tales of arise is an okay game. it's not mid, it's just okay. the cast is wonderful, their dynamic is really good + everyone had just enough character development. it's genuine, we can see their struggles and symphatise with them and we can see how they grow during the game. also i'd argue shionne is the best written tales female lead, she is raw and felt real in almost every instance. using this opportunity to say that the romance in this game is, once again, the best one in the tales of series, just because it didn't feel tropey or forced, but i digress.

the combat is super fun, the ost is delightful and very memorable, the design of the dungeons and cities in general is also very good, except the last two dungeons and the cities in the beginning, they felt very bland.

moving on, why is this game just OKAY and not something wow and groundbreaking; the plot is very weak. it starts off well but in the second half of the game loses all semblance of sense and we get infodumped and left to connect the pieces, in some moments it felt rushed and lazy even. too farfetched i would say. the last 2-3 dungeons are pretty lackluster and the enemies are too tanky with low rewards, to that point that bosses were easier than mobs.
the ending was pretty emotional and satisfying though, but buy this game on sale, it's not really worth the full price.