Tales of Arise – Spotlight

Tales of Arise is the latest entry in the Tales series of JRPGs, and is easily one of my favorite entries so far. It tells a touching story that also delves into complex topics of today, and handles it fairly well. You play as the mysterious Iron Mask, who has been enslaved, and now decides to break free and overthrow the ruling race. He’s accompanied by various companions, who form the members of his party.

Tales of Arise also takes an interesting approach to the combat, giving it a more action focus. The visual upgrades are also welcome, with a gorgeous art style that does a great job of conveying scale and detail.

Pros:
Great visual style
Fantastic soundtrack
Memorable characters
Enjoyable combat

Cons:
Story could be better

Score – 9/10

About:

300 years of tyranny. A mysterious mask. Lost pain and memories. Wield the Blazing Sword and join a mysterious, untouchable girl to fight your oppressors. Experience a tale of liberation, featuring characters with next-gen graphical expressiveness!

We are introducing a new graphics shader, inspired by anime and watercolor painting. Characters with attractive designs travel among backgrounds filled with beautiful and delicate visuals.

Explore the world of Dahna, where a mix of unique, natural environments change in appearance based on the time of day. Climb over the rocky terrain, swim in rivers, gather around the campfire, cook food, head to the next town, defeat the master of an alien planet, and liberate the people!

Through the new system “Boost Strike”, you can now chain combos of powerful attacks together with your party members. Chain Artes, Boost Attacks, and Boost Strike combos to take down your enemies!

The protagonists who will determine the fate of these two worlds are Alphen and Shionne. They will overcome hardships and grow together with their unique group of friends. Gorgeous animation by ufotable is inserted at key points in the story, adding more color to our protagonists’ journey.