Tales of Arise

Tales of Arise marked a significant visual and mechanical reboot for the long-running Tales of series and arrived on Xbox One as one of the last major titles of the generation. The story takes place on two connected planets, Dahna and Rena, where the technologically more advanced inhabitants of Rena have oppressed the poorer Dahna for centuries. The player takes on the role of Alphen, a masked man without memories, who joins forces with the rebel Shionne and gradually gathers around him a party of fighters seeking to overthrow the domination and find their own identity.

The combat system is built on action-oriented, fluid chaining of individual characters' attacks into combined Boost Strike hits, which require correct timing, knowledge of synergies between party members, and tracking the elemental weaknesses of individual enemies. Players can freely switch between six playable characters even in the middle of combat, allowing them to combine melee attacks with ranged magic depending on the situation. The game also offers extensive crafting, cooking meals for temporary bonuses, and exploration of more open locations than earlier entries in the series. The graphics engine gave the series a noticeably more stylized, painterly visual style reminiscent of anime, which on Xbox One was presumably limited by lower resolution and frame rate compared to more powerful platforms, yet still felt fresh and colorful.

Critics and fans alike embraced Tales of Arise as one of the best-rated entries in the whole series, praising above all its storytelling about oppression and freedom, its likeable characters, and its sensitively composed music underscoring emotional scenes. Praise also went to the way the game paces the reveal of each party member's personal story, each carrying their own motivation and past, which lends even side quests an emotional weight that older entries in the series often lacked. The game became a gateway into the series for many new players and is still considered one of the most accessible, yet content-rich, modern JRPG titles on consoles.

Why play it: Thanks to its gripping storytelling about oppression and freedom, likeable characters, and sensitive music, this is a great gateway into the series even for complete newcomers.