Bandai Namco's long-spanning JRPG series Tales has been around the block for more than 20 years. With Tales of Symphonia Remastered being released, you might be wondering if it's worth your time against the more modern Tales of Arise.

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While Symphonia is widely regarded as one of the most recognisable and iconic games of the whole Tales of series, Arise came out in 2021, and this already gives it an edge over Symphonia in terms of modernisation. Story, characters, and combat are all things to consider when choosing your next Tales game.

Tales Of Symphonia Remastered: An Iconic JRPG

An image showing Colette (Blonde Hair), Genis (White Hair), and Lloyd (Brown Hair) from Tales of Symphonia Remastered leaning over the camera and smiling.

Tales of Symphonia is top of the list for many Tales fans when asked what their favourite entry is. Symphonia was released on the GameCube and, while being one of the only decent GameCube JRPGs, Symphonia is credited as popularising not only the Tales series, but also JRPGs in the West in general.

To say this game is iconic is an understatement and by this fact alone it is one that any new player of Tales should dive right into. Bandai Namco has said in the past that the original release of Tales of Symphonia directly influenced and informed the future of the Tales series going forward, which tells you a lot about how important this game is to the series overall.

Tales Of Arise: Combat And Party Chatter

Tales Of Arise - Alphen In combat with a Boar

When it comes to combat, Tales of Arise has done it the best in the series by far. It is fluid and fast-paced, you have full control over your character movements, and the battles feel incredibly epic no matter what you're fighting. To top it all off, the voice acting for the characters goes above and beyond.

The party chatter might annoy some people, but there are moments in Arise that trigger contextual combat dialogue based on an enemy's actions or movements. It's fantastic, and you feel like your party is working together, keeping everyone informed as to what the enemies might have planned.

Tales Of Symphonia Remastered: Play With Your Friends In Battle

An image of Lloyd's Mystic Arte cut-in from Tales of Symphonia Remastered, showcasing him screaming as he plunges his sword downward.

Despite the fantastic experience that is combat in Tales of Arise, there is a multi-player-shaped hole that is painfully noticeable. Tales of Arise, unlike almost every other Tales game, doesn't have co-op functions for battles, and this is a crying shame.

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Tales of Symphonia Remastered retains the co-op mechanic from the original where you and your friends can all play together in fights. Symphonia allows for all four of your party members to be controlled by other players in the same room. It makes for an entertaining time and enhances the game in several ways.

Tales Of Symphonia Remastered: Story Is Exceptional

An image of Colette from Tales of Symphonia Remastered, standing in front of a field underneath a bright blue sky.

This point is subjective to those who have played Symphonia and Arise, but we think that Tales of Symphonia has one of the better executed and presented Tales stories out of them all. It depends on what you're into, but the story in Arise is dreadfully bland and overbearing. Not to mention, Arise relies far too heavily on the amnesia trope, which is an immediate red flag.

The world of Symphonia is entirely more interesting when compared to Arise. They are both different beasts, but the worlds of Rena and Dahna are typical subjugation stories. The world of Sylvarant, on the other hand, gives off something of a Ghibli-inspired vibe. The world is slowly dying and it's up to one person to stop it. It's simple but effective.

Tales Of Arise: Quality Of Life Improvements

Rinwell's Records of the Fallen Devil's Hand in Tales of Arise

As a modern game, Tales of Arise comes with all the bells and whistles you might expect to see. The character switching in combat is fluid, the free movement around the battlefield is exceptional, and the way Artes are organised and used in combat makes the most sense out of any Tales game.

Instead of hitting combos to unleash Artes, you assign them to a button press while also having a standard attack featuring a flurry of hits. Unleashing Artes is fast and responsive, and casting magic is exceptionally enjoyable as Rinwell and Dohalim. The robust combat system, improved menus, and other design choices are fantastic to the point where you wish all the older Tales games were like this.

Tales Of Arise: Romance

Shionne aiming her rifle in Tales of Arise

This will be a selling point for or against Tales of Arise depending on how you feel about romance in your games. Tales of Arise is, ultimately, a romance insofar as there is more than a connection between two main characters, which is hinted at and talked about increasingly throughout the game. It makes it more personal, and we think romance in JRPGs always helps enhance a story.

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Tales of Symphonia, on the other hand, has romantic undertones between Lloyd and Colette, but it's never addressed in the game as anything more than friendship. The sequel, Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, can see Lloyd end up with Colette, but this is down to player choice. Tales of Arise has a canon romance, and you can't beat that.

Tales Of Symphonia Remastered: Port Of A PS3 Game

Tales of Symphonia Remastered Combat

This is perhaps the worst thing about the Symphonia port. The original release of Symphona was for the GameCube in 2003, and it played at 60fps. Symphonia was then re-released on PS3, upscaling the textures but dropping the framerate to 30fps. Consider now this game is a port of the PS3 version, which means even on a PS5 or PS4 it is capped at 30fps.

Somehow, against all the odds, the GameCube ran the game better, albeit at a lower resolution. When you look at Tales of Arise, it's like night and day. The graphics and animations are stellar, and this is wholly to do with Arise being made for more powerful consoles and PC.

Tales Of Symphonia Remastered: Better Characters And Skits

Lloyd and Genis talking during one another during a Skit in Tales of Symphonia Remastered

It's hard not to love Shionne, perhaps the most tsundere character in Tales, or the most badass mage, Rinwell, but when it comes to characters, Tales of Symphonia takes the cake with characters, writing, and their interactions. The Skits in Arise try their best and do an excellent job at making it feel like the party is always involved and growing together, but Symphonia does it better.

That's not to say the characters in Tales of Arise are bad by any means; they are some of the best. The problem is comparing them to the cast of Tales of Symphonia is like comparing two stacks of gold, and one of them is just bigger. Symphonia has a fabulous cast, and some excellent designs, completely blowing Arise out of the water in that respect.

Tales Of Arise: Incredible Music

Tales of Arise - Vholran sitting on a throne

The work of Motoi Sakuraba reverberates through almost every Tales game to the point where it's part of its entire aesthetic. He was the composer of Arise and Symphonia, so it comes down to personal preference. The regular battle theme holds a special place in our hearts, as do several soundtracks in the game.

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Again, the music in Symphonia isn't bad it's not on the same level as Arise. You might recognise Sakuraba as the composer for Dark Souls and Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. Motoi Sakuraba has a noticeable impact on a game with his music, and the tracks that blast over the speakers in Tales of Arise stick with you so much.

Conclusion: Tales Of Arise Is The Better Game, But Tales Of Symphonia Is Important To The Series

Dohalim Tales of Arise attacks the party after getting upset

Tales of Symphonia Remastered is a great way to play one of the most important Tales games in the series, so it is worth your time. The combat can be extremely clunky, and the character models can be a struggle to appreciate, but it tells one of the best stories in the series.

Tales of Arise is the most modern Tales game, and it is fantastic in so many ways. The combat is the best it has ever been, and the voice acting is on another level, in Japanese and English. If you're new to the series and have yet to play an older title, Symphonia is the one to go with. Tales of Arise is also an excellent point to start your first Tales game. Regardless of which you choose, you won't regret either of them.

Next: Every Tales Of Game In Chronological Order