Today Bandai Namco followed up on yesterday’s reveals of Tales of Arise with new screenshots, details, and more.
First of all, we get the English-subtitled version of a video message from the developers, showing gameplay and describing what we can expect from the game. On top of that, a lot of screenshots and the official versions of the trailers released yesterday have also been released. You can find everything at the bottom of the post.
Next, we also get information about all the editions and pre-order bonuses coming to the west.
The Collector’s Edition will include a Steelbook, a 18 cm figurine portraying the protagonists, a soundtrack both in physical and digital form, and a 64-page artbook, on top (duh) of the game. This one will be exclusive to the Bandai Namco Store.
The Digital Ultimate Edition will include the game, five costume packs (including a collaboration one) and two item packs.
The Digital Deluxe Edition will come with one costume pack and the two items packs mentioned above.
A “Hootle Edition” appears to be exclusive to the European market (at Bandai Namco’s own store) at the moment, and it’ll include a collector’s box, a steelcase, the physical and digital soundtrack, the artbook, a set of stickers, three art prints, a 15 cm plushie portraying the game’s mascot owl Hootle, and a set of digital accessories to customize him.
Pre-order bonuses include customization items for the heroes Alphen and Shionne and exclusive cooking recipes. Pre-orders should be already available at the moment of this writing.
Incidentally, those who purchase the PS4 version of the game will be entitled to a free upgrade to the PS5 version, while the Xbox version will come in a double pack for both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. It’s worth mentioning that if you buy the physical PS4 version, you won’t be able to upgrade to PS5 if you have the digital-only SKU of the console.
You can see all the editions below.
Digital Deluxe Edition
- Premium Item Pack – Contains gold, cooking items and Boosts
- Premium Costume Pack – Eight full costumes and six accessories
- Premium Travel Pack – Better cooking and crafting abilities and discounts in shops
Digital Ultimate Edition
- All content found in Digital Deluxe Edition
- Additional costumes for playable characters and special costumes in collaboration with other BANDAI NAMCO franchises.
Collector’s Edition
- Standard Edition of Tales of ARISE
- Exclusive 18-cm Alphen and Shionne figurine
- Steelbook case
- 64-page hardcover art book
- Physical CD soundtrack
The press release also included a comment by producer Yosuke Tomizawa.
“We want Tales of ARISE to represent a new milestone for the Tales of franchise. The game has a new artistic direction, making the most out of the Unreal Engine and our newly developed “Atmospheric Shader” to push the graphics and quality and make players feel like they are in a painting. With a story that is more mature and hits on more essential themes than previous games we hope players will be fully immersed in Alphen and Shionne’s journey. We can’t wait for you to be able to play the game later this year.”
Tales of Arise was originally slated for 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but it was delayed due to the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It’s now coming on September 10 (September 9 in Japan) for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
If you want to take another look at the game, you can enjoy the previous trailer, another trailer in English, some screenshots and artwork, the first batch of images, and the original announcement trailer.
If you’re unfamiliar with the game, you can read an official description below.
“Tales of ARISE follows the story of Alphen, an iron-masked individual whose home planet of Dahna has been enslaved and stripped of natural resources for the past 300 years by the nearby planet of Rena. As Alphen fights to free his people he encounters Shionne, a girl from Rena who is on the run from her countrymen. Both Alphen and Shionne will be joined throughout the journey by a supporting cast of characters to help in their fight for freedom.
Tales of ARISE carries the DNA of the much-loved Tales of franchise while also introducing advanced graphics and an evolved combat system to help push the series into the future. A new “Atmospheric Shader” developed by BANDAI NAMCO Studios adds subtle touches to the look and feel of the world evoking a hand-drawn painting. Combat has also evolved, allowing for a better sense of spectacle and direct player feedback based upon their actions. The graphics, combat system, characters, and story all work together to present a vivid and realized world that will immerse players as they are transported to the many environments and biomes they will explore throughout their time with Tales of ARISE.”
