#TALES OF ARISE COOP FULL#
#TALES OF ARISE COOP SERIES#

#TALES OF ARISE COOP SERIES#

The Tales series has always leaned heavily on the appeal of its robust, action-oriented combat, and Arise is no different in this respect. (There's also a surprisingly satisfying fishing minigame at ponds throughout Arise that, if you're not careful, will consume far too much of your playtime.)īut as beautiful as Arise's environments are, the big gameplay draw lies in its battles. You are also presented with numerous optional side quests to tackle, should so you so choose, and a very convenient fast-travel system makes it easy to return to previous areas should you want to do additional exploration or resource gathering for crafting and cooking. That isn't a bad thing, however, as the constant promise of new lands to explore or new dungeons to delve into is a strong impetus to keep moving. Like most JRPGs, the narrative in Tales of Arise is very linear. While the narrative in Arise's latter half shifts thematically, many of the same issues remain throughout. The pacing can also feel rushed, as the plot frequently introduces characters who we don't get to know well but are suddenly rendered very important to the current events, and then quickly exit the narrative after contributing their major story beat. The abuse and liberation of oppressed peoples is very challenging and prescient subject matter to tackle, and generally, Tales of Arise handles the material well-but at times it disappoints by not diving beyond a superficial level into some of the difficult moral issues the story presents. It's good that the characters are so likable because they really help carry the story through some rough patches. The rapport among your teammates-and watching their interactions change as they go through individual character arcs-is a major draw, and you'll find yourself eager to keep playing just to see the team react to the latest turn of events around the campfire or complain about the latest broken dungeon elevator.

#TALES OF ARISE COOP FULL#

Fortunately, once your party fills out, the familiar Tales party dynamics come back in full force, with characters' personalities bouncing off each other in numerous entertaining dialogue exchanges. With heavy topics like slavery and oppression taking center stage in the narrative, the overall tone of Arise's story for the first several hours is quite dour, drilling into you the sheer misery and desperation of the Dahnan people. The beginning of Tales of Arise is a marked departure from the chipper banter and adventuring most Tales games lead off with. But this tiny slave rebellion grows into something much bigger. As he gets swept up in a Dahnan rebellion, Iron Mask discovers new powers, his true name-Alphen-and a connection to the Renan girl, Shionne. One day, a nameless, amnesiac slave known only as Iron Mask finds himself caught up in a supply train hijacking by rebel forces-and discovers that the freight is a Renan woman with a strange curse. Since their conquest, the Renans have destroyed the once-vibrant Dahnan culture and enslaved the planet's people. While it manages to succeed admirably at most of what it tries to do, a few shortcomings keep it from being the new standard-bearer for RPGs to come.ģ00 years ago, the planet Dahna was invaded by the people of their neighboring star, Rena, and crumbled beneath the might of the Renans' advanced technology and knowledge.

Arise sets out to refresh its visual presentation and gameplay to appeal to a new audience, but it also tries its best to retain what has made the Tales series so beloved among its longtime fans: fun characters, fast-paced combat, and an epic sense of scale. As the first major original JRPG on new consoles and the latest installment of a very long-running series, Tales of Arise comes with a lot of expectations attached.

Tales of arise coop