Tales of Arise – A New Life Of Popular Video Game

My long association with Tales has been a part of my life. I remember being obsessed with Tales of Symphonia back in the GameCube. I beat it at least four times and have been trying to find that special JRPG love for many years, mostly unsuccessfully. I have played Abyss, Graces, Hearts, as well as the highly acclaimed Vesperia, all of which felt too repetitive. Even Berseria felt like a refreshing game for the series. Tales of Arise is finally starting to rekindle that flame. It feels like a brand new game with an excellent story, great combat and makes good use of the best ideas that have sustained the series for so long. Another awesome game that I love to play is called 1v1.lol

Tales is well-known for the quality of its stories, and Arise is no exception. Arise has become my favorite Tales series story, surpassing Symphonia. The story centers on Alphen, a slave who has a mysterious past and cannot feel pain. He is charming and helpful and acts as a protector for his fellow slaves. Shionne is his partner in crime. She is a slaver who can’t be touched physically without the cursed magic thorns that will erupt from her body. I love watching their relationship change from being contentious and necessary to becoming friends.

It was a joy to see the characters grow and learn from each other. There are many stakes, not only worldwide but also interpersonal. Everyone has their losses and must learn to deal with them. The story touches on the horrors and consequences of slavery and colonization, the long-lasting effects of colonization on Indigenous peoples, how one realizes one’s privilege and how it relates with others, one’s purpose and what they can do for the world in need, and many other topics. It’s not all bad. There are many moments that made me smile or laugh because of the charm of the flawed and well-rounded characters. And they’re enhanced by an outstanding voice cast.

Arise stands out among other entries because of its almost watercolor-like appearance. The art direction also makes it easy to comprehend. It takes approximately 50 hours to explore the entire world.

The frequent, but small, localization problems are the only thing I have to complain about. Sometimes the lip synching can be off. I wasn’t sure if this was due to timing or if the animations didn’t match the English voice acting. Sometimes I noticed typos in subtitles or characters saying words that were not in the subtitles. Arise is otherwise very polished.

Bandai Namco has done a great job in reviving the 26-year-old Tales RPG Series. Tales of Arise is a vividly realized world that tackles difficult subjects but also knows when to ease off the gas. The characters are real and relatable, even in a fantasy setting. A fresh, fun combat system keeps them entertained. This is a great recommendation for fans of the series as well as anyone who wants to dive into an action-RPG.