It has been a while since the last game in the Tales series came out. That would be Tales of Berseria which was a 2016 release in 2016 in Japan followed by a 2017 launch in the West. It is the biggest gap in the series in terms of main releases so fans of the games may be a bit rusty.
There are also quite a few changes that may shock players in this installment of the Tales series. It may not be what they expect or want. That’s why it is important to know what one is getting into before picking Tales of Arise up. These tips should clear things up and help players out in the early hours of Tales of Arise.
10 There Is No Co-Op
One of the best reoccurring features this series has provided is co-op gameplay. It’s one of the few mainstream RPGs that do. The trend has been changed for Tales of Arise in order to focus combat and to make it more fluid and dynamic. This should be noted for the fans that tend to buy these games in order to play with friends.
9 Difficulty Options
Another great thing about this series is that they usually include difficulty options. Unlike co-op gameplay, the difficulty options do return in Tales of Arise thankfully. Best of all they can be changed on the fly so don’t worry too much about what to choose at the start of the game.
Give each option a try and see which fits best. It should be stressed that even on the easiest difficulty, Story, the game requires typical RPG grinding.
8 Don't Worry About Missing Skits
Skits are a signature part of this series. They offer more context to the world, given situations, and characters. They’re a great way to build the lore. Sometimes players may not want to deal with a load of them right away, which tends to happen especially when new party members join.
Don’t worry about missing out. If a skit is purposely or accidentally skipped, every single one will be saved to view at campsites.
7 Greater Zeugles
Greater Zeugles are sort of like side quest mini-bosses in Tales of Arise. The very first one discovered is a giant mantis, which is at level 43. That is understandably way out of the player’s league at this point in Tales of Arise which the tutorial stresses.
However, most Greater Zeugles after this are more appropriately leveled. Don’t be scared. Take them on and remember to come back for this Mantis later in the game.
6 Saving SP
Besides leveling up the natural way with experience points, players will also gather SP. These points will be used to unlock new moves, maneuvers, and extra stat boosts in the game. Completing side quests and performing new actions in battle will unlock Titles, which are essentially new grids that contain new skills. Because Titles unlock at a relatively fast speed, don’t overspend points. One never knows when a really critical ability may come along.
5 D-Pad Shortcuts
The D-Pad, on the PS5, is home to a plethora of great menu shortcuts. There are two essential ones to keep in mind to save time. Hitting left on the D-Pad will bring up the quest menu. Since only one side quest can be highlighted at a time, players will undoubtedly be going to this menu a lot.
Hitting the opposite direction, right, on the D-Pad will bring up the SP/Title menu. It should also be noted that holding down L in battle followed by the D-Pad will switch out characters in battle.
4 You Can Change Your Artes In The Middle Of Battle
Artes are special moves that get mapped to the face buttons such as X. This can be done in the menu, naturally. What one may not know is that Artes can be swapped out in the middle of battle. This is great in case a monster is weak to a certain elemental type that is not currently equipped.
This is true for all characters in Tales of Arise as long as that character is being controlled by the player. Just hit the touchpad on the PS5’s DualSense controller and remap away.
3 Saving Boost Strikes
Boost Strikes are a new element in Tales of Arise and presumably one of the reasons why there is no co-op. Attacking and breaking down monster defenses in the game will charge up each character for an extra special attack.
These can be issued via the D-Pad corresponding to whatever character the directions are mapped too. These Boost Strikes carry over between battles so it’s a good idea to fill these up before boss fights or Greater Zeugle encounters.
2 Frame Rate Over Graphics
In typical modern console fashion, there are options in the menu to favor graphics over frame rate. Unlike other games, it’s actually hard to tell the difference in graphics when this corresponding mode is picked.
Tales of Arise looks great enough already and is a step for the series. The only noticeable thing that happens is that the dip in frame rate goes down and makes the game run worse. That’s why the frame rate option is the better choice.
1 Custom Sets
One unique element that returns in Tales of Arise is that each character can be customized. There is a side quest in the game which has players searching for hidden owls. These owls will have accessories players can wear such as horns or glasses.
There is even DLC for full costumes. It’s not as dynamic as a customer creator in a game like Fallout, but it’s a nice touch all the same. Every character can even preset six different outfits so use these slots wisely.