The developers of Bandai Namco’s latest JRPG, Tales of Arise, have spoken out about the prospects for the game’s immediate sequel.

Bandai Namco’s Tales of Arise is the latest instalment in the long-running JRPG franchise, which was released last year to positive reviews and good sales. As proof of this, the game managed to set a new record for the series, selling over 1.5 million copies in its first month, quickly making it the fastest-selling title in the series. Praised by fans and critics alike for its excellent combat, unique world design, fantasy and sci-fi aesthetic, and ambitious story, this entry is one of the best JRPGs of 2021.

The massive success of the latest episode has left some fans wondering what the next instalment in the series will be. Some may think that further expanding Tales of Arise with an anime adaptation is possible. There is a camp that may believe that a direct sequel to Tales of Arise is possible, while others believe that another Tales of-game may be in the works. At least as far as a sequel to Arise is concerned, there seem to be no plans, according to the game’s producer Yusuke Tomiwaza.

Speaking to Edge magazine, Tomiwaza explained that despite how successful Tales of’s latest entry has been so far, a sequel is “not in the cards at the moment.”

He cites the team’s desire to end the Tales of Arise story with a “good aftertaste” that doesn’t require further expansions, such as DLCs or sequels.

He elaborates on this point, saying that rather than building on the story of Tales of Arise, he wants his studio to build on the game’s success to bring in new fans. To that end, he states that he wants to create a new “cutting-edge flagship title” that will be bolstered by the success of this instalment and allow fans to rediscover some of the older games in the Tales of franchise.

Tales of Arise director Hirokazu Kagawa noted that his JRPG companion title Scarlet Nexus was part of what made the game the success it became. Kagawa said that he and his team were influenced by the similarities between Tales of Arise and Scarlet Nexus, where the latter game was seen as a rival that could help propel Tales of Arise forward. This was mainly due to the fact that Scarlet Nexus director Kenji Anabuki had been involved with the Tales of Symphonia series since 2003. While some fans may be disappointed that the game is not getting a direct sequel, it seems that the development teams at Bandai Namco are incredibly passionate about delivering feature-rich JRPG experiences.

Source: GamesRadar