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Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn hits the market roughly 2 years after the original release. This was a game I played and enjoyed. However, since reviewing it, I haven’t given it a second thought. This isn’t to say that it was bland or poor. Instead, I’d say it was a suitable RPG with smooth combat, an interesting story, and a large world to explore. Yet, I find it somewhat strange that the developers chose such a large gap before suckling their audience back in again.
This open-world RPG was developed and published by Bandai Namco. Furthermore, it is a single-player experience that takes place approximately 1 year after the original story. Accordingly, it is recommended to play the base game before tackling the fun but short DLC.
Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn tells a story of a new world.
Though the two factions live in harmony on one new planet, you cannot change old habits. Sadly, not everyone is happy with the coexistence and this causes fighting and disputes. A young girl called Nazamil is on the run. This half-Renan and half-Dahnan hybrid is the daughter of a Renan lord. However, her fate is in the hands of the gods and the team from the original must work hard to steer her on the right path.
The world design and vibrant monsters are as loud and colourful as you’ll remember. Yet, if you are new to the franchise, you’ll enjoy classic JRPG imagery and wonderfully unusual monsters to kill. Alongside this, every battle is an eye-catching but over-the-top affair. Subsequently, the high-energy gameplay takes a little getting used to. Once you are comfortable with the combinations and special powers, you’ll adore every cruel encounter.
Familiar mechanics.
Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn follows many of the original mechanics and ideas. Consequently, I’m not going to cover them in great detail. Instead, feel free to read my review in the hyperlink in the opening paragraph. The party management, item selection, and exploration elements are not changed. I guess the adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is relevant.
Where this changes, though, is its reliance on side quests from the NPCs. Now, this mechanic isn’t anything new, but Bandai Namco uses it as their progression tool. If you are a gamer who loves a rich central storyline and a solid path to follow, you may become frustrated. However, if you enjoy flitting between objectives whilst you explore a large world, then this will tick many boxes.
The not-so-good.
In a new world filled with political intrigue and danger, I was expecting the quests to answer more questions. Disappointingly, this wasn’t the case. Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn skirts around every issue and rarely gives you any details. It felt like a politician avoiding the obvious answers. Though this doesn’t affect the gameplay, I’d have loved the game to fill in some voids whilst setting the political landscape.
The main quests involving Nazamil use well-trodden ideas from the Arise series and this was disappointing. The developer had scope to create a wholesome and unique perspective that aligns with the political horizon. Instead, it flits and flows between something that is all too familiar. This isn’t to say it is a poor experience, I was just hoping for more.
Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn looks great.
Though there are some shortcomings, I loved the overall presentation. The visuals are clean and vibrant and the world is fascinating to explore. Alongside this, animation is buttery smooth and each combat encounter benefits as a consequence. Though it is typical of a JRPG, I didn’t care. I adored the OTT imagery and the varied environments.
The audio is loud, energetic, and hard to ignore. The music is a brilliant blend of upbeat and melancholy songs. This excellent combination enhances the emotion without being clichéd. Though the sound effects were occasionally uncomfortable, they worked well with the fantasy edge.
Responsive controls.
This has a strange blend of hectic combat and slow-paced exploration elements. Subsequently, the controls needed to be well-considered and balanced. Fortunately, it is refined as you walk through each vast area, but wonderfully responsive as you slice up each monster. As such, the control system couldn’t be better.
This DLC comprises 40 missions and around 15 hours of fun. There are the normal skill progression elements and plenty of NPCs to talk to. As such, there is some replay value and longevity. However, don’t expect this to grab your attention the same way the base game did.
Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn is a decent DLC.
DLC can be considered a bit of a cash cow. Occasionally, you get limited value and even less content. Thankfully, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn offers plenty of missions and loads of interesting elements. However, I believe it missed a trick as the story could have covered the political landscape and many of the deep emotional connections. Though this is missing, it is still good and I recommend buying it here! Can you help Nazamil? Explore the world, help the locals, and keep the Lord’s daughter safe.
