Tales of Arise marks a bit of a makeover for the long running JRPG series. It’s been around for decades, often depicting a bright, energetic anime aesthetic with playful characters and locations. But things have changed in recent years, with Tales latching on to a darker, more melancholic tone as Bandai Namco opts for a more mature approach to storytelling.

This new entry feels like the culmination of that journey, for better or worse, following the same trajectory of Scarlet Nexus and Code Vein as it aims for something edgier and more innovative, leaving behind some of the series’ biggest vices in exchange for something veterans and newcomers alike can understand. From the few hours I’ve played, it’s stuck the landing, although a few niggling issues remain. Tales of Arise is on the right track though, and I’m already invested enough in its melodramatic tale of otherworldly oppression to see it through to the end. It’s got grumpy anime boys, flaming swords, and very clumsy political messaging - what’s not to love?

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Arise opens on the fiery planet of Dahna, which has long been enslaved by Rena, a planet that looms ominously in the sky and acts as both a physical and symbolic representation of the tyrannical rule it places upon its inhabitants. You play as Alphen, a man whose head is encased in a prison of metal, simply referred to as ‘The Iron Mask’ by guards and fellow prisoners. He sports a commanding presence, but abandons his potential reputation in favour of a life toiling away as an obedient slave. Like the millions of other people who reside on Dahna, living under the boot of fascism has become the norm, and thus any willingness to fight back has been snuffed out. This all changes when a train is derailed by resistance fighters on a seemingly normal day, freeing a mysterious girl and forcing Alphen to escape with her.

Tales of Arise

Escaping takes roughly ten minutes of playtime, and Tales of Arise doesn’t do a particularly good job of convincing us that Alphen has actually been through a lot. I didn’t really feel for him, partly because his backstory is masked in deliberate mystery for future revelations. But without learning about the plight of those around him, the unquestionable evil of Rena falls flat. While I admire Tales of Arise for ditching much of the exposition that dooms many JRPGs at the starting line, it also throws away its own worldbuilding to hurl us into battles alongside characters we hardly know anything about.

It’s messy, and lacks the nuance this mature take on the series needs to succeed. Yet the characters still shine, eventually. Alphen grows into a compelling lead, and Shionne - the girl who escapes from the train - is an equally likeable heroine who joins him as they seek to strike back against their oppressors. Coming from warring planets, I assume the storyline will eventually force them to confront their respective differences and understand that the common people on the ground aren’t so different after all. Like I said, it already feels predictable, but if done well it could still be enjoyable.

Tales of Arise

Aside from the sharpened aesthetic, combat is the biggest evolution for Tales of Arise. It immediately feels heavier, each swing of my sword carrying a substantial weight as it slices through enemies. Like past games, you can combine these with artes to build up combos and devastate your foes. In the opening hours, these are simple to pull off, but by unlocking new skills you can build your own custom combinations to lend battles an extra layer of strategic spectacle.

It’s also tougher than I expected, with many foes being capable of wiping out the majority of your health bar if you don’t learn to dodge liberally and accurately in response to attacks. As a result, each encounter is meatier, no longer over in a matter of seconds like before. I love this change of direction - it allows Tales of Arise to feel like a more substantial experience even if many of its fundamentals remain the same. All that’s changed is the framing, and the investment required on our part to learn how its combination of attacking, dodging, and defense operates as more and more new mechanics are introduced.

Skill trees, outfits, and other aspects of each character can be customised outside of battle, although I wasn’t able to gain an extensive look at these in the preview build I played. However, it seems more than generous enough to accommodate a sprawling JRPG, especially once more party members are introduced and the true scope of the tale becomes clear. The social dynamics between each party member are once again an important factor in Tales of Arise.

Tales of Arise

While exploring the open world, which is mostly made up of medium-sized zones filled with enemies you can fight or simply sprint past, you can engage in optional dialogue scenes with certain characters. These aren’t bound to bland dialogue boxes anymore, instead being depicted as stylish vignettes. It does a much better job of conveying movement, meaning I was far less inclined to skip them altogether. Campfires also allow you to rest in the midst of exploration to cook food and open up further opportunities for a nice chat. These are all worthwhile new additions to the formula, showing that Bandai Namco is aware of the series’ need for change.

While combat has evolved, it seems the overworld you occupy remains firmly rooted in the past. I was streaming the game, so it’s unfair to judge its visual quality right now, but the level design leaves much to be desired. You can collect resources dotted around the place and hunt down hidden treasure, but the handful of areas I explored failed to leave a lasting impression. Perhaps I’m just not a fan of generic lava levels, but I think Tales of Arise is holding a number of worthwhile surprises that I’m still yet to uncover.

Tales of Arise

Bandai Namco is desperate to push this series into the new generation, but by failing to address its characters, narrative, gameplay, and world with equal consideration, some areas have sadly managed to fall flat.I don’t want Tales to follow in the footsteps of Star Ocean, a property so attached to the past that every attempt to embrace modernity has resulted in disaster.Fortunately, I don’t think it will - even from this preview build alone, it’s easy to see how much Arise has going for it.

Tales of Arise is a lot of fun. It takes enough steps forward in seeking to evolve the series for the modern era while remembering what fans love about its signature combination of adorable, well-developed characters, responsive combat, and anime melodrama. The plot is heavy handed and exploration remains painfully by-the-numbers, but I’m confident it will address these complaints throughout the rest of the game. After being underwhelmed by Scarlet Nexus and Code Vein, Bandai Namco could finally be on to a winner.

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