Tales of Arise Reviews
With an excellent story and cast and a reinvigorated combat system, Tales of Arise is the shot in the arm the long-running Tales RPG series needed to recapture its best moments.
There are missteps and a few bumps along the way, but this soft reboot of a long-running series emerges a triumph.
A successful attempt to modernise and broaden the appeal of the Tales series without completely abandoning its JRPG roots.
There's a lot to do in Tales of Arise – set up camp, hook some fish, help townsfolk with missions of varying importance, etc. The main plot is incredible, but the secondary stories you uncover are far more memorable
Tales of Arise is a lengthy, beautiful RPG adventure, but has messy combat and uneven pacing on occasion.
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.
Tales of Arise reinvigorates the magic of the long-running series. A franchise that long rested on its established laurels has been refreshingly upgraded and reinvented, resulting in one of the most polished and jaw-dropping JRPGs I've played in a long time. It's an exciting new chapter for the Tales series that won't be soon forgotten.
Tales of Arise is the best bet of the year as far as JRPGs are concerned. A title that will make you fall in love with a story and characters with which you are going to empathize, a correct progression system, fun combats, attractive main missions (some secondary not so much), optional events, attractive graphics ... I think more needs to be said.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Tales of Arise is a high-quality JRPG and the next technical leap in a series that continues to take steps in the right direction on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. The playable renewal that it proposes places it as one of the most powerful titles of the year and as an excellent entry for players looking to get started in the franchise.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Tales of Arise is an excellent JRPG that delivers just about everything you want from the genre: a rich story, intriguing characters, satisfying combat, and an endless amount of lore.
Tales of Arise brings some needed fresh air to its beloved Action JRPG franchise while sticking faithfully to its classic formula. The renewed visuals and the more mature art-style should not alienate the fandom: at its core, this game is a very classic Tales of title, with new additions that make it an even more memorable experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Tales of Arise comes to prove that the series still has a lot to say. At a time when fans of the genre are in for a treat, Bandai Namco has decided to join the party and offer us one of the best instalments of the franchise. A perfect entry into the franchise, with an interesting story, charismatic characters, beautiful artwork and a combat system that's as accessible as it is deep. It takes a while to get going, but when it does, it's hard to put the controller down before starting the next dungeon.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Tales of Arise offers a superb blend of JRPG favourites, tight combat, and modern-day design choices. It's easily the best Tales game in years.
For those who thirst for the epic JRPGS of old, Tales of Arise manages to live up to lofty expectations and then some.
Tales of Arise doesn't exactly forge new ground in the JRPG genre, but a fast-paced battle system and a well-told story make it easy to pick up, and hard to put down.
It takes a little time to warm up to Tales of Arise's main characters (ironic, when two of them wield the powers of hell itself), but once you're over that hump, you're left with a charming JRPG powered by a battle system that never slows down.
Tales of Arise takes the franchise to new heights with an emotional story, unique characters, fun combat, and more defining features.
Tales of Arise is a huge leap forward for the series. Combat is incredibly fun and fluid, the story is fantastic despite a lackluster finale, and the characters are as charming as ever. It's not only one of the best Tales games, but one of the best the PS5 has to offer.
Tales of Arise presents a refreshing sense of nostalgia in a shiny new package. At times it can misfire between its lovable but inconsistent cast of characters and political narrative, but there’s still a band of loveable heroes brandishing the classic Tales archetypes I’ve always adored. Perhaps it wields subtlety like a cudgel—placing Shionne, the woman who causes pain, and Alphen, the man who can’t feel pain, together—yet it’s that same ungraceful melodrama I remember being so fond of a decade ago. Arise elevates Tales back into the RPG spotlight, but it doesn’t leave the pieces of the past you loved behind.