Tales of Arise Review: One Of The Best Action JRPGs I've Ever Played! | Backlog Battle

[@WillKrepelin]

So happy to hear the glowing review, Alex. I'm a big fan of the series and I'm really excited for this one and hoping it catapults the series into the collective consciousness so that BN feels confident to support the series with more resources. Great review.

[@BacklogBattle]

It’s interesting to me how much 3 years of development time can make things so much better! I was chatting with a friend of mine the other day and was surprised to learn that Berseria was made in a year! It also seems like dev cycles for the series had been traditionally small. This game reflects those three years and it really shows in the best ways!

[@Soulsworth69]

I am so pleased with this game, I don't throw this term around lightly but I can comfortably say it is a masterpiece. I just beat it earlier today and it was everything I could have hoped for. Especially the ending being very satisfying. I was worried that "certain thing" wouldn't happen but it did. One of the best RPG's I've played in a very long time.

[@BacklogBattle]

Now you know why I felt this way! GOTY material!

[@recover2077]

Absolutely my game of the year. I have watched a lot of films and TV shows and played many many games but I can say for sure only a couple of games or movies have made me cry and finishing this story did it for me. If anyone could understand how rare that is for me. Then I believe it'd sell it. What an amazing and satisfying story.

[@GamingWithAce85]

GOTY 2021! Tales Is Life!

[@UFCWWE69]

@@recover2077 lol u really cried playing this game? Red dead 2 is literally the only game to ever make me tear up somewhat 😂

[@recover2077]

@@UFCWWE69 yeah man I was surprised to haha, i just fell in love with this game and it just hit right for me. More my personal experience than the game itself being emotional. But yeah I agree Red dead redemption 2 was the same!

[@JagerLionhunter]

Most JRPGs from now on should look like this art and color style imo. It's so good to look at and very refreshing to play.

[@BacklogBattle]

I think any art style that feels fresh and doesn’t make the cost of development too expensive is good by my book. I think Japanese devs are ahead of the curve when it comes to that, and the lighting engine the Tales team created does a lot of the heavy lifting to make the look of this game. The result is stunning!

[@booghost8187]

I'm shocked this doesn't have more views. This is such a well written and concise video. The editing is also top notch! I really can't wait for future content from this channel.

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you so much! Been at this for almost 5 years now! Really appreciate your comment and I hope more people find this review too!

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

As a lifelong fan since Symphonia, Legendia and Abyss, it warms my heart to finally see this great series getting so much love 🥲

[@BacklogBattle]

I’m always happy when more people can discover series like Tales! It’s about time!

[@laptopgamer5680]

I wish there would be a preview clip on all the available artes in the artes menu so it's easier to figure out which artes chain better with other artes..great review btw..

[@Crimsontears83]

Lol I'm soooo surprised this 72 hour review is much more in-depth and gives a much more solid view of what the game has to offer compared to Globku's 10 hour review. I love the guy but the series just might not be fore him. Glad to see this game is getting love from other sites though. Makes me much more comfortable with it as a fan of the series.

[@BacklogBattle]

I try to see the good in each of the games I play and also take multiple perspectives in addition to mine. That said, I truly believe that this game is one that many people will love to play and experience!

[@darkhaven9119]

For games like tales 10 hours is NOT enough to get a grasp on the game. He claims it is but that’s so wrong. For most games sure but for long games like tales and persona etc the games are still barely even beginning after just 10 hours and with only 10 hours you haven’t even seen close to half the shit the game and story has to offer. He really needed to play at least 30 hours before making a judgment.

[@nairbdelrey1561]

I just finished the game, it took me 92 hours to finish, it was worth the money and the time, Its my new favorite Tales game, I thought Vesperia was unbeatable boy was I wrong. Love love this game

[@velosiped135]

There is also a good amount of full-motion anime mixed throughout the game in key scenes that are absolutely stunning to watch. This is a real high point that should be mentioned in any review. I think the soundtrack is also underrated. Don't wait on this one like I did.

[@BacklogBattle]

It's not mentioned because it's not as frequent as you say, and mentioning it sets up an expectation on folks expecting that throughout. There are many, many high points in the game that aren't done in anime form and they're just as good, if not better, than what the anime movies show.

[@AshXXMayftw]

I just preordered this a few days ago. Hope it turns out great. I love this series, but admittedly the more recent titles have felt a bit samey when it comes to their combat. Also can't wait to see if the rumored Xenoblade 3 will be revealed soon. Now that's a game that'll make me grin like a madman.

[@BacklogBattle]

The Boost system is a really big deal from a mechanical standpoint. Some of the early combos from the demo have been incredible, so I’m expecting some really good stuff coming out from this game!

[@shayonmitra8337]

I cannot overstate how much I hate this game. It has ruined my sleep cycle. I work for 9 hours travel for 3 then casually spend 3-3.5 just doing shit because IT'S SO ENJOYABLE. What an experience, it makes you want to 100% or atleast finish as much as possible in one playthrough.

[@tuvillo]

I think this is the next installment in a series of games that are gonna break to a bigger audience than they're used to. Nintendo had a wave of such games, but even Atelier Ryza for example changed up a few things and suddenly appealed to a much larger audience than its predecessors.

[@BacklogBattle]

Totally agree. I think this is the one that's going to be the breakout hit for the series!

[@Ock_mantis]

If everyone's not shouting their attacks at once it's not a tails game lol. Great review sir. Always happy i found your channel. It's just some game's that some types of gamer should not be reviewing. So I'm glad you chose this genre to be one of the one's you specialize in if only to see the genre properly represented, and talked about by the one's who actually like this type of game. Keep it up man.

[@BacklogBattle]

I love JRPGs and Japanese games! Even if you see me dabble in other games, I'll always come back to it! And to be fair, I didn't dig into the battle voices as much as I did in the demo video! 😅

[@HybridAngelZero]

I'm happy the buzz around Arise has been so positive! I feel like this one's making the biggest splash a Tales game has made in long time! While I won't be able to get it on launch day, I'm definitely looking forward to finally having this game in my hands Also, I was giggling like a baffoon at some of the costume customization you had in here xD

[@BacklogBattle]

I've never done that in any game before, but some of the costumes were great! At one point, I had everyone decked out in Persona 4 Investigation Team duds. Samurais in another. And palette swapped outfits the next. The two I mentioned prior are part of the Ultimate version of the game, but the glasses and what not are in the base game itself!

[@HybridAngelZero]

@@BacklogBattle Yeah, I saw that some outfits were exclusive to the paid DLC, which makes me a little sad, but it's basically been like that since Xillia. I am glad the goofy accessories are available in the main game, I do tend to enjoy them. I know I spent my whole PS3 playthrough of Zesteria with Sorey having a Sophie doll on his arm xD

[@sonictelephone1526]

@Sergio Nat maybe you just need to L2P?

[@appetizingly]

@Sergio Nat I've 100%'d the game on hard difficulty without spending a single buck and only ever had to grind once in postgame content. What are you talking about?

[@appetizingly]

"I feel like this one's making the biggest splash a Tales game has made in long time!" Probably ever, tbh. Not even Symphonia had that much clout back in the day. Tales will never be Final Fantasy, or any SE franchise for that matter, in terms of hype and sales but Arise almost reached Persona 5 numbers in the opening week, which is already a huge success.

[@cataclast1]

Your review mostly covers the combat system and the variety of skils used by characters, but overall you didn't mention much about the exploration of the maps and their depths: how interesting is it to explore the world ? are there similarities with DQ11 (for example) or is it more like Berseria and limited to the side quests ? I hope you can answer on that aspect as I'm personally concerned about what kind of direction software houses like bandai-namco and SE are taking in order to create at any cost action jrpg with linear exploration of the enviroment, aside from farming exp

[@BacklogBattle]

I think all the maps are interesting to explore. I’ve never once felt fatigued going through each area, and there are a wide variety of sizes for each of the maps. Some are maze-like (specifically for dungeons) while others can be huge and sprawling. Overall, it’s very manageable thanks to the fast travel system, which is really one of the things I cared about.

[@MULTIPLANGOD]

VERY SIMILAR TO DQ1`1 CAMP FIRES AND ALL

[@Fragar212]

2 more days, cant wait! Excellent review Alex!

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@War624]

Excited is all I can say I am. Finally finished Zestiria, which was a little of a slog for me, but I loved playing Berseria beforehand, and I'm currently replaying Vesperia, through the Definitive Edition. I can't believe all that content wasn't in the original game. I feel like Patty and her storyline adds a lot to the feels in the game. Anywho, I wish it was Friday so I could play this.

[@BacklogBattle]

Can't wait to see you all play this game! It's so good!

[@Walamonga1313]

Zestiria is definitely the weakest of the ones available on PC

[@bhuwin6186]

Finished tales of arise, can you suggest which to play if im not too big into the story and cutscenes? Thanks

[@daies07]

@@bhuwin6186 That's the big appeal of the tales series outside of combat - most the games are going to give you this volume of cutscenes & story (or more)

[@michaelcoffey1991]

I am glad Tales finally got both the bigger budget and time needed to make such a visually pleasing fun game. Tales had always been our 3rd favorite jrpg franchise after (1) Dragon Quest games and (2) Final Fantasy games. Took us about 35 hours and we plan on going back a few times more. Thank you for going into depth about what you liked and did not like

[@BacklogBattle]

You beat the game already??

[@michaelcoffey1991]

@@BacklogBattle Yea took us 35 hours and we probably only did 65 to 70% of the game's side quests. It is a game we plan on beating a few more times with longer play sessions and switching up whom we use.

[@amolsol]

Love, LOVE you mentioning combo videos. Majority of Tales games have depth in them not many explore. Glad you talked about that for Arise and shared how combo enthusiasts already found out tech and there will be more to come. Before DMC was a thing, there was Tales. Even in the oldest Tales game, neat combos were a thing. Glad to see appreciation for that.

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you for recognizing that! Even though I haven't played a lot of Tales games, I've always known that there's a passionate community of fans who really love learning and understanding the nuances of each system! I'm currently working on a combat guide for the game to help newcomers understand some of the basic concepts found in Arise. There's nothing more that I'd wish that to have more people really enjoy the battle system and push themselves to create amazing combos with their builds!

[@amolsol]

@@BacklogBattle Of course! I'm a super fan of the combat of most main Tales games. And always watch combo videos to learn and grow my playstyle. A big part of the RPG aspect of Tales is the customization of the skills and abilities to further improve the battle system. Can't wait to watch your basics guide! 🙌

[@GcorpCoPrez]

My brain goes fang blade havoc for Luke in tales of the abyss! XD

[@Kirby-Krios]

This made my JRPG ding a ling RISE again! I wasn't a big fan of FF growing up. I played Tales more. Arise brings back the passion for the genre for me ^_^

[@BacklogBattle]

I can feel the passion! Thank you for taking the time to watch my review!

[@Kirby-Krios]

@@BacklogBattle (b^_^)b

[@plasmateria-669]

Finally caught up to this lol! After playing Elden Ring for so many hours, this is a breath of fresh air! Im only 20 hours in but I’m loving it so far. And of course I just HAD to revisit your review! I never did enjoy the tales combat gameplay no matter how hard I forced myself to stick with it lol. Like in Berseria, somehow I’ve always found it “robotic” and tedious. But oh boy you were right when you said this IS the most streamlined combat experience in it’s category to date and I’m glad I listened to you and gave it a shot! Awesome review as always, Alex. and looking forward to more!

[@BacklogBattle]

That is so amazing! I'm glad you're enjoying your time! It's still one of my favorite games of last year, and rightfully my Game of the Year! It truly is a blast!

[@henriettereines6273]

Is it worth $60?.

[@Junnipei]

AAAAAH I’ve been waiting for this review very closely!! You are real great to sell me games I’ve other wise wouldn’t give it a try

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed the review and that it got you hyped!

[@theoaremevano3227]

Love the review. I think it pretty accurately sums up the experience I had with the game a well. I also did like that while side quest text wasn't voiced, every one did have voiced REACTIONS from the party after you were done talking, and that one you highlighted about the use of non-dialogue vocalizations was one of my favorites because of that. XD I only wish I had more time to mess around with the game. :)

[@zanychelly]

My most awaited review of the year. Awesome to know it is that good. 2 days for the weekend!!! Also, I hope you cover Lost Judgment as well.

[@BacklogBattle]

I will be upfront and say that I will be getting Lost Judgment on early access, much like everyone who's preordered the game. You can at least expect an impressions video!

[@viktorkovacs5279]

Great review! Im super excited, and today i pre order the ultimate edition :) I played a demo, and have a feeling this is be so good, of course already read so many positive post about it, but seeing your review specifically make me feel i made a good decision :) I wanna ask you, what difficulty you recommend? I read somewhere that the full game is harder then the demo, and in normal difficulty the bosses be challange too, however many people said the past titles in normal difficulty is too easy, and moderate or higher the best. What do you think? Thank you for your answer, and sorry for my poor english :)

[@BacklogBattle]

You can switch the difficulty at any time, so it really is up to you!

[@viktorkovacs5279]

@@BacklogBattle Thank you, i can't wait to play too :)

[@xleaselife]

Ahhhh, your praise for the game is so very encouraging. As I've said, I've been looking forward to this one so very much, and I am so excited to hear that my favourite RPG reviewer considers it one of the best not only in the series, but in the genre.

[@BacklogBattle]

It really is! And I don't take superlatives lightly either! I really enjoyed (and still enjoying) my time with it!

[@xleaselife]

@@BacklogBattle Wonderful to hear it! As an addendum, what you said about the story feeling like it's from the 16-bit era of RPGs, that confirms why I've been getting that same feeling from this as I got from Tales of Phantasia and Destiny. It really just seems to nail that sense of the fantastical pressed together with an amazing cast of characters and a beautiful, sprawling world.

[@BacklogBattle]

@@xleaselife absolutely! At one point during my playthrough, I was like, “why does this all feel familiar somehow?” And that’s when it hit me! I think the way I described the story is pretty pointed and not spoilery. Either way, great story!

[@himizu_MMJ]

I was a bit confused to why I like this game so much even though there's some hiccup about the game but hearing your reviews you point out the points I really like about this game and giving the reason why I can't put this game down. It's because I already bonded so much with the characters I can trudge through whatever cliche they threw at me. Thanks for the enlightening review.

[@gh0rochi363]

A few hiccups rant shouldn't turn you off from something. Nothing is perfect

[@TheGamingShelf]

Great review as always Alex! Expertly written and you echo a lot of what I enjoyed about the game.

[@BacklogBattle]

Likewise! I need to leave a comment on your review! I was there partly during the Premiere!

[@Foogi9000]

I've had this indescribable hole for massive action jrpgs ever since i played Xc2, and this game is the first game to really fill it on pc.

[@BacklogBattle]

I’ve heard it runs great on PC!

[@Buradoran]

This is absolutely the most thoughtful and considerate review of this game so far!

[@BacklogBattle]

Why thank you! I hope you can help spread the word! I'd love nothing more than to help people get into this game!

[@kenrn3778]

Great review! Can't wait for my copy to arrive! In the demo I remember that I couldn't reminisce on skits that I didn't immediately view when the prompt appeared (like I purposefully skipped "Rinwel's Ace" to test it out). Glad they fixed this in the full release. Can you please tell me how saving the game works? Can you save anywhere or do you need to find save points? Thanks in advance!

[@BacklogBattle]

Regular auto-saves and save anywhere! NO MORE SAVE POINTS!

[@kenrn3778]

Awwww yisss! I love that modern convenience! Something I especially look for in every RPG. Love it when they respect our time!

[@Road_to_Dawn]

@@BacklogBattle No more save points is a surprise! Even Berseria had you locked to save points, although they did also have a dedicated save slot set aside to "quick save" anywhere, but it was limited in that there was only one slot that covered *all* of your save files. I will miss that traditional save point jingle though!

[@Jman88933]

Tales Of Berseria was THE reason I bought my PS4. I loved this franchise for a long time and after finishing Arise, I'm so happy how far the series has come.

[@Mangomesh]

I've preordered this, looks like the best game of 2021. I can't wait to play it.

[@BacklogBattle]

It really is looking like it! I kept thinking about what I reviewed on here, and Arise is pretty high up there!

[@acethefiredragon8525]

I’ve put this game on hold for very long, but this has pretty much given me that final push to actually buy the game.

[@elle_na619]

The best Tales games and possibly best action JRPG for me.

[@ayanjayasekara1546]

Have you gotten the long depression after finishing the game :)????

[@Brandon667x1]

This was one of the first games that I preordered, when I got my ps5, last year. Been eager to play this for a while! Can’t wait! Not much longer!

[@BacklogBattle]

That’s right! Only a few more hours to go!

[@kates5183]

I'm so excited for this game. I really love the new skit format!

[@BacklogBattle]

Same! It does a great job of doing a lot of heavy lifting with character development and telling the game’s story! Fantastic change to an already amazing game!

[@Road_to_Dawn]

I was really skeptical when I first heard how they changed skits, but after playing the demo, I'm 100% sold on them. It also helps to finally see your character customization reflected in them! Like in Berseria, I've got Eleanor with her hair down in the jacketless outfit, so it's always a little jarring seeing her in pigtails with that blue jacket in skits lol

[@zonox1928]

I adore the Tales of franchise! Really happy to hear, that they nailed this one too. This one seems to be on a totally different production level compared to the previous one.

[@BacklogBattle]

Makes sense since they had 3 years to make it!

[@zangy3748]

I always loved how they managed to make their stories not feel black and white. I loved Berseria for being one of the darker stories and going totally brutal on the main characters psyche instead of making them a generic hero like Lloyd in Symphonia or making the main character feel totally out of place in most situations like Vaan from FF12. Seeing Arise with it's variety in fleshed out characters with them all having some sort of inner conflict but overall being somewhat likeable if not outright adorable. Also I loved seeing the cast grow to each other while still having that lovable humour I grow to love in the series. All in all I think the devs truly did an excellent job in their desire to inherit key features while also develop new stuff. Especially the combat system seems like a mix of Berseria and Graces f in terms of how it works. I'm at around 56 hrs into the game and can't wait to unwrap the rest of the story.

[@Shad0wmoses]

the sunglasses definitely had me dead lmao.

[@BacklogBattle]

I figured they put it in the game, might as well use them!

[@dividedpersona]

Got this game earlier this week on PC, and I am absolutely loving it. Not really a huge fane of JRPG's as of late, however this game has been very enjoyable. Highly recommend people purchase this game.

[@JadenRockz99]

Finished the game today. Going back in for the missed side-content and the postgame quests. Feels like I'm a kid again when I play Arise.

[@BacklogBattle]

I felt the same way! Really felt like it was one of the classic JRPGs I played back in the SNES days

[@zoozbuh]

I’m so happy you liked this game!! Great review which went in-depth without feeling like a list of mechanisms and statistics (you’ve really found a great balance). I like how you mentioned how combat feels compared to previous games. Review scores across the board are way higher than I expected - I was most worried about story and characters, and whether they went in a way too bland/serious direction, but looks like that’s not the case. So excited to play it 😆👏🏽👍🏽

[@BacklogBattle]

The whole package feels very polished, despite some of my peers' criticisms. Tales has never looked and played better than this!

[@theoaremevano3227]

I hope that leads to me getting to hear you cover Blue Moon. :)

[@shamarbeckham2643]

First game I’ve platinum’d, there are a bunch I’ve been close to but just never got over the hump of endgame grind. This game had me hooked from day one! It’s my GOTY

[@DanielSantosAnalysis]

Those glasses on Alphen are perfect.

[@BacklogBattle]

I mean if we’re gonna see him in a mask for a good period of time, might as well give him eyes to humanize him!

[@phil_zupra_b5880]

Thanks for the great review as always! Can’t wait for Friday definitely a day one buy! Lets show Bandai Namco that we want more Tales.

[@BacklogBattle]

You’re welcome! It’s gonna be incredible for everyone!

[@user__214]

I love the detail you gave on the combat system! As someone who doesn't always love action rpgs, the extra information helped me make up my mind about trying this game.

[@BacklogBattle]

Glad this helped! I have several tutorial videos if you still need help! They go into further detail about each system!

[@Road_to_Dawn]

I'm so excited for this, I've been thinking of little else for the last few weeks! I had already preordered it a while back, but I caved in the other day and went for the Collector's Edition too. I just had to get that figure and the steelbook! Just two days left to go... Fortunately, I've got a couple days off work when it comes out that I can spend just immersing myself in this game. And once again, Rinwell best girl :p

[@BacklogBattle]

Almost there!

[@RadAbyss]

I have never heard of this series before and came across the demo on PS5, it is so good, I love the combat (its insane and to start with I had no clue what was happening lol) and the art style is beautiful, I haven't played a game like this before and am excited for the full release. Great review 👍🏻

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you! I'm actually thinking of making a beginner's guide to combat and releasing it on launch day to help newcomers out! I'm hoping that'll help you make sense of what's going on during combat!

[@RadAbyss]

@@BacklogBattle haha I will definitely be using that, 😅

[@RadAbyss]

Also I didn't realise you could swap between characters until my 2nd playthrough of the demo.....that changed it up massively (I'm sure the demo told me I just missed it) lol

[@pedroabreu8119]

Great review as always. Sorry if it's already been asked, but how long did it take you to beat the game? How long would you say it take for someone to beat the main story alone? Thanks!

[@BacklogBattle]

You can probably beat the main story around 50 hours or so. The 72 hours I clocked includes all the time I spent doing as much of the side quests and post-game content as I could do, in addition to working towards the level 100 trophy!

[@watchergirl9]

Thanks for the review. Can't wait to pick up my pre order on Friday!

[@BacklogBattle]

Yes! I hope you enjoy the game!

[@darwins.2646]

Great review as always Alex! The more I see of this game the more I want it! Tales games have never really been all that graphically impressive but this one looks so good. The backgrounds just look so much more detailed than previous games. So glad they have stepped up the visuals. My favourite has always been Xillia, followed by Berseria but Arise looks like it could top both of them!

[@BacklogBattle]

I'd say it easily beats both of those games, but that's just my opinion! You'll find out soon enough!

[@Blur4strike]

This is the first "Tales Of" game that I purchased, I'm over 50hrs in it and having a great time. I also purchased the OST of the game, want to be able to listen to the tunes without having to compete with the dialogue or battle sounds.

[@BacklogBattle]

I’m always happy to read comments like yours enjoying games for the first time! I have a follow up video to this talking about what games in the series you should check out after beating this, whenever you’re ready for more!

[@cecilia8515]

I am considering using my birthday money to get this but I am not sure if I should wait till it goes on sale. How long do you think we will have to wait for a sale?

[@BacklogBattle]

There’s a sale at Walmart and Amazon right now!

[@SquallRanger]

I need a good Tale fan to do the review before I buy it... then I find your channel. Great video, a must buy

[@Geozuki554]

I've booked 3 days off work to play this lol 😅

[@BacklogBattle]

Good luck! You’re gonna want to take more days off!

[@dalieni3524]

What a weird thing to focus on your review and see that on the recipe list there is "Lohikeitto" which is salmon soup in finnish. Like why is there a fish soup written in finnish there haha. Thanks for the review!

[@BacklogBattle]

That is definitely an interesting thing to latch onto! I have no idea why there’s a Finnish dish there hahaha

[@TheTrueDiablix]

9:04 "This never feels out of place" Queue Alphen in what I begrudgingly refer to as "glasses" lol

[@BacklogBattle]

What are you talking about? It enhances the serious tone of *every* scene! 😉

[@TheTrueDiablix]

@@BacklogBattle How silly of me to not notice lol

[@kesayo]

One of my favorite parts of this game is just hanging out with the crew at the campfire.

[@BacklogBattle]

I do love the banter that they have!

[@arabpride9939]

The only problem is that when You move you can see lines or shadows moving as you move on the ground. It is more apparent in less bright areas. Was very apparent in the first part of the full game. Have you guys noticed this issue? Is this an unreal engine 4 kind of thing?

[@aguinaldoferrer6491]

Just got news that delivery of my copy is going to be delayed for like a week aaaaaaaah. Thanks for this and all the other Arise videos. The wait has been grueling but you helped me through it haha. Now i just gotta wait a little more :'-)

[@BacklogBattle]

Here's hoping that the videos will tide you over!

[@sonictelephone1526]

The music during the review has me sold on its own.

[@BacklogBattle]

Yes! That’s all from the game!

[@sonictelephone1526]

@@BacklogBattle It looks great. Good review! I've been trying to save money and only buy games on sale these days, but this looks like a game worth the full price tag. So tempting and, I have a few days off work next week... 🤔

[@BacklogBattle]

@@sonictelephone1526 it’s gonna be a good one, I’ll tell ya that!

[@sonictelephone1526]

@@BacklogBattle I ended up getting it. Glad I did. Not that far in, just beat Ganabalt. Shaping up to be one of the best games I've played though, already.

[@ReaveIdono]

I cannot wait til my copy unlocks!!!!!!!!!

[@BacklogBattle]

I can't wait to see what kind of combos you all can come up with! It's going to be great!

[@ReaveIdono]

@@BacklogBattle I remember the 1st time I saw a Tales of Vesperia combo video. Then I realized as a huge fighting game fan their combo system was sort of close to what Soulcalibur 4 was doing at the time. Was pretty sick.

[@mariocristogoat4931]

I'm excited to play this game I've only played Berseria and while the story was amazing the combat never really engaged me as much as I hoped as I always felt it was missing something and the level design left a lot to be desired hearing all the glowing reviews about this game yours included praising how the combat and level design have been drastically improved really makes me giddy to play this game

[@BacklogBattle]

Only a few more hours to go!

[@shabladooo]

sunglasses are required for sure

[@lawliet354]

Nice, this looks like to be the best reviewed game of the series, looking forward to play it

[@BacklogBattle]

Deservedly so! One of the best games I’ve played this year!

[@lawliet354]

@@BacklogBattle oooh now i'm even more excited, it's been so long since my last tales game

[@jef110]

I am so glad to hear this review, Now I am more hyped than ever to go and experience this new world/story! I really hope that Tales will keep on evolving! But already for what I see I will just do sightseeing than playing the game hahah

[@BacklogBattle]

It's a gorgeous game! It's definitely one of those where you just marvel at the environments and you can't help but pan the camera around just to see how beautiful things look!

[@dennisbergkamp17]

I was already looking forward to this game after the demo, but after watching this, I’m absolutely stoked. Thanks for the great review my man !

[@BacklogBattle]

You're very welcome! Only a few more hours to go!

[@hykeeba-9254]

Dang this is the first vid of yours I’ve ever watched, I subbed after the first 5 min. Cheers homie 🍻

[@BacklogBattle]

That’s awesome! I’m glad to have you as a subscriber!

[@witchersteve1918]

Thank you so much for the great news! I do have a question. You played on the ps5 right? If so can you tell me about the haptic feed back and adaptive triggers on the duelsense controller? Also the respawn rate of enemies was it fast?

[@BacklogBattle]

You're welcome! As far as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, I really didn't notice any meaningful implementation, which is a bit of a shame. As far as the respawn rate of the enemies, they respawn when you zone in and out of the area, as well as take a nap. I didn't notice any enemies respawning infront of me!

[@witchersteve1918]

@@BacklogBattle thank you so much for taking the time too reply. I also want to comment on how you break down the game(or games) in your reviews. As a consumer of content it’s my choice who I choose to watch and follow. In my honest opinion. Your break down of things, your presentation, the words you choose along with the style you deliver sets you apart from other channels. Your reviews and thoughts on games are always so thorough and in depth plus spoiler free it makes your content very captivating. Your work is second to none and I’m very lucky to have found this channel. So In short thank you!

[@BacklogBattle]

You're very welcome! It's always been my hope to try and change the way reviews are made just a little bit, so I'm really happy to read this comment! Thank you so much!

[@witchersteve1918]

@@BacklogBattle you are very welcome

[@SamAdamsDesigns]

Question for those who have played the whole game - does it ever open up environment wise?.. I am growing very weary of the hallway after hallway after hallway level design.

[@BacklogBattle]

It does eventually allow you to fast travel to parts of the world you’ve traveled to, but for the most part, the world design is pretty small when compared to games like Xenoblade

[@IgorTavern]

Thanks for the amazing review, Alex!

[@BacklogBattle]

You're welcome!

[@coolguyb3311]

Looks amazing!! But do you need to play the other games in order to understand this one?

[@BacklogBattle]

Not at all

[@coolguyb3311]

@@BacklogBattle Cant wait to play it bro!!

[@cliftonsargent1572]

Crap I’ve been completing every skill tree 1 at a time….I didn’t know I could just unlock what ever random ones I wanted!!! Is there a way to take the young girl out and put the shield lady in for thy e main 4 person party? I can only switch them out when the battle starts then it goes back to norma when it’s over

[@agenthurricane9589]

Great Review! For me it could be the best Game i ever played, depends on how it goes on. I arrived at Lenegis, how Long goes the story from this point if you dont rush anything? But regardless the Story so far is brillant (sometimes its a bit to rushed, but you cant except a Game to bei perfect in every aspect), the visuals are so stunning like playing in a painting or if you dreamed as a child to be part of a book, the characters in the group are so well written with the skits rounding it up and the combat is so addicting, i didnt master it 100% but its so well done.

[@b0xxkn1gh79]

Sorry for my language, but holy sh.... 72hrs already!?!? Dang, you went all in for this review. Excellent review 👍

[@BacklogBattle]

You know a game's great when, despite only having the game for a little over a week, the "work" of playing through the game doesn't feel like work at all!

[@b0xxkn1gh79]

@@BacklogBattle “Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life” - Confucius

[@lugrandgg]

Excelent review, I think you talked about everything, 17 hours in the game and I'm loving it, my first Tales series game.

[@BacklogBattle]

That's awesome! I'm happy you're enjoying it!

[@dammit-dylard4811]

Friday cannot come quick enough! Thank you so much Alex!

[@BacklogBattle]

You're welcome! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it!

[@dammit-dylard4811]

@@BacklogBattle I literally played the demo seven times easily! I also typically play on the easiest difficulty the first time I play something but I wanted to challenge the secret boss of the demo so I did play on normal just for that. That's how excited I am!

[@BacklogBattle]

Then you're in for a really good time!

[@MrDarksol]

Cough cough and to get more grade so that way you can tackle the harder difficulties if you want cough cough lol. But seriously it's definitely happy to hear that this game will definitely be worth all of the hype and if this game doesn't get at least an 8 or a 9 from other sites or we get another award show and this game doesn't win it award for best action RPG and something dumb gets it instead I'm gonna look at the people who probably will give the score and be very disappointed. The fact that the demo even had Rinwell reference two Tales spellcasters is an indication that Bamco worked worked on this. Also, Kisara looked good in sunglasses lol. However very nice review of the game and still makes my hype burn strong. Can't wait to get my copy!

[@BacklogBattle]

I can finally talk about it! It’s amazing!

[@MrDarksol]

@@BacklogBattle I was so excited that I drew Hootle to celebrate. Granted it is awful but at least I can draw SOMETHING Tales related lol.

[@jethiliusavalar6449]

I've never seen that animation of Law reaching out for Hootle and Hootle fking off. I'm gonna cry. Also, I decided I was done with my first playthrough at 114 hours, is that too long?

[@BacklogBattle]

It’s however long you want it to be!

[@RandyWiafe]

Those sunglasses lol

[@BacklogBattle]

THEY’RE THE BEST 🥸

[@firenze6478]

Hey im at the point where Spoilers Alphen loses his sword, how long till I get it back? Im on hard snd the enemies are destroying me.

[@BacklogBattle]

I think at this point, maybe the game's telling you to just use anyone else except Alphen in the main party?

[@firenze6478]

@@BacklogBattle yeah im maining kisara. Shes ok but the enemies are very agile with massive aoe attacks. Now I use kisara almost as much as alphen so its no big deal, I just wanted to know if its sooner or later that alphen gets viable again. Thanks…

[@kesayo]

I’ll try it out. I haven’t been happy with a tales game since Vesperia.

[@darkhaven9119]

My copy just came in the mail today! I can’t wait to start playing tonight. Tales is my favorite series aside from persona.

[@BacklogBattle]

You're going to have a really good time!

[@narius_jaden215]

My favorite tales entry, period. It has outclassed all of them. I don't say this because I think it's objective, but for me? for meeee, this game has single-handedly made the slog through summer's boring moments worth it. It was such a beautiful story, beautiful visuals, absolutely wonderful characters with charming interactions. Honestly if there was ANY complaint I might have had, it might be the villains, but not in the sense that they were bad, just that they sometimes came across as an afterthought. But this jrpg crew is top-notch, and up there with the best of em. Tales is back, and it's better than ever.

[@wolf0491]

How were the PS5 load times? Basically instant for fast travel etc?

[@BacklogBattle]

Near instant, I'd say. Really inconsequential despite that!

[@Kamsae]

Such a relief that this is getting good feedback. Scarlet Nexus was such a disappointment to me, and probably many others.

[@cloud1stclass372]

I mean... am I going out on a limb by saying this was the best RPG I've played since Final Fantasy X? That's how much I loved this experience.

[@neil4692]

Sounds good! If it wasn't for me currently dealing with backlog of games that I really want to get done and Judgment coming later this month also I would be trying this out but sadly I'll have to pass on it currently. I will probably get around to it sometime after Endwalker. Sounds like it address my concerns with the issues of the franchise I have since I haven't been a fan of any of the modern titles so I am all for a shakeup of the formula. I really hope it does display the sides of war in a good way although I have high standards regarding that with it being a hobby of mine always reading/studying up about military history (there are so many ways we can kill a human being man......) so I am curious to see if it will manage to live up to my standards of a good war story.

[@BacklogBattle]

It's not exactly a military storyline, but I think it does manage to talk about conflict at a humanistic level, which matches the tone of what they're trying to tell.

[@IWILLNEVERDIE885]

I’m about to buy this and it’s going to be my first tales game but I need to know does the game have any grinding in it? That’s what I hate about JRPGs the most

[@BacklogBattle]

If you’re really good at the combat, you’ll do well. Also, if you just defeat enemies that you encounter and not run past them you’ll be fine. I’ve never grinded in this game. By the end of the game, I was beating Gigants 8 levels higher than me!

[@IWILLNEVERDIE885]

@@BacklogBattle I bought it off the ps store just now

[@BacklogBattle]

@@IWILLNEVERDIE885 nice! If you need help I got some guides for you!

[@vann5903]

can we get the costumes if we bought the physical copy of the game?

[@BacklogBattle]

Yes! Palette swapped skins and the cosmetics are part of the game, which is introduced via the main story!

[@eswss]

Is 72 hours considered 100% completion for you? My preorder is coming in tomorrow, can't wait to start

[@BacklogBattle]

Not yet! Still working on stuff!

[@CheezItPlease]

I've always loved Tales games, so I'm definitely getting this but I wish the game wasn't so damn bright and blurry. I think it's called bloom? It was pretty excessive in the demo, and I'm assuming it's like that throughout the game.

[@BacklogBattle]

The brightness is more to do with the new lighting engine that they've made, so I see your point. Honestly, I didn't really notice much of that during my playthrough, and you'll be more concerned with keeping up your combos and skills rather than the lighting

[@abepcf1526]

I think the combat in this is what final fantasy 7 remake needed cuz this is way more fun

[@SuiteLifeofDioBrando]

Hoping to see more tales of games, and I hope this sells very well to make that happen. Getting this day 1!

[@BacklogBattle]

It's amazing! I'm hoping you'll enjoy it!

[@shyguy2046]

Excellent detailed review. So tempted to get this game

[@BacklogBattle]

It’s worth getting!

[@BaoZakeruga]

Love how in-depth you went with the battle system; you even mentioned things I didn't realize or know about, even after playing the demo for hours. Great review. EDIT: 8:07 I wasn't ready

[@BacklogBattle]

No one's every ready 👍🏼

[@starcilio4962]

My review after 97h and 100% : Complete Masterpiece among JRPGs.Buy it,love it and enjoy it till the end of the credits. End of the review

[@havocbringer2100]

Excellent review. You seem to have finished Arise rather quickly. How much time did you spend playing it? A week?

[@BacklogBattle]

A little over that. I mentioned it elsewhere, but I don’t normally play games this fast. But I knew that when I just couldn’t put the game down that it was going to be special!

[@havocbringer2100]

@@BacklogBattle awesome. Roughly how much of the 72 hours were spent on the main plot?

[@BacklogBattle]

@@havocbringer2100 probably a little over 50 hours

[@havocbringer2100]

@@BacklogBattle I see, well thanks for always answering my questions!

[@NovaSniper12]

My collectors edition has been delayed 😢😭😭 which really bummed me out when I read the email they sent me. I requested the whole week off for nothing lmao…the funny thing is they sent me a digital code for the full game but it apparently was no longer valid which made no sense at all 😭 I’ll be back to watch this video once I finally I get my game and beat it.

[@tonertonki]

So it is the same as the demo? there's no voice on the NPCs just grunts?

[@BacklogBattle]

Yes. But I want to be clear again and say that this doesn't mean that a majority of the time you have with the game won't have voice acting. There is A LOT of voice acting in the game.