Tales of Arise Torrent is an action RPG game developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Tales of Arise illustrates the conflict between the realm of Dahna and the scientifically advanced settlers hailing from the realm of Rena. With their superior cutting-edge weaponry, Rena invaded Dahna and dominated for centuries, subjugating the Dahna populace for the advantage of the Renan ruling elite. The narrative revolves around Alphen, a memory-challenged servant equipped with an iron mask who scrapes out an existence among the other destitute individuals in his toil enclave. He is renowned among the captives for his insensitivity, an incapacitation that numbs any pain he would normally experience.
Alphen swiftly becomes entangled in a Dahna resistance initiative that brings him into contact with Shionne, a Renan woman plagued by a hex that inflicts harm on anyone who comes into contact with her. Beyond being unreachable, Shionne possesses a potent artifact, Master Core, which she employs to conjure a scorching blade that immolates anything it touches, including the wielder. To add to that, she also wields potent recuperative incantations. Surely, you discern the trajectory of the narrative.
Tales of Arise Torrent refines the series’ combat-centric formula in nearly every aspect, delivering immersive gameplay that effortlessly surpasses its forerunners. Hitherto, Tales games amalgamated 2D and 3D mobility during combat, but Arise commits to complete three-dimensional mobility. It also showcases an overhauled control configuration that ensures the skirmishing is as fluid and instinctual as conceivable.
Six proficiencies, or Arts as they are denominated in the game, can be assigned to a character for combat utility: three for terrestrial inputs and three for aerial inputs. This overall tally doubles later in the game. No character can use the parry as a defensive recourse except for the shield-bearing Kisara, so most cast members possess an evasive sidestep or roll to elude harm. Your fundamental arsenal centers around employing fundamental strikes, evasions, leaps, and your outfitted Arts. Despite this streamlined system, Tales of Arise Torrent incorporates numerous distinctive mechanisms that animate the action.
You preside over a solitary character at any given moment, while the other three party members are managed by artificial intelligence. You can interchange characters at will to directly govern them if you desire. AI characters operate reasonably well by default, but you can fine-tune their maneuvers by modifying how frequently they utilize Arts, deactivating Arts, and even adjusting precise AI parameters, analogous to the Gambit system from Final Fantasy XII.
Assault sequences executed on adversaries accumulate an azure diamond emblem over the targeting reticle. When the reticle is full, you can execute a Power Surge, a potent group assault that instantaneously eradicates smaller adversaries and inflicts substantial damage on sturdier foes and boss creatures. While this mechanic is not innovative to Arise, it is more remarkable here than in antecedent games. Power Surges are a spectacle, with each pair of characters executing their individual exclusive attacks, evocative of Chrono Trigger’s Dual Tech maneuvers.
Tales of Arise Torrent may not boast a blockbuster narrative, but its exhibition and combat epitomize the pinnacle of the series. Despite the foreseeable anime conventions, Arise captivated me from initiation to conclusion with its superb combat that rivals the finest offerings in the genre. If you have an affinity for action RPGs, contemplate Tales of Arise, an Editors’ Choice selection, as an indispensable acquisition.
Tales of Arise PC/System Requirements
- OS: Windows 7/8/10/11 (64-bit Only)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2300
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 760
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 45 GB available space
