Tales of Arisewill be the seventeenth entry in what is considered as the third biggest Japanese RPG series in the world. It is due to release sometime this year for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the PC. Visually, the game seems to be stylistically darker, much like its predecessorTales of Berseria,rather than the upbeat adventure games prior.
In addition,Arisewill no longer be using Bandai Namco’s in-house game engine with developers opting to use the Unreal Engine 4 instead. However, it’ll still maintain the series’ anime style as well as other core features that make aTalesgame what it is.
RELATED:The 10 Best Square Enix Games That Aren’t Final Fantasy
While fans are waiting for the next big entry in the series, let’s take a look at 10 games which may fill the void until its release. This list has been written under the assumption that readers have played other entries in the series.
10Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Dragon Quest XI:Echoes of an Elusive Agewas first released on the PlayStation 4 and the PC 2017 and 2018 respectively.Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Editionwas released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch featuring new story content, orchestral music, and a 16bit mode.
Dragon Quest XIis a far more traditional JRPG in terms of its combat system butTalesfans will definitely feel at home in its colorful and whimsical fantasy world. The story is easy to follow but full of twists and turns that will keep players entertained throughout.
9Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition
Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy XVwas released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016 and the PC and Google Stadia in 2018 and 2019 respectively. While it was critically acclaimed at launch, the game’s biggest issue was that it felt unfinished.
RELATED:Square Enix’s 10 Best Franchises, Ranked (According To Metacritic)
However, with the addition of the episodic content and free patches to help flesh out the game’s story and characters,Final Fantasy XVis a much better game now than it was at launch.Talesfans should also appreciate the game’s battle system which is far more action-oriented than its predecessors. Furthermore, the game’s focus on friendship and camaraderie is veryTales-likein its execution with discussions in the car and around campfires being reminiscent of the Skits mechanic in theTalesseries.
8The Star Ocean Series
For gamers looking for a similar experience to theTalesseries in terms of the trademark action-based gameplay and light-hearted characters, theStar Oceanseries is exactly what they are looking for. The studio behind the series, Tri-Ace, was founded by many of the same team members that created the first game in theTalesseriesTales of Phantasia.
There are five games in theStar Oceanseries, all of which can be purchased on the PlayStation store. The first two games in the series were released on the PSP butStar Ocean: First Departurewas remastered for the PS4 in 2019. The stories aren’t particularly deep but that doesn’t stop them from being enjoyable and compelling at the same time.
7Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronologywas released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2017. It is a remaster of the Nintendo DS original that was released in 2010 in Japan and the US only. Its limited release madeRadiant Historiaa highly sought after JRPG fetching a high price by resellers.
This is because despite being a traditional RPG on the surfaceRadiant Historiawas an innovative game that stayed true to its formula but wasn’t afraid to take risks. TheTalesseries has always appealed to its core fan base for this exact reason. Furthermore,Historiahas a fantastic story with time travel, branching stories, and a great battle-hardened protagonist.
6Lost Odyssey
Released in 2008 exclusively for the Xbox 360,Lost Odysseywas developed byFinal Fantasycreator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s studio Mistwalker. In addition to Sakaguchi writing the script, it was worked on by former members ofShadow Heartsdeveloper Nautilus and the same team that worked onThe Legend of Dragoon.
RELATED:The 10 Video Game Bosses That Take The Longest To Beat
For many fans, it was aFinal Fantasytitle in everything but name. While it’s a much darker RPG than theTalesseries, the ensemble cast of characters feels veryTales-like. Its lead protagonist Kaim is also one of the most complex but likable characters in the genre. The game’s combat system is reminiscent of the judgment Ring fromShadow Hearts.
5The Xenoblade Chronicles Series
Nintendo’sXenoblade Chroniclesseries is developed by Monolith Soft, the same team that createdXenogearsand theXenosagatrilogy.The first game was released on the Nintendo Wii in 2010 after fans petitioned for its release in the west along withThe Last StoryandPandora’s Towerin what became known as Operation Rainfall.
The spin-offXenoblade Chronicles Xwas released on the Nintendo Wii U in 2015 andXenoblade Chronicles 2was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2017. All three games are loved by fans, especially the numbered entries. They offer massive worlds to explore but more importantly the characters and stories are some of the best this generation.
4Resonance Of Fate
First released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010,Resonance of Fateis an action-RPG by Tri-Ace, the creators of Star Ocean.The game received a 4K/HD remaster in 2018 of the PlayStation 4 and the PC featuring improved visuals and framerates.
Resonance of Fateis set on Earth in a steampunk near-future setting where humanity is forced to live around an air-purification tower known as Basel. It features a great ensemble of characters with good voice work fromUncharted’sNolan North andApex Legend’sChris Edgerly. The action-based combat system is also some of Tri-Ace’s most stylish work implementing aMatrix-stylefighting/shooting system.
3The Last Story
Released on the Nintendo Wii in 2012,The Last Storywas developed by Mistwalker. It was written and directed byFinal Fantasycreator Hironobu Sakaguchi while the musical score was composed byFinal Fantasyveteran Nobuo Uematsu.
The Last Story’s combat system is action-based and incorporates stealth and cover system forcing the player to work tactically. Just likeTalesthe game’s AI controls the party members but the player can issue commands. It’s very easy to pick up and even gamers that aren’t necessarily JRPG fans will enjoy one of the best and most accessible combat systems seen in an RPG.
2The Trails Series
The Legend of Heroes: Trailsseries has been sold in the west since 2011. The first two games in the seriesTrails in the SkyandTrails in the Sky SC(second chapter) were released on the PSP andTrails in the Sky: The 3rdwas released on Steam.
Trailscontinued in the west on the PlayStation 3, Vita and PlayStation 4 with the first three entries in theTrails of Cold Steelseries. It may seem like a huge undertaking but all JRPG fans owe it to themselves to delve into this series. The story, world-building, history, and character development are unrivaled in the genre.
1Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana
Released on the PlayStation 4, Vita and the Nintendo Switch,Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Danais the most recent title in the long-running action-RPG series. It is from Falcom, the same studio that brought theLegend of Heroes: Trailsseries.
While it doesn’t have the same level of depth asTrailsthe stories are still very fun andTales-likeand fans will feel right at home with the action-based combat system. Additionally, there’s an interesting village building mechanic based on how many survivors the lead character Adol rescues on a deserted island.
NEXT:10 Amazing Games To Play While Waiting For Ori and the Will of the Wisps
