DaRmaZat Tales, Bandai Namco’s long-running action RPG franchise, has captured the hearts of genre fans for decades. While Nintendo platforms have historically hosted many beloved entries in the series, the latest milestone chapter, Tales of Arise, was simply too demanding for the original Nintendo Switch – leaving hybrid-console players out in the cold since 2021. However, with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, that changes now. The complete package, titled Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition, is finally making its worldwide debut on Nintendo’s latest platform.
Personally, I was highly anticipating seeing how this Switch 2 port would look and feel to play, since it seemed like the perfect stage for this complete bundle, which packs the massive base game alongside its substantial narrative expansion, Beyond the Dawn, released in 2023.
Two Tales in One Package
For those who have never experienced either story before, it is essential to look at what this package delivers. Both campaigns are launched via separate choices on the main menu. It is strongly recommended to tackle the original campaign first, as the expansion builds directly upon your journey, though it generously sets up default progression choices if you decide to jump straight into Beyond the Dawn.
The base game introduces us to a fantasy universe shaped by 300 years of tyranny, where the technologically advanced faction of Rena has brutally enslaved the medieval world of Dahna. The plot follows Alphen, a slave with a mysterious iron mask who also cannot feel physical pain, and Shionne, a mysterious Renan girl whose touch inflicts severe pain via electrocution on anyone who gets too close. Wielding the power of a mythical Blazing Sword, together, they form an unlikely alliance, eventually gathering a loyal party of six heroes who all share the same goal: to overthrow the oppressive Renan Lords and liberate the people of Dahna.
As expected, Tales of Arise is an epic filled with colorful and less colorful characters, each with their own stories and personal struggles to overcome, featuring both peaceful moments (camping out!) and far more chaotic stretches. Or rather, let’s be honest: prepare yourself for a plot fueled by and filled with conflict. Because in this action RPG, there will naturally be plenty of fighting required to achieve that dream of ultimate freedom.
Once the massive base journey wraps up, the Beyond the Dawn expansion continues the narrative exactly one year later, adding more than 20 hours of fresh content. It explores the fragile, messy aftermath of Dahna’s liberation. The core party of six reunites when they cross paths with Nazamil, a young girl with two different-colored eyes who got into trouble as the daughter of both a Renan Lord and a Dahnan citizen. Marked as an outcast by both societies, she also appears to suffer from a dangerous curse, leading the six heroes to take her under their wing while trying to change her fate.
Overall, this expansion is generally considered the weaker sibling, and while I understand that the plot feels very familiar and mechanically brings little new to the table, I still experienced it mostly as a variation of and continuation of the base game. As such, I still had quite a lot of fun with it, whether through revisiting the diverse cast of characters, the fluid combat while following the plot progression, or through Nazamil herself, who brings a fresh layer of mystique and intrigue to the experience.
Explosive Real-Time Combat and Addictive Progression
Where Tales of Arise truly shines is its fast-paced, real-time action combat system. Battles are often frantic and challenging, but at the same time deeply strategic. The pacing of combat keeps you constantly engaged, not only while actively dodging, counter-attacking, and repositioning, but also because you can chain together basic attacks and specialized magical abilities called Artes, utilizing a fluid upgrade tree to unlock new skills and passive boosts as your party grows stronger.
One of my personal favorite elements of the battle system is the “Boost Strike” mechanic. By maintaining high-hit combos and exploiting enemy weaknesses, you can trigger spectacular, dual-character team finishers that deal massive damage and instantly clear out regular mobs. Each party member brings a distinct mechanical identity – some excel at breaking defensive armor, while others are built to swat down fast-moving aerial threats. Additionally, their position in the active team formation matters a lot. This encourages constant experimentation with your lineup, but also the available combat modes (whether to use Auto Mode or not) and strategies (such as an aggressive approach or conserving Cure Points, for example), making combat feel sufficiently varied and challenging across the lengthy campaigns of both editions and their endgame challenges.
Made for Handheld
Even though general gameplay features (like battles and exploration) run at 30 FPS, and cutscenes run at 60 FPS, the technical performance of this port is up to par. Whether the Switch 2 is docked or in handheld mode, the game manages to maintain a stable framerate alongside the rich visuals of the world of Dahna, a mesmerizing universe with a stunning painterly aesthetic and dynamically shifting landscapes tied to the time of day.
The audiovisual presentation is elevated by gorgeous anime cutscenes that add an impressive amount of emotion to the narrative, paired with an exquisite orchestral soundtrack and decent – though not full – voice acting. However, loading screens are not that fast, and in docked mode, the fidelity of the character models loses some of its crisp texture edge up close. Or to put it another way, on Switch 2, this game is best enjoyed in handheld mode, and that’s exactly how I played it most of the time.
Final Thoughts
Despite minor structural pacing issues in the late-game portions of the narrative, and somewhat subpar performance and fidelity compared to other consoles, Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn Edition still feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch 2. Bandai Namco has crafted a comprehensive JRPG experience here, filled with high-quality content and deeply engaging mechanics.
It’s a stellar package that justifies its existence on every platform through its sheer volume of high-quality content, a spectacular audiovisual presentation, and deeply engaging mechanics. For Nintendo players looking for a sprawling, gorgeous adventure that runs beautifully whether on the couch or on the go, adding this definitive collection to your gaming library is an absolute luxury.
Additional Information
Release Date: May 22, 2026
Reviewed On: Nintendo Switch 2. Download code provided by the publisher and PR agency.
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios Inc.
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Relevant links: Available via Nintendo eShop (BE, NL, US) and Steam.
