Tales of Arise Impression

I have to write about Tales of Arise. If you want to know, my number 1 favorite RPG game in my life isStar Ocean the Second Story, or in PSP version Star Ocean Second Evolution. For almost 20 years, I finished playing SO 2nd Story for more than 10 times (without being able to complete the Cave of Trials, only 3-4 levels). This is actually the first time I played Tales series. I had played Star Ocean 2, 3, 4 but never Tales. My sister had played a few of them; Tales of Xillia 2, Symphonia etc. but never finished them at all. I found similarity with my long favorite game in Tales of Arise. Below, I will write the similarity of them, but it’s just a few I found. Maybe there are more I have not realize yet. My impression contains many SPOILERS.

Characters:

Alphen (CV : Satou Takuya) : the main protagonist, Dahnan race, woke up with amnesia with a mask covering all his face. He couldn’t feel pain at first, the only person who could touch the female protagonist Shionne, and pulled out the Flaming Sword from her body. This plot reminds me of Shining Tears x Wind though, which always pulling out sword from a female character’s chest. Alphen is actually a Dahnan who was captured by Renan to be the king (because Japanese language used “ou” for the winner), three hundred years before the game began. After that, he caused havoc and was saved by Shionne’s ancestor, Naori Imeris (CV : Kawasumi Ayako), by putting on a mask and turning him to vegetative state for 300 years so his body can heal. Main weapon is sword and its technique.

Shionne Vymer Imeris Daymore (CV : Shimoji Shino) : female protagonist of Renan race. Her body was modified to have “thorn” curse, which inflicted pain to anyone touching her. It caused her to be cold with people. Her weapon is a gun and healing arte / magic.

Rinwell (CV : Hara Sayuri) : A dahnan mage girl who asked Zephyr (CV : Yamanoi Jin) and Alphen to save her city. Friends with a small howl, Fururu (CV : Nonaka Ai).

Law (CV : Matsuoka Yoshitsugu) : Zephyr’s son, the man who taught Alphen about life when he had amnesia. Also a Dahnan but at first, he betrayed his people by joining the Cyslodia lord’s force. His mate captured Zephyr. When Law tried to save his father, it’s already too late and Zephyr died in the end, causing pain for him and decided to join Alphen. Law is good at kicking and boxing.

Kisara (CV : Ikezawa Haruna) : She is actually a Dahnan, serving as the knight of the lord in Viscint, Dohalim. Her older brother, Migal (CV : Hirakawa Daisuke), died after telling her the truth about Rena’s Helgan fruit. This fruit sucked up Dahnan’s astral energy and turning them to silver liquid. Kisara’s specialty is guarding, a bit of healing herself.

Dohalim il Qaras (CV : Kase Yasuyuki) : The lord from Rena planet in Viscint region. He ruled with kindness, different than the other four lords. But everyone thought of him suspicious at first. Dohalim helped Alphen after knowing about Helgan fruit and wanted to save Dahna people. He was betrayed by his friend while fighting to be the next lord, causing his friend’s death and his friend’s fiancee hated him all the time until he went back to Rena. Dohalim can use both attack and healing magic, his weapon is a rod.

Vholran Igniseri (CV : Hayami Shou) : Main villain of this game. The same Dahnan as Alphen and had the same fate as him, chosen to be the king. But he was cruel to Dahnan, giving them Helgan fruit without consent.

Now, I will put the similarity between Tales of Arise and Star Ocean Second Story below:

1. They used “Rena”. In SO, Rena Lanford is the female protagonist. In ToA, Rena is the name of the planet.
2. So, the both of them used planet as main factor. I don’t think Tales usually used planet?
3. Rena, the main female protagonist from SO was sent to Arlia in planet Expel from different planet, Nede, to save her life and that was a long time ago of 700 million years. Alphen had the same fate, was sent to Dahna from Rena’s ship, to save his life by Naori from 300 years ago.
4. Both main characters fell from the sea after an epic battle. Claude and his teams were separated after the battle in Lacuer and woke up alone in the shore. Alphen also woke up in the shore after meeting Vholran and Almeidrea Kaineris (CV : Tanaka Atsuko) on the ship, separated from his team and Shionne was taken by Vholran.
5. Claude came from different planet and was called Hero of Light with his “Sword of Light” (phase gun). Alphen came from Rena (even though he is a Dahnan) and he could pull “Flaming Sword” out. Both main characters have sword as main object in the story.
6. Love to hear “Kuuhazan” as the sword technique. It seems both SO and ToA have this technique for years.
7. Sophia Esteed in Star Ocean 3 was separated by Fayt Leingod, Shionne was kidnapped by Vholran. This caused both Fayt and Alphen to continue their journey without main healer in the team (this is not SO 2 though).

I don’t know if there is still some I don’t realize, or the same with other Star Ocean. But ToA’s team used the same plot from a 1999 game. While I thought of ToA as a fun game and have difficult storyline, I felt a bit weird they could use the same plotline / name… Even though it’s from the same Tri Ace team, this is weird. While I like Tales of Arise, I feel a bit empty in the end. I spend hours (almost 4-5 hours) watching 3D CG stories of Rena and Dahnan’s past, Alphen’s past, and about Hevrek-35. But the ending only have 2D CG with non-motion ending song. I thought the ending CG will be more good than that, I want all characters have after ending story since I already completed their camping stories. Even Star Ocean Second Story have dialogues for each character’s ending.

Despite the similarity with SO 2, ToA is a good game. The plot is actually hard after Alphen fought Vholran in Ganath Haros. But still, lacking after ending story. Some people said ToA is a little bit different than the other Tales and good for newbie in the series. I thought the same. It’s just too bad they used similar plot with SO. But while 50% of it feels weird and not suitable as a different title, 50% of it makes me reminiscing SO 2 and want Square Enix to make a remake with good CG.

Not Star Ocean 6 The Divine Force though, I dislike the main protagonist’s abs. I love to wait for another SO game, but not this character….. I would prefer the second male lead, Albaird, to be the male protagonist. My favorite character in ToA is Dohalim, a strong but kind, sometimes cool sometimes timid. He has healing artes too, so he’s good to add more healing character in the party. I used both him and Shionne. Even though I put healing mode for Shionne, Dohalim revived me a lot more! In ToA, I have completed fighting Chronos and Phantom Five Lords. But it’s too bad I couldn’t complete all achievements. It’s because the sub quest is not completed, even though there is no more icon appeared after fighting Phantom Vholran and his gangs and I can’t catch fish well in any game (FF XV too)… I didn’t write about Persona 5 and Persona 5 Strikers (I completed Strikers this year too around April or May), but I wrote about ToA because of the similarity with SO 2.