Tales of Arise changed things. It’s weird to think about now, but before Alphen and Shionne showed up with that high-budget visual overhaul, the Tales series was comfortably niche. It was the "comfort food" of JRPGs—reliable, a bit anime-tropey, and usually looking a generation behind technically. Then Arise dropped with its flashy "Strike" finishers and that gorgeous Atmospheric Shader, and suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of that fast-paced, elemental action.
If you’re looking for games like Tales of Arise, you’re probably chasing a very specific high. You want that mix of flashy, real-time combat that feels like a fighting game but stays rooted in a deep, 50-hour melodrama. You want characters who won't stop talking to each other during combat. Honestly, finding that exact balance is harder than it looks. Most JRPGs either go full "math-brain" with turn-based menus or lose the plot entirely by trying to be a generic character action game.
The secret sauce isn't just the combat. It’s the "Skits." It’s the way the party feels like a dysfunctional family by the third act. If you want that, you have to look at a few specific titles that nail the same vibe.
Scarlet Nexus Is The Obvious First Stop
Bandai Namco basically took the Arise energy and threw it into a "Brain Punk" future. If you haven't played Scarlet Nexus, it’s basically the neon-soaked sibling to Arise. You’ve got two protagonists—Yuito and Kasane—and their stories intersect in ways that make playing both mandatory if you actually want to know what’s going on with the moon. (Yes, the moon is a whole thing).
The combat here is faster than Arise. It’s all about "Psychokinesis." You aren't just swinging a sword; you're hurlng city buses and train cars at enemies while your teammates lend you their elemental powers through a system called SAS. It feels incredibly fluid. You’ll be mid-combo, pop a fire buff from a friend, and suddenly your brain-swords are melting everything in sight.
Wait, there’s a catch. The storytelling in Scarlet Nexus uses these "still-frame" comic book panels for most dialogue. It’s not the fully animated cutscenes you get in Arise. Some people hate it. I think it’s fine once you get into the rhythm, but if you need high-end cinematography every five minutes, this might feel like a slight step down in presentation. But the combat? It’s arguably more creative.
The Granblue Fantasy: Relink Connection
People waited years for Granblue Fantasy: Relink. When it finally arrived, the consensus was clear: this is what happens when you take the Tales formula and turn the "boss fight" dial up to eleven.
Unlike Arise, which is a sprawling journey across different biomes, Relink feels more like a series of high-stakes missions. You have a hub town, you prep your gear, and you dive into encounters that feel like Monster Hunter mixed with Final Fantasy XIV raid mechanics. Each character plays totally differently. While Alphen and Law in Arise have different moves, the characters in Relink have entirely unique mechanics—one might play like a rhythm game, while another is basically a heavy-hitting tank.
If you loved the elemental combo system in Arise, you’ll find Relink familiar. You’re constantly looking for "Link Attacks" and trying to trigger "Link Time," which slows down the world and lets you go absolutely ham on a boss's health bar. It's pure dopamine.
The story is shorter, though. Don't expect a 60-hour epic about planetary liberation. Expect a 15-hour campaign followed by 100 hours of grinding for the perfect Sigil to make your damage numbers go up.
Why You Shouldn't Sleep on Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
Look, the graphics are dated. Let's just get that out of the way. Ys VIII looks like a high-end Vita game because, well, it started as one. But if you want a game that matches the feeling of exploration and frantic combat found in Tales of Arise, Falcom’s masterpiece is mandatory.
You play as Adol Christin, a guy who cannot stay on a boat to save his life. You're shipwrecked on an island cursed by prehistoric monsters. The combat is lightning fast. It’s built around "Flash Guard" and "Flash Move"—if you time your dodge or block perfectly, the world slows down and you get a window of guaranteed critical hits. It makes you feel untouchable.
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The "Duo" Protagonist Dynamic
One thing Arise did well was the dual perspective of Alphen and Shionne. Ys VIII does something similar with Dana, a priestess from the past whose story unfolds alongside Adol’s. By the time the two timelines merge, the emotional payoff is huge. It has that same "us against a cruel world" sentiment that made Arise click for so many people.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is Better Than You Heard
The Star Ocean series has had a rough decade. Integrity and Faithlessness almost killed the franchise. But The Divine Force is a genuine return to form that feels very close to the Tales structure.
You have a sci-fi protagonist and a fantasy-world protagonist. You pick one and see the story through their eyes. The world is huge, and you have a little robot buddy called D.U.M.A. that lets you fly. Literally. You can jet-dash across the map and slam into enemies to start combat.
It’s janky. Let’s be real. The UI looks like it was designed in Microsoft Word and the character models have that "uncanny valley" doll look. But the combat system is deep. It uses a "Chain Combo" system where you map different skills to button presses, allowing for some ridiculous customization. If you can get past the lack of polish, it’s the closest "vibe" to a Tales game on the market.
Final Fantasy XVI: The High-Budget Cousin
If what you loved about Arise was the spectacle—the massive bosses, the flaming swords, the feeling of "prestige" gaming—then Final Fantasy XVI is the logical next step.
It’s much darker. Arise has its grim moments, sure, but FF16 is full-blown Game of Thrones with chocobos. The combat was designed by Ryota Suzuki, who worked on Devil May Cry 5, so it's incredibly tight. You aren't managing a full party in the same way, though. You mostly just control Clive. You have a dog, Torgal, who you can command, and occasionally AI companions tag along, but you’ll miss the "party" feel of a Tales game.
The trade-off is the Eikon battles. These are Kaiju-sized fights that make the boss battles in Arise look like a playground scuffle. It’s pure spectacle. If the "Blazing Sword" moments in Arise were your favorite part, FF16 provides that on a much larger scale.
Let's Talk About The Older Tales Games
It’s easy to forget that Tales of Arise is the 17th main entry in the series. If you finished it and want more, you should probably look backward, but with a warning: the older games are "clunkier."
- Tales of Berseria: This is widely considered to have one of the best stories in the series. You play as Velvet Crowe, a woman literally fueled by spite and revenge. The combat uses a "Soul Gauge" system that can be frustrating at first, but once you unlock the ability to break the soul cap, Velvet becomes an unstoppable beast. It’s much more "hallway-heavy" than Arise, but the characters are arguably better.
- Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition: This is the fan favorite. It’s got a "classic" JRPG look with cell-shaded graphics that still hold up. Yuri Lowell is a great protagonist because he’s a grown-up who’s willing to do morally grey things to get results. The combat is slower, though. You have to "earn" your fluidity by unlocking skills throughout the game. Early on, it might feel stiff compared to Arise.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and the Scale of War
If the "liberating a world" aspect of Arise was what hooked you, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on the Switch is a monster of a game. It deals with two nations locked in a perpetual war where soldiers only live for ten years.
The combat is different. It’s "auto-attack" based, meaning your character swings their weapon automatically while you manage positions and cooldowns (Arts). It’s more tactical and less "button-mashy." However, the "Ouroboros" system lets two characters fuse into a giant mech-like entity, which scratches that same itch as the Boost Strikes in Arise.
The world is also significantly larger. Arise has beautiful zones, but Xenoblade has entire continents you can traverse without a loading screen. It’s a huge time investment, but the emotional core—six people trying to find a way to live longer than a decade—is incredibly powerful.
Identifying What You Actually Want
When you're hunting for a replacement, you have to figure out which part of Arise was the "hook."
If it was the visuals and flashy combat, go with Final Fantasy XVI or Scarlet Nexus.
If it was the party chemistry and skits, you need to stick with the Tales back catalog, specifically Berseria.
If it was the sense of adventure and exploration, Ys VIII is your best bet despite its age.
The JRPG landscape is weird right now. We're seeing a shift away from turn-based combat in "triple-A" titles, but many games lose the soul of the genre in the process. Tales of Arise succeeded because it kept the "anime" heart beating inside a modern, shiny shell.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Next Playthrough
Don't just jump into the next 80-hour epic without a plan. You'll burn out.
- Check for Demos: Both Scarlet Nexus and Star Ocean: The Divine Force have substantial demos. Star Ocean especially needs a "feel test" because the movement is very different from other games.
- Look at "Relink" for Multiplayer: If you have friends who also liked Arise, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is the only one on this list that offers a genuinely great co-op experience.
- Adjust Your Difficulty Early: One thing about Tales games is that they can be "mashed" through on Normal. If you want the combat to feel as deep as people claim, bump the difficulty up to Hard. This forces you to actually use the elemental mechanics and dodge windows, which makes the transition to games like Ys or Scarlet Nexus much smoother.
- Embrace the Backlog: Don't be afraid of the PS3-era ports. Tales of Graces f is often cited as having the best combat in the entire series, even if the story is a bit "power of friendship" heavy. It’s supposedly getting a remaster soon, so keep an eye out.
Finding a perfect 1:1 match for Arise is impossible because Bandai Namco put a specific kind of polish on that game that hasn't quite been replicated yet. But the DNA of that experience—the high-octane battles, the constant party chatter, and the world-ending stakes—is alive and well if you know where to look. Pick the game that aligns with your favorite "part" of the Arise experience, and you'll find your next obsession pretty quickly.