AC Weigh-In: July 2019

For July 2019's edition of the weigh-in, we'll be talking about everyone's impressions of Tales of Arise!

For this edition of AC Weigh-In, we have:

a745 Head Admin, Site Designer, Founder	DimensionSlip Admin, News & Content Writer, Backend Support
Grace Content Writer	Amy Content Writer
Flamzeron News Writer	8ro News Writer, Mobile Reporter
Caphi News Writer, Content Writer	Snapp1eApp1e Patron
Returner7 Patron

Did you end up seeing the leaks? If yes, what were your initial thoughts on Arise after you saw them?

	Alphen is hot *shot* But seriously, on the leaks alone, I thought the visuals were nice but I actually didn't really get that "next-gen Tales" feel just yet. I was really excited, though!
	Yes! I was mostly taken aback by the fact that these were shots for a supposed Tales game as well as by some seeming design decisions and its implications, but otherwise wanted to wait until there was some official confirmation on that front.
	I was a bit skeptical since "A" was already used for Abyss. I'm the cautious type, so I try not to be swayed until further proof.
	I thought it looked interesting, but wasn't sure the leaks were real because they reused the letter A. I'm pretty suspicious of leaks in general though.
	I did. It looked very un-Tales to me at first. When I saw Alphen's face, I was put a little more at ease. Still wasn't too keen on it, but my impression was better.
	"please don't let this be the new Tales game"
	There were so many reasons I thought they were fake. Details of the story. The timing at E3 instead of Tales of Festival. The reuse of A. In retrospect, I'm glad to have been wrong, because it shows just how dedicated Producer Tomizawa is to not being bound by tradition.
	Yeah I did end up seeing the leaks and my first thought was that it wasn't a tales game! lol I thought the game looked too good to be a tales game because I am used to the most recent art style from the ps3 and ps4 games like Xillia, Zesteria, and Berseria, so I thought the art style was too good to be true. I have been playing tales games since Symphonia, so I never could have imagined the game would look this great! I am happy to be wrong!
	Yes, cautiously excited, it looked like more from the Zestiria world, which I'm a bit burned out on, but visuals definitely look much improved over Berseria.

How about after the official E3 announcement?

	Damnnn after that E3 trailer? It looked GORGEOUS. The motion was so fluid, the scenery looked really beautiful and the characters actually looked interesting. I wish the audience would have reacted more, but that's what we expect showing a Tales game during the Microsoft conference.
	Very excited, the settings look gorgeous and I'm totally digging Shionne.
	I became hyped. The graphics look really amazing. I think that this entry can bring a new start to the Tales franchise.
	I was super excited! That trailer was so cool and we've been waiting so long for news on a new mothership title!
	Seeing actual gameplay made me feel slightly better, but not by much. It looked more like a Tales game in motion, but the combat seems to be changing in a major way. The story seems interesting, though visual and textual evidence leads me to believe that this may be yet another entry in the Zestiria-Berseria timeline. I was kind of hoping for something new and fresh, at least a new world.
	"hm. I'm kinda ok with that"
	See above, but it was less the announcement and more the interviews (which you can read translated right here, of course). Tomizawa is a very engaged and talkative producer, but he shares more genuine information on his thoughts and how the creative team is doing things, which is awesome and definitely distinct from how Baba handled Zestiria.
	After the official announcement I was ecstatic to be getting a new tales game and one that looked really good. I was in awe of what looked to be the open world map and how big it looks to be.
	A little more intrigued, but did not change my opinion.

Which part of Arise caught your attention the most and why?

	From the little footage we've seen so far, I have to hand it to the character expressions. They look so fluid and so natural now as compared to, let's say, Berseria.
	I think it's the very obvious attempt to move on with the times (style and going global), but at the same time, keeping nods to what makes Tales, well, Tales. It seems that the team is trying to tread carefully with regard to it, and so far I can understand and respect their rationale for what they want to do.
	The character designs, honestly. Alphen and Shionne's designs aren't the usual ones you'd see in a Tales hero and heroine. In fact, I'm surprised how Iwamoto can design such intricate characters after his past "Tales-esque" characters like the Kanonnos, Earth Siblings, Laphicet, and Zaveid. I'm anticipating the other party members since I love their designs.
	I'm really interested in how different it looks from other Tales games, but how they've promised to keep things like skits. I really want to see what this blend of "evolution and tradition" ends up like.
	The environments, particularly the graphics and engine. I believe they're using Unreal Engine 4? It looks very realistic and in most cases that would be pretty to look at, but here it stands out. It looks rich and fun to explore, but not exactly what I'm hoping for in my Tales game.
	Shionne. She's already best girl.
	Right now, it's the return to some old Tales tropes despite all the newness talk - the boy meeting the girl of destiny and the two planet setting. Arise is certainly putting its own spin on it, so I'm cautiously curious to see where they go.
	I think the biggest part of arise that caught my attention were how big and divserse the multiple screenshots we saw of the towns and dungeons. The big city that was shown off looked huge and full of life, so much so, that it kinda reminded me of Ladylake from Zesteria. The open grass fields and the giant desert look to be great places to explore once the full game comes out.
	Updated visuals, backgrounds seemed more vibrant and full compared to most recent entries. Though I believe art direction can improve this as opposed to visual fidelity.

What would you like to see in Arise's gameplay?

	Bamco had a really good idea (but poor execution) with Zestiria's on-field battles (the no transitions thing), and I'd actually like to see them attempt to perfect it in Arise.
	Something like Graces's system, also a better implementation of Zestiria's overworld battle system. Zestiria had an interesting idea, albeit a poorly executed one.
	Fast-paced LMBS with lots of ways to make combos.
	Good multiplayer gameplay! I think I say that every month, but it's still true.
	The footage and interviews have been misleading, in my opinion. The gameplay looks like it's taking more cues from Berseria than anything else, though it also appears as if the classic Linear Motion Battle System is going out the window. While I do love me a good action RPG, what I liked about Tales was that it was unique in its approach to the genre. By changing it too much to what appears to be more streamlined of a combat system, the series could lose its identity. So, to answer the question... I'd like to see them stay as true to the Tales images as possible.
	Uuuuuuuuuh, i would like to see them going back a little in some mechanics - like aerial combos and truly linear motions - but since that ain't happening for sure, i'll just wait and see they do their thing
	The limited footage we have suggests something that looks kind of like Berseria with more freedom of movement, but we don't know the details of the controls or special mechanics. With that in mind, I'm personally hoping the game as a whole is a bit more like an action game where you have wait for your opening to get some attacks in or dodge while attacking, instead of being so based on long uninterrupted strings of artes.
	I'm hoping for something similar to Berseria in terms of combat and world map exploration, except maybe on a bigger scale. I'm hoping for a fun 4 player battle system with a large open world map for me to fully explore and maybe find some fun hidden secrets. I'm hoping i'm not restricted too much in terms of the world map areas, so I can really feel like i'm apart of one big world. Also, I miss the puzzles from older tales games, so maybe a few of those mixed into the dungeons! lol
	-true 4 player co-op -interesting dungeon design -less grindy/convoluted equipment upgrade system than Zestiria/Berseria -more aerial options -spell casting mechanics from Xillia, I really liked the way Milla played

Any closing thoughts/final word on your thoughts regarding Arise?

	We have Alphen and Shionne who look really, really good and with interesting backgrounds, so I'm hoping the rest of the characters to be revealed will actually be as interesting as these two. Also, bring back the romance. PLEASE.
	I love the addition of the Tales developer blog and look forward to more updates in the future!
	I want to see if this game can save or break the Tales franchise since Bamco is taking a risk with trying to start anew. I think this can save it, but time will tell once 2020 comes. As a huge Tales fan, I want to see this game save the franchise.
	It definitely seems like Bandai Namco is trying harder to appeal to Western fans this time, so I'm hoping that works out well and results in a great new game. And maybe if it works out REALLY well, we'll get more localized Tales titles... I can dream...
	I'm still going to buy and play it, because I'm a Tales fanboy. Heck, I might even enjoy it! But I'm going to keep my hype at arm's length.
	Show the other party members pwease •w• Also i'm interested in the character's costumes changing constantly throughout the game But yyyyeah i'm not that found of the game's visuals. Everything else seems good tho. (Ok maybe the protag is a little too edgy, but i hope he's a dork inside)
	What I've always said: it's a completely new age for Tales. Expect anything, and take what you get for what it's worth.
	I'm just looking forward to finally being able to see a new tales game after what feels like forever since we have had any word on a new tales game. The game looks great, but there is still so much we don't know about the game yet. I Can't wait until we all find out what the development team has in store for this game and this franchise.
	I'm hoping for a combination of Abyss' thoughtful and deep narrative w/ Grace's like gameplay. Please don't rush this Namco Bandai!

Any suggestions for next month, or anything that you want to respond to? Feel free to share them in the comments below~

Image Credits:

• Brilliant Cataclysm - Hisui & Edna skit faces.
• CamelieMimika - Eleanor skit faces.
• Elysia - Asbel skit faces.
• Liaoriao - Jade skit faces.
• Lyrrad - Reid, Leon, Farah & Yuri skit faces.
• Tales of Answers - Kongwai skit faces.