TheTalesaction RPG franchise remains as strong as it ever was, with the latest entryTales of Arisecoming out in the next few months. This game marks the largest leap forward inTalesgraphics and gameplay seen in quite some time.Tales of Ariseis actually the first mainline game in theTalesseries to move beyond the PlayStation 3 entirely and upgrade to Unreal Engine 4, and this has allowed Namco to take some very obvious steps towards making a more ambitiousTalesgame. The environments are more detailed, often wider, and even have vertical elements like small ledges that the player can interact with. That alone has breathed new life into the old series.
That’s not all that’s different.Taleshas been known to have a standout fighting system among action RPGs. That part is still intact inTales of Arise, but there is now a dedicated aerial element as well. Perhaps to accommodate for all the high-flying action that will no doubt ensue, thestaple multiplayer system is sadly skipping this entry. However, other things like Artes are still very much around, and Mystic Artes are back once again.
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Mystic Artes Are All Over The Tales Franchise
Mystic Artes were introduced all the way back inTales of Phantasia’s PlayStation 1 remake. When it was re-released in 1998, three years after its original Super Famicom version,Phantasiasported a completely redesigned battle system with new movesets and animations. Among a few other extras added on top of that was the first mystic arte of the series, Dark Blade.
This is intended to be a “last resort” sort of attack, usable only if the lead hero Cress' HP is at critical levels, and if the player knows the button combination they need to press to use it. Later re-releases gave other characters Mystic Artes as well and gave Cress more of them, but the trend was set: a Mystic Arte was a special super-powerful attack set apart from other Artes.
At least one version of every subsequent game in the series had Mystic Artes or an equivalent going by a different name. The PlayStation 2 remake ofthe secondTalesgame,Tales of Destiny, was what really codified them, however. While they weren’t called Mystic Artes, the three-tiered Blast Calibers were the template forTales’ memorable super moves.
TheDestinyremake also introduced another Mystic Arte attribute, namely that bosses can have them as well. The final boss has three counter Blast Calibers, and one that is automatically used at low health. The protagonist, Stahn, can then follow that desperation Caliber up with a unique one of his own, giving the game a uniquely cinematic ending.
Mystic Artes Fill an Important Role in Tales Combat
The ability for party members and key bosses to have Mystic Artes, as well as those Artes sometimes having special circumstances or effects, add a ton of personality to theTalesseries. The actions characters take in their Mystics, as well as what they say, can reflect a lot about them. A fight against a party member’s personal rival is always more engaging when they suddenly jump into the boss’ abrupt Mystic Arte cutscene and counter with a Mystic of their own, like what Rokurou can do with ShigureinTales of Berseria. Dual Mystics also started showing up in later games, allowing party members to demonstrate their relationships with one another through combat.
When it comes down to it, Mystic Artes are iconic and memorable because they fulfill the same role assuper attacks in the fighting gamesthat inspiredTales. They’re flashy, personalized moves that aren’t around all the time, but when they do show up, they can inspire a huge shift in the flow of battle. Even when they’re not serving much of a story function, they perform their mechanical function admirably. With Dual Mystics already playing a prominent role inTales of Arise’ trailers, it looks like Mystic Artes, likeTalesitself, are here to stay.
Tales of Arisewill come to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S on September 10th, 2021.
