Tales of Arise - Beyond the Dawn Edition

A solid mix of strong characters, great story beats, and surprisingly-engaging action-based combat help this shine.

Tales of Arise is one of the best entries in the series, and while its release on the Switch 2 is far from perfect, it remains a very enjoyable JRPG, whether you play it in docked or handheld mode.

Tales of Arise - Beyond The Dawn Edition remains the great game it already was upon its 2021 release, carrying over the many strengths and few flaws of the original edition. One of the most interesting entries in the Tales Of series arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 complete with its expansion, and it manages to do so competently, even though there are some technical limitations that are understandable, though not entirely painless. Bandai Namco Entertainment enriches the console’s catalog by showing that it took the adaptation process seriously, even if the gameplay conversion is simply identical to what we have already seen, without taking advantage of the specific features that make Switch 2 a unique gaming machine. Tales of Arise - Beyond the Dawn allows those who never played the original to experience the adventures of Alphen and Shionne on Nintendo’s hybrid console, but it does not offer many reasons to start a new playthrough if you have already thoroughly experienced it on other platforms. An excellent action JRPG with solid gameplay and a story that holds up almost all the time, presented here in its least performant version, yet still enjoyable.

Tales of Arise was the game that proved the series could evolve without losing its identity. The Beyond the Dawn Edition on Switch 2 arrives four years after the original release, but it comes complete, and on a platform that especially benefits from this kind of lengthy RPG—one you can enjoy wherever you want.

Tales of Arise is a straight forward RPG that places narrative above mechanical depth or a grand world. There are times where that can be a little boring, as you’re railroaded from one story point to the next. At the same time that story is good enough that I was genuinely eager to see what would happen next. Combat is exciting and only improves as your options expand. The Switch 2 version has some issues in the frame rate department (though in fairness it wasn’t perfectly smooth on other platforms either). But the actual image quality and presentation remain as excellent as they were when this launched on other platforms. While it won’t be your next 100-hour epic, Tales of Arise provides an excellent, condensed, RPG experience both docked and on the go.

Tales of Arise continues to shine, now on Switch 2, for its dynamic combat, its great art direction, and an entertaining story that manages to hook you from beginning to end. Being able to enjoy one of the best entries in the Tales of series in a portable format is simply great. Although it has questionable technical decisions like those 30fps, it is still a title worth considering.

Those looking for higher resolutions and frame rates should look elsewhere, but for those who have never played Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition, or those looking to double dip to play on the go, the Switch 2 port is a great choice.

Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition includes everything from the base game and epilogue DLC on Nintendo’s hybrid device. While it doesn’t perform at the same level as its counterparts on more powerful hardware, it still holds up well enough to make this a viable way to play. Fans of the original can now take the adventure on the go, though newcomers may struggle to connect with its long-winded storytelling and some dated design elements.