WhileTales of Arisewon’t be releasing until fall, it remains one of the most anticipated titles of 2021 given Bandai Namco’s promise of a new direction. Promising to evolve and revitalize the series,Tales of Ariseaims to be a game that can appeal to a global audience while not neglecting its Japanese fans. As a result, the development ofTales of Arisehas taken a different direction from previous entries in the series.
Whereas previousTalesgames were designed to be cross-generation games,Tales of Ariseis designed with modern hardware in mind. As a result, the development team behindTales of Ariseabandoned their in-house engine in favor of Unreal Engine 4 which would allow for a graphical update to the series. While it might not appear to be a big change, the emphasis on exploration inTales of Arisewill benefit greatly from the improved graphics.
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Graphics in Previous Tales Games
Over the past few years, one thing that theTalesseries has received criticismthat it doesn’t develop the games with modern hardware in mind. For example,Tales of Zestiriawas originally released on the PS3 before being ported to the PS4 and PC later. Similarly,Tales of Berseriawas released as a cross-gen game between PS3 and PS4 but it underutilized the graphical power of the PS4, leading to criticism from reviewers. WhileTales of Arisewill have a cross-generation release between the PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Xbox Series X, the game itself will be developed with the PS5 in mind.
During interviews, the team behindTales of Arisehave confirmed that the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions would give the better overall experience. Having switched over to Unreal Engine 4, the character models and environments will benefit from a graphical boost and will make use of the 4K capabilities. Furthermore, players can choose between focusing on performance for 60 FPS or focusing on graphics for the 4K experience. Alongside the confirmed usage of the haptic feedback on the PS5’s DualSense controllers for mechanics such as elemental magic, it appears thatTales of Arisemakes good use of the featureson new-gen concoles.
Reflecting These Changes In Tales of Arise
Though these changes might not appear to be a big deal given thatTales of Ariseis still a cross-gen release, it’s important to note that the gameplay will benefit greatly.WhileTales of Ariseisn’t an open-world game, it’s designed to incorporate exploration as a big component in the game. With actions such as jumping or swimming in the overworld, it’s important that the action remains smooth outside of battle as well. The improved graphical quality will help the environmental design come to life and players will have a better time immersing themselves in the world.
Although thegraphics have been overhauled forTales of Arise,it’s also important that it maintains the sense of tradition from previousTalesgames. As a result, the team behindTales of Arisealso used a unique shader which would follow the traditional anime-styled design of previous entries instead of going a photorealistic direction. Certain aspects of the game are more realistic through lighting and atmosphere but it’s balanced by the familiar, fantasy approach to world design. Character models and expressions have also been updated which should help make the narrative and side skits come to life. With its unique focus on the newest generation of hardware,Tales of Arisestands out from previous games in the series and aims to evolve the franchise to new heights.
Tales of Ariselaunches June 26, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
