Gaming

Should you play Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn?

What to expect.

Published

November 8, 2023

Roughly around two years since it first launched, the Tales of Arise game is back with fresh new content with the Beyond the Dawn DLC. Is this something you should check out? Here’s a quick run through of what to expect.

New character, new adventures

Nazamil

The Beyond the Dawn DLC introduces a new character – Nazamil. She is the daughter of a Renan Lord and a Dhanan. Nazamil is caught between the conflict between the Renans and Dhanans who now have to learn how to co-exist on the same planet following the events of the main game.

Who is she exactly and what role can she possibly play in unifying races that have been at odds with each other? That’s for you to play and find out.

The gang’s back together

Alphen, Shionne, Rinwell, Law, (mommy) Kisara, and Dohalim meet once again a year after the events of the first game. It’s Alphen and Shionne who first meet Nazamil but the entire crew eventually help escort her to a safer place she can stay at.

Being away from the game almost just as much as the characters have been away from each other in the narrative, there is a heartwarming sense of reunion. And just like old friends you haven’t seen in a while, you’ll quickly remember who these characters are exactly after a few minutes with them in game.

More RPG fantasy than that other Fantasy game?

If you found the RPG fantasy aspect of Final Fantasy XVI lacking, then Beyond the Dawn might just quench your thirst. While both feature an action combat, you get more RPG staples here.

You have to mind the elemental effectiveness of attacks and magic. You control a party of six, four of which can be active on the battlefield, and you can switch to your preferred character on the fly. As a bonus, you can even switch up your characters’ costumes without affecting your battle stats.

Speaking of costumes, the DLC features a new set for all six characters. Neat, right?

It’s a 20+ hour affair

Other than the main story, the Beyond the Dawn DLC is filled with plenty of side content to keep you playing for hours on end. Bandai Namco promises over 20 hours of play time. That’s almost like an entirely new game.

Much like the main game, there are bonus monsters (zeugles) to vanquish and enemies to defeat. You can take your sweet time and savor the moments spent with your band of misfits.

The story is gripping

For an action RPG that took us north of 80 hours to complete, the story is surprisingly not as convoluted as other similar games. It’s focused on the themes of discrimination, unity, identity, and more.

It can be a lot to digest, which is why its best to take your time in getting through the game.

You know you want it

If you’re still reading up to here, you’re most definitely interested already. Beyond the Dawn is the perfect extension to Tales of Arise. You get more of what the base game has to offer and then some.

Reuniting with the main crew, re-learning the combat mechanics, and experiencing more of its world. All of these feel rewarding especially if you enjoyed Tales of Arise because you’re certainly getting more of that with Beyond the Dawn.

Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn DLC is available on November 9, 2023. It is on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC via STEAM. You need the base game to play the DLC.

Related Topics:Tales of ARISE Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn

Gaming

There’s a new Batman Arkham game coming

Exclusive to VR

Published

May 3, 2024

Luigi Leonardo

The world of Batman Arkham is not done. Despite concluding the trilogy with the successful Arkham Knight, the series occasionally makes a comeback. Now, it’s time to make another trip to the immersive grimdark world. Batman: Arkham Shadow is the next entry to the series, exclusive to the Meta Quest 3.

The franchise’s trips outside of the main trilogy are a mixed bag. No disrespect to those who actually liked the game, but Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League just was not it. Though the game promised a return to Rocksteady’s iconic Arkham formula, the resulting game was a live-service mess. Arkham Origins was, at least, a decent play. Finally, the franchise’s first foray into VR, Arkham VR, was lauded for its gameplay but criticized for its length.

Arkham Shadow brings the franchise back to virtual reality. While the previous VR-exclusive was already a marvel of its technology, the upcoming title represents an evolution for hardware. Based on the official teaser, it will have updated graphics, giving Arkham City just that extra bite of darkness.

Currently, the trailer does not reveal anything about the game’s mechanics. More details are scheduled for release during the Summer Game Fest in June.

Though Arkham Shadow is certainly set in the eponymous universe, Rocksteady is not helming the development. Instead, Oculus Studios and Camouflaj are behind the title.

As for confirmed lore, the title looks like it will feature Ratcatcher, the villain who — surprise, surprise — controls rats. You might recognize the villain from 2021’s The Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn.

Gaming

Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO: New trailer, more characters revealed

It’s master vs. apprentice this time

Published

May 3, 2024

GadgetMatch

Today, Bandai Namco has released another trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO. The clip focuses on master-apprentice duels this time, expanding on what we know so far about the upcoming latest installment of the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi fighting game series.

In the trailer, we see an epic series of battles between master and apprentice pairings. These include Piccolo against Gohan, Master Roshi against Krillin and Yamcha, Trunks versus Gohan, and a lot more. We also see Android 17 and Android 18 and one-armed Gohan towards the end of the trailer.

Even better news: it has been confirmed that 10 more playable characters have been included to the roster:

Gohan (Kid)
Gohan (Adult)
Gohan (Future)
Gohan (Future), Super Saiyan
Trunks (Sword)
Trunks (Sword), Super Saiyan
Videl
Beerus
Whis
Master Roshi

After the announcement of 24 Gokus and Vegetas, as well as 11 more characters about two months ago, the build-up definitely continues for the fighting game. With more and more playable characters, that means endless combinations for players to enjoy, all while indulging in stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5 and tailor-made for new-gen consoles.

Bandai Namco previously released exclusive gameplay footage from the title two months ago. This gave fans a preview upcoming fighting game’s 3D action-battle mechanics, with no less than rivals Goku and Vegeta leading the way.

The latest trailer, meanwhile, just let fans dive further into the graphical capabilities of the title. From the lightning-paced combat highlighted in the master-apprentice showdowns, to the characters’ in-action effects itself, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is building itself as a visual masterpiece.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).

Gaming

TEKKEN 8: Brand new story, 2nd DLC character announced

Season 1 roadmap unveiled

Published

May 2, 2024

GadgetMatch

Enjoying TEKKEN 8 so far? The title’s upcoming roadmap for the rest of 2024 has been revealed at EVO Japan, giving fans more reasons to keep playing Arika and Bandai Namco’s beloved fighting game.

There will be an all-new story coming to TEKKEN 8‘s Story Mode, which will be released in the future. Additionally, Lidia Sobieski has been confirmed as the second DLC character. She will be joining the roster this summer. It can be recalled that Eddy Gordo was the first character DLC for TEKKEN 8, joining the roster last April 4.

No specific date has been mentioned yet regarding Lidia Sobieski. Lidia made her franchise debut back in TEKKEN 7 as a DLC for the Season 4 Pass.

Meanwhile, adjustments to the battle system will be rolled out starting this spring. The game’s development team continues to work on improving balance and player experience. New modes such as Ghost vs. Ghost and Online Practice, on the other hand, will also be added at a later date.

Moreover, a new summer-themed stage, “Seaside Resort” will be available for free. Lastly, a brand new story will also be part of another free update in autumn. This new story will involve no less than Eddy Gordo.

ALSO READ: TEKKEN 8 closes a violent chapter to begin anew

TEKKEN World Tour

Also keeping TEKKEN fans busy for the next few months is the TEKKEN World Tour. The sixth season of this global tournament kicked off recently. Players across the globe compete to earn points and earn their place at the finals to be named The King of Iron Fist.

There will be a total of two Master+ events, 10 Master Events, and 14 Challenger Events worldwide for competitors to join. For more information on tour partners, event dates, locations, and signups, visit tekkenworldtour.com.