Bandai Namco’sTales of Ariseis the latest installment in the long-running JRPG franchise, having been released last year to positive reviews and healthy sales. This is evidenced byTales of Arisemanaging to set a new record for the series, selling over 1.5 million copies within its first month, easily making it the fastest-selling game as well. Fans and critics have praised this entry for its stellar combat, unique world design, fantasy and sci-fi aesthetic, as well as its ambitious story, making it one of the best JRPGs of 2021.
With the immense success of this latest entry, there may be some fans who are wondering what is next for the series. Some might think that there is room toexpandTales of Arisefurther with an anime adaptation. There is a camp that might believe a direct sequel toTales of Arisecould be possible, while others think that anotherTales ofgame could be in the works. In regard to a sequel toAriseat least, there seem to be no plans, according to the game’s producer, Yusuke Tomiwaza.
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Speaking with Edge magazine, Tomiwaza explains that despite how successful this latestTales ofentry has been so far, the sequel currently isn’t “in the cards” at this time. He cites that the team wishes forTales of Arise’s story to be completed with a “good aftertaste” that wouldn’t require further expansions like additional DLC or sequels.
He elaborates on this point further, where instead of building upon the story ofTales of Arise, he wishes for his studio to continue to build on the success of the game in a way to help bring in new fans. To this end, he states he wishes to create a new “cutting-edge flagship title” that is bolstered by the achievements of this entry and allows fans to rediscover some of theolder games in theTales offranchise.
The director ofTales of Arise, Hirokazu Kagawa, noted that fellow JRPG titleScarlet Nexuswas a component in making the game as successful as it was. Kagawa noted that thesimilarities betweenTales of AriseandScarlet Nexusinfluenced him and his team, where they viewed the latter game as a rival to help pushTales of Ariseforward. This is especially evident due toScarlet Nexus' director, Kenji Anabuki, having been a part of theTales ofseries since 2003 withTales of Symphonia. While some fans might be disappointed thatTales of Arisewon’t be getting a direct sequel, it seems the developer teams at Bandai Namco are incredibly passionate about delivering feature-rich JRPG experiences.
Tales of Ariseis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
