If you are a fan of expansive RPGs with great stories and combat, then you need to run to the Steam storefront right now. Bandai Namco’s incredible Tales of games are currently on sale, but the amazing discounts on the nearly three decade old franchise end in under twenty four hours. The Tales of Franchise Sale 2024 concludes on September 5 at 1 p.m. EST. The sale includes five of the series’ seventeen mainline titles, with each title offering the best the series has to offer.
Perhaps the best game to pick up if you could only choose one is Tales of Arise. The most recent game in the series, 2021’s Arise is an exemplary modern RPG. Set in a sprawling world that blends both medieval fantasy and science fiction, you gather a rag-tag band of party members on a journey to bring an end to a seemingly never-ending war. Arise captures everything the series is known for: the story is a bit cliche but well-executed, with stunning emotional beats and delightful mysteries to unravel, the world is absolutely gorgeous to look at and explore, real-time combat is quick and responsive, and the cast is truly wonderful.
Amazing casts are probably the thing that people love most about the Tales of series, as each entry is filled with interesting characters that you fall in love with over the course of dozens of hours. Arise’s cast is especially great for how it depicts the slow blossoming romance between its two main characters, Alphen and Shionne, who are on the opposite sides of the massive conflict. The story of Arise is truly epic, and deserving of the lengthy RPG in which it is told.
If you’d rather go for something classic then start with Tales of Symphonia. The 2003 title is generally considered the best game in the series, and even two decades later it’s not hard to see why. Much like Arise, it all comes down to an incredible cast of characters living in a fascinating world. Of course the other three titles—Berseria, Vesperia, and Zestiria—aren’t to be ignored. Luckily all five games will only set you back a total of $US34.95 during the Steam sale. As an added bonus you could also grab Arise’s Beyond the Dawn DLC, which released last year and serves as a fantastic follow up to the main game, for $US19.79. All together that’s still less than a modern AAA game, and will entertain you for several hundred hours.
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