I’ll be forever grateful for Tales of the Abyss. It made me a Tales Of series fan in 2005, salvaging my interest after a disappointing experience with Tales of Legendia. Despite a lukewarm first impression of the series, my second encounter with Tales of the Abyss was thoroughly enjoyable, securing its spot as my second favorite in the franchise.
My first is Tales of Berseria, the darkest entry in the series.
In Tales of Berseria, you find yourself in the shoes of Velvet Crowe, a young woman living in a peaceful village on the Holy Midgand Empire’s island. The game begins on a Scarlet Night, a phenomenon that occurs just once every three years, during which a mysterious crimson moon appears. Velvet’s life takes a tragic turn during this event, when a catastrophic incident unfolds, shattering her peaceful world and setting her on a path of vengeance.
I vividly recall the game’s compelling start, depicting Velvet as a nurturing figure for her ailing brother, forging an unconventional family dynamic with Artorius, her late sister’s spouse. As a queer gamer finding solace in chosen family, this resonated deeply. Velvet, the linchpin of their unity, left a lasting impression.
Cristina Vee, the English voice actress for Velvet, skillfully embodies the character’s emotional spectrum. In the opening hours, her portrayal exudes cheerfulness, punctuated by laughter and bashfulness, especially regarding societal expectations of marriage.
However, the narrative takes a dark turn, delving into Velvet’s journey of trauma and vengeance. Unveiling Artorius’ intentions to sacrifice her brother for a ritual to eradicate daemons shatters her world. Fueled by grief, Velvet confronts Artorius, leading to a devastating loss and her transformation into a daemon, consuming others of her kind. Post-introduction, Velvet endures imprisonment, surviving on the taste of daemon blood in a squalid cell.
Holy cow, talk about a dark origin story.
Tales of Arise, which came out in 2021, looked to keep the darker, edgier tone that the series adopted with Berseria, and I was extremely excited. Berseria, while an amazing story with an engrossing cast of characters, didn’t have the most inviting landscapes and encompassing soundtrack. Arise would remedy this with its flashier presentation, dynamic towns and open areas.
The introduction places you in a world where you witness the stark disparity between the advanced and prosperous planet of Rena and the enslaved world of Dahna. As you explore the village of Calaglia, you come face-to-face with the brutal reality of Dahna’s subjugation by the technologically superior Rena.
The Dahnan people endure the oppressive rule of the Renans, being forced into labor and deprived of their freedoms. The story unfolds as you, controlling Alphen, meet the mysterious Shionne, a Renan woman seeking to challenge the injustices of her society, and you both embark on a journey to fight against the forces perpetuating this unjust world.
The game doesn’t hold back in showing how oppressive the world is. Alphen, who can’t feel pain, constantly puts himself in danger. He runs into a man who was going to strike an exhausted child for slacking off. Not even children are immune to the laborious life, and walking around, you’ll see dead bodies just laying there, further revealing the dark nature of the story.
The elements to take up the mantle of “edge lord entry” were there for Tales of Arise. Alphen, Shionne, and their companions build quite the empowered rebellion against the Renans, and even take the fight to their neighboring planet, Rena. These Renan Lords’ main objective is to collect Astral Energy, the game’s mana, from the subjugated population for the Crown Contest, a competition to determine Rena’s Sovereign.
As the narrative unfolds, the party uncovers the hidden truths regarding the Renans, the Crown Contest, and the interconnected nature of the two planets. We even find out about Alphen’s shocking past. Regrettably, midway through the storyline, the cohesion falters, and the pacing feels hurried. Numerous enigmas and subplots within the narrative remain unresolved or happenstance.
In short, dark elements of the story get lost in the convoluted narrative. I usually love it when a game embraces its convoluted nature. It’s something that I love about the Xeno series, but Tales Of hasn’t really been a series I’ve put in that realm.
The beauty with Tales of Berseria is that while the story does continue to ramp up in intensity, including some horrifying plot twists involving Velvet’s brother being a willing part of his own sacrifice, the focus stays on the characters. It’s one of the reasons why I love Velvet so much that I wrote about her trauma and how it reflected my own in an article for Anime Feminist.
Shionne was primed to be my next favorite Tales Of character because of her tragic narrative. While not as dark as Velvet’s, there’s a lot for PTSD survivors like me to take from her story. Unfortunately, much like the rest of the cast, they get swallowed up with rushed events that throw a lot of pseudo-sci fi jargon at you.
Additionally, Berseria’s big baddie, Artorius, had a strong connection with Velvet, which kept the dark elements of the story continuing to brew in the background. Arise lacked such a BBEG. The initial encounter with Vholran in Tales of Arise carries an air of mystery, painting him as the primary antagonist with intricate motives and a grand plan.
However, this impression quickly fades. Vholran’s origin traces back to his tragic past as a Dahnan slave subjected to experiments, ultimately transforming into a Lord after killing one. He ascends to become the new Sovereign. Vholran is positioned as Alphen’s antithesis and rival, but instead, he is portrayed as an embittered individual who sporadically emerges with a shallow backstory.
By the time the end of the game came, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. I’m used to Tales Of games having open endings, but there’s something nuanced about them that always fills me up with a sense of completion and quite sadness in finishing them. I should’ve felt that way about Arise. After all, Alphen and Shionne are quite an adorable couple, and watching them kiss felt wholesome. But I felt indifferent, and continue to feel that way.
Berseria’s ending stuck the landing, having an emotionally liberated Velvet sacrifice herself for the events that will come in Tales of Zesteria. The concept of being a hero that is abhorred and whose tale is twisted by generations to come feels true to Velvet’s character and makes watching Artorius being praised in Zesteria a nauseating experience.
I’m not saying that Arise had to have the same exact ending. Alphen and Shionne deserve their happy ending. But their darker story elements didn’t get to marinate and evolve to the heights that Berseria delivered on. Here’s hoping the next entry, if it decides to go the continued “edge lord” route in storytelling, will return the series to its deliciously darker side.
Tales of Arise
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Released
- September 10, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Studios
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG