Bandai Namco has finally shown its hand regardingTales of Arise’ gameplay, and it looks like a promising new take on theTalesformula. Another revision to the battle system and a new approach to a battle camera has left multiplayer by the wayside, but it still looks like a compelling experience. Alongside all of that came a look at the new setting of the game,the planets Dahna and Rena. A few different environments were shown, including a wasteland and a snowy wonderland. Some footage of jumping from high places, as well as limited swimming and climbing, was seen as well. It all looks quite impressive, and is definitely a breath of fresh air compared to the empty fields and wide hallways of the last few entries.
However, with this glimpse at a larger, more detailed world has left some fans wondering what sort of format traversal will take. Battles have returned to being set in pre-made arenas rather than a walled-off portion of the map, allowing for the world to take whatever shape Bandai Namco wishes. Some have been wondering ifTales of Ariseis making an even bigger leap to next-gen than anticipated by going open world, but the developer said it would be sticking to a linear approach. For this particular franchise, it makes a ton of sense beyond the basic “not every game has to be open world” mentality.
RELATED:Why Tales of Arise Ditching Multiplayer May Be A Big Mistake
Why Open World Wouldn’t Work
While it may feature more open environments,Tales of Ariseis not an open worldand really shouldn’t be. While the rocky area shown in gameplay looks fairly open, the mini-map in the snowy area makes it clear that this game will be designed like pastTalesgames. Progress will involve a mixture of winding paths, alternate routes, dead ends, and the occasional open environment.Arisejust has the benefit of verticality, environmental detail, and some alternate modes of travel that are there to spice up exploration. Ultimately, an open world would not be beneficial for a game that intends to have a linear progression.
Tales of Ariseis not going to be laid out likeBreath of the WildorRed Dead Redemption, and it has no desire to do so.Talesgames have always been very linear affairs, with the most open area an older entry could reasonably include being the world map.Ariseprobably won’t have that, so player characters will be doing the tried and true route of progressing one area at a time. While it may seem archaic, it definitely works for a game as story-focused asArise, and doesn’t necessarily mean that large areas have to be abandoned. Above all else, an open world game would be very hard to implement when the two planets the game takes place on are taken into consideration.
What Is Arise’ World, Then?
A game doesnot need to be an open world gameto have large, sprawling environments, and other games likeTales of Arisehave used the sort of design approach it has. In particular, the mixture of huge fields with gather-able items lying around and thinner corridors, natural or otherwise, recalls the design ofFinal Fantasy 12.FF12focused on getting the party from place to place, but it still had large, detailed maps that players could explore, as well as chances to stop and do sidequests. There’s no guaranteeing thatArisewill provide that much freedom, however.
Tales of Arisewill probably give players the chances to experience travelling at their own pace. However, it’s doubtful that there will beconstant sidequests like inFF12to keep players away from progressing the main story. Also, there will come points like the third fight in the gameplay footage where an area will be stuffed with enemies that the player cannot run around, essentially forcing combat. The oldTales Ofspirit of linearity is alive inTales of Arise, but after years of graphical and environmental stagnation, it feels good to seeAriseopen itself up just that little bit more.
Tales of Ariselaunches September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
