Tales of Arise | REVIEW

[@PelvicGaming]

Wooo!! I got a video out! Its a miracle! Look forward to Valkyria Chronicles 4 review next! (Join the patreon to see a little sneak peek) Then an end of the year video and of course Dragon Quest 11 will be the first review of next year! Www.patreon.com/pelvicgaming

[@danielostrowski856]

Nice to hear you’re doing DQXI, I knew you planned to around this time and I’ve been playing it for the past few weeks. So far I’ve found it pretty good in all regards, except bring a podcast or something because there is an hour’s worth of music for a 60+ hour game and you will get *very* tired of it

[@matthewtryon7452]

Great take on Arise. I liked it a lot and overall is probably in my top 3 Tales titles. I’m not a big fan of Berseria so we probably differ there. It’s got good characters but a lot of the rest of that one came up short for me. Excited for you to play VC4 and DQXI. I love VC1. 4 was good but I prefer the first. I think you’ll enjoy it though! DQXI is one of the best modern classic JRPGs imo. Very long but it’s not a bad type of long. I enjoyed every minute of that one

[@razor2910]

Currently replaying DQXI. Hopefully I'll have the same opinion about it when I first played and beat it.

[@pathway24]

There's just something about Dragon Quest 8 that I think will always be the best one 😝

[@Basileus127]

I hope you enjoy Dragon Quest 11. I liked it, but I would temper expectations, especially if you weren't blown away by previous DQ games. The music is pretty weak, the silent protagonist is handled a little weirdly (the camera lingers on him a lot, but he isn't very expressive), and the main story is nice but simple - mostly the framework to host the episodic town stories. That said, it knows how to just be *fun* and let you actually run around and play and even has a world map that lets you set the story aside and just explore. It's definitely one of the best SNES games I ever played :)

[@Food4Dogs]

Thanks, as always, for your laser POV dissection. Good to hear a more nuanced review. That DLC practice is unpleasant. And ofc Tales of Graces f rules. 😎💖

[@PelvicGaming]

It's always an honor to see you in the comment section! AND YEEESS TALES OF GRACES F FOR LIFE SISTA!!

[@MissRagnarok]

This review is so refreshing! All I heard was everyone praising this game - “game of the year”, “best Tales of game ever”, “best JRPG ever” etc. so I did something I always try to never do... I went in with high expectations. That was my immediate downfall because the game was “ok”. I enjoyed the combat quite a lot and the game looked very good but that was about it. Agreed with the fast travel system and map - fantastic! I’ve now made the decision that whenever a big JRPG releases, I’ll be staying off Twitter for a good 2 weeks or so because that’s where I was seeing everyone’s praise.

[@stonehorn4641]

But it is fantastic. 2 weeks later, or 9 months.

[@lovethepandainyou]

@Ogami Lol. I literally went through the same JRPG parkour as you did. Just finished the Trails of Cold Steel and I then started Tales of Arise. I was just "meh" through the whole story, usually sighing at the repetitive skits. I honestly am mind-boggled that this game won JRPG of the year. Alright, it has some great points (visuals, combat, some quality of life improvements from previous Tales), but it's far from a game of the year. That shouldn't even be my opinion at this point.

[@RyuRanXII]

Your reviews are great and very honest. I still want to play this game, despite it's flaws.

[@PelvicGaming]

I hope you enjoy it more than I did!!

[@josephk.8728]

Ah, yes. The main antagonist is basically discount Sephiroth. Lol

[@razor2910]

Honestly, My favorite part about ARISE was doing the Cameo Side Quest. Seeing certain area of Destiny, Symphonia, Abyss, Xillia was pretty cool to see.... And that's about it.

[@TarksGauntlet]

Arise in a word is just "Safe." I liked it, but said myself it's biggest downpoint is the story. I think the game is what the series needed after such a long hiatus to get a bunch of new people into it, and I think it's the best rounded game as in there's no area that's outright bad in execution so nothing should be an immediate turn off but- Despite all this it makes it hard to grab on to anything and hold the game up as high as many of the predecessors. It's a tales game that I think is fine for its time but will see very few people going back to it later. It's not like abyss or vesperia where, even with their flaws, there's something really strong worth going back to. DLC practice was indeed poo too, money-wise though I struggled up front but 10 hours in up to the end I was overly rich.

[@omensoffate]

Funny thing is this wasn’t gonna be a tales game

[@TarksGauntlet]

@@omensoffate I read. I ultimately don't think it matters much though. So many projects start out as something else and become defining works in a series when they finish (not saying that's Arise, but Arise is definitely a tales game at the end of the day.)

[@24spencerify]

you have no idea how relieving it is to hear that im not the only one with a problem with sakuraba's music in tales of... its so one note and you can 90% of the time just interchange songs and not even notice the difference

[@PelvicGaming]

100% agree

[@RickySama240]

I have enjoyed more osts within other Tales Games, but with Arise i only liked the Main battle and the Camping music. The Orchestral music was nice for awhile but got repetitive. 😅

[@tonytestosteroni2273]

What gets me is it's the same guy who did music for Baten Kaitos, so every time I try to think of a Tales of track I always just imagine that game instead. I love the style he has, I just think it's too repetitive and doesn't stand out between games enough, even if he helps make some absolutely killer tracks.

[@نونيم-ي4ح]

I really appreciate your honest opinion especially since you are a fan of the series. While playing i always asked myself if i was playing the same game that reviewers who gave it 9s and 10s across the board did, i think they did a pretty good job with the graphics but they really need to put in A LOT of work in many of the other areas.

[@andrewweber3286]

Tales is one of my biggest, “I want to like this but…” series. I’ve tried Symphonia, Abyss, and Berseria and I always lose interest long before the end of the game. At this point I’ve finally learned that this series just isn’t for me DQ11 was fine. Probably would have appealed more if I’d played more of the series but I didn’t really feel like there was anything noteworthy about it, except the length (and I don’t mean that in a good way). It’s also one of the only games I played without the sound on because the music was freaking awful

[@corywashington9580]

I felt the same for DQ 11. The music wore on me and I don't think there was specific town music. It was an OK jrpg. I really liked tales of vesperia and I want to try berseria due to its high praise, but I fear it is just alright. I would play it if it was on the switch, but I doubt I would commit on PS4 or PC

[@samuelrobertson3767]

I’m the exact opposite. DQ11 got me in to JRPGS, and the length didn’t seem to bother me. I had never really been exposed to the world of JRPGS besides Pokémon until I played it, so I have a little bit of bias towards it.

[@markmessi9020]

Yeah I felt that way about tales too...till I played it with my neighbor. Since then, every tales game I have to play multiplayer or it sucks for me. Play it like a coop dungeon crawler and it's a much, much better experience

[@eastcoasttone3952]

I haven't played Arise yet but this was basically my experience with Vesperia. After hearing so many peopl call Vesperia their favorite Tales games I walked away from the experience extremely underwhelmed

[@PelvicGaming]

Oh you should see my review of Vesperia. I had the exact same experience- It was just okay

[@MuriloFilardi]

That's how I also feel about abyss and Symphonia. I came to the conclusion that I don't feel like the tales series is that good for my tasting, aside from the combat systems I think everything is just average.

[@geminidrake]

To be truthful, I haven't touched a Tales of game since a little bit of the original Vesperia on 360. I really want to get back into the series, but then I see titles like this posing off as a "great" title. The DLC wall is a major turn off for me, as I'm sure it is with a lot of people. I, too, heard nothing but good things about Arise, but I'm grateful you brought a lot of its flaws to light. Thank you again for your honest opinion and review. Very informative and had my attention from beginning to end. Keep up your lovely craft. Can't wait for your next video, but I will, like a good person.

[@PelvicGaming]

Thanks for being a loyal follower ♡ You've been here since the beginning it feels like! If you wanna get into a Tales of game try Berseria! And of course Graces F into that campy shit

[@estebanfigueroa9177]

THANK YOU!!!! Finally, every review I watched said this game was amazing “the best tales game”, “game of the year”… This barely even feels like a Tales game

[@yoan_bleachya_7734]

The Motoi Sakuraba slander 😱 I agree that the music in Tales of games has never been strong. The man's work on other series though (Baten Kaitos, Valkyrie Profile...) is 👌

[@razor2910]

Really really liked the Baten Kaitos ost

[@goncaloferreira6429]

man is a big name.

[@sir_hammy]

Shining Force 3!!

[@modponsan1618]

I loved this game. While the story starts with a boom, it definitely falls off in a way. But the mechanics are by far the best in the series. The graphics were great clearly. It's a great recommendation but don't expect t Tales of Symphonia/Abyss level of story

[@goncaloferreira6429]

tales fan? can you give me your general opinion on strory, themes an characters? how would you rank arise next to the other games?

[@tr1bes]

Not a fan of tales. I like tales of grace f and vesparia better. This tale game have flaws. Most of it are more of endorsing DLC paywall. The only thing I compliment it is the battle system. Story is average. Graphic is good.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

@@tr1bes thanks for the answer. have a nice one.

[@gw7817]

Seriously, spot on review. Played this game and beat it over 60 hours and while I really enjoyed it there were many flaws which you outlined. Subscribed

[@JustJulyo]

I miss Brutally honest reviews that tells you the details that players actually notice when playing the game, not to just get it out because its part of their video quota of the week Kudos to you and happy holidays!

[@GrandAngel8000]

Tales of Graces F is, indeed, the best, and you EH HEH! was super adorable! XD

[@matthewwolf5528]

Maybe this is weird to say, but I'm glad you didn't like the game because I didn't either lol. I also felt like I was playing a different game than everyone else. The story was shallow as could be and the combat felt watered down compared to games like Vesperia and Graces. They hugely improved the graphics, environments, and feel of the controls, but those aren't the most important things to me. In any case, thank you for an honest, straightforward review!

[@antbrow8957]

DQXI is great and you will adore Sylvando. Calling it now!

[@CorruptedSave]

Thanks for this! I downloaded the demo a while back and I found it really underwhelming. But then the game came out and everyone I knew was talking about how amazing the game was, and so I kept it on my wishlist and thought about picking it up several times. The kind of stuff you described would be the exact points that would disappoint me as well. You saved my butt!

[@PelvicGaming]

I'm so happy to help! Yeah idk what people were talking about being the greatest tales of game....

[@razor2910]

Definitely disappointing but I didn't hate it. Also wished they still had Go Shiina for the music. Zestiria and Legendia still the best Tales of OSTs.

[@PelvicGaming]

Damn! That's surprising coming from you as a massive Tales of fan!! But yeah it disappointed me a bit. Thats said I don't think its a shit game.

[@razor2910]

@@PelvicGaming Lol I do love my Tales of Series. But when I'm disappointed, I ain't gonna lie about it. I feel like if this is someone's first Tales they're gonna have a different opinion about it. Symphonia was my 1st, it may not be the best but it was my favorite. Had so much fun with it and the memories of playing it. I'm sure the same could be said for you and Graces F.

[@razor2910]

@@PelvicGaming But honestly, Coming out of how great the story Berseria was. I had a feeling even before the game came out it wasn't gonna be able to match up with that....Maybe they knew too.🤷‍♂️

[@jaredw3379]

Okay… I’ll be real, I like your vids but… This comment section is hardcore cope. I see a bunch of commenters that didn’t like the attention the game got and didn’t like it for subjective reasons (which I’m okay with) getting justification for not liking it. And a content creator that got overhyped and played said hyped game long after it was out. Worst way to go into a game but your opinions are still valid. I didn’t like the fact that it felt like you tore apart arise for things other tales of games do. The story, the characters.. it just felt like a “new game did it so it’s bad” feeling. Literally every tales of game has cliche character and writing. It was fine until now. Honestly, I think people saw that many reviews gave it the “best tales of game” label and they felt attacked because they have a favorite tales game and it isn’t arise. Mine is Vesperia and I’d be happy for arise if I hated it. And to those people I say, be happy for the tales series. It’s great and never got the attention it deserved. They took a different approach visually and cinematically (and didn’t change much else) and it payed off. Your favorite tales of games weren’t seen. The attention to a new one might change that. You’re allowed to not like it but don’t come at the reviewers who genuinely did. Their opinion isn’t any less valid. I’m saying this because I see a lot of comments saying things like “I was so tired of people singing it’s praises” and “the game got hype it didn’t deserve” like what??? Who are you to decide that?? The game is praised because it did what tales games do, and then in went extra flashy to pull in more people. Now tales is a little more on the map then it was before.

[@kensaiD2591]

One thing I love about the video game medium is there's really no "objective" opinion. Games are subjective for a reason. Tales of Arise is one of my favourite games of 2021, and I adored Rinwell and Hootle. I really enjoyed the party as well, and grew quite fond of them. But hey, each to their own. Always enjoy your videos!

[@IslanKleinknecht]

I'm playing DQXI right now. I really enjoy it's pacing, graphics, and audio; it's giving me a surprising kind of relaxation that I really need right now.

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

This ended up being my favorite since Symphonia, Legendia and Abyss. I loved it. I respect your opinion though!

[@kangeraga]

Bro your reviews are A1! Love the personality flair! Keep up the good work! These videos look super intense to edit and make !!

[@PelvicGaming]

Glad you like them! I appreciate the kind words

[@Flareboxx]

Yayy!!! I love your videos :) I agree, the story and characters definitely weren't very good in Arise. However, the combat was the most fun I've had in a Tales game, and the graphics are the most impressive. Story wasn't a huge motivating factor, but the gameplay itself was so fun that it didn't bother me too badly. I completely understand the feeling of a game being built up by the fanbase, only to be disappointed in your own experiences. That was Tales of Vesperia for me. SO many people online talked about how it was not only the best Tales game, but the best game to ever exist. Then I played it, and Vesperia doesn't even make my top 3 Tales games, and it's probably not even in my top 30 video games of all time.

[@DennisMarion]

So excited to watch this (and just became a Patreon). Happy holidays!

[@PelvicGaming]

Hey thank you!! We'd love to have ya in the discord and be apart of the Pelvic Region Legion!!

[@hat8918]

DQ11 really is what the subtitle says "Echoes of an Elusive Age". They made a JRPG like they used to, and for me, that was extremely comforting. The innovation was the introduction of a flamboyant, gay character, that was the rock that held the party together emotionally... This is innovation if you ask me. Just make sure you do the 3rd act (post credits) of the story, it is the real ending.

[@jinchuriki7022]

Sylvando was pretty funny. Dq11 was really fun, and I love a good long story. The grinding like Usual sucked though. Really needs to go away.

[@hat8918]

@@jinchuriki7022 Hmm, I just fought every battle on the way, and I didn't need to grind at all. I know a lot of people just skipped battles, and ended up grinding quite a bit towards the end.

[@TokunboAdegbuyi]

This is the review I was looking for. I just finished this game (late to the party) and I don't understand where the high praise from other reviewers came from. The combat it fine, but the CP system feels limiting and downright punishing in longer endgame dungeons. The story is thin, the way they dealt with the themes of slavery and oppression are questionable, the economy is out of balance, and some of the dialogue sounds like it was written by ChatGPT. I was disappointed with this one as well :/

[@driftercarbon]

Wow. I was 100% going to get this, based on all the positive reviews I'd seen, but there's some serious deal breakers here. You changed my mind. Shocked I've not heard anyone talking about most of these issues before now.

[@thewingedavenger1007]

This is easily the best review of this game. You pointed out very important features that everyone else is silent about.

[@PelvicGaming]

Wowie, thank you kindly.

[@Terron29]

that dlc shit is annoying AF, smt 5 on switch has the same bs. Modern gaming bs. its infested the industry now. (smt 5 is a good game though but F that dlc)

[@churrascovoltorbgaming9453]

Renans and Danimals. Can't wait for your VC4 review.

[@TheArkhamjester]

To give some people a clue just how egregious the DLC skill situation is, the game healers, Shionne and Dohalim, Shionne will naturally learn an area heal eventually while Dohalim won't. I played on Moderate and you definetly want the area heal. Dohalim can only learn his, Fairy circle, via DLC. Without it he can't quite match up to Shionne. Conversely if you do get the DLC as soon as he joins the group then he surges ahead of shionne for give or take 10 levels until she learns her area heal. I beat the game without touching this largely cause it honestly skeeved me a bit.

[@kashifmoore]

Love your channel! BTW is there a reason the for name pelvic gaming?

[@helenFX]

great review :) I agree with every critisism that you made, I even agree with how significant their bad effect is. I still remember really enjoying Arise though. I think the only real element that I disagree with is that, whilst I didn't get especially attached to any individual character I did find their interpersonal chemistry very engaging and memorable (does that make any sense? like they weren't interesting on their own but I really enjoyed the way that personalities interacted and bounced off each other) Oh and I played on PC and quickly ended up adding infinite gold, xp boosting and applying a 10x damage buff to by party (with cheatengine) - essentially turning off the combat system and any kinds of grinding elements - So i just breezed through the game looking for the parts that were fun (finding owls!) and not having to think much about anything that was annoying.

[@Lovellyoungwolf]

I enjoyed it for all of the same reasons too. But I did the opposite, I thought the game was easy so I played it on the hardest mode all the way through 😂

[@outkastshadowking2719]

I enjoy Shonne and Rinwell relationship during battle. Like after Shonne heal Rinwell like: Y-You saved me? You people do care! Meanwhile, Shonne is like: Now see to it, that you don't hurt again. Hmph! Says, Rinwell. Oh typical Rinwell.

[@EtienneTC]

Your intro is exactly how I felt about this, and so many other games. I usually assume it’s an age thing. Maybe a new generation is playing the games and their voices/opinions are what we hear the most. I know it’s a bit on an arrogant assumption…and maybe a generalization as well…But I just assume that they have a shallow level of experience with everything the genre has to offer, so they think something new and shiny = amazing. This game didn’t even come close to graces f or abyss for me

[@PelvicGaming]

I'm glad I'm not alone in this feeling. I wonder ifd it's because we're vets or do we actually have high standards? Or are we just desentized? But like you, this game was one of the more mid Tales of games.

[@EtienneTC]

@@PelvicGaming I guess it depends on what you prioritize in your hierarchy of importance. I can understand how people who like the graphics “upgrade”, and see the combat changes as an improvement, might prefer arise…but to me, the biggest appeal to a tales game is the characters. I don’t want to take a tales story too too seriously, because I don’t think the writing is ever really good enough to be taken too seriously. That’s why I love graces F so much. It does what I expect from a tales game~ fun and colorful characters (battle quotes and skits are amazing) …and the combat is extremely fun. With arise, it seemed like they saw how much people enjoyed the darker story approach that berseria took, and they were hoping to bank on that by keeping things relatively mature and serious. It just falls flat. The skits are flat and lifeless. The characters feel like they only exist in service of the plot…and while the combat is definitely good, the systems are just really straightforward and lacking any true depth or creativity

[@alexterieur8813]

You nailed so many of my dislikes of the game. As a huge tales of fan, the characters were pretty weak compared to other entries, they were very one-note and didnt get me to love any one of them. The world building was weird: 5 realms drastically different just being adjacent to one another didnt feel immersive. I would have preferred that danha was actually a labo manufactured planet for rena, it would explain its unnaturalness. The Boost dual finishers became really annoying after 20 hours since you see them 3 times per combat every combat. The low amount of voice acting and the dlc practices making the restorative items cost a fortune to push you to buy it off really irked me. Yeah it looks beautiful and the combat is shiny and fast, but these arent enough to make it a memorable experience to me. So glad i found your channel, you seem to have a keen eye for character development, story progression and many other things! Your mature approach is a breath of fresh air in the youtube jrpg community full of "goody-two-shoes"!

[@SonicProdigy55]

This review has made me a subscriber. Thanks for being honest about this Tales Game! Here’s hoping we get a better story and characters in the next game.

[@NerevarineKing]

I understand the criticism of Tales music, it mostly plays it safe outside of some stand-out tracks every now and then. Sometimes it does a good job a creating the right atmosphere for the areas you're in.

[@DuoBeard]

Haha, I like your take on the game, didn’t beat around the bush at all and I appreciate that Lady Pelvic

[@PelvicGaming]

Haha I never do

[@ReavrGaming]

This game benefitted from “drought clout” like nobody’s business. Solid game, but because 2021 was so dry in gaming, it got way more clout than it really deserved. Not a terrible game, but definitely overrated.

[@SoulInajar]

Ya mom got clout drought

[@dangbro5652]

Why can't people have just genuinely enjoyed the game? I mean, why does it have to be some excuse as to why they enjoyed something more than you?

[@omensoffate]

@@dangbro5652 because the game is mid

[@dangbro5652]

@@omensoffate That doesn't answer my question.. why use excuses to justify how they feel? Not to mention false excuses lol because 2021 was far from dry

[@nelsonomarvalencia-garcia3403]

@@dangbro5652I think the creator and her audience just don’t vibe with this kinda style (and no I don’t mean the genre of jrpg). There’s a lot of comments that show they enjoy other kinds of things. For example, the combat is supposed to be chained across characters to continue the combo meter. It’s not supposed to be 1-dimensional deplete your gauge, run away to refill, and then coke back 😂

[@Reginmund]

I appreciate the honest, no bs review. I feel like whenever a title in a venerable franchise like this comes out, a lot of people seem to turn a blind eye to or just not notice issues you'd normally criticize a game for. I don't know if it's fan loyalty, nostalgia or just not wanting to see the flaws in a long awaited title. Perhaps the fact that Arise is the most visually impressive Tales has made reviewers forgiving? Anyway, it's for this reason we need reviews by relative newcomers or outsiders rather than people who've been in love with the franchise since the 90s.

[@vaporsaver]

Fans can still be critical, fanboys are another story. I like to hear from those familiar with a series on a new entry if I’m also familiar with it.

[@Bornagainvillain]

Perhaps the flaws don't mean anything to the reviewers. I have alot to criticize this game for, but it's the best Tales game since Vesperia as far as I'm concerned.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

@@Bornagainvillaintell me more

[@appetizingly]

Ah, yes, only a highly criticizing review can be "honest, no bs", of course. This utterly nonsensical sentiment will never go away, will it? Maybe, just maybe, other reviewers weren't as bothered by Arise's flaws and appreciated its strengths more? I know, a totally crazy concept!

[@vinnymac102]

Absolutely enjoyed your review. As a long time tales of player. It felt like a invitation for brand new players then the fan base. Which is good I'm happy that it brought on a new crowd but with this being game of the year this may be the direction future tales may go into which makes me a little bit nervous but fantastic review nevertheless

[@goncaloferreira6429]

interesting comment. i havent played the game yet but it seems to me the invitation you mention is more a result of the media around then the actual producers doing something new. i would even go the other way and say too little was improved/changed from the usual tales of formula. what do you think is missing in Arise?

[@vinnymac102]

@@goncaloferreira6429 most tales of games have a certain charm to it. Is very hard to explain you just know it if you've been paying attention to the actual game series. This game felt like as the reviewer said most of the time and energy went towards graphics. This game could have been called "not another RPG" and still had the same effect. The only tales of "staple" was the skits and Even those didn't have the same charm. Again it's hard to explain but you know it if you are a tales of fan

[@goncaloferreira6429]

@@vinnymac102 well, that didint help at all. that charm thing could mean a lot of different things to different people. my origianl point is that all tales ingredients seem to be there: small cast of somewhat tropy characters, skitts, fast combat, anime aestetics, writting and plot, a group of antahgonists, mascots etc. so why no charm? any chance it involves the change to more realistic graphics?

[@davidbird7328]

@@goncaloferreira6429 well animated skits, actually dungeons not hallways, actual minigames, mystic arte cut ins, I mean there's quite alot missing in arise.

[@trcsonic]

I absolutely agree with you. Tales of Arise is a good game but people are taking too much when say this is the best Tales Game. I think Vesperia, Abyss, Xillia, Symphonia and Berseria are better games.

[@RichardRG86]

Finally, someone who shares the same opinion as me on this game.

[@ivorytorea]

Honestly the intro sums up pretty much a conclusion I came to about the steam review system as a whole. I love me a whole mix of different game genres (excluding shooters and sportsgames mostly...so the popular stuff I guess) but everytime I browse the lists and nooks of the internet for titles in hopes for new experiences or interesting aspects - may they be in gameplay, worldbuilding, graphic design or whatever - it is a given that I will stumble my uneducated way through the pitfalls of the "player"based review scoring system of steam where I can bet that I will find games with 100s of reviews telling me that appearently that game is a 80+/100 experience and as I find myself being interested in a game that clearly I clicked on for a reason and then finding out it has such a positive reception I would think they must do something right to give me an experience in at least one or two of the above named aspects, if not even be an all around great experience that would definitely be worth my time to check out. And obviously there is a lot to say about whether a numerical scoring system for an artpiece can ever truly give a good impression of that work, overall it is always one of the first things that catches the attention and an indicator with some merits. Obviously it is not meant to be taken at face value and there is other, more refined reviews to be found afterwards. And I don´t want to say it is as simple as only relying on steamreviews either as the whole thing could be rigged from the start if I just make the assumption that at least 2/3rd of the people bothering to give a game a reviewscore are already fans of the series/genre and are knowledgeable about certain aspects of those games and can handle them better as someone like me who just stumbled upon them at random. But I really do think that could be countered by actually reading a well put together article from an actual games enthusiast with the knowledge to provide an indepth guide to everything the game has to offer...question then is if I even wanna inform myself that much on something random. I have been going through a whole list of PS1 and PS2 era JRPG games recently and even when watching videos about their "best JRPGs of that era" stuff I find myself thinking that indeed all the points they are giving are reasonable and they do make all entries sound quite awesome alltogether...until they name one that I actually have experienced myself and find myself thinking "nope that was actually really boring for me". So it´s like a threshhold thing, were I specifically have to go out and find a specific reviewer who plays games in a similar style to me and equipped with the knowledge to compare games in a genre where I can see that they have the same tipping points on their preferences that turn an experience one way or another. And that is simply because the overall grading of a game can come together with a lot of individually great points but that one thing that is just offputting enough to sour any and all fun and making it a slug to get through what should be a fun endeavor is such a personal judgement on an artpiece. It even leads me to believe that beyond just finding the actual "best" review of a game, it might be that sometimes not all games are meant to be enjoyed in their original intent for consumption. Sometimes I can get a very satisfying experience out of a game, simply by passively watching a story summary of it, or seeing someone else play it in a way the developers intended for it to go but I could not follow that intent myself. And then there is also always the aspect of personal time and place which must be right, otherwise the best game will manage to annoy me possibly for things that are nonissues on better days. So I guess what I wanna say is: Never trust a review unless its this one...or not. Anyways, game looks pretty but I appreciate the honesty to put together some negatives (that´s a whole other aspect, reviews being less critical than what would be needed in order to feign love for a franchise to make the readers/viewers happy since most clicks are generated by fans and nobody wants to deal with negative feedback so everybody gotta stay positive even if it costs them an arm and leg) because it probably doesn´t look like a game for my wishlist after seeing that.

[@CaloBrown]

Interesting to hear a review that's a bit more down to earth, I personally love the game but I too realize that it's not without its flaws, certainly not the best tales game *coughs* Vesperia. That being said I often hear people talk down on the gald and CP system, I personally like this change, it increases the difficulty by making sure players don't spam healing arts or become item whores. I agree that the Dlc is very corrupt but for a different reason, BN kinda back petaled with the changes I just praised them for, and making it cost money only makes it worse. The Tales of series has always been a walk in the park even on chaos difficulty, and this game actually had me sweating a bit on unknown mode, I hope more people can see that this game is NOT the 10/10 game they think it is.

[@larrymeadows7535]

Ironically my favorite character was Zephyr smh. Also I love that ending theme

[@fabianfischer4229]

I've enjoyed Sakuraba's Musik since Golden Sun 1 and 2 on the GBA. In boss battles his rock tunes are similar to Ys' Soundtrack, which kicks ass! BTW, he also composed the Dark Souls Soundtrack! He most definitely has a memorable style.

[@egoborder3203]

huh, I've been hearing such great things about this I just kinda blindly put it on my list. It's nice to hear it's not all roses though, so maybe I won't go in with such high expectations

[@kugansivasakthy2091]

I have to say that a lot of your points were pretty much how I viewed this game I'm glad I completed this game but it's no where near one of the best games to come out this year/in the Tales series As someone that played the original DQ11 I recommend getting the updated version Anyway great job with the vid hope you enjoy the other games you'll be playing/reviewing 🙏

[@Toshiromaru1]

You Know This Game Felt More Like Star Ocean Then a Tales Of Game Especially From the Music And All Of The Sci Fi Stuff I Enjoyed It And Even Managed To Platinum It.

[@1SecondToLight]

Finally, reviewer I agree with regarding this game

[@PelvicGaming]

Happy to hear im not alone!

[@Arelath]

Ooh, harsh, but I feel fairly spot on. I do have to say though that Vholron while being a bad villain, that the series is pretty hit or miss with them. I can't say that someone like Heldalf was much better than him in all honesty. I still overall enjoyed the game, but after few months and the initial hype have toned down, I can see that it was far from perfect. I'm most curious to see what they can do in future with this new engine they've made and hopefully learn from the missteps they had along the way. More than anything, I'm happy that the series is back.

[@stormageddon2223]

DQ11 is amazing, but it can get grindy and sometimes feels padded out.

[@RaiChan00]

Nothing will ever be more frustrating than Namco not using Go Shiina more for Tales of sound tracks. Tales of Legendia is the only Tales of OST that I ever actually go back and listen to. The only other times I know they used him was for the Trial shrines in Zestiria and Luminaria for some reason…and that music kicks ass.

[@AgentCooper1982]

Glad to see someone finally speaking the truth about this game. 🙏. Great video 👍👍

[@sergio_trindade]

I haven't played it yet, but man, what a letdown to learn about all the flaws with this one. it looks so good. 16:36 HA! nice try, but that's Vesperia :) btw, do you have any way of playing the fan-translation of Tales of Destiny DC that dropped earlier this year? would love to hear your take on it. I think you'd like it, seeing as it was done by the same team that later did Graces. it's where they pulled the CC based battle system from. think of it as a 2D version of the battle system in Graces.

[@dmen0563]

I really loved this game personally but to each their own

[@VPGTube]

Okay, while I'm not on the same page with you overall, an opinion is an opinion and everyone will have a different one. That said, I want to make clear, that I'm not trying to insult anyone nor do I want to change your opinion. Just some things I noticed, while hearing about your impressions of the game. Chronologically as they appear in your video: The (dumb) Name "Zeugle": The term derives from the Grecian term Zeugma, meaning to join together or a yoke. This serves as not only a reference to their chimeric nature, but that term also has roots in the name Zeus, that of the Olympian God and famous philanderer. This gives a godlike suggestion to the Renans. The Characters: This mostly comes down to expectations I guess, but I didn't see them as one dimensional as you did. There where a lot of little glimpses and insights into them, especially (and unfortunately) through a bit too many of the seemingly smaller and unimportant side-quests. But all in all, yes, they could have done better, but also much worse, therefore, I'm quite satisfied with what we've got here. On Vholran: Here I'll mostly agree. They startet out wuite good with him, but I also think he fell apart in the later parts and especially the finale. I expected a lot more trouble with this dude... ^^ The second half exposition: Maybe I'm just used to the practise or I just can find more entertainment in a lot of cutscene and text content, but I basically enjoyed it. (again, matter of taste) I didn't even experience the last dungeon as a chore, like many others critisized. The Battle System: I haven't had that much fun with a action based combat system in like... ever. For my taste and skills and aside from the missing dodge mechanic, which I agree with, they totally nailed it. The Cure Point system: I never had any issues and I liked it very much. I had enough left for every overworld healing event or obstacle. If not, the next or last camp wouldn't be far off. So I had no problems with it and I never had big money issues either. The DLC Discussion: Maybe they shouldn't have put the constant ad there, but I just looked over it. I had the DLCs already (got the collectors edition) but deactivated the exp, combat, etc boost packs. I only used the costumes and these artes are therefore unlockable from the beginning. Let me tell you, I didn't think that they've been the best ones and didn't really used them in later parts anymore. Based on my experience with them active, I don't think anyone without them would really have a noticeably harder playthrough. So as I said before, I didn't even had that much issues with the money. Accessory Crafting, Cooking, Skits: You should have taken a better look at the accessorys, they are extremely useful in many situations... The skits, as the new style is a matter of taste: I personally liked them much. Some could have been better, but overall, I enjoyed them. The cooking however was one of the most useful strategic things and I think I got me a lot of useful bonuses out of it. The lacking enemy variation (aside from reskins): To a degree, I agree to this. They could have done better (but I guess time constraints after re-crafting everything for a new engine, which isn't a easy task got them in the end), They basically gave this fact a reason in the story. The Zeugles are basically cloned weapon-monsters made by the renans. It would make sense that there are not many races amongst them and in 300 years, they just adapted themselves to the environments but the time wasn't lopng enough for evolution to fully kick in. ;-) I know, it's probably a cheap excuse, but somewhat realistic. The animated cut scenes: Here I thought the exact opposite. Aside from the skits itself, for me, the in-engine cut scenes reached a level of quality where the anime-cut szenes began to feel like they didnÄt fit anymore. The characters even looked totally different in my opinion. The studio also did better work for tales games in the past. Maybe they get better agin next time, but as far as Arise goes, I liked the en-engine stuff much more, honestly. The Soundtracks: Opposite for me, I loved the classical score. I didn't really liked the tracks for the openings. I did'nt hate them, but especially the first one was too "poppy" for me. Is it the best game ever? Nope, of course not. The best Tales? I have to fins out, I'm not done with the series. The best JRPG ever or of 2021 (as per the game awards)? Maybe, but we've got SMTV... ;-). Best ever of course not. Best game (in genre or overall) will never happen, because nothing is perfect and depending on who plays it, the opinion will be different. There might be someone out there, for whom the best game ever is named "ET"... ;-)

[@709mash]

I honestly didn't see half the issues she had with this game. It's my second ever tales of game and I love it. To each their own I guess.

[@Artimes.]

A brutally Honest review. Honsetly if pelvic says there is something off, then there must be. Your quite the veteren rpg gamer and you have had experiences from many generations of rpgs. Personally I agree with alot of your points. It seemed to me that developers were so involved which changing the look and feel of the series moving forward in terms of graphics and art style, that they did not put to much effort in many other area's of the game. Berseria is still the clear winner here at least in terms of the newer games.

[@chimeratcg07]

She's a veteran RPG gamer? Please.

[@Artimes.]

@@chimeratcg07 Well its just I am more inclinded to believe someone like her who has had her experience playing a broad spectrum of rpgs across many generations, as opposed to critics who basically just look at ongoing trends and popularity and probably is some new guy who has play a several ps4 gen rpgs and thats it.

[@juanortiz9123]

Loved the video! Perfect analysis! Merry Christmas girl!

[@gdgomez1988]

Your point of view is refreshing. Subscribed!!!

[@PelvicGaming]

Thank you! Welcome aboard!

[@Erk1234567]

I can't really defend Sakuraba's output, but his early 00s work used to feature a ton of bangers. Golden Sun, the Valkyrie Profiles, hell, even Mario friggin' Tennis all had mad hype tracks. Even the Tales games would have a small handful of amazing battle tracks or atmospheric dungeon tunes. He just sounds burnt out now...

[@HarrisonWilliamsAnimation]

Decided to watch this cuz I've been playing Arise as my first tales game. I got it on a sale and didn't look too closely at the DLC since none of it looked like plot addons and I share much of the same issues so far. I've hit part 2 of the game I hate the cure points system and the back-to-back skits are incredibly annoying i've just started to ignore them. Combat is pretty solid though not being able to dodge out of combos was annoying so I just played as Rinwell and spell fusion is very fun. This game hasn't turned me off to playing another tales game if Graces F is on steam I may give that a go next idk I wanted to vent good review take my like.

[@ctownsoldier]

This was exactly the review I was looking for. I heard it wasnt the best in the tales of. No one ever touched on why well enough. I was contemplating diving into Ys IX or ToA now that im done with SMT V. Ys IX it is!

[@antimatt_r]

Good review and I agree with nearly every point. It's odd how loved this game is. I think it's a mix of people being easily impressed with decent graphics and flashy combat but also a lot of younger gamers that don't have much for a frame of reference. If Tales of Arise was one of my first few JRPGs, I'm sure I'd describe it as a masterpiece. But for someone that's been playing this genre off and on since the 90s, it's really nothing special. It feels good to play and is pretty to look at, but that's where the praise should end. The characters were plain, the story was stilted, and they blew the budget so hard that we got less enemy variety than a SNES era JRPG. If I had to rate Arise, it would get a 7/10. Average at best, and not anywhere near the best Tales game

[@ClassicGameSessions]

Thanks for your insights - I think it has some visual aspects that are nice but you have some great points here on other key aspects. Great video pelvic! ✌🎮

[@josephmissig5301]

Are you going to play SMT V?

[@shadowtzhar]

thanks for the the detailed review, gives me another angle to look at the game

[@ghostghost514]

Do think the praise influenced to some degree by the current world's situation? Anyway, what put off the most is the style of Skits. I am shocked to hear that you did like the music of previous games and considered as the downside of "Tales of" series even though there is more favorite musics than the previous titles to me. However, I like the game and It's the fifth game from "Tales of" series to me. I delighted to see other opinions regarding of this game. Also, I think you should revisit the games later. it probably will be little more interesting to you.

[@RapboYGT]

Awesome review, love how detailed you are! Liked and subbed!

[@PelvicGaming]

Eeee! Thank you so much!!

[@RavenousSpectre]

Yeah I agree. The game was OK but I didn't see why people were going crazy over it. The art style was really cool though

[@nunchuk28]

I don't really care for the Tales series, and nothing about this game looked like it'd change my mind on the matter. That said, I agree with your point regarding the way skits are presented, sort of reminds me of how I really don't like how supports are presented in 3H compared to previous games, the still portraits are cheaper, sure, but the way scenarios are presented in that game just irk me more, I guess they highlight how lacking the animations and graphics are at the end of the day.

[@jaretco6423]

Same here. I couldn't get into Tales series. Something about them feels too childish or off about them.

[@I_Wrestled_A_Jedi]

My personal game of the year but thats the beauty of opinion. It's subjective. Great review!

[@PelvicGaming]

Fair enough! And thank you for watching!!

[@rensro2138]

Tales of Graces F is not only the best Tales game it's probably the best jrpg of the ps3

[@Wet_bread123]

THANK YOU I’ve been seeing all these positive reviews and I’m like, did we even play the same game!?

[@PelvicGaming]

Haha I'm glad I'm not the only one confused by the overwhelming positivity. @.@. I mean cool if they enjoyed it, I just didn't love it as much as everyone else I guess.

[@Infernokami]

SPITTING, THANK YOU. ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE ARTES. Such a good and honest review

[@trashcangoblin420]

I actually really liked the balance and tension of the item pricing and how rare gold was - made for one of the first JRPGs where I didn’t hoard items, used them often and then felt compelled to pour gold into replacements. Stocking up for that final dungeon was a vibe and I was very grateful there were some mechanics in its design that let me go get more supplies right as I was down to my final orange gel. But yes - live for your critiques - so many skits - so much weird stilted dialogue. Hush now, I wanna make cool combo strings with my anime fam.

[@BigBrutus50]

Something in my gut told me to wait on this until it becomes cheaper. Thanks for this lol

[@adamsorman178]

This was my first Tales game, and i absolutely loved it. I'm kinda curious on the tales series now, but I don't know which game i should pick up first after this one. Does anyone have any suggestions? 😊

[@HyouVizer]

Its hard finding older Tales games without emulation but... Tales of Abyss (PS2/3DS) Tales of Xilla (PS3) Tales of Symphonia (Gamecube/PS2, ignore the PS3/PC port, it sucks) Tales of Graces F (PS3) Tales of Vesperia (everything)

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Literally whichever one you want that's available on the systems on you have. On ps4/PC are Berseria, Zestiria, Vesperia Definitive Edition (also on switch). Symphonia has a PC port. Abyss has one on 3DS. Eternia PSP port is easily emulatable for the classic 2d games. If you're better at that than me, there's many others you could hit up as well if you can get English patches.

[@PelvicGaming]

TALES OF GRACES F BBY. . . . If you like "friends are my powers campy bullshit. Otherwise Bersaria and Abyss. Ya can't go wrong. Just avoid Zestria and Dawn of a New World and you'll be fine.

[@dobadobadooo]

Symphonia is my personal favorite, I love the story, gameplay and cast, might honestly be my favorite game of all time. Other than that, Vesperia and Graces are really fun games, but story-wise they're a little lacking.

[@Artimes.]

If you want to see of the stronger elements of tails games that have all but dissapeared with the newer titles, then check out Tales of abyss and Vesperia. Tales of symphonia is also quite good but personally not my favorite.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

1- i appreciate that direct intro to set the mood. Many of mygo to reviews didnt touch arise and everybody else praised the game to no end. 2- imo this is probably the best review i watched from you. 3- interesting and bad that you thought thr cast was meh. Since i am a story guy people often defend tales by saying they are not about the story but the characters and the party and it´s interectiong were always a strong point. 4- it seems they focused on the criticism about the graphics. since i started playing tales i have always wanted them to step up their storytelling. it seems i still have waiting to do. 5- it seems they are making some old mistakes again 6- on the soundtrack: cannot really give my opinion but Sakuraba is a gifted composer so i would say this is perhaps a tales problem. the music is just one of the aspects of the series thta seems formulaic, out of an jrpg factory. All things considered perhaps they need new blood? 7- on dlc: terrible practices but it is the world we live in. and the reason companies do this is because enough people are buying. also, food for thought, being a console rpg coming from japan were mobile and phone games are king, is dlc perhaps a must have tool for survival? after all in the niche reality of jrps tales of is tiny next to the square giants.

[@PelvicGaming]

Gonna touch on some of the points! 2 - Thank you 3. THAT'S THE THING. THE CHARACTERS ARE THE BEST THING ABOUT TALES OF GAMES. But this cast was so....bland. I was let down. 6. Apparently I need to hear some of his works outside of Tales cause all of his Tales works sound so samey I can't stand it. 7. It is the world we live in. They have a choice to put it in their games and I have a choice to not support it. Maybe my dollar won't amount to much cause Arise was a huge success. And lets be real money talks and it seemed to not have bothered people that much and fair enough! All I can do is control my actions and where I spend my money. ^^

[@JohnSmith-se7pp]

I appreciate the time and work you put into your videos. Awesome game taste. you're the one that got me to try tales of graces f

[@PelvicGaming]

Thank you so much!!! And I hope you enjoyed Graces F!! ♡♡♡

[@JohnSmith-se7pp]

@@PelvicGaming sure did

[@gabrielike1370]

I just finished this game I agree with ur most of ur points. I liked the characters the final third of the game had way too much expositions.the combat did get stale cause of the stupidly sponges enemies and volhron was mad disappointing But the ending was good and I enjoyed it for my first tales of game and I hope the rest of the games are better

[@XaendrOlivera]

Will you do a review of Edge of Eternity? I think i might like it much than tales of arise tbh

[@creggieb]

The game is so gorgeous. I feel like the developers were like Oof, we need to make back some money on this- DLC! But damn my heart is saddened you didnt enjoy the game as much. But I do appreciate the honest review. And it was a great video too. I think they did explain the beginnings of the war. But it was during the four hour cutscene-athon. But I wonder if its due to COVID that that last third of the game felt like that. Cause its soooo jarringly off-putting. I'd have loved if they introduced brand new enemies and one new mini game in that last third to make the game feel a bit fresh. I love your opinions on Tales: it seems the games you dont particularly fancy, i really enjoy but we both love the same titles. Totally agree with the point - this isnt the magnum opus of the series. Its a great entry point for new gamers.

[@ijmoney4539]

Wow! Thank you for this review! Very well thought through and presented. Earned a sub, I just can't watch on speaker when my son is nearby! 😂

[@PelvicGaming]

Aww, shucks! Thank you so much!! Uh oh, is your son a fan?

[@lilstrawhat]

That intro! I just know you'll have the opposite experience with grandia 3! I know I did

[@LIONREV7]

Im a Tales of fan and i remember watching the trailers and gameplay and thinking "This doesnt look good". Then the reviews came and everyone was praising it and i keep wondering why. Good to know i wasnt crazy, im gonna wait for a sale to get it.

[@megamike15]

alot of the people praising it seemed to never like the series in the first place.

[@maplesyrupnjam]

Yep, that was my experience as well. Symphonia was one of my favorite RPGs despite its flaws, so I was very pleased to hear this game get 9s and 10s across the board in reviews... and then I watched a walkthrough to get a taste of the story and characters and combat and I just wasn't feeling it. Very nice looking game with a compelling plot on paper, but the something about the writing felt rather flat. I'm glad to watch a review that is willing to scrutinize those elements and acknowledge how important they are to the enjoyment of a long RPG.

[@megamike15]

@@maplesyrupnjam i keep feeling like dq 11 is gonna be the last modern jrpg i'm gonna enjoy. if anything i have enjoyed more modern wrpgs then jrpgs.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

@@megamike15 dq 11 is modern?

[@goncaloferreira6429]

why didnt it look good to you?

[@EconomistaVJ]

Now imagine how good the next Tales game will be after this one gathered so much praise without doing anything special. I also didn't like Arise as much as everyone else, it was a mid Tales game for me, IMO Vesperia, Abyss, Graces f, Destiny and Symphonia are still way better Tales games but I won't complain about Arise finally making the west aware of this JRPG franchise, in fact I feel really happy that it finally happened.

[@poopoogigolo]

If I'm being honest, I can't totally agree with you. To me, it's better than the last few Tales titles that have come out. It's a step up, and I hope BN keeps trying to raise the bar with future games.

[@danielostrowski856]

Tales Of seems to me to be a series which just consistently underwhelms. All of them are fine but none of them are ever essential. For what it’s worth Sakuraba is definitely capable of good music, he just doesn’t seem to try very hard for Tales. The clip of Arise’s battle theme you played reminds me of his ‘the valedictory elegy’ from Baten Kaitos, which is excellent

[@PelvicGaming]

" All of them are fine but none of them are ever essential." Ugh, a really painful truth in the Tales of series. well except Bersaria and Graces F obviously hehe

[@Basileus127]

Oof, sad but true. I still like Symphonia and Abyss, but they've got some major faults. My favorite is actually Berseria, and even that one I have a hard time recommending due to the issues of it being on a lower budget. Hopefully Arise becomes a baseline for graphics and combat and they can start putting more effort into story/characters and better dungeon design.

[@mochico88]

Have you listened to his older Tales works?

[@chimeratcg07]

Idk pal for me Symphonia, Abyss & Vesperia are THE essential Tales of in any JRPG collection.

[@Leikjarinn]

love your hair!

[@PelvicGaming]

Thank you!

[@MacNava]

Your opinions of Tales of Arise mirror mine for Tales of Graces f. I didn't hate the game or anything, but I don't get why so many people loved it. The story was ok, the characters, while lovable, don't really develop that much, and the combat was the worst from the tales games I've played. It's not a bad game, but I never got why so many people call it one of if not the best.

[@PelvicGaming]

I agree with the lack of character development but honestly they were all so wonderful I didn' t need them to have some deep arc. As for the combat, I ...I've never heard someone call it the worst before. D: For me it's hands down the best.

[@MacNava]

​@@PelvicGaming I agree with what you said about the characters being wonderful. Characters don't need development to make them lovable, like Luffy from One Piece. As for your opinion on the combat...I personally can't see it as the best. If you want to see the combat in it's true potential, I recommend you play Tales of Xillia.

[@MacNava]

@@meryl17 There no invincible frames for when you use an item, the game's AI acts like idiots most of the time, and the limit gauge was by far the worst in the entire series. It's only fun if you have a good idea of what the combat is like. I plan to replay the game some time later to give it a second chance, but to me, it's not the best combat like everyone claims it is.

[@PrinceGrey]

Finally watched this cuz my roommate refuses to finish the game, idc about spoilers anymore lol. Glad to see another perspective on the game cuz I was loving the visuals but the story and the characters did fall flat for me too. on the other hand i love the tales of music so it hurt a bit when you said it sucked lmao but its alright, I'm just glad to see you review another tales game :D

[@sonofwotan]

Got this on sale 2 in 1 packaged with Scarlet Nexus and enjoyed the hell out of both of them. I think this one just didn’t do it for Pelvic, which is fair enough. (As apparently the only gamer alive who couldn’t stand RDR2 I get that some things just don’t appeal.) It even made me go back and play some older Tales games, but none of them could compare at all, for me, and I never made it more than a few hours into them. It’s the hectic, free run, dodge roll, combos, specials, break meter combat that’s so fun here, and that led me to looking into some other Bandai-Namco games which fit that model of gameplay. As for the characters here, again, that’s really just preference. I remember thinking that after playing RPG’s since childhood, this was the first one that didn’t have party member I *disliked.*

[@suvshogun]

Is there ever going to be a time where I can watch you play these games or are you already doing that

[@PelvicGaming]

I usually play jrpgs solo. I dont like to split my attention between chat and stream. If anything ill stream the second time I play a game. Or I stream games that don't require much attention.