AlthoughTales of Arisehasn’t received a release date yet, it’s one of the most anticipated titles of 2021 given the franchise’s history. While theTalesserieshas always been popular in Japan rivalling the likes ofFinal FantasyandDragon Quest,it’s always kept a lower profile in the West. With the announcement ofTales of Arise,Bandai Namco plans to evolve the series by taking the series in a darker direction to appeal to a larger Western market.
Comprised of a team with bothTalesveterans as well as passionate newcomers,Tales of Ariseaims to secure the franchise’s future both domestically in Japan as well as overseas. Over the years, theTalesfranchise has received criticism from Western fans for the poor localizations and limited marketing of the games. WithTales of Arisedue to arrive sometime this year, Bandai Namco aims to create a game that both Japan and the rest of the world will be proud of.
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Tales in the Western Market
AlthoughTaleshas become popular in the Westever sinceTales of Symphoniaarrived in 2004, the series rarely feels as big as it does in Japan. TheTalesgames often have limited to no marketing in the West and the localization quality has dipped over the years. Unfortunately, this means that even when games likeTales of Berseriareceive critical acclaim, they often fall short of their true potential due to awkward translations or uneven side stories.
Alongside the heavily criticizedTales of Zestiria,theTalesfranchise has felt like it has fallen shortover the past few years and Bandai Namco has finally decided to make a change withTales of Arise.With the development ofTales of Arise,the team has stated that its focus will be appealing to both the Japanese and international audiences alike. The future of theTalesfranchise in the West heavily depends on the success ofTales of Ariseand Bandai Namco will also need to ensure that their Japanese fans aren’t neglected.
Changes Coming to Tales of Arise
to evolve the franchise further, thedeveloper behindTales of Ariseis comprised of both series veterans and newcomers so that the series will retain its charms while continuing to innovate. Unlike previous entries in the series,Tales of Ariseis being developed in Unreal Engine 4 which will allow for better graphics while retaining a familiar visual style through custom shaders. Moreover,Tales of Arisewill be the first title in the franchise made exclusively for modern hardware instead of being cross-gen.
Much likeTales of Berseria,it seems thatTales of Arisewill have a darker tone than previous gamesin an attempt to appeal to a wider Western audience. Taking place on a planet named Dahna, the world has been pillaged and subjugated by a nearby planet named Rena. Though the details of the story are still unclear, it seems thatTales of Ariseis embracing a different direction in storytelling from previousTalesgames. The new changes inTales of Ariseshould be an exciting prospect for fans of the series given the ambition to appeal to a worldwide audience. While it’s uncertain whetherTales of Arisewill address all of the issues with the series, it does seem that these changes will help secure the future of theTalesfranchise.
Tales of Ariseis in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
