Introduction
Tales of Arise is the latest entry in the long-running Tales series of games from Bandai Namco, and Arise looks to be the biggest formula change for the franchise in many years. Sporting a brand-new aesthetic, revamped combat mechanics, and a bevy of small improvements Tales of Arise is Bandai’s attempt at bringing the series into the modern era.
While the full game doesn’t come out until next week, Bandai released a short demo on August 18th that gives a small-yet-robust glimpse at Arise’s many changes and how they all work together. Although one change is a slight let-down, Arise looks to be a significant step forward for the franchise as a whole.
Story
The demo picks up somewhere around the middle of the game when all the main party members have already joined your adventure. Since they’ve all spent some time together already, this snippet unfortunately doesn’t do much to introduce these characters to you. There are three cinematic trailers that provide a bit more exposition around each pair of characters, but what’s there is little more than a tease.
It also doesn’t really offer any kind of idea of what the full game’s story is going to look like, which is a bit of a disappointment. The cinematic trailers offer a brief glimpse at some other sections of the game, and while what I saw was exciting, it was still a little disappointing to not experience any of it myself.
The demo does give us a look at a few of Arise’s skits; quirky, banter-filled exchanges between party members while traversing the world. The skits are fully voice-acted and have a new, comic book delivery style that makes them a bit more engaging. These are where you’ll find the most character interaction in this demo, so I encourage you to watch as many as you can.
If I had to guess, I would say that Arise is going to hit many of the same story beats found in a lot of JRPGs which is by no means a bad thing. That said, it’s not easy to tell from what’s offered here. The demo seems far more concerned with introducing gameplay mechanics and showing off its gorgeous new art style than tantalizing us with plot details.
Gameplay
The gameplay is where this demo really succeeds in showcasing this game, offering players the chance to get hands-on with the updated combat system and quality-of-life improvements Arise boasts. As someone who’s played quite a few entries in this series I’ve had my fair share of issues with the combat, but I can confidently say that Arise corrects many of those issues with aplomb.
Let’s start with combat; the improvements here are the most notable, resulting in a largely overhauled system that feels significantly kinder than in older games. Party members now have a constantly regenerating Artes Gauge that allows them to execute special abilities or Artes far more frequently and with less consequence, while the whole party shares a Cure Point (CP) pool for healing and support.
This is a huge improvement that prevents constantly having to worry about depleted access to abilities or rapidly dwindling item stores. CP can be refilled either with items (which are far more plentiful) or by sleeping at a camp or inn, and the maximum amount of CP can be raised by finding special items throughout the game.
There’s a basic attack as well that doesn’t deal a lot of damage but allows you to keep enemies on the back foot while your Artes Gauge recharges. While initially, you can only use a three attack combo this too can be upgraded in the full game. Each character plays very differently, utilizing different Artes and passive abilities so it’s worthwhile to try them all out and see which one suits your playstyle best.
There are more than a few things you can do to improve your battle capabilities outside of combat, including crafting and cooking. Crafting allows you to transform ore you find around the world into powerful accessories that augment your characters’ stats dramatically.
Cooking provides timed bonuses to a variety of things after resting at camp, and there’s a wide range of stat boosts and recipes to choose from. What’s more, these effects change depending on which party member is doing the cooking. One character might make the effects last longer while another increases the food’s effectiveness.
Art
Almost everything about the art in this game has been reconceived; from character models to environmental design, the entire world just has a more detailed, textured look. Environments are particularly stunning, with bright colors and sweeping vistas extending into the distance.
The character models are a step up from previous iterations, with more realistic proportions and fluid animations. Battles are exhilarating to watch, with each party member executing different attacks and Artes simultaneously. There’s so much attention to detail here and it pays off beautifully.
That said, the shift in character design has robbed the game of some humor. While the writing is still entertaining, the new style feels a little static when it comes to characters’ facial expressions, especially during the skits. There’s still animation to them, but they don’t have dramatic, anime-inspired face changes as they did in older games. It’s a small detail, but it does make it a little harder to connect with the main cast.
Verdict
After playing through this demo three times to unlock all three story cinematics I think I can safely say that Tales of Arise is shaping up to be a game to watch. While I do think it’ll be a bit more familiar than initial marketing suggested, the vivid new art direction and marked improvements to combat and progression have me excited to get my hands on the full release.
I was disappointed by how short the demo was only because I’m eager to discover new Artes, find stronger gear, and take down even more ferocious monsters. Luckily, I won’t have to wait too much longer as Tales of Arise arrives September 10, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
