
- #SITTING ON CLOUDS OSTZESTERIA PC#
- #SITTING ON CLOUDS OSTZESTERIA SERIES#
- #SITTING ON CLOUDS OSTZESTERIA FREE#
Generally speaking, combat is pretty simplistic and consists of a basic attack button and a few special moves per character, but combining them is satisfying and there are a few key mechanics that make it feel distinct.
#SITTING ON CLOUDS OSTZESTERIA SERIES#
One of the most consistent pieces of praise I’ve heard for the Tales series is regarding its combat, so it definitely felt like this demo was leaning towards that aspect. When I can perform perfect dodges and blocks without breaking my fingers, I’m sure I’ll get even more enjoyment out of it. Sure, I hit the pause button a few times during combos, but I still got a good taste of the game’s systems and found the combat to be a ton of fun. What surprised me - more than discovering I couldn’t play with a keyboard and mouse if my life depended on it - was just how much fun I had with the game anyway. Because of this, I was a lot slower and less skilled than I would have been otherwise, even if I am a newcomer to the series, so when I play Tales with a controller I’ll hopefully be able to get the most out of it.
#SITTING ON CLOUDS OSTZESTERIA PC#
I had to re-learn a control scheme I hadn’t used since playing the PC version of Psychonauts about 12 years ago, so it took me a little time to adjust. For a console player like myself, that’s a bit like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time. Right off the bat I’ll clarify that, for the purposes of this demo, I ended up using a keyboard and mouse.
#SITTING ON CLOUDS OSTZESTERIA FREE#
Once again these cutscenes didn’t really say much about the story, although I like the dynamic between Shionne and Alphen, which felt like a developing friendship.Īlthough the game points you in the direction of the monster, I was given free rein to explore the small bit of world the demo was set in and get used to the combat. After wandering around the monster-filled grassy area, we were tasked with defeating a large monster that was giving a nearby town trouble. Starting off the demo I chose to play as Law, the hand-to-hand fighter whose personality seemed the most in line with the character archetype I’m most fond of, that being stupidly energetic and confident. I didn’t know this before writing this preview, but it turns out that Arise is using an “Atmospheric Shader” that is indeed inspired by watercolour, so it’s certainly effective! My only hope from the main game going forward is that it has some more distinct environments, as it seems like a lot of what we’ve seen so far is the standard grass area, snow area, and so on. There weren’t enough tracks to really get a good idea of the whole OST, but what I heard was pretty pleasant. From my time in the demo, I also got a taste for the music and thought it was shaping up quite nicely. It’s a great effect and the environments all look fantastic. There’s a really great combination of subtle cel-shading on the characters combined with environments that look vaguely watercolour. This won’t come as a shock for anyone who’s seen the trailers for Arise, but it looks and sounds absolutely fantastic. It was one of the highlights of the demo for me, and I’m excited to get to know them and watch them grow as a cast. I obviously can’t speak for the main plot right now, but I will say that I really enjoyed the dynamics here, and all of the party bounce off of each other very naturally. Similarly to some of my personal favourites in recent years like Final Fantasy XV, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, and Persona 5, Tales of Arise does a really good job of portraying friendship, and it’s incredibly wholesome to see the interactions between the various characters. The brief cutscenes only featured Alphen & Shionne, and didn’t give much of the game’s story away, although I was given the whole six-person party to use in combat and was able to parse a good bit of the cast’s personality through the field dialogue.Įven though the demo was clearly trying to hide any major story beats, that field dialogue left me feeling hopeful for the plot as a whole. From some of the dialogue and from the general structure, it seemed to be early on in the game. The small demo I got to play was around 40 minutes long and consisted of a few small areas in the “Land of Green”, Elde Menacia. I can only imagine how excited long-term fans are right now. Thankfully, after being able to play through a vertical slice, I can confirm that Arise is shaping up to be one of the most exciting RPGs of 2021 and a great jumping in point for newcomers.

That means that, like many of you, I’ve been sitting patiently waiting for Arise to make a big comeback and finally release after its initial announcement a few years ago now.

I made a deal with myself that I’d jump in at the newest point, Tales of Arise, and then work my way backwards depending on how much I liked it. Although the Tales series is one I’ve always intended to jump into, I’ve never had a chance to.
