Tales of Arisewill be arriving in September 2021, and with Bandai Namco’s promise of reinventing the franchise, the game looks to attract anew audience alongsideTalesveterans. AlthoughTalesgames usually feature separate narratives and combat systems, they also sometimes share characters or settings.
Newcomers to the franchise might be wondering whether they need to play the previous game,Tales of Berseria,before startingTales of Arise.AsTales of Arisewill function as a fresh start for theTalesseries, it’s unlikely that it will share any story threads from previous games. Nonetheless,Tales of Ariseis built from the foundation of previousTalesgames and their combat systems, which means there’s plenty of reasons to revisit certain titles.
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Narrative Connections in Tales of Arise
Although much ofthe narrative ofTales of Arisehas yet to be revealed, it’s clear Bandai Namco intends to reinvent the franchise with the game. This implies the story will likely be new and not feature important connections to previousTalesgames. The previousTalesgame,Tales of Berseria,shared interesting connections with its predecessorTales of Zestiriaas they take place in the same setting during different time periods. While there was speculation thatTales of Arisewould similarly feature elements from previous games, it seems that the worlds of Dahna and Rena are completely new.
The idea behindTales of Ariseseems to turn the series into a blank slate as Bandai Namco resets everything and builds a new foundation through the combat system and narrative. It’s likely thatfutureTalesgames could be connected toTales of Arisethrough its setting or characters. However, the chances ofTales of Arisesharing common elements with previousTalesgames is slim, as the aim of the game is to introduce new players to the franchise.
Which Tales Games to Play Before Tales of Arise
WhileTales of Ariseis intended to be a reinvention of the franchise, there are still plenty of reasons to play previousTalesgames before its release. Over the course of 25 years, theTalesgames have continually evolved their mechanics and some of these will act as the foundation forTales of Arisewhen it releases. General recommendations for theTalesseries usually start with games likeTales of Symphonia, Tales of Abyss,andTales of Vesperiadue to their excellent stories and character development. In the case ofTales of Arise,however, it’s also important to note thatTales of BerseriaandTales of Gracesare influentialfor the game’s fundamentals.
Although neither game is necessary beforeTales of Arise,they offer insight into how the game will feel.Tales of Berseriashowcases how a modernTalesgame’s combat and exploration mechanics feel. It’s not the best game in the franchise, but olderTalesgames will feel completely different when compared toTales of Arise. On the other hand,Tales of Gracesoffers fans insight into the combat system, asTales of Ariseis based on its fundamentals. Often cited as one of the best combat systems in the franchise,Tales of Gracesshares a similarevasion and counter system found inTales of Arise.While no game is required to understandTales of Arise,there are a number of previousTalesgames which act as great set-ups for newcomers.
Tales of Arisereleases September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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