That said, if you can read Japanese and don’t mind importing, you can play them. Both titles were released exclusively in Japan, and we don’t expect ports. Tales of Rebirth and Tales of Innocence aren’t bad games, but they don’t hold up for in a ranking of the best Tales games in the U.S. Darker and slower than other Tales games, Berseria is shocking and moving, with the series’ signature combat system to back up the story. One possesses her arm, turning Velvet into a Daemon herself. Once Daemons show up in her village, Velvet’s brother-in-law Artorius sacrifices Laphicet for a ritual known as the “Advent.” Witnessing this, Velvet rushes at Artorius, only to be overcome with Daemons. You play as Velvet, a young woman whose only aspiration is to care for her ill younger brother, Laphicet.

It features some of the quickest and most striking character development the series has seen. The inciting incident of Berseria should be experienced unspoiled, so if you’re interested in playing the game, we suggest stopping here. The two games actually take place in the same universe, though Zestiria is set some 1,000 years after the events of Berseria. Tales of Berseria is the second latest in the series, releasing only a short year after Tales of Zestiria in 2016. The story tackles some dark themes, including class conflict and slavery, and does a good job of handling them over the course of your quest. Skits have been slightly altered but remain a highlight for fans, plus the amount of customization you have over just about everything makes it easy for even newcomers to JRPGs as a whole to get into. All the hallmarks of the Tales series are here, but supercharged. The gameplay has never been as smooth as it has in Tales of Arise, nor has it looked so stylish. Unlike the last release, which comes next on the list, Tales of Arise smartly goes back to being a stand-alone entry that doesn’t require any previous knowledge of the series, making it even more enticing to newcomers.

This is by far the highest budget Tales game yet, and it’s easy to see just by looking at the game in motion, especially when played on current-gen hardware. We had one of the longest waits between entries before we finally got Tales of Arise, but the wait was well worth it.

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