Although Tales of Arise won't be releasing until later this year after being delayed due to the pandemic, fans are nonetheless excited for the first mainline game from the Tales series in five years. Tales of Arise promises to evolve and revitalize the series with a team made of veterans and newcomers alike. Over the years, the Tales franchise has become one of the biggest RPG series in Japan alongside Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy due to its unique Linear Motion Battle System and interesting narrative themes.
While the Tales games have similarities in their gameplay mechanics, they have spanned a variety of different settings and featured different casts of characters. As a result, players will find that they enjoy certain entries in the series more than others and opinions can vary greatly as most players will not have completed all sixteen mainline games. Nonetheless with Tales of Arise coming soon, ranking the games can help players decide which titles to go through first.
S-Tier
- Tales of Abyss
- Tales of Vesperia
Although there's a lot of debate over which Tales games are the best, Tales of Abyss and Tales of Vesperia consistently top players' lists, and for good reason. They are both perfect representations of what the Tales series does best; fantastic character writing, dynamic interactions, and solid gameplay mechanics.
In particular, Tales of Abyss features a phenomenal character development arc in its protagonist, Luke von Fabre and includes one of the most interesting villains in the series. On the other hand, Tales of Vesperia has the best pacing of any Tales game and a great dynamic between the cast of characters. These games shouldn't be missed by any fan looking forward to the release of Tales of Arise.
A-Tier
- Tales of Berseria
- Tales of Symphonia
- Tales of Xillia
- Tales of Graces F
The A-Tier is where Tales games start shifting away from a universal consensus as more players begin to choose their personal favorites based on a number of different factors such as characters, story, and gameplay elements. Any of the games in the A-Tier are interchangeable with other tiers depending on player preferences but these four are generally fan favorites and are critically acclaimed.
Tales of Berseria is the most recent mainline Tales game and it has quickly become a fan favorite for its darker tone and story of revenge. Although the combat system mechanics and graphics are a little dated even by its original 2016 release standards, Tales of Berseria's writing is some of the best in the franchise.
Tales of Symphonia is the title that introduced Tales to a Western audience and it remains one of the most popular entries due to its detailed worldbuilding and cast of characters. While it has aged over the years and some dungeons suffer from repetition, it's still a classic RPG that any fan of the genre should experience.
Tales of Xillia and Tales of Graces F are often overlooked when compared to the bigger names on this list but both games shine in their own right. Tales of Xillia's battle system received praise for its speed and responsiveness alongside an endearing cast. On the other hand, Tales of Graces F has the best gameplay mechanics of the series featuring a robust and fluid battle system. While its overall story was shallow at times and fell into clichés, Tales of Graces F's refined battle mechanics make it a standout in the Tales franchise.
B-Tier
- Tales of Xillia 2
- Tales of Eternia
- Tales of Destiny Remake
- Tales of Hearts/Tales of Hearts R
Similar to the A-Tier, Tales games in the B-Tier will depend on player preferences and all of these titles have distinguishing features that separate them from the other games. However, the games in the B-Tier also have more noticeable drawbacks such as weaker stories or characters, awkward battle mechanics or dated elements.
Tales of Xillia 2 takes place a year after the events of the first game and has an interesting story of destroying parallel dimensions. Unique to Tales of Xillia 2 are player decisions that influence the course of the story and how it progresses. Unfortunately, it suffers from repetitive map design and reused assets from the first game.
Tales of Eternia and Tales of Destiny Remake are some of the older games in the franchise but have held up remarkably well despite their age. Both games represent great iterations of the 2D battle system before the series began shifting to 3D. Although some of the mechanics can be clunky at times, they offer great experiences for fans of old-school JRPGs.
Tales of Hearts and its remake often get overlooked in the series but it features one of the tightest battle systems in the franchise. The combat flows nicely together with combos and the mechanics are much smoother than other games. The biggest issues that hold it back from greatness is its uneven localization and its annoying random encounter mechanic.
C-Tier
- Tales of Phantasia
- Tales of Rebirth
- Tales of Innocence
- Tales of Destiny 2
The C-Tier is fairly similar to the B-Tier but the games here are either very dated or never received a Western release making it difficult for fans to experience. The games themselves are usually decent but fans waiting for Tales of Arise might want to skip some of these entries in favor of localized titles.
While Tales of Phantasia is where it all started for the Tales franchise, many of its mechanics haven't aged very well. It's an impressive game considering it was originally released on the SNES but it has an overreliance on random encounters and it doesn't include any of the QoL updates that future Tales games would receive.
Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Innocence, and Tales of Destiny 2 are solid entries in the franchise but unfortunately, never received a Western release. While these titles have fan translations or patches available, it can prove to be a hassle and fans looking forward to Tales of Arise will likely want to play the localized games first.
D-Tier
- Tales of Zestiria
- Tales of Legendia
Tales of Zestiria is often cited as the weakest entry in the series due to its overwhelming amount of tutorials, convoluted plot, and uninspired world design. Though it was ambitious and had an incredible soundtrack, it ultimately felt like a step backwards for modern Tales games. Tales of Legendia has also received criticism for its frustratingly slow pace and uninspired story. Though these games might appeal to hardcore Tales fans, they are outclassed by other titles in the franchise and feature bland, derivative stories.
Tales of Arise is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.