Please, no objections

Well, then. 2021 is o??ver. A series of 365 days that decided, "what if we did 2020, again?" It was the remaster we did not need. But all that said, in spite of the continued effects of the pandemic and other nonsens??e, it was a good year too—one with good times, fun stories, and a smattering of new games to call my favorites of the year.

When I ran down the list of what I've played last year, I realized how all over the place it's been. There weren't a ton of tentpole games like there have been in recent years. Maybe Halo Infinite, but Xbox's heavy hitter launched a little late in the year for me to feel like I know where I'm at with it. I got to dive back into the Mass Effect series with the Legendary Edition, an honorable mention for this list; I didn't?? include it becaus?e it was my umpteenth time playing through the whole thing, but I'm glad those games have a unified home now.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8i53TtQ6IQ

2021 was another year of stellar indies. 2021 was a year of surprises, even in the AAA space. 2021 was the year of revivals, group plays, and long, late-night visual novel reading binges. Heck, by the end of it, I was even into Final Fantasy XIV. Never say never.

It was also the first year of my words finding a home here at Destructoid, and I just want to take a brief moment to thank all of y'all. If you've been hanging around in the comments, reading our work, and supporting the cool stories, interviews, reviews, and silly blogs we did here in 2021, thanks a ton!

Well, let's get this going? H??ere are some of my favorite games from the year 2021, in no particular order except the final one.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Holy flark, I did not see this one coming. I had admittedly written off Guardians of the Galaxy after the launch of Marvel's Avengers, and the Guardians aren't exactly my usual cup of tea when it comes to Marvel content anyways. Something about its Mass Effect Andromeda-ness appealed to me though, and after hearing ?enough people shower surprised praise on it, I gave it a shot.

What a pleasant, surprisingly heartfelt, and genuinely funny game. Honestly, Guardians of the Galaxy could still use a tune-up on the combat side. But the massive appeal of Eidos Montreal's Marvel journey is its writing and its characters. They got me to genuinely care about Drax, Gamora, and Rocket, with some genuinely fantastic writing at times. And all the barks! It was a good year for combat barks. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was the surprise I did not expect this year.

Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139...

After Nier Automata put the Nier series on my radar, I was very, very eager to see what its predecessor was like. And Nier Replicant did not disappoint. Though maybe a little bit more tedious than Automata, the modernizations of this year's Replicant remas?ter went a long way toward making an old game very fun to play thro??ugh again and again.

It was also great to see additional ties made to Automata with some added content. Both games serve as halves of a whole, to me; Replicant can gut-punch you about something, then hit you again in Automata, or vice versa. I'm curious to see what's next for Yoko Taro and the crew behind these games, and especially eager to see how the heck Nier plays out inside a critically acclaimed MMORPG. But Replicant felt like I was tying off a loose en?d of gaming, mining the depths of sadness ?and despair as I went.

The Forgotten City / Inscryption

This one's a two-parter, and I'll explain why: earlier this year, I wrote about my?? newfound joy in playing games with a group over Discord. Since I was young, I've always enjoyed the many-people, one-controller way of playing certain games. It doesn't work for everything, but it can make?? some experiences re??ally click.

In the driver's seat portion of this entry, The Forgotten City was a wonder to pick apart. In a year of time loop games offering all kinds of approaches to mystery and narrative, The Forgotten City stands above the pack. It's such a concise, contained loop that still finds so much space to work in. It waxes on and on about philosophy and histo?ry, with so much detail and care put into framing the story at hand within the world at large. And the reveals are still just incredible.

On the flip-side, Inscryption is the game I still haven't played myself, but have back-seated through multiple friends. It's a refreshing take on the deck-building genre popularized by games like Slay the Spire and Monster Train. But it's also ?not just a good deck-builder; it's a good mystery, a good adventure, a good puzzle game, and oh so much more. I've been a fan of developer Daniel Mulli??ns for a few years now, and it's been great to see him get so much recognition for the kinds of games he does oh-so-well.

Before Your Eyes

Honestly, I feel like I got this take out best a little while ago. Before Your Eyes is simply the one game from this year that I think everyone, and I mean everyone, should play.

In the time it takes to watch a modern movie, Before Your Eyes takes you through a life, one blink at a time. The way that developer GoodbyeWorld Games uses the blinking mechanic is so simple at first and becomes so clever as the story goes on. It's really an experience that I think anyone and every??one should try at least once. Get a webcam, hook it up, and experience one of the most ??genuinely moving games of the year.

Dungeon Encounters

Sometimes a game shows up and it is exactly what you needed, despite being something you'd never think to ask for in the first place. Dungeon Encounters feels experimental. It feels fresh and new. It's like getting to see the results of an internal game jam, only it's coming from the minds behind some of Final Fantasy's best.

The minimalist approach can seem sparse at first, but it really lets you fill in the spaces as you go. The deeper into the dungeon you go, the less it feels like a barren, unfinished game world, and the more it feels like a dive into a virtual tabletop??. Its battle system is so brilliant and twists on itself in interesting ways. And the way systems and menus intertwine creates such a compelling experience of building and managing not just a party, but a whole company of adventurers. Everyone remembers their fi??rst Petrified journeyer, or when they discovered how to recruit more members.

I truly hope Dungeon Encounters is a sign of more to come from Square Enix. More offbeat, int?eresting games like this from big publishers, please!

Life is Strange: True Colors

I've fallen a bit behind on Life is Strange. I loved the first season but never got around to the others. I think by the time Life is Strange 2 was releasing, I was burned out on the episodic model. One of the smartest things Life is Strange: True Colors does is keep the episodic structure, but deliver them all at once. You know, like what streaming servi??ces used to do.

The other smartest thing it does is introduce Alex Chen, the heart and soul of True Colors. Between the incredible voice acting and really spot-on motion capture, Alex just feels like a relatable, endearing protagonist that carries the weight of the small-town mystery so well. Deck Nine really found a winner in the small-town story of True Colors, and it's giving me hope that more adventure games from the episodic era can ?keep it going into the future.

Gnosia

Going into 2021, Gnosia was already on my radar. Its announcement at a winter Nintendo Indie World showcase was so exciting because I'd heard whispers about this game from a small studio in Japan that was making the rounds, one of the last Vita exclusives making its mark and now finally coming to Switch. And to me, Gnosia did not disappoint.

Gnosia is what I loved about old Flash dating sims, mixed with m?odern rogue-lite narrative ideas. It's another looping game, only this one has you getting stronger run over run, able to sway debates, and discern impostors at a glance. And all the while, you get smarter too, learning more about these characters. Who they are, their preferred method of verbal warfare, and what they're hiding about the predicament you're all in.

If I had to pick the most overlooked game of the year, it's Gnosia. It's also decidedly not going to be everyone's cup of tea; I have a feeling this is one from 2021 that will have video essays made about it years from now. It's as much a game to analyze and dive deep into as it is to play in the moment. But it really did so many things that took me absolutely by surprise. And what a true ending, too. Gnosia is the little indie you shouldn't overlook.

Wildermyth

Speaking of small indie projects that up-ended my world, Wildermyth is both a game I can't yell about enough and a game I'm excited to see keep growing. Its melding of XCOM-like tactics and D&D narrative, with a hint of overworld management, might seem a bit ??dense. But it all works in conjunction to make a tabletop campaign come to life before your eyes, with procedurally generated engines driving the story behind it.

Wildermyth is, to put it bluntly, an engine for building myths and legends. Every campaign is a new story, and a new opportunity to see a humble farmer called to greatness. And then turned into a part-crow wizard with a penchant for archery. Or a stealthy huntress able to set enemies ablaze with her hands. Or a warrior, warm and cheerful among friends, slowly fading away thanks to the stone that pierced her heart. These are all stories that Wildermyth served to me on a silver platter.

The team at Worldwalker Games LLC has been doing a good job at updating Wildermyth too, adding new events and options. And it has Steam Workshop support, where the modding scene is only grow?ing.?? This game has a lot of potential to become even more in the years to come, and I can't wait to see it happen.

Tales of Arise

This was the revival the Tales series needed. Tales of Arise isn't just a show of force for Bandai Namco, putting in a significant budget and graphical upgrade compared to previous entri??es. But it scales up without losing its soul in the process.

Characters still loudly declare DEMON FANG and call out long incantations in the heat of battle, a symphony of special moves and responses. The story is grand and moving, yet there are still so many wonderful skits to uncover. Cooking is still here! And the cast is a genuine all-timer lineup of Tales party members.

Tales of Arise ultimately falls prey to some of the series' known shortcomings too. Its last act sags a good deal, and there are still odd spikes in levels and one very annoying recurring villain. But despite the falters, some of my favorite moments this year were seeing the animations for Boost Strikes over and over. The Boost moves felt like the glue for Tales of Arise, bringing the party together and really making fights feel like an all-out brawl. The horizon is very, very bright for the Tales series, and that's a good feeling.

The Backlog of Shame, 2021 Edition: Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Lost Judgement, Unsighted, Shin Megami Tensei V, Death's Door

The Honorable Mentions, 2021 Edition: Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Dyson Sphere Program, Scarlet Nexus, Loop Hero, New Pokémon Snap, Operation: Tango

And my favorite game of the year goes to...

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

When I finished the final case in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, I knew two things. One, I needed a moment to just breathe and take it all in. And two, there was no way this game wouldn'??t be on my end-of-the-year list.

I've been a fan of Phoenix Wright for a while, from the original trilogy up through the newer games. And as much as I love Phoenix, Apollo, Athena, and the crew, Great Ace Attorney is a breath of fresh air. No high-tech mechanisms or spirit channeling—the focus is solely on some basic forensics and deductions. And oh, the deductions. Herlock Sholmes and Ryunosuke Naruhodo doing the dance of deduction is suc??h a treat.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles benefits greatly from being two games packed into one. And where I can see how fans wouldn't like the cliffhanger and obviously unanswered threads of the first game leading into the second, as a duo they are nigh-unstoppable. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a ten-case powerhouse that weaves threads and stories throughout its entire run, building up to huge showdowns in court wi??th honor, reput??ation, legacy, and even lives on the line.

This is the game I'd hand to anyone looking to get into the Ace Attorney series. It's a lengthy one, but so, so worth yo??ur time. And there's no doubt it's my favorite game I've played th??is year.

The post Eric’s favorite games of 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.

Did this duo get stuck in another video game?

Tales of Arise is roughly a month removed from its launch, but the post-launch DLC is already spinning up. Bandai Namco Entertainment has confirmed that among its Tales of Arise DLC plans, there's a new boss fight on the way against some familiar faces for anime fans??.

Kirito and Asuna from Sword Art Online will appear in Tales of Arise as part of a DLC pack. The Sword Art Online Collaboration Pack will include a s??pecial fight against Kirito and Asuna, as well as new outfits for Alphen, Shionne, and Law. You can also obtain Kirito's weapons and, for beating the pair in a fight, unlock an exclusive Mystic Arte that calls them to your aid in a fight.

Check out their fighting style in the trailer's face-off between couples: Alphen?? and Shionne vs.?? Kirito and Asuna.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwzfM2SRg90

Tales of Arise already has a number of other DLC options, like in-game boosts and costumes. But I'm hoping this is a sign of what's to come for its future DLC prospects. Tales of Zestiria included some story content as DLC, a step that Tales of Arise's producer said the studio wouldn't be doing with Arise prior to its release.

If, instead, Bandai Namco leans on its collaborations, partners, and properties to add in some cool cameo fights—a post-game activity Tales games are already known to feature—that works really well. And honestly, I'm not even a huge Sword Art Online fan, and I really dig this. Seeing Kirito an??d Asuna not just come to life in the same arena as Alphen and Shionne, but have fully fledged fights with their own flashy moves is a really cool concept. My imagination is already spinning around to other properties that could fit into this style, and rewarding the player with a neat Mystic Arte at the end is rad.

If this is where Tales of Arise is headed for its DLC plans, I'm a little more optimistic than I was before now. Now if we could start working on a Scarlet Nexus crossover, this could get really interesting.

The Tales of Arise - Sword Art Online Collaboration Pack arrives on Oct. 7, 2021.

The post Tales of Arise is getting a DLC fight against Sword Art Online’s Kirito and Asuna appeared first on Destructoid.

No Tall Tales

Bandai Namco has released a slew of statistics pertaining to its long-running RPG franchise Tales, including the news that the recently released Tales of Arise is the fastest-selling entry in series history, having alrea??dy surpassed one million sales and shipments. The lavish adventure title was released on PC and consoles just one week ago.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=maH4SegOgFk

Tales of Arise's amazing launch success sits snugly alongside its predecessors' impressive sales figures. Tales of Beseria, which launched on PlayStation and PC platforms back in 2016, has hit two million total sales since launch. Tales of Vesperia has seen even greater success, with combined sales of the original 2016 release and its 2019 follow-up, Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, amassing ?a publisher pleasing 2.8 million global sales.

Since the halcyon launch of 1995 Super Famicom title Tales of Phantasia, the Tales series has now officially passed an amazing 25 million total franchise sales, garnered from 17 mainline releases. With Tales of Arise a massive hit with critics an?d fans, clearly leading to the biggest launch in the series' history, it's unlikely that this enduring fantasy franchise will be ending its legacy of m??agic, romance, mystery, and adventure anytime soon.

Tales of Arise is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. You can check out Eric van Allen's review here.

The post Tales of Arise hits one million shipments and is the series’ fastest selling entry appeared first on Destructoid.

You're just trying to get Arise out of me

The Tales series sits in a weird position among the pantheon of long-running RPG series. It's not completely unknown or unheard of, but its popularity doesn't reach the heights of other contemporaries, especially in the West. Tales of Arise is a big swing at changing that, trying to draw new eyes to the series. But what's really impressed me is how Tales of Arise has kept its core tenets vibrant in the process.

Tales of Arise is a standalone story, like many of the other Tales games, about the twin world??s of Dahna and Rena. Following an invasion of the former by the latter, Rena now rules over Dahna, enslaving its citizens to perform manual labor as part of an elaborate Crown Conte?st, where five Renan lords compete to become the next ruler.

The protagonists, Alphen and Shionne, both want to bring an end to this contest by overthrowing the ruling lord of each of Dahna's five realms. Alphen is a Dahnan slave who can't feel pain and was left without memories or even a name (at first) in a labor camp; Shionne is a Renan on the run who wants to take out the lords, and also has mysterious "thorns'' that hurt anyone who tri?es to touch her. The pair get tangled up together by chance, and with the help of resistance leader Zephyr and a Blazing Sword pulled from the heart of a stolen master core that Shionne carries, they kick off a campaign of defeating lords and rectifying injustices around them.

Tales of Arise (PlayStation 5 [reviewed], PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC)
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios Inc.
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Released: Sept. 10, 2021
MSRP: $59.99

This setup works really well, because it highlights the tension and personal drama within the ??party ea??rly on. Alphen and Shionne are working together out of circumstance, but how they get alon??g is a different story entirely, and seeing their relationship ??evolve as the tale gets spun works really, really well. 

Just as powerful is the party that forms around them, as each carries their own burdens and past they have to work through. Law, the Dahnan citizen working for the secret police of Cyslodia, and Rinwell, a Dahnan who can wield astral artes despite those techniques s??upposedly only belonging to the Renans; Kisara, a Dahnan guard, and Dohalim, a Renan noble who has different views on Dahnans than other high-status Renans.

Relationships within the party have traditionally been a touchstone of Tales games, highlighted by the short skits that can be viewed while travelling around on the world map. And in Tales of Arise, the intra-party relationships are showcased in a lot of ways. One of my favorite things about Arise is how it folds the party's growi??ng camaraderie into all of its game mechanics. When you rest at a campsite, you're greeted with the cast sitting?? around a campfire, cheerfully talking with each other; you cook meals, which can sometimes elicit short skits, and have Alphen talk to other characters, deepening their bonds. There are skits on the overworld, and also just ambient dialogue between characters, that can unfortunately get cut off by running into an enemy or moving into a new scene. Even while you're fishing—a neat minigame that I only spent a little time with—characters will comment on Kisara's big catches, or encourage her when one slips away.

Every character has their own relationship with each? other, too. It's easy to pair some characters, like Alphen and Shionne, off as obvious connections. But some of my favorite dialogues were the more humdrum conversations: Dohalim and Rinwell bonding over a shared love of history, or Alphen and Law encouraging each other. One of my favorite side quests just involves Kisara teaching Shionne to cook. That's it. In that little side venture, you build up this party as a group that's travelling together and developing real connections, that then come to bear in the story's grander moments.

Because the main plot of Tales of Arise ends up being pretty massive in scale, I appreciated all the little moments. The main story works well too, though much better before things start to rapidly expand outwards; once the st??ory reaches a certain scale, there's an element of larger-than-life forces and truth-discovering that wore on me a bit. The quest to take down the lords has a surprising number of twists and good revelations that pulled at my heartstrings a bit, but as the curtain pe?eled back on what was really going on, I found myself caring more for the characters than the story at large.

The scale of production does help a lot with those aspects though, as Tales of Arise has clearly made strides in upgrading its presentation. It is honestly gorgeous at times, and each realm of Dahna has its own unique visual identity?? corresponding to its respective astral element that really m?akes them pop. 

The art style definitely takes the world up a notch, and the action looks fantastic. I'm overall fine with skits moving int??o 3D, whereas they were previously 2D animated talking heads; I think my only gripe with the new look is that characters' faces can seem sometimes a little too static. Some cutscenes really sell the emotions of a moment, but then in skits, the faces may get a little stiff compared to the dialogue happening on screen. The new look is an overall plus though, especially when it comes to combat.

And combat is really important when it comes to Tales games. Tales of Arise makes sweeping changes across the board, and that includes battles, which use a fairly straightforward combat system. If you're unfamiliar with a Tales game, this might be the most welcoming to you yet, especially if you've played recent action RPGs like Scarlet Nexus or Final Fantasy VII Remake. While controlling one of the six characters like Alphen, which I did f??or the majority of the game, you can move freely about the circular arena, as well as dodge and jump. (This is a very dodge-oriented game, as Kisara is the only character that can traditionally block attacks in place of a dodge.) For characters like Alphen, dodging is especially encouraged, as a perfect dodge lets you get a follow-up attack that sets up for a combo very well.

Alongside your movement, there are basic attacks and artes. Artes are the Tales catch-all for special abilities, and generally, they're either spells you have to channel and cast, or instant abilities you can add into your standard seq?uence of attacks. It didn't take me long to get locked into my bread-and-butter combo of three attacks, into Demon Fang, into a launcher arte, three air attacks, and then re-ground with a landing arte. And as more artes get gradually incorporated over the course of the game, you can learn to add more and more until your combo string isn't just long, but adaptable to different enemies or situations.

Though you start with three artes (one to a face button, with separate options for ground and air), you can eventually expand that out to a second set, which you swap between using a trigger. Even so, combos still feel fluid and fun to put together, with the alternative artes offering enough room to improvise on the fly and explore new ideas, eve??ntually putting together long combos and perfect dodges through a hail of enemy attacks.

Tales games seem to love to trick you into learning how fighting games work, and playing as characters like Alphen or Law, that aim holds true. A big addition in this game is the Boost system, where party members have individual Boost Attacks that function kind of like assists in a Vs. style fighting game: hit the corresponding button, and a party member leaps in to attack the enemy. Every party member's Boost Attack h??as its own properties too, so Shionne can ground a flying enemy with a barrage of bullets or Kisara can stop a charging enemy in i?ts tracks with her shield.

All these attacks, when struck in a sequence for long enough, can build up a mete??r that will eventually let you use a Boost Strike, a devastating finisher move where two party members team up for a massive attack that usually wipes out regular foes and deals heavy damage to bosses. The Boost Strikes were a highlight of combat for me, and even after the 50th time seeing Dohalim and Rinwell perform Radiant Genesis, I was still appreciating how gorgeous it looked, while still being fast and not dropping the pace of combat. They feel like really good "coup de grâce" moments, punctuating long combos and tough fights.

Each character has a unique playstyle as well. Though I'm a stickler for playing the protagonist character on my first run of a Tales game, Rinwell might have finally won me over to the mage team. Not only can she store charges of her spells, letting her combine artes for even more devastating attacks, but her Boost Attack also lets her steal an enemy's arte and seal off their ability to cast for a short period of time. It's a really fun system that makes the magic in Tales feel more interactive and alive. Other characters,?? like Shionne with her rifle and magic bombs or Dohalim's rod extension, all have their own fighting st?yles that make them feel very much their own.

Which brings us to the change I came to head with most often: the Cure Points. While artes usage is only limited by your artes gauge, which r??eplenishes in battle, restorative artes also use up CP, a pool of points that persists between battles. Every time a healer like Shionne or Dohalim uses a skill to heal someone, it dips into the CP pool, and when it runs out, no more magical healing. There are consumable gels that let you restore your Cure Points, which become vital during long dungeon runs, because otherwise you have to camp or rest at an inn, or chance upon a glowing circle that restores all HP and CP (usually found just in front of a boss room).

The CP idea is novel, and it emphasizes both the use of ca??mpfires and the importance of not getting hit. Early on, it's easy enough to skate through a dungeon with one full pool, and maybe an Orange Gel or? two for safety. But as enemies get larger and higher in level, that CP becomes vital, and the gels are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

The battle camera can also get finicky towards the end of the game, as it starts to chuck larger and larger monsters at you to fight. I didn't have too much trouble for most of? the game handling regular mobs, ??and the boss fights usually had good focusing too, but when there are sometimes three or four massive scale foes on the field at once, things can get a bit hard to read as spells start flying and giant hammer-maces start swinging.

The combat is really satisfying overall, though. The intrinsic rhythm of Tales is still here, but with a more simplified layout and a focus on team attacks and counters. It really hits its stride against boss enemies, and in Tales of Arise, there are plenty to go around. There are a lot of optional bosses to fight, as part of the side quests, and they've got some really cool attacks, mechanics, and style. One of the most jaw-dropping fights in this game both requires a high level and is completely optional, and the first time I ran into it I was floored. It seems like there's some good post-game content, plus New Game Plus, to keep players interested in the?? l?ong term.

After spending roughly 54 hours with Tales of Arise to see it through to credits, I was reminded what this series is. It's ?got a solid story, with some tedious lows and really great highs at times; it's got combat that's fast and involved, that challenges me and feels like the meeting point between traditional RPG and fighting game; and it has a stellar core cast, one that I'm happy to spend hours and hours with walking around ??the world.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW4o50mJONg

Ultimately, Tales of Arise gets that right, while upgrading the overall production in the process. Whether this is the big Tales breakthrough or not is a matter that history will decide. This is a Tales game that hits the right spots for me, puts a lot of love?? into its cast and its action, and somehow manages to strike a balance between the old and the new. It's not without a few shortcomings, but it's also got a lot of improvements th??at at least shore those up a bit.

When I think back on Tales of Arise, the combat will definitely come to mind. The big boss battles that blew me away, and the wonderful feeling of free-forming a combo into a Mystic Arte and then closing the battle off with a Boost Strike. The story was ultimately good, and the world was gorgeous. But really, it's going to be the campfire moments. It's going to be how Alphen, Shionne, Rinwell, Law, Kisara, and Dohalim came together as a party, grew closer, fought and struggled together, and saw it all through to the end, one hastily thrown-together outdoor meal at a time. Tales of Arise nails that, and so it feels like a strong step forward for a series w??ith a bright future ahead of it.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Tales of Arise appeared first on Destructoid.

A few helpful suggestions for making overthrowing lords a little easier

Tales of Arise is officially out today, bringing the Tales series' mix of action and skits to current and next-gen systems. And before you set off on the long, pretty great journey, I've got some Tales of Arise tips to make the quest ahead less daunting.

For newcomers, old-timers, those returning to the Tales fold, and ev??eryone else, I thought I'd share some of the little tricks I learned over the course of my playthrough. This isn't a guide to bea??ting every boss or side quest, but rather a few helpful tidbits to help acclimate or guide you towards what keeps Alphen and co. forging ahead.

I'll also do my best to keep it as light on spoilers as possible, so there won't be any talk of any fun twists or anything. So here's a few tips for those just starting out in Tales of Arise.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGdJ4O_olBE

Learn your combos

Tales of Arise is an RPG, but it's an action RPG, and honestly the Tales ?series skews closer to? fighting games or action games than it does to usual RPG systems. A key part of this game's combat is learning to combo, especially mixing basic attacks in with your artes.

If you've played an action game before, you probably have a good idea of what this should feel like—attack, attack, attack, special—but if you're not as familiar, that's fine. Tales games are good at teaching p??layers daunting concept?s, like combo strings and hit confirms.

Early on, you'll probably want to stick to that rhythm I outlined: three attacks, followed by an arte. Once that feels good, trying mixing in your launcher arte (noted on the artes screen by an upward-pointing arrow), which takes action into the sky. You can resume another string of basic attacks here, and then execute some aerial artes or close out the combo with a landing arte. It m??ight sound like a l??ot of inputs, but it will quickly start to feel like second nature; fiddling around with face button combinations that feel good helps, too. I tried to keep artes I could string together on two face buttons, and my launcher and lander on the top face button.

These will c?hange from character to character, based ??on their range, arsenal, and archetype, but this is the most basic version. And it's also why I recommend...

Start off playing as Alphen

If you're new to Tales, the masked protagonist Alphen (a.k.a. "Iron Mask") is going to be the easiest to pick up and learn. Like most Tales protagonists, his kit is fairly straightfor??ward: he's a melee swordfighter who can easily fight either on the ground? or in the air.

Most of Alphen's moves are also the standard protagonist fare. A few artes are q??uick flurries of jabs and stabs, others can launch or apply elemental da?mage, and there's the ever-present staple of Demon Fang, a projectile that functions a lot like Terry Bogard's Power Wave.

Alphen is a great character to learn the basics on, and even for returning Tales characters familiar with other playstyles and their quirks, Alphen provides a good foundational basis for what's changed in Arise. Think of him like the Ryu of this game. And as your party grows, you can start ??to branch out and try out other characters, and those basics from Alphen will make it a bit easier to contextualize what makes, say, Dohalim a different kind of fighter altogether.

Fill out your titles

Titles are essentially your upgrade trees in Tales of Arise. They unlock after certain conditions, like clearing a side quest or cooking a certain meal, have been met. Each one has five nodes around its circumference; the first is a freebie, and the rest, you spend your SP on ?to unlock.

It might be tempting to hop around a bit and pick up whichever nodes ?interest you the most across titles, and there are definitely some nodes that are worth picki??ng up ASAP (Artes Mobility, KO Prevention, and extra AG charges come to mind). But acquiring every node on a title will claim an additional bonus, found at the center of said tile.

These are usually just stat bonuses, but those can make a big difference. Picking up an extra +10 Attack or Penetration can suddenly make you hit that much harder, or Elemental Defense help you survive that extra hit. And late game, some of those can get up to some whopping numbers. Filling out the titles is very helpful in gaining an extra edge, on top of your base stats and equipment. My Tales of Arise tip is to find the? titles that have a couple good options you want, get those ?first, and then fill the rest out for the boost.

Forge weapons, but don't worry too much about armor

Speaking of equipment, every character has a few ways of getting more stats to tack on. Weapons are usually forged, and require various z??eugle (monster??) parts to put together. For most of the game, I tried to keep current with the top of the forgemaster's lineup, and it worked out well.

Armor, though, is usually either bought or found in th??e world. In my experience, it's more beneficial to find the armor than buy the armor; Gald ca??n quickly become a precious resource, so it's better to spend that cash on forging weapons or accessories, or picking up a few CP-restoring Gels, than dump it into armor. I was pretty thorough in my dungeon traversal, and found the game trickled out a steady supply of good armor. Spend that cash where it's less easy to find something good just behind a closely guarded treasure chest.

Master the artes

Another Tales tip is that, with every usage, artes can become more powerful. It's the same as learning to play an instrument, riding a bike, or learning to do that disappearing card trick.?????????????????????????? With every repetition, you gain a little bit of mastery.

This might manifest in various ways, and those ways vary from Tales to Tales. In Arise's case, I mostly noticed the move just getting a little bit more potent; maybe causing a little bit more stagger than I remember, or damaging opponents a bit more. The combo masters will delve into the deep numbers, but for more casual purposes, utilizing your artes ??will help unlock other ones?. You don't learn Double Demon Fang overnight, you know.

Some characters' titles are even tied to artes usage within specific categ??ories, so it helps to make use of your artes frequently and also switch them around a bit, to keep the variety high and build up proficiency.

Indulge in some outdoor cooking

Campsites are a big factor in Tales of Arise, and one of the best tips I can give you is "always be full." Meals can give you some really good benefits, from temporary stat boosts to sp??ecial effects, and even out-of-combat boosts that help your ore mining efforts.

One of my go-to meals is found somewhere between a third and halfway through the game, and it's a fish dish that gives you an experience boost. (Fishing: also a great past-time to partake in.) It's great for leveling up in a dungeon, and comes at a time where doing a little gri?nding? will help in the long run.

Also, if you have a great meal already in play, don't worry about eating again when you rest. Your party's collective stomach will still be satiated, so you're free to rest withou??t worrying about losing the buff. Which is great for when you...

Chain a bunch of battles

Most of my dungeon runs in Tales of Arise we?re just one long chain of battle after battle, because the game incentivizes you for taking on fights in quick succession.

Linking together a bunch o??f battles makes it easy to quickly farm up resources and experience, and it increases the odds of good drops. Really, there's no reason to not be linking battles together.

That said, if you're having trouble with an area, there's also no reason not to head back, rest up to restock your CP, and return. A few dungeons challenged me a bit, and so I took ti??me to work away at the battles, until I could start chaining them together and move through th??e dungeon without massively depleting my Cure Points.

Don't skip skits and side quests

The last of my Tales of Arise tips is pretty straightforward: don't miss out on the side stuff. Skits are mostly op??tional side stories between party members, but they add a lot of characterization, and also help summarize some denser plot points as the game goes on.

Side quests are a huge boost to party strength, however. They can range fro??m gathering certain ingredients or taking down particularly powerful optional bosses to just talking to a few people, but they always come with a reward; often, some combination of Gald, SP, and items.

These were a critical source of early SP and cash for me, helping me keep up with the game's ramping difficulty. And they also contain some really great content. From reuniting lost lovers to tracking down the location of a special item using only a few riddles, Tales of Arise has some neat si??de stories. And by the time late game rolls around, there are some awesome and ferocious bosses ??hiding out in the side quests.

The post Tales of Arise:?? Tips for making your journey through Dahna a smo??oth one appeared first on Destructoid.

Nothing clicks together quite like a good Tales cast

Today is a good day for the Tales Of series. It marks the fifth anniversary of Tales of Berseria, the most recent major entry in the franchise, and there's also a demo out for the upcoming Tales of Arise, which is now only a few weeks away.

As I've talked to friends about this game, I've heard a similar refrain over and over: some variation of, "I haven't really ever played a Tales game," or "this will be my first Tales game." I've talked to a few folks who?? ??have been interested in the series before, but never really taken the plunge, until now.

I'm more of a Tales aficionado or enthusiast than a diehard. My experience pretty much lines up with whatever's been available on the consoles I own, so there are some gaping holes in my background with the series. But games like Symphonia and Vesperia are among my favorite RPGs ever, and ahead of the launch of Arise, I wanted to sh??are a bit about what makes these games click for me, and why they might click for you too.

It isn't just the combat, though the fighting game-meets-RPG mash-up is certainly its own brand of intriguing fun. And the big narratives can range from okay to great, depending on which entry you pick up. It took me a few years and replaying several games over again to figure this out, but the reason I keep coming back to Tales is because of its cast.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6juT0GEGpnE

For those new to the series, Tales is similar to Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest in that each major entry is its own thing. There are some exceptions to the rule, obviously; Tales of Xillia, Symphonia, and Destiny got sequels, and Tales of Zestiria got a fairly far-flung-back prequel in Tales of Berseria. But these are mostly individual, standalone stories, as is the case with Arise.

In role-playing games, characters obviously take part in the big events happening around them. They'll show up in the cutscenes, fight in boss battles, and work alongside you in dungeons. Outside of combat and story moments though, RPGs can be iffy on portraying what the group looks ?like when it isn't just saving the world.

Having some hang-out time with your party can do a lot to build up you?r (the player's) connec?tion with a cast of characters. Each member has their own personality, likes and dislikes, and goals that can sometimes clash with those of the whole unit. Exploring those aspects helps add depth to them, so you're not just working with a team of skilled and talented warriors, but one that also travels together, shares meals, and sleeps around the same campfire.

Series like Persona and Mass Effect emphasize this aspect of an RPG, but Tales does it a bit differently. First off, a Tales game puts you in the role of a character, and that character is defined by their own choices. It's not a molded protagonist, the way that Ren or Commander Shepard. Outside of some special circumstances like figuri??ng out which companion Lloyd might tal??k to at a certain point in the game, he is a set character.

Tales games also wrap this party aspect into many, many facets of its design. It's not just that the party travels, but they travel together. In some games they can eat dishes that you select after battle, and certain characters might cook the dish better or worse. This is even used to comedic effect at times, with characters like Raine not being able to? reach high ranks on dishes due to her less-than-stellar cooking skills, or Repede turning dishes into Dog Food.

Skits are the most obvious example of Tales honing in on the party dynamics.?? When walking around, pr??ompts will pop up in the bottom-right corner to initiate a short discussion between members of your party.

Maybe it's a small chat about what's been going on in th??e main plotline. It might be the chance for one party member to express their own concerns, or even reflect on how a recent happening affects them specifically. There are some very specific skits that only happen under certain conditions, and there are others that just feature all your party members shooting the breeze, joking with one another or inquiring into each others' personal lives, outside the grand adventure they're currently on.

Skits can seem small, but for me, they're the lifeblood of a Tales game. It's a constant reminder that this isn't just a character on the overworld with a back-up squad standi?ng somewhere off came?ra, but an adventuring group that moves together.

Tales party members can come from varying backgrounds, and even in games where some members start out as longtime friends, those relationships can still evolve over time. Tales of Berseria follows a group of characters that's very loosely? banded together, but grows to care abou?t each other's well-being.

This carries back over into the cooking and even into battle, where characters can team up for dual attacks that combine their Artes usage into a ?tandem assault. It's really cool to have a skit where two characters ??are obviously warming up to each other, and then in a battle a little while later see them team up for a special Arte; they're learning to work together and live together.

What I've dug so far about Tales of Arise is ??that it seems like the boost in production isn't just going towards making ??grander cutscenes or better character models (though it is a pretty good-looking game, from the previews we've seen). It's also being used on the skits, elevating them from the usual talking-head character portraits to cut-in comic panels with animation.

Cooking isn't just an after-battle boost with a cheerful response, but an action you can take part in at your camp. You get to see the party member present it to the group, letting everyone else know dinner is ready. And as you flip through the menu options, you can s??ee the party members in the background, si?tting around the campfire together.

It's a dynamic that other games have also attempted, like in Final Fantasy XV's boys trip through the countryside. And for them, it can work to varying degrees. But the Tales series has been doing this for a long time. The idea of Tales of Arise getting the chance to do this stuff even grander is made that much more interesting when I go back and look at some of the better skits in Vesperia or Symphonia.

So yes, the Tales series is a nice blend of fantasy RPG storytelling and more action-oriented combat. It's got a very stylized, anime-inspired aesthetic, the music is usually solid, and it's neat how it lets you play as individual characters in the party, an aspect that's also become popular in recent RPGs like Final Fantasy VII Remake.

The draw for me was, is, and will continue to be the cast of characters. Tales games are at ??their best when they're leaning into the strength of not just individual narratives, but the group as a whole. Seeing an endearing group of fighters, mages, runaways, and vagabonds form a begrudging comradery that will eventually bloom into friendship over the course of their journey is just great, every time. Characters like Judith, Rita, Magilou, Regal, and Eizen are good on their own, but become much more within the context of their respective part?ies.

So if you're thinking of hopping into the Tales series, either with Tales of Arise or with one of the older games (if you're brand-new, I'd recommend either the Vesperia remaster or the most recent game, Berseria), that's what the draw is. I don't claim that mine is the universal reason why fans love it, but I'd have to think it a??t least charts somewhere in the top reasons why. Show up for the anime aesthetic and action tilt, stay for an endearing group of misfits you can't help but love.

The post Why I dig the Tales series, and you might too appeared first on Destructoid.

Arise up, get up, get out there

[Update: The Tales of Arise demo is now live on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Bandai Namco also confirmed a few more Collaboration DLC skins today: a Code Vein costume for Shionne, The iDOLM@STER crossover for Rinwell, and Nina Williams' outfit from Tekken 7 for Kisara.]

//twitter.com/TalesofU/status/1428008796765425664

Our original story follows.

The next entry in the Tales series is just about a month away. But if that's too long a wait, a new demo for Tales of Arise is dropping next week to tide you over.

A Tales of Arise demo will drop on Aug. 18, Bandai Namco announced today, for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. No word on exact time of day yet, and looks like there's no PC demo, though Tales of Arise is slated to launch on that platform too.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rka7nbZrE_M

It's unclear what section of Tales of Arise the demo will be pulling from, though the Tales account confirmed that progress won't carry over into the full version of the game.

Initially set for 2020, Tales of Arise was put on indefinite delay for a little while, before it was later confirmed the RPG is coming out this year. This Tales entry tells the story of Alphen and Shionne, as they fight to fre??e the world of Dahna ??from the control of the technologically advanced world Rena.

I recently got to go hands-on with the first few hours of Tales of Arise, and really dug what it had to show so far. The intro mostly centered on Alphen and Shionne, the dual-protagonists of the narrative, so hopefully this Tales of Arise demo also shows how the party dynamics and battle system reinforce t?hat camaraderie. Or at the very least, I h??ope it's got?? some good skits.

Tales of Arise is set to la?unch on P??layStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Sept. 10, 2021.

The post Tales of Arise is getting a demo on PlayStation and Xbox (Update: It’s out now) appeared first on Destructoid.

The newest Tales finds its core with its Odd Couple pair of heroes

Having good leads in an RPG can be make-or-break for some games. Any lengthy role-playing game will likely ask you to spend somewhere from 40 or more hours with its cast, and the majority of it with the protagonist. That time gets easier if the protagonist is likeable, and thankfully, I really liked both of the protagonists of Tales of Arise during its first few hours.

Tales games, at least those I've played, have had some pretty good leads. I'd put Velvet Crowe and Yuri Lowell up as some of my favorites, and while I'm not sure if Alphen or Shionne are hitting those highs yet, I've enjoyed the time I've spent with them thus far. We had a chance to play through the first "section" of Tales of Arise, roughly the first few hours which introduce you to both characters; Alphen, the amnesiac man in the iron mask,? and Shionne, the runaway royalty with her fair share of secrets.

For context, the world of Tales of Arise has two distinct nations: Dahna and Rena. Hundreds of years before the start of Arise, Rena invaded Dahna and subjugated its people, resulting in a present-day scenario of technologically advanced, militarily superior Rena forcing the Dahnan populace into servitude.?? Dahnan civilians are also unable to use astral artes, like healing, and are often outfitted with special c??rystals by the Renans. Those seem significant, though it's not clear just how yet, outside them acting as a symbol of Renan power over the Dahnans.

Initial??ly, the protagonists end up meeting by chance: Alphen, who's been working in the Dahnan labor camps for about a year with no memory prior, winds up running into Shionne as she's escaping both Dahnan resistance fighte??rs and Renan soldiers. As events progress, it becomes clear each has their own reason for wanting to fight against the Renan occupation.

Alphen has been?, quite literally, thrust into a Man In The Iron Mask situation, working away his days with no face, name, or memories. In fact, for most o?f the intro, he just goes by Iron Mask. Day in and day out, he sees the cruelties inflicted on the Dahnan population, as they struggle and die laboring under Renan command.

Shionne, meanwhile, is a tad more mysterious. I got the sense there are greater motivations we have yet to learn, outside of the section I got to play, but the short version we're presented with is that she's being hunted by the Renans. She's quickly positioned as both Renan and unlike the others, where she still has misgivings about working with the Dahnans. An entire plot point is about getting Shionne some Renan armor to wear, rather than Dahnan attire. But she also seems to greatly dislike the ruling class of Rena; she stole something precious from the local Renan lord, and with it, she's attempting to overthrow ?the whole system.

It's a very enemy-of-my-enemy setup, and the two protagonist??s often bicker and snipe at each other. Alphen is blissfully headstrong and sure of himself, even when it could lead to his own demise, while Shionne is cautious and reserved when it comes to discussing anything about herself. It becomes clear over time that both are trying to expand their view of the dual worlds they live in, ??while also fighting their internalized beliefs about each other's worlds.

This thematic??ally ties into their own abilities as well. Shionne can use astral artes, most notably healing, but also carries within her a flaming sword. Normally, the sword would scald anyone who wields it, and Shionne herself emits lightning (colloquially referred to as "thorns") when anyone attempts to get near or touch her.

As it so happens, Alphen cannot feel pain, which is normally a bad thing, as he comments that he could be near death and not realize it at times. But when it comes to wielding a flaming sword, or working with a woman wh???o shocks those around her, it comes in handy.

So these two, who stumbled into each other due to coincidence and find themselves working together due to an unlikely combination of complementary talents, are begrudgingly forced together. And watching them go through ebbs and flows of opening up and closing themselves off, wrestling with their own preconceptions and the secrets each is hiding, drives much of the early game of Tales of Arise.

The early section we saw only featured these characters, unlike our previous preview which let us go hands-on with a party of six fighters. Most of my comm?ents on the battles, world exploration, and other systems hold true in the early hours. Using Boost Attacks and Boost Strikes emphasized the party aspect of combat, and with only two people to work with, much of the early game felt like Alphen and Shionne growing accustomed to working in tandem.

I also got to see some skits, a staple of the Tales series. For those who haven't played a Tales game before Tales of Arise or need a refresher, these are short side scenes that play as you travel around the map or through a dungeon. They're largely optional, and simply pop up as an option in the bottom-right corner; hit the button, and you're treated to a minute or two of ??the characters talking amongst themselves about anything.

These can range from moments that build upon individual characters, to exploring party dynamics, and even to silly one-off goofs and jokes. In past Tales games, they've also frequently let characters speak their minds on w??hat's been going on in the main story, or highlighted certain dynamics and how they can create their own tensions and moments of growth for the group.

They're legitimately one of my favorite parts of the ??Tales series,?? something that contributes to the series' overall feel to me as a game about your party, and seeing them interact with and change each other over the course of the journey.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNpekwPPP50

At just a few hours, it was a little early in Tales of Arise to get a sense of the breadth of skits (and I also didn't really have the party size to explore that in the first place), but I will sa?y one noticeable change is the production value of them. Rather than talking heads, comic panels with characters posing and occasionally animating move in and out. It's not a drastic change, as they're not really "cutscenes" or anything, but it's a noticeable change that I hope can allow for skits to cover more ground and show more interactions, like two characters sparring.

Overall, the first few hours of Tales of Arise have me invested. It's a good start, with some neat change-ups to the formula that have been gone over already. But storywise, I really want to see where Alphen and Shionne end up going with their arcs, both individually and as a pair. Whe?ther their dynamic can keep things int?eresting throughout the length of a full-scale RPG is one thing, but in the short glimpse I got to see of it, I'm already pretty endeared to this prickly pairing of protagonists.

The post The first few hours of?? Tales of Arise are all about its dual protagonists appeared first on Destructoid.

Giving the Tales series a little Boost

I've been asked a number of times which Tales Of game is the best for a newcomer. For a series that's been around for such a long time, there's still a fair number of folks trying to get into it, and that's no different for Tales of Arise; it??s big visual overhaul alone has drawn in people who otherwi??se might look over this new RPG.

Usually I recommend the commonly available standards, like Vesperia or Symphonia, or even the most recent, Berseria. So it's honestly a good sign that after playing through a demo of Tales of Arise via Parsec, this feels like a good starting p??oint too.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo-lbOo94hg

For those just now checking in on this game, Tales of Arise is a standalone story in the same way that Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest games are. It follows ?its paired leads—Alphen, a partially masked Dahnan man wielding a flaming sword, and Shionne, a Renan woman who wields a rifle and magical artes—as they venture through the world, dealing with the conflict between their home planets. Alphen can take damage in exchange for adding damage to his attacks, while Shionne acts as both long-range support and healer.

Joining them on the party, and pl??ayable in this demo, are four more party members. Rinwell and Law are the Dahnan characters; the former is the mage of the group, blasting foes from afar with her artes, while Law is a close-combat fighter. On the Renan side, Kisara wields a massive shield to protect her allies and Dohalim mostly seems to be a primary healer, though with some extra power of his own.

Some aspects of Tales of Arise will feel distinctly different to both longtime Tales Of fans and those who have lapsed in playing over the last few entries. If you haven't played since the Vesperia days, the biggest change in Arise for you is likely that battles aren't on the 2D plane within a 3D arena like they used to be; instead, you have a full range of motion within the arena, something the series has been slowly working its way towards for a while with entries like Zestiria and Berseria.

Tales of Arise definitely feels like it's taking inspiration from the action-oriented direction of modern RPGs. Dodging is very important; not only does it mean avoiding damage, it gives the player a slowed-down moment to get some hits in, and can often leave the enemy's glowing weak area wide open??. Hit that enough and you get a stagger, allowing the party to unleash even ??more damage.

As I ran around the open field fighting monsters, getting a handle on the new combat, I came to appreciate one feature the most: the Boost Attack and Boost Strike system. Tales of Berseria toyed with tagging in different characters, but Tales of Arise makes it a focal point. Though I was playing as tall, moody hero Alphen, ?I was able to call on my allies to jump in and help out with their signature Boost Attacks.

In the case of rifle-wielding Shionne, this was a blast that made it easier to deal with airborne enemies. The shieldbeare??r Kisara could jump in to block a charging enemy, or Dohalim could give me an infusion of healing. (Healing, by the way, is regulated by a pool of Cure Points, used specifically for healing and support artes.)

Boost Attacks are essentially similar to support attacks in a team-versus-team fighting game. They act as quick responses to tough situations, or as combo extenders to make your string of attacks even more devastating. Though it felt a bit odd at first, and maybe a little overwhelming to keep track of, I started to really like what it did for the overall experience of Tales of Arise.

Not only does the combat feel fast and responsive, it makes the party feel like just that: a band of adventurers, fighting together rather than just in the same general area. Tales Of games have had options like Link Artes or the Switch Blast in the past, but Boost Attacks made my party feel both connected and aware of each other?? in battles. Plus, it feels really ?good to do a long combo string, call in Law to punch them a bit for me, and then start up the combo again.

It all culminates in Boost Strikes. After filling up a gauge on enemies with constant strikes, artes, and Boost Attacks, you can launch into a Boost Strike: a co-op onslaught where two party members team up for a special strike that can defeat non-boss foes. I saw three in the course of my playtime, and my favorite was definitely Kisara and Dohalim's; the? latter creates a magical blade on the end of Kisara's shield, and she slashes the enemy with it, doing massive damage.

Just the six of us

Those elements, combined with ambient world dialogue and camping out, create a sense of party unity that I really felt throughout the demo. RPGs frequently run into the question of how to handle a party fighting as a single unit, or interacting among themselves. Tales Of games have always had little asides—skits—to help reinforce the idea that this group jokes among themselves, develops group dynamics over time, frets about the problems they're facing and generally get to know each other over the cou??rse of the adventure. Reflecting that more in battle through Boost Attacks and Strikes feels really, really good??.

For the rest of combat, it was familiar Tales Of fare, linking attacks into artes for longer combos. There were usage counters for the artes, a staple of the series, though my ability to map artes was limited to three buttons for ground and three for the air. While you can shift button mappings on the fly in battle, I was missing the artes tree from Berseria a little bit.

Other pieces of the game weren't really on display for this demo so I couldn't dive into them, and it was centered on a small task in the party's journey—taking out a giant monster terrorizing the locals to earn a night indoors and entrance to a city—so I didn't really get a sense of how the broader narrative plays out. That doesn't really bug me, though; I've played a number of Tales Of games through the? years, and what's kept me coming back to?? the series time and again is the strength of its cast.

For me, these games are comfort food. Their greatest strength has been in the combat and in the cast, and in this Tales of Arise demo, I got a good slice of both. I'm interested to see how the streamlining of systems pans out over the course of a usual Tales Of game's runtime, but I'm definitely looking forward to the next time I get to hang out with this group and Boost Strike some monsters. Tales of Arise arrives on Sept. 10, 2021 for PlayStat??ion, ?Xbox, and PC.

The post Tales of A??rise preview: A fresh start for a long-running series appeared first on Destructoid.

PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are locked in too

The next game in the Tales series is finally ready to set a date. Tales of Arise has been locked in for a Sept. 10 release date, and it's also ?ar?riving with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions alongside PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Famitsu revealed a wealth of new info about the new entry in the Tales series this morning. Alongside new screenshots showcasing t??wo additional characters that seem to be joining the party—a previously-teased mage character and a martial arts fighter—there are also two new trailers. The first is the launch date trailer (in English via IGN):

It wasn't just cinematics, though. A second, longer trailer from Famitsu showcases a few minutes of  gameplay from Tales of Arise. Here, we can see the new look of the series in motion, from overw??orld exploration and dialogue to battles.

Seeing how the team has managed to make it look completely new, with an overhauled style and systems, while still retaining the structures that make it feel very Tales-like is fascinating. I can make out what seem like Artes, and even the overworld seems hazily similar to other Tales games, but with a revitalized feel to it.

Tales of Arise had previously been indefinitely delayed, and while the studio had emphasized its new approach to the Tales series, not much was seen of it. Now, with both a release date, new platforms, and a gameplay video all out in the open, the new Tales is feeling mu??ch more real. I'm very much looking forward to September.

The post Tales of Arise arrives this September appeared first on Destructoid.

It's Unreal how excited people are for this game

It's been nearly two years since Bandai Namco first announced Tales of Arise, and it looks like we're getting closer than ever to seeing it hit store shelves. Today, the publisher dropped a new trailer for the game that ends with a promise of more information on the ti?tle later this spring.

Tales of Arise was first revealed in 2019 with a vague 2020 release date. Then COVID-19 happened, and the game was pushed out of its release window last summer. In December, we got word development on the title was nearing its end. With more news on it coming?? in the next few ??weeks, hopefully fans won't have to wait too much longer to get their hands on it.

Tales of Arise is currently scheduled to launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Given that we're already into a new generation of consoles, it wouldn't surprise me if Bandai Namco announces souped-up versions of the game for PS5 and Xbox Series X, but of course, that's all speculation at this point. Of course, if it's not coming to either of those systems, why include all the brand??ing disclaimers at the bottom of the trailer's end card?

The post Tales of Arise gets a new? trailer and a promise of more information soon appeared first on Destructoid.