Genre: RPG
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Like fellow contemporary JRPG "Dragon Quest XI", this latest Tales release uses Unreal Engine 4. To say this game has level of detail pop-in issues is an understatement: even the stage geometry morphs and changes in bizarre ways as the play navigates the zones! The interesting, cel-shaded character designs look good when contrasted against the colorful level designs and detailed interior spaces. It's too bad the menu and dialog fonts often look cheap and low budget.

Motoi Sakuraba has apparently fallen a long ways since his glorious, highly memorable works in 90s classics like "Shining the Holy Ark" and "Valkyrie Profile". Here, he delivers the usual "it's a town song", "it's a cut-scene song"-- the compositions aren't very interesting, and on top of it the music is orchestral, removing any possibility of instrumental charm. It's not poor, just generic. The title's Japanese voice acting is well done.

Tales of Arise involves navigating pathway-driven areas between various story-driven settings, like towns or places which serve as dungeons. The battle engine is party based and fully real-time, and it just doesn't feel "solid" or predictable somehow. Other games, like "Shining Resonance", do this kind of combat better. Character progression is handled through a somewhat clunky emblem-style level up system.

Tales of Arise is a game with major pacing issues. There will be long dungeons which seem to drag on, then nearly two hour stretches with no combat at all. Gameplay is interrupted almost constantly by cut-scenes and dialog. There is little exploration, as areas are linear and gated off. The story itself is interesting, exploring themes like snitching under authoritarian governments. Altogether, this latest Tales title is a solid "B-"-tier JRPG: it has some nice artwork, but technical issues, poor pacing, and a mediocre sound track hamper it.