Tales of Arise

Tales of Arise is a third-person action JRPG for PC from Bandai Namco Studios and Bandai Namco Entertainment. The current PC storefront branding remains Tales of ARISE, while the broader product line also includes the paid Beyond the Dawn expansion and bundled Beyond the Dawn editions. There is no PC rebrand replacing the base game name.

Set across the divided worlds of Dahna and Rena, the story follows Alphen, an amnesiac masked swordsman who cannot feel pain, and Shionne, a woman whose curse causes agony to anyone who touches her. Their campaign begins as a rebellion against centuries of Renan oppression, then develops into a larger conflict involving identity, coexistence, and the forces controlling both worlds.

Fast action combat with party control

The defining feature is its real-time Linear Motion Battle System, redesigned around freer movement, evasive positioning, and quick character switching. Battles take place in compact arenas rather than traditional turn-based menus. You can control one party member directly while the others follow their tactical settings, then swap characters whenever a different weapon, elemental affinity, or combat role is useful.

Each playable character has a distinct rhythm. Alphen uses a sword and can spend health to power certain attacks, Shionne fights with a rifle and astral artes, Law specializes in close-range martial arts, Rinwell casts powerful spells, Kisara uses a shield, and Dohalim combines a staff with flexible ranged and melee options. Normal attacks, artes, aerial strikes, dodges, and character-specific abilities can be chained into fast combinations.

Combat is not only about dealing damage. Enemy behavior, elemental weaknesses, stagger windows, and positioning all matter. The Boost Attack system lets reserve party members intervene with specialized effects, such as interrupting an enemy spell or exposing a flying target. When the party builds enough momentum, coordinated Boost Strikes create powerful finishing attacks between two characters.

Progression, exploration, and party systems

Outside combat, the game follows a focused JRPG structure built around connected regions, towns, dungeons, story scenes, side quests, and optional discoveries. Exploration is more open than the series' older corridor-heavy areas, but it is not a sandbox RPG. Progress comes from clearing objectives, finding resources, completing sub-quests, and improving the party before the next major confrontation.

Character development uses Skill Panels rather than a traditional branching class system. Spending SP unlocks passive bonuses, combat improvements, and new abilities across several themed panels. Equipment upgrades, accessories, cooking, and collectible resources add further customization without turning the game into a loot-driven RPG.

Several systems reward players who engage with the world between major battles. Cooking can grant temporary party benefits, fishing provides an optional activity with its own equipment and catches, and owl discoveries unlock cosmetic rewards. The Training Grounds offers additional combat challenges, while higher difficulty settings give experienced players a reason to refine builds and learn enemy patterns.

Players who enjoy character-focused action JRPGs can also compare its party combat with the fast, combo-driven Tales of Berseria adventure, although Arise uses more spacious battlefields and places greater emphasis on Boost Attacks and interruption timing.

Story structure and Beyond the Dawn content

The base campaign is a linear narrative journey with optional detours rather than a choice-driven role-playing game. Alphen and Shionne gradually gather a six-person party while traveling through distinct regions controlled by Renan lords. Story scenes, party conversations, animated sequences, and in-game skits provide most of the character development.

The commercial model is straightforward but layered. The base game contains the main adventure, party progression, exploration systems, side quests, and postgame challenges. Optional paid content includes costumes, item packs, collaboration content, music selections, and support packs. These extras are not required to understand or complete the central story.

The major story expansion is Beyond the Dawn. It continues the party's journey after the conclusion of the main campaign, introduces Nazamil, and adds a separate narrative arc with new quests, dungeons, bosses, and additional character-focused content. The expansion requires the base game on PC and is available separately or through bundled editions.

Who should play Tales of Arise?

Tales of Arise is a strong fit for players who want a cinematic single-player JRPG with real-time combat, a large ensemble cast, anime-styled presentation, and a clear story campaign. It is approachable for newcomers because knowledge of earlier Tales games is not required. The combat also offers enough depth through Boost Attacks, artes, skill panels, elemental interactions, and difficulty settings to reward more deliberate play.

It is less suitable for players looking for a fully open world, extensive dialogue choices, online progression, or traditional turn-based combat. The story is directed, the side activities are optional rather than foundational, and the PC version is strictly single-player without official online, split-screen, or local co-op support.

Fans of party-based anime RPGs may also find a useful comparison in the urban-fantasy action RPG structure of Tokyo Xanadu eX+, though Tales of Arise has a more conventional fantasy setting and a larger emphasis on cinematic world travel.

PC features, controls, and localization

The PC version is distributed through Steam and supports Steam achievements, Steam Cloud, Steam Trading Cards, Family Sharing, and full controller support. Keyboard and mouse controls are available, but a gamepad is the more natural choice for managing analog movement, camera control, dodging, and rapid combat inputs.

Graphically, the game uses Unreal Engine 4 and combines 3D environments with anime-inspired character rendering and effects. The PC release includes adjustable display and graphics options, while the storefront lists English and Japanese full audio alongside a broad subtitle and interface selection including French, Italian, German, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Portuguese-Brazil, Russian, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.

There is no official multiplayer mode, dedicated server layer, or competitive online ecosystem to maintain. PC players should treat Tales of Arise as a self-contained offline-style story RPG delivered through the Steam platform, with optional cloud synchronization and achievement tracking.

Tales of Arise FAQ

What is the current PC name for Tales of Arise?

The PC storefront continues to list the game as Tales of ARISE. Beyond the Dawn is an expansion and bundled edition label, not a replacement name for the original PC base game.

Does the PC version include Beyond the Dawn?

The standard base game and Beyond the Dawn are separate products on PC. The expansion can be purchased separately, while bundled editions include the base game together with the expansion and additional cosmetic or item content.

Is Tales of Arise multiplayer or co-op?

No. The PC version is officially single-player. You control the active character directly and configure the other party members through combat tactics, but there is no official local or online co-op mode.

Does Tales of Arise support controllers on PC?

Yes. Steam lists controller support, and a gamepad is well suited to the game's third-person movement, camera control, dodging, artes, and character switching. Keyboard and mouse input is also available.

Is Tales of Arise turn-based?

No. It uses real-time action combat. You move freely around battle arenas, attack with weapons and artes, evade threats, exploit weaknesses, and trigger Boost Attacks or Boost Strikes with the rest of the party.

Is Beyond the Dawn a separate story?

Yes. Beyond the Dawn is a post-campaign expansion that follows the main cast after the original story and adds its own quests, dungeons, bosses, and narrative arc. It is intended for players who have completed or substantially progressed through the base game.