Tales of Arise asks players to care about a world built from two distinct societies, and mostly succeeds. The game drops players onto a planet split between the rich Empire and the poor Revenant Kingdom, and spends its early hours establishing why these two groups hate each other before letting the player characters cross the border. That setup pays off later, once the plot stops explaining itself and starts moving.
Trailer, via BANDAI NAMCO Europe.
The Story
The central pair, Alfyn and Shani, start as strangers caught in the wrong place. Their meeting sets the tone for the whole game, and the writing leans on it. Supporting characters get their own arcs too, which keeps the cast from feeling like a list of names.
The pacing drags in the middle stretch, where the game explains its systems again after the initial setup. But the back half picks up momentum, and the final act delivers some of the strongest character work in the series.
Combat
Combat in Tales of Arise is fast and fluid. Players can chain combos together, dodge attacks, and switch between party members on the fly. The system rewards timing over button mashing, and the best fights feel like a dance rather than a grind.
Some enemies break the flow by forcing repeated patterns, which slows the pace down. But the core loop holds up across dozens of hours.
World Design
The planet is large enough to explore without feeling empty. Each region has its own color and its own sense of place, from the Empire’s polished cities to the Revenant Kingdom’s rougher villages. Side quests tie into the main story without feeling like filler, which keeps the world from feeling hollow between fights.
The visuals hold up well on PS4, Switch 2, PC and Series X|S, though the load times on Switch 2 are longer than on the other platforms.
Sound Design and Performance
The score carries real weight during key moments, and the voice acting sells the emotional beats. The soundtrack mixes orchestral pieces with electronic elements, matching the game’s mix of fantasy and sci-fi tones.
Performance issues appear during busier scenes on Switch 2, where frame drops are noticeable. The game runs smoothly on Series X|S and PC, with only minor hiccups in the busiest boss fights. Load times on Switch 2 are longer than on the other platforms, which adds time between dungeons and towns.
Where It Falls Short
The side content is less varied than the main story. Some side quests repeat the same fetch tasks without adding much new to the systems introduced earlier. The game also leans on familiar Tales of structure, which means veterans know what’s coming even when newcomers don’t.
None of these problems sink the experience, but they keep it from being perfect.
The Verdict
Tales of Arise succeeds by balancing spectacle with substance. Its combat is sharp, its world is detailed, and its story earns its twists. The middle stretch drags, and the side content repeats itself, but the highs outweigh the lows.
This is a game that respects its audience’s time while still delivering a satisfying adventure.
Key Facts
- Platforms: Series X|S, PS4, Switch 2, PC
- Genre: Action RPG
- Score: 8.7 of 10
Ranked Strengths
- Combat depth
- World design
- Character arcs
- Soundtrack
- Side content variety
The score reflects where the game lands between its highs and its weaker stretches. Tales of Arise is worth playing for anyone who enjoys action RPGs with strong character work and a world worth exploring.
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