Assessment of Tales of Arise: Past the Dawn (PS5)

The main challenge of Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn is initially going to be recollecting how to play the original Tales of Arise.

After what seems like a lifetime, the (mostly excellent, in our opinion) action RPG debuted in September 2021. Now, more than two years later, we’re receiving a comprehensive post-game expansion.

That being said, the DLC does not utilise your saved data directly. Rather, the main game’s progression only opens up different perks, such as more character levels, gear, and skill points.

Furthermore, the expansion seems like a stand-alone piece of work right away since you enter Beyond the Dawn through a different option on the main menu.

It is evidently untrue, though, as this new adventure occurs a year after Tales of Arise and is essentially simply one big allusion to Alphen and his comrades’ journey to save the planet.

If you haven’t rolled credits in the main version, this addition will make very little sense—it really should go without saying.

The influence that our heroes have made on their newly established planet is the central theme of Beyond the Dawn.

Since the two peoples of Dahna and Rena are now compelled to live together, the peace that Alphen and company worked so hard to achieve is beginning to rift again.

The group has decided to help everyone adjust to their new life, so they spend their days going from town to town and helping individuals with their issues.

But the gang’s routine is abruptly disrupted in the first few minutes of the DLC when they find a customarily enigmatic female. It’s true that initial thoughts of the young Nazamil aren’t the best.

Even though it’s clear that she’s running from something, she comes off as a walking anime cliché, letting out little sighs and without giving any details about her predicament. Annoying things.

By the time the story comes to a close, Nazamil has thankfully begun to open up and is a great addition to the current cast. Having said that, the expansion’s roughly 20-hour running length does make the storyline feel a little strained.

Other than Nazamil and the unexpected presence of mausoleums, which are dungeons full with monsters, the DLC doesn’t really have anything to work with. As a result, large portions of the story feel forced and unneeded, with our heroes frequently becoming mired in doing rather simple chores.

However, this does not imply that the tale is a total failure. Beyond the Dawn is surprisingly good at developing the characters of the group, and it’s just fun to see Alphen and his friends go on a more relaxed journey. You’ll love the objectives of this expansion if you liked Tales of Arise’s main cast.

But the DLC’s dedication to dungeon exploration and massive combat is what really appeals to us about it.

There are several chances to explore ruins full with riches and battle formidable foes in the previously described mausoleums. The six playable heroes all start at a high level and have endgame gear, but you won’t be utilising your pimped-out party from the main game.

Put otherwise, the expansion anticipates you diving right into the game’s more complex fighting systems, and most players will desire post-game material that precisely caters to their needs (at least, once they’ve gotten their bearings).

Once you get a rhythm, combat still has a lot of fun. It still feels wonderful to chain special techniques together to knock opponents unconscious, and it’s always exciting to launch a tag attack to deliver massive damage.

If there’s one issue with the action, though, it’s that the diversity of enemies is still terribly lacking.

The very lowest amount of new enemies is added by Beyond the Dawn for you to smash. It’s a very sad conclusion to discover that even the bosses from the main game are reskinned and repurposed, especially after they’ve just stormed through a brand-new dungeon.

Overall though, the fundamental benefits of the fighting system are evident, and the expansion’s focus on back-to-back bouts is interesting.

Particularly in the latter dungeons, there are some excellent encounters that will test your abilities beyond what the primary game can offer.

Although Beyond the Dawn isn’t a very thrilling addition, players who liked Tales of Arise will still find it to be a worthwhile post-game experience.

While the storyline may get a little boring and the game tends to rehash well-worn territory, there is enjoyment to be had from venturing into brand-new dungeons and facing off against formidable foes.

For many gamers, the DLC may come too late, but if you have the time, the epilogue with Alphen and the group is well worth the trip back.