Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition, the hit action RPG from Bandai Namco Entertainment, is finally making its way to the Switch 2. The fantastic JRPG, originally released in 2021, is one of the best of the generation, with a loveable cast, fun combat, and a great story.
The Beyond the Dawn edition also includes the Beyond the Dawn expansion, a solid addition to the story that follows the main game. The Switch 2 port is great, even if there are clear concessions to get it running handheld.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
Tales of Arise follows a group of characters in the midst of a tyrannical rule. Dahna is a planet enslaved and tormented by a neighboring planet, Rena. The people of Dahna are made to work and do whatever their masters please. Dahna is rich in resources, while Rena is scientifically and magically adept, with the Renans subjecting the Dahnas to incredible cruelty and death.
Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition brings a beloved RPG to the Switch 2.
The narrative follows Alphen, a masked amnesiac Dahnan slave as he meets Shionne, a Renan woman on the run from her own. Together, they set out on a massive adventure to recover Alphen’s memories, deal with a curse that prevents anyone from touching Shionne, and ultimately, liberate Dahna from oppression.
Tales of Arise has a fantastic narrative, even if the last third can’t live up to the heights of everything that comes before. The cast of characters, including mage bookworm Rinwell and former noble Renan Dohalim, anchors the story that honestly gets quite dark.
It’s a story of how the bonds between us are stronger than the oppressive forces of wannabe dictators, and how systems of dictatorship can be overthrown. The second act of the game, comparably much shorter than the first, isn’t as strong as the more grounded battles of the first, but still ends in a satisfying way.
Tales of Arise is at its strongest in the beginning.
The combat is another clear highlight here, taking the action combat the Tales series is known for and refining it. Each battle takes place in a small arena, with both your crew and the enemies free to move around it.
Chaining together and comboing regular attacks with special attacks, called artes, is essential, with each character playable and offering an entirely different play style. Alphen wields a sword and hits hard, juggling enemies into the air with ease. Shionne, on the other hand, blasts through enemies at range with a massive rifle.
Each fight is a fun whirlwind of called-out attacks and flashy attacks, with plenty of team attacks and particle effects flying around. While some enemies and bosses can be major HP sponges, the flow of each battle is satisfying, and you genuinely look forward to each fight.
Beyond the Dawn follows the crew a year after the events of the main game, now dealing with a mysterious young girl named Nazamil. It’s a sizeable expansion, offering 15-20 hours more content and a new story. While it isn’t as strong as the main game, it’s still a solid add-on that brings more of the overall quality of the main game. It’s a good addition to the overall package, giving players a way to experience the entire story in one place.
Old framerate problems still persist on the Nintendo Switch 2.
The Switch 2 version is a solid way to experience Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition, even if the performance is just okay. The game runs at 30fps during gameplay, while the cut scenes jump to 60fps.
The frame rates across both were largely solid, with a few dips here and there in big areas, but nothing major. During fights, even with a lot going on, the frame rates were stable, which is what matters the most. It does run at 60fps on other consoles, including the PS5, so for those looking for a higher frame rate, it’s better experienced elsewhere.
On the resolution front, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition is at 1080p on both handheld and docked. It does look a little blurry in the environment, handheld, with some textures and NPC models looking slightly muddy around their edges.
It looks cleaner docked, but both versions still look great. The anime art style actually makes it a bit less noticeable, because some blurriness aside, it looks fantastic on Switch 2. The main character models look sharp, and the environments are gorgeous.
Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition remains a strong story despite its technical faults.
The only other complaint is the pop-in. Pop-in was already an issue on PS5, with textures, NPCs, and enemies frequently popping in as you run through an area. This is even worse on Switch 2, with even heavier pop-in. Parts of buildings materialize as you run past, NPCs seemingly teleporting in and out of nowhere. It’s never game-breaking, but it is really noticeable.
Despite the visual issues, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition does feel great on the Switch 2. The trade-offs here are understandable, as having one of the best JRPGs of this generation on the go is fantastic. The base game feels as good as ever, with the expansion being a solid add-on.
Those looking for higher resolutions and frame rates should look elsewhere, but for those who have never played Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition, or those looking to double dip to play on the go, the Switch 2 port is a great choice.
Tales of ARISE - Beyond the Dawn Edition
-
Rating - 7.5/107.5/10
TL;DR
Despite the visual issues, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition does feel great on the Switch 2. The trade-offs here are understandable, as having one of the best JRPGs of this generation on the go is fantastic. The base game feels as good as ever, with the expansion being a solid add-on.
