On paper, Tales of Come up – Past the Daybreak checks all of the containers for a DLC. 

I do know that’s an odd option to begin this overview, however different equally marketed DLC, notably from the Xenoblade Chronicles sequence, units a excessive bar. Torna: The Golden Nation and Future Redeemed explored completely different casts of characters, introduced surprises within the story division, and considerably modified the gameplay. There have been even new areas to discover. 

At first blush, it regarded like Past the Daybreak may be ready to satisfy that bar. 20 hours of gameplay, together with new story content material? Test. A comparatively excessive price ticket to again up that assertion? Test. All of the anime aesthetics you’ll be able to take? Test. 

Evidently, Tales of Come up – Past the Daybreak doesn’t clear that bar. The gameplay is unchanged. The occasion is unchanged. Even many of the areas are unchanged. The brand new story content material has some potential, however it’s wholly wasted and doesn’t go anyplace new. The writers even lean into among the very troubling instructions they adopted in Tales of Come up‘s late recreation. Add that to the truth that this was launched over two years after the principle recreation, and it’s too little, too late, and the price of entry is simply too excessive for all however essentially the most hardcore Tales of Come up devotees. 

Set roughly a yr after the occasions of Tales of Come up, after the 2 worlds have merged collectively and the Dahnans and Renans at the moment are adapting to dwelling collectively, Past the Daybreak opens with Alphen and Shionne exploring the world, trying to shut down “Mausoleums” that appear to be setting the newly fashioned world on edge, retaining the completely different parts from absolutely coming into steadiness. On their adventures, they arrive throughout Nazamil, a younger lady accosted by locals as a result of she is the daughter of a Renan lord and a Dahnan mom. In fact, our good heroes come to avoid wasting the day, they usually take Nazamil underneath their wing whereas going to satisfy up with the previous gang.

Nazamil has hassle adjusting to life with associates. She’s been shunned her whole life. Right here, we have now a probably fascinating character to discover, however that by no means occurs. She rapidly is shuffled out of the occasion and off display screen, and the struggles she endures make up the overwhelming majority of the “fundamental” story. In the long run, although, all of it comes again to the “energy of friendship,” a theme I usually take pleasure in, however it’s performed so poorly right here that I truthfully laughed throughout among the most dramatic story moments. We merely don’t get sufficient time with Nazamil to speculate ourselves in what occurs to her, and regardless of how a lot the principle forged cares about her, it may well’t make up for the shockingly skinny writing round her story.

The remainder of the 20-hour runtime consists of doing so much, and I imply so much, of sidequests, and it looks as if that might work on paper. In spite of everything, the final premise of Past the Daybreak is ripe for exploring advanced themes: each the Renans and Dahnans dwell in the identical area now. After untold years of exploitation, how do the Dahnans work together with the Renans? What do the Renans do to atone for his or her many sins? For those who’ve performed the final 15 hours of Tales of Come up, you’ll be able to in all probability guess the reply to these questions: everybody’s “plight” is handled the identical. The oppressed and the oppressors all have it “simply as exhausting” as the opposite as all of them attempt to get alongside. It’s equally troubling right here because it was within the base recreation, and the writers do nothing to ameliorate my considerations. 

Sometimes, the sport tries to discover some fascinating points: how does Alphen take care of his heroism? What about Alphen’s difficulties with the Renans? How does Regulation dwell as much as the legacy of his father? However each time, even when the characters come to some dedication, nothing adjustments. For instance, when Alphen decides he received’t drop his life for each particular person in want, a ton of sidequests open up. A minimum of 15. In fact it’s time to go and decide up these sidequests, utterly ignoring Alphen’s alternative for development. Whereas that is in all probability essentially the most evident instance of the disjointed storytelling in Tales of Come up – Past the Daybreak, there are many different examples. Many of the quests boil all the way down to what you’d count on: kill this, collect that, discuss to them. Even the brand new “EX” sidequests, that are hypothetically character-centric, do little to tell apart themselves from the remaining outdoors of barely strengthening that character’s enhance assault. Frankly, it feels just like the writers had some fascinating concepts, however they didn’t dare to discover them extra completely for concern of offending their viewers.

For those who’re searching for extra details about the gameplay, the music, and even the look, the most effective place to go is Izzy’s wonderful overview. I wholeheartedly agree with the whole lot they need to say concerning the recreation there. The issue, in fact, is that it’s utterly unchanged right here. Don’t get me fallacious: in essence, I loved enjoying Past the Daybreak, however for a similar causes I loved enjoying the bottom recreation. The fight guidelines, the sport is gorgeous, and I benefit from the forged on the entire. However, when the value tag is 30 bucks, I count on at the very least some adjustments. 

I despise the time period “money seize,” since I do know many individuals exerted loads of effort to make this recreation occur, however I truthfully can’t consider some other motive Tales of Come up – Past the Daybreak exists. For me, there’s not sufficient to justify a prolonged, padded playtime, a foolish, inconsequential story, and an entire lot of the identical stuff we already performed within the base recreation. Truthfully, in order for you extra Tales of Come up, simply go play the bottom recreation once more. It’s nonetheless enjoyable to play and has higher storytelling and characterization, together with the added bonus of being a full, full recreation all by itself. The one individuals I can think about having fun with this DLC are diehard followers who merely need “extra” Tales of Come up and spend extra time with the characters. If that’s what you’re searching for, you got here to the fitting place, for higher or worse.