Much like any title in the JRPG genre,Tales of Ariseisn’t short of great characters. From a book-smart, grudge-holding mage to an aloof,emotionless Renan who softens over time, the people who accompany protagonist Alphen are as eclectic as they are interesting, and are undoubtedly at the center of the game’s charm.
Tales of Ariseoften leans on its characters to overcome a familiar plot. Taking down five overbearing lords across the beautiful, yet oppressed setting of Dahna allows for the narrative to progresses at a swift pace, with each new lord being shrouded by yet another diverse area. Yet this means when the story starts to slow down, the player can always rely on its unlikely cast of heroes to keep intrigue alive. One such character, Law, is acquired after a tumultuous trip to Cyslodia, and though he’s well-developed, he comes with a hint of irony.
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In The Name Of The Law
Law is a somewhat stoic, seasoned fighter who joins the party after defecting from the Cysloden Bureau of Observation. He is the son of Zephyr, leader of the resistance group The Crimson Crows. Zephyr’s love for Law is evident when he is captured and refuses to fight his son, and as the struggles of rebellion took up so much of Zephyr’s life, he acknowledges his mistakes as a father before it’s too late. It’s a wonderful scenein a dark story for theTalesfranchise, but as Zephyr continues on about his commitment to revolution, it doesn’t escape the player’s mind that he still named his son Law.
Law is hot-headed and always pushing himself to be as proficient as Alphen in combat scenarios. He does, over time,develop a heart-warming relationship with Rinwell, which allows him to feel like a part of the adventuring party that eventually becomes a misfit family. A character far more comfortable using his brawn than his brains, Law’s tactics are often far from lawful, and having a father so committed to resisting the Renan rule it’s of little surprise that he switches uses his physical abilities for rule breaking.
Intentional Irony
Zephyr’s inclusion in the story only lasts through game’s first 10 hours, andTales of Arisetakes an average of 40 hours to complete, so the player will spend far more time with his son than the leader of the Crimson Crows. Ironic name aside, Law is a welcome addition who offers another layer of complexity to the party, but as the major introduction arc for the character was his decision to rebel against Renan governance, surely a name more befitting a rebel would have been better foreshadowing.
There is the wrinkle that Law’s seemingly ironic name could have been a conscious, deliberate decision by his father; perhaps an attempt to restore some of the balance that his dedication to the rebellion affected. Zephyr admits that he doesn’t regret keeping up the fight against the Renans, so it’s not like he named his son at a time when he wasn’t dedicated to the cause. Maybe a name as obvious as Law was his attempt to soften the blow of his actions.
Tales of Arise is About What’s Right
At its core,Tales of Ariseis about the difference between what’s lawful and what’s right. The ruthless rule of Renans over the Dahnan people may be keeping with the setting’s laws, but it’s far from moral/ Law is the character who best represents this. As a member of the Cysloden Bureau of Observation, he’s cold, distant, and devoid of any real emotion, but when he joins the party in pursuit of doing the right thing, his character depth increases tenfold.
Tales of Ariseis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
