Is Tales Of Arise Getting A Sequel? + Review, Setting & Characters Explained

Tales of Arise is an action role-playing game developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The seventeenth main entry in the Tales series, it was originally planned to release in 2020 but was delayed to September 2021 due to internal quality issues and the ability to launch the game on more platforms. It’s also the first game of the series with a worldwide simultaneous launch. The game follows a man and a woman from the opposing worlds of Dahna and Rena and their journey to end the Renans’ oppression of the Dahnan people.

Is Tales of Arise getting a sequel?

Tales of Arise is not getting a direct sequel despite the immense success and popularity of the game, according to the producer. The Tales series is one of the most notable JRPG franchises of the genre, and it is very popular in Japan.

In a new interview with Edge magazine, Tales of Arise producer Yusuke Tomiwaza said that a sequel isn’t happening, as reported by GamesRadar. Tomiwaza alluded to the team developing Arise in such a way that a sequel wouldn’t be necessary, citing that he hoped the story would be complete “with a good aftertaste” when players roll credits, eliminating the need for a sequel altogether.

Tomizawa continued, citing that the studio wants “to continue to take on the challenge of…acquiring new fans for further expansion of JRPGs,” and that in order to do that, “we need to come up with a cutting-edge flagship title that builds on the success of Arise, while also providing an opportunity to rediscover the history of the series.”

As GamesRadar points out, a lack of a sequel to Tales of Arise isn’t necessarily the worst news ever for fans because as fans of the series likely know, we’re probably just a few years away from another Tales game. Having been around for more than two decades, with 17 mainline games in it, it’s safe to say another Tales game is likely on the way.

Tales of Arise Review & Setting

The inhabitants of the planet Dahna have always revered Rena, the planet in the sky, as a land of the righteous and divine. However, the stories of Tales of Arise passed down across the generations have distorted the truth for the people of Dahna. Rena subjugated Dahna for the past 300 years, pillaging the world beneath of its resources and its people of their dignity and freedom. After Rena enslaved Dahna, it divided it with “walls” and introduced the Five Lords as representatives of Rena to keep them in check.

Astral energy resides in all living things, which the Renans use Dahnan slave labor to harvest for the Crown Contest. Conventional knowledge is that only Renans in Tales of Arise are able to use this power in the form of astral artes and when used the user’s eyes briefly glow in blue. The Blazing Sword is a power manifestation of Shionne Imeris’s astral energy, while the thorns are her curse that causes pain to whoever touches her.

Swords and Space Invaders in Tales of Arise

Tales of Arise depicts the strife between the world of Dahna and the technologically advanced colonizers from the world of Rena. With their superior high-tech weaponry, Rena invaded Dahna and ruled for centuries, enslaving the Dahna people for the benefit of the Renan ruling class. The story follows Alphen, an amnesiac slave fitted with an iron mask who ekes out a living among the other poor souls in his labor camp. He is well known among the slaves for his analgesia, a debilitation that deadens any pain he’d ordinarily feel.

Alphen quickly becomes embroiled in a Dahna resistance operation that puts him in contact with Shionne, a Renan woman afflicted with a curse that harms anyone who touches her. In addition to being untouchable, Shionne possesses a powerful artifact, Master Core, that she uses to produce a blazing sword that incinerates anything it comes into contact with, including the wielder. To top it off, she also uses powerful healing spells. Surely you see where the plot is going.

Alphen and Shionne set out together, each with their own personal vendetta, to take down the Renan lords. Alphen serves as the team’s brawn, with Shionne acting as healer and support. The story moves a bit too quickly during its first few hours, establishing plot points while also explaining the state of the worlds and general politics between the races. This isn’t a new problem with Tales games: most of my favorite games in the franchise dump nonsensical lore terms at you, while establishing early plot points. Unfortunately, Arise doesn’t really improve much on this front. That said, the story and cast become much more enjoyable as you encounter new characters and interact with your party members.

Battle Gameplay in Tales of Arise

The game is said to utilize updated Linear Motion Battle System with Dynamic Action features. Three ground and three aerial artes can be set. However using simultaneous button presses it is possible to set three more ground and three more aerial artes, allowing to use twelve artes at once. Similar to Tales of Zestiria, healing and support artes come with a twist: they require CP, forcing to player to strategize and not spam these type of spells. Traditional post-battle victory quotes happening still on the battlefield are replaced with post-battle field chats in form of gab windows.

Hack and slash in Tales of Arise

One of the Tales series’ greatest strong suits has been its fantastic combat system, which breaks into fast-paced action as soon as you run into an enemy on the overworld. You have artes, which are unlockable from Skill Panels, which unlock at certain points during the story, or by completing side content. With these skills in hand, you are able to equip up to 12 during combat and assign whatever you like to each of the face buttons.

Usage of skills is not unlimited in Tales of Arise, however. Each one takes up either one or two uses of your Action Gauge, which is built up over time during battle. Artes that have one use of the Action Gauge will freely flow into the higher, more powerful artes that take up two portions of the gauge. This allows you to flow between these two tiers of skill, creating your own unique, free-flowing combos that can take you up to the skies, and right back down again.

You can even play as any of the characters in Tales of Arise, who each have their own distinct fighting styles and artes. Law is quick, spry, and heavily combo focussed, while Kisara is much more tank-like, with slower, heavier damaging moves instead. Though, when playing as Iron Mask, you gain the ability to use the blazing sword at the end of certain skills, sacrificing some health to dish out even more damage. With an additional elemental system in place to exploit enemy weaknesses, this unholy mashup of Devil May Cry and God Hand feels fantastic and satisfying at every turn.

How many Tales of Arise games are there?

First begun in 1995 with the development and release of Tales of Phantasia for the Super Famicom, the series currently spans seventeen main titles, multiple spin-off games and supplementary media in the form of manga series, anime series, and audio dramas.

What is the next Tales game after arise?

The next game in the franchise, “Tales of Luminaria,” is coming, and there’s already a lot of information about it available to keep fans engaged since it was first announced at Gamescom 2021 in August.

Is there romance in Tales of Arise?

Everyone feels grounded and joins the party in an organic way, and the game’s central romance is particularly enjoyable to watch unfold over the game’s 35-40 hours. The series has dabbled in romantic subplots in the past, but this is the best since 2005’s Tales of the Abyss between Luke and Tear.

What’s the best tales of game?

Most Tales fans agree that Vesperia is the best. That said, Tales of Symphonia is certainly the most iconic. Released as a GameCube exclusive in the West, Tales of Symphonia quickly became the most popular title in the series and still holds the record for highest sales.