Tales of Arise is one of the most anticipated titles for 2021 given the franchise's history and popularity over the years. Although the series has suffered criticism from Western fans over poor localizations and limited marketing of the games, Bandai Namco has decided to change the focus of Tales of Arise into something that both Japanese and Western fans can be proud of.
During the early development stages of Tales of Arise, it was revealed that the team had tried numerous new mechanics in order to try to reinvent the series. When the first trailer for Tales of Arise was released, fans speculated that it could be a departure from the linear storyline of previous Tales games by featuring an open-world concept. Bandai Namco later clarified that while Tales of Arise wouldn't feature open-world exploration, it nonetheless has a heavy focus on exploration.
Why the Tales Franchise Wouldn't Benefit From Open-World Design
When the trailer for Tales of Arise was first released, fans speculated it would be open-world due to the lack of a map but Bandai Namco later clarified that the UI wasn't visible in the trailer. However, it was later revealed that Tales of Arise did attempt open-world design in its initial development stages.
Originally, the Tales of Arise team had experimented with a number of different mechanics including open-world exploration in an attempt to evolve the series further. Producer Yusuke Tomizawa later confirmed that while the team ran tests to simulate both linear and open-world gameplay, they eventually settled for the linear option. A linear storyline is able to capture what the Tales series is all about by focusing on character development, skits, and different storylines.
In theory, Tales of Arise sounds like it could be fun with an open-world design given how exploration has always been an important component of the series. However, the games are driven heavily by narrative and character interactions within the party so a linear design makes sense in the context of the series. Given that Bandai Namco wants to capture the essence of the series for both newcomers and veterans, it's important that while Tales of Arise evolves, it also retains the highlights of the series.
Focus On Exploration
Although Tales of Arise isn't designed with an open-world concept, it seems to put a heavier emphasis on exploration compared to previous games. Tomizawa mentioned during an interview that while Tales of Arise isn't open-world, it'll nonetheless have an open-world feel to it as it incorporates mechanics such as visible altitude differences. The combat system in Tales of Arise also received a huge overhaul and will feature a new encounter system which will further enable the focus on exploration.
Although fans often conflate exploration with open-world design, they aren't always the same. For series such as Tales, exploration is a large aspect of the games but not because of the freedom to explore the world around them. Instead, the feeling of discovery is enabled by the narrative points and side quests that players undertake. In that sense, the worldbuilding is directly linked to the exploration that players enjoy and it creates a unique experience different from the idea of an open-world. While Tales of Arise isn't going to be an open-world game, its new changes and stronger focus on exploration elements should prove to be exciting for fans all over the world.
Tales of Arise launches September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.