Download the free Tales of Arise demo
Tales or Tales of, is a long-running game series released on almost every platform ever made. The first entry, Tales of Phantasia, launched in 1995, and it has since grown to a total of seventeen titles, with the newest arriving in fall 2021. The series is an ARPG—an action-packed role-playing game, especially during combat sequences.
Even if it doesn’t necessarily reach the global stature of Final Fantasy, the game has still managed to carve its own path with this new entry in the long-running series.
About the developer and publisher
This new game is developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment, a Japanese company behind many major gaming successes. Bandai and Namco were once two separate companies that merged into a video game giant in 2005.
Namco had existed since 1955 and is behind the world-famous arcade classic Pac-Man from 1980. Bandai was a popular toy company that had also been around for many years, and together they became the large entertainment company we know today.
The studio is recognized across most of Asia as one of the largest game companies and has also earned many fans in the Western world, largely thanks to Namco’s landmark franchises.
Among other hits, they created the Tekken series, a blockbuster franchise; it has sold more than 53 million copies as of 2021, and Tekken 3 specifically is the third best-selling fighting game ever (only surpassed by Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Ultimate).
A bit about the story (no spoilers)
Tales of Arise is the next chapter in the Tales of series and begins with two people seemingly bound by fate, coming from opposing planets: Dahna and Rena. During their journey together, they try to forge a new future, defy destiny, and bring real change to both worlds.
The premise is that the two planets once lived in harmony, but a century before the game begins, the Renans invaded the planet Dahna and enslaved its people, using them to harvest the planet’s resources.
There’s an obvious major conflict right from the start, and knowing that two of the main characters hail from these opposing worlds can only mean clashes are inevitable.
Fight with a team of complementary party members
Experience classic Tales of gameplay with action-packed battles and diverse characters, each contributing their own specialties to every combat scenario.
Each character has a distinct fighting style and different weapons—along with a unique ultimate attack that deals massive damage and triggers a short, cinematic spotlight on the character unleashing it.
On top of that, you also build toward a cooperative strike during battle, letting two characters team up and combine techniques to take down enemies in dramatic fashion.
For example, you can combine Rinwell and Shionne’s attacks—Rinwell uses her magic to open a water portal, which Shionne then fires through with her rifle, sending the spell forward to hit as many enemies as possible.
Alphen and Kisara can also combine their attacks to create a tornado of fire and water that engulfs foes for a moment. There are plenty of combinations, all of them stylish and impressive.
Demo vs. the full game
At the bottom of this page, we provide a link to the free Tales of Arise demo you can try today. The demo lets you play as all six main characters so you can try every attack, and it offers roughly half an hour of active gameplay.
In that time, you’ll be able to mix different attacks and fight a range of enemy types.
Expect many hours in the full game—between 50 and 100 hours of gameplay to finish. You can also expand your experience by purchasing DLC for even more playtime.
Beautiful animated visuals in razor-sharp HD, powered by Unreal Engine 4
The game ran smoothly on our system despite the many simultaneous effects and combat elements on screen. The look blends high fantasy with an artistic flair.
On top of the anime-inspired presentation (which at times can resemble Genshin Impact) there’s a filter that makes the world look like it’s lifted from a book or painted in watercolor.
It’s a stylistic choice that can take a little time to get used to, especially if you’re not familiar with this visual style. Once you get a feel for what the world offers, it’s easier to appreciate the mix of bold color contrasts, big flashes of light and shadow, and the subdued look the filter adds to the areas you explore.
Conclusion
Tales of Arise is an incredibly beautiful game that doesn’t aim for realism, instead embracing a comic book or watercolor-inspired aesthetic.
The story can feel a bit generic at times—something often seen in the genre. However, there’s plenty of charming, original dialogue and interactions that help the game stand out on its own.
With an updated combat system that mixes the classic style with new combo options, plus fast and gorgeous graphics, you get a game you can enjoy for many hours.
Download Tales of Arise
