AlthoughTales of Arisewon’t be releasing until later this year after being delayed due to the pandemic, fans are nonetheless excited for the first mainline game from theTalesseries in five years.Tales of Arisepromises to evolve and revitalize the series with a team made of veterans and newcomers alike. Over the years, theTalesfranchise has become one of the biggest RPG series in Japan alongsideDragon QuestandFinal Fantasydue to its unique Linear Motion Battle System and interesting narrative themes.
While theTalesgames have similarities in their gameplay mechanics, they have spanned a variety of different settings and featured different casts of characters. As a result, players will find that they enjoy certain entries in the series more than others and opinions can vary greatly as most players will not have completed all sixteen mainline games. Nonetheless withTales of Arisecoming soon, ranking the games can help players decide which titles to go through first.
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S-Tier
Although there’s a lot of debate over whichTalesgames are the best,Tales of AbyssandTales of Vesperiaconsistently top players' lists, and for good reason. They are both perfect representations of what theTalesseries does best; fantastic character writing, dynamic interactions, and solid gameplay mechanics.
In particular,Tales of Abyssfeatures a phenomenal character development arc in its protagonist, Luke von Fabre and includes one of the most interesting villains in the series. On the other hand,Tales of Vesperiahas the best pacing of anyTalesgameand a great dynamic between the cast of characters. These games shouldn’t be missed by any fan looking forward to the release ofTales of Arise.
A-Tier
The A-Tier is whereTalesgames start shifting away from a universal consensus as more players begin to choose their personal favorites based on a number of different factors such as characters, story, and gameplay elements. Any of the games in the A-Tier are interchangeable with other tiers depending on player preferences but these four are generally fan favorites and are critically acclaimed.
Tales of Berseriais the most recent mainlineTalesgameand it has quickly become a fan favorite for its darker tone and story of revenge. Although the combat system mechanics and graphics are a little dated even by its original 2016 release standards,Tales of Berseria’swriting is some of the best in the franchise.
Tales of Symphoniais the title that introducedTalesto a Western audienceand it remains one of the most popular entries due to its detailed worldbuilding and cast of characters. While it has aged over the years and some dungeons suffer from repetition, it’s still a classic RPG that any fan of the genre should experience.
Tales of XilliaandTales of Graces Fare often overlookedwhen compared to the bigger names on this list but both games shine in their own right.Tales of Xillia’sbattle system received praise for its speed and responsiveness alongside an endearing cast. On the other hand,Tales of Graces Fhas the best gameplay mechanics of the series featuring a robust and fluid battle system. While its overall story was shallow at times and fell into clichés,Tales of Graces F’srefined battle mechanics make it a standout in theTalesfranchise.
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B-Tier
Similar to the A-Tier,Talesgames in the B-Tier will depend on player preferences and all of these titles have distinguishing features that separate them from the other games. However, the games in the B-Tier also have more noticeable drawbacks such as weaker stories or characters, awkward battle mechanics or dated elements.
Tales of Xillia 2takes place a year after the events of the first game and has an interesting story of destroying parallel dimensions.Unique toTales of Xillia 2are player decisionsthat influence the course of the story and how it progresses. Unfortunately, it suffers from repetitive map design and reused assets from the first game.
Tales of EterniaandTales of Destiny Remakeare some of the older games in the franchise but have held up remarkably well despite their age. Both games represent great iterations of the 2D battle system before the series began shifting to 3D. Although some of the mechanics can be clunky at times,they offer great experiences for fans of old-school JRPGs.
Tales of Heartsand its remakeoften get overlooked in the seriesbut it features one of the tightest battle systems in the franchise. The combat flows nicely together with combos and the mechanics are much smoother than other games. The biggest issues that hold it back from greatness is its uneven localization and its annoying random encounter mechanic.
C-Tier
The C-Tier is fairly similar to the B-Tier but the games here are either very dated or never received a Western release making it difficult for fans to experience. The games themselves are usually decent but fans waiting forTales of Arisemight want to skip some of these entriesin favor of localized titles.
WhileTales of Phantasiais where it all started for theTalesfranchise, many of its mechanics haven’t aged very well. It’s an impressive game considering it was originally released on the SNES but it has an overreliance on random encounters and it doesn’t include any of the QoL updates that futureTalesgames would receive.
Tales of Rebirth,Tales of Innocence,andTales of Destiny 2are solid entries in the franchise but unfortunately, never received a Western release. While these titles have fan translations or patches available, it can prove to be a hassle andfans looking forward toTales of Arisewill likely want to play the localized games first.
D-Tier
Tales of Zestiriais often cited as the weakest entry in the seriesdue to its overwhelming amount of tutorials, convoluted plot, and uninspired world design. Though it was ambitious and had an incredible soundtrack, it ultimately felt like a step backwards for modernTalesgames.Tales of Legendiahas also received criticism for its frustratingly slow pace and uninspired story. Though these games might appeal to hardcoreTalesfans, they are outclassed by other titles in the franchise and feature bland, derivative stories.
Tales of Ariseis in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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