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Tales of Arise Staff Explains Why The Game Is So Different From Other Tales of Games

Tales of Arise was initially conceived as an original IP, rather than as a "Tales of" franchise game. Even after the concept turned into a "Tales of" game, the team's design philosophy was to reevaluate every single hallmark of the franchise and decide whether they could fit into a more streamlined player experience.

In an interview with Japanese games news site DenFamiNicoGamer on December 21, Tales of Arise producer Yusuke Tomizawa and director Hirokazu Kagawa shared the specifics of what got changed and why. For example, they cut the post-battle dialogue scenes because the game has dungeons with lots of consecutive battles, which would slow down the pace while the player is exploring. Instead, they decided to have the dialogue play while the gameplay resumed.

Tomikawa said this change was challenging because the fans praised that element in every installment. Even the gel healing items, a series mainstay, didn't get a free pass, as the staff seriously discussed the question: "Is this actually a draw to newcomers?" In many cases, they decided to keep the original elements while tweaking their appearances or delivery.

Notably, the skit scenes replace the traditional 2D-style presentation with 3D models. Tomizawa said that he felt this change was necessary because he felt that the old format needed to suit the current era. He argued that the primary appeal of the skits is in the dialogue itself, so the team worked hard to preserve that essence even with a different delivery.

Kagawa added that the skits were done in 2D in the earlier games due to technical shortcomings at the time. Their original idea was to depict what the characters would talk about as they traveled together. Because of this, when given a choice between 2D and 3D, he chose 3D for a more immersive experience. By blurring the background instead of a separate screen and matching the lighting with the time of day in-game, the team could give the impression that the skits were taking place on the spot.

The battle system also underwent changes. The traditional "Linear Motion Battle System" incorporated 2D fighting game mechanics. The team felt that one of its biggest limitations for modern audiences was that it only allowed for movement across a straight line. In Tales of Arise, there is a much bigger emphasis on dodging attacks rather than guarding them. Kagawa remarked that he felt the pressure to change the "Tales of" battle system when he saw the Bayonetta and NieR:Automata action games developed by Platinum Games.

Tomizawa further explained that this was necessary because the game took five years to develop, and if the title could not attract new players, it would be difficult to sustain the brand. The idea for Tales of Arise began in 2016, soon after Tales of Berseria was released. This was around the transition from the PS3 to the PS4 console generation. Because the team wanted to use a new engine and create a high-end game, they added new producers and team members.

"It was such a revolutionary experiment that the next title might not even have warranted the 'Tales of' name," Tomizawa commented. "At first, we were calling this title 'Arise' instead of 'Tales of Arise.' 'Arise' in this context meant 'to be born' or 'to come to life.' Eventually, it fell in line with the 'Tales of' name, but at the very beginning of development, we were approaching things with the mindset of creating a new IP with this team."

Tomizawa finally remarked that he was relieved that the game received a positive reception among long-time fans, even before the game came out. Very few fans on social media urged them to stop development. The team also received many warm comments from those who sympathized with what the series was doing from a long-term perspective.

The interview also included a discussion with Soul Hackers 2 co-producers and directors Eiji Ishida and Mitsuru Hirata. They frankly admitted at the start of the interview that the game received poor reception and that they are working very seriously to take that feedback into account with quality-of-life improvements.

Bandai Namco Entertainment released Tales of Arise for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on September 10, 2021, in the West and on September 9, 2021, in Japan. The game was initially slated to launch in 2020, but Bandai Namco delayed the game past 2020 "due to the ambitious nature of the project." Yusuke Tomizawa (God Eater) took charge of the franchise's development team, beginning with Tales of Arise. Longtime Tales of team artist Minoru Iwamoto was art director for the first time in the franchise.

Tales of Arise won Best Role-Playing Game in the Game Awards 2021.

Source: DenFamiNicoGamer via Noisy Pixel