Tales of Arise Gets September Release Date

I’ve been a big fan of the Tales series for a long time now. For over 25 years the franchise has presented emotional, complex JRPG storylines and gameplay. Tales of Arise, the latest in this prestigious franchise, has largely been a bit of a question mark. Now, we finally have a release date and more information on Tales of Arise’s release.

According to the press release that was released yesterday, Tales of Arise will launch on September 10^th, 2021 (barring any delays) for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. If you purchase the game on PlayStation 4, you will be able to upgrade to PlayStation 5 free once you have a console. For Xbox owners, however, Tales of Arise will launch as a “Cross-Generation Double Pack” that will contain both versions.

Here is what the press release has to say about Tales of Arise. “Players will be immersed in the story of Rena, the star that has been ruling the Dahna planet with an iron fist for the past 300 years. Renans have been depleting Dahna of its natural resources, enslaving most of the planet’s population in order to do so.

This tale follows the fight to free Dahnans of their fate and will be experienced through the eyes of Alphen, an iron-masked Dahnan fighting to free his people, and Shionne, a girl from Rena, who’s on the run from her countrymen. They will be joined through their journey by various characters, such as Rinwell and Law, that will help them in their fight for freedom.

Tales of ARISE carries the DNA of the franchise while pushing the envelope further using the BANDAI NAMCO Studios developed “Atmospheric Shader,” adding a new touch to the graphics, making them look hand-drawn. This will enhance the players’ immersion, along with a vivid new world where they will explore numerous biomes. Combat has also evolved adding more direct effects and attacks, to provide a better sense of spectacle and more direct player feedback based upon their actions.”

Tales of Arise’s producer, Yusuke Tomizawa, commented on the game and this announcement, stating: “We want Tales of ARISE to represent a new milestone for the Tales of franchise. The game has a new artistic direction, making the most out of the Unreal Engine and our newly developed “Atmospheric Shader” to push the graphics quality and make players feel like they are in a painting.

With a story that is more mature and hits on more essential themes than previous games, we hope players will be fully immersed in Alphen and Shionne’s journey. We can’t wait for you to be able to play the game later this year.”

Now, there also was pre-order information provided, that I want to bring to your attention. I’m not sure how I feel about some of it, but I want you to make your own conclusions. Here is what the press release says:

“Tales of ARISE is now available for pre-order in physical and digital on all platforms. Pre-orders will receive a new costume for Alphen and Shionne, as well as outfits, accessories, and new cooking recipes and ingredients. On Digital platforms, a Deluxe and an Ultimate edition will be available. The Deluxe edition will have the following items:

Premium Item Pack, containing gold, cooking items, and Boosts
Premium Costume Pack, including 8 full costumes and 6 accessories
Premium Travel Pack, allowing for better cooking and crafting abilities, as well as discounts in shops

The Ultimate Edition will have all the content from the Deluxe edition, as well as new costumes for the characters including special costumes in collaboration with other BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment games.”

Now, most of this doesn’t bug me, except for the exclusive discounts in shops, cooking recipes, and crafting abilities. Hopefully, Bandai Namco will reveal at some point that these pre-order things can either be unlocked in-game through other means, or purchased individually later on. I don’t think it is all that fair to monetize things like recipes and discounts, though I don’t really have an issue with costumes, money, or accessories being paid DLC.

At any rate, I am very excited for Tales of Arise, and I hope we get even more information on the game during E3 this year. I’m eager to see what the next evolution of the Tales series brings to our screens, and if it plays as well as it looks, I don’t think we’ll be disappointed.