rushed, nonsensical finale is especially disappointing, considering the game had managed to knock it out of the park for so much of its runtime. Apparently this sort of mind-bending final chapter is common fare for the Tales series, but I couldn't stand the amount of garbage it crammed in – and it's an even greater sin when it's all being dumped all over a game I was really enjoying.
That leaves me feeling a bit conflicted over Tales of Arise. As a proof of concept of just how stunning a JRPG can be, it's right up there with the FF7 Remake in terms of artistic vision. The combat is an example on how to meld traditional JRPG mechanics with a frenetic and fun modern system. The writing was even genuinely moving when it decided to veer away from melodrama. Unfortunately, even after delighting in all the game had to offer across the initial 30 hours, Tales of Arise decided to slap me in the face for the final 10. And that's a huge shame, considering all the game did so well.
My first experience with the "Tales" series was amazing! I continuously compare games to this as was a high-quality game that got me invested in the story and enjoyed the gameplay loop. it isn't for everyone, and the later dungeons get a bit old, almost seemed tacked on at the end to lengthen the game. I would say the first 60 or 70% of the game is, an absolute treat! the latter half becomes slightly underbaked. I would highly recommend it, I may want to play the other tales games first though since this is much more refined in many ways. I did not play the DLC.
Jeu très cool et la fin est l'un des plus belle que j'ai vu dans le jv
A FINIR JSUIS A LA FIN J'AI KIFFÉ DE A A Z, juste le mode difficile svp faite en un meilleur prochaine fois. Faut juste farm pour être haut lvl relou. Sinon un exemple à suivre.