Tales of Arise has been one of the most critically acclaimed entries to the long-running series, and better yet, one of the most celebrated JRPGs in general. I had all but wrapped up my Tales of Arise journey when Bandai Namco announced a continuation of the story with the Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn Expansion. With my Xbox Series X on hand, I was lucky enough to gain early access to a review copy of Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn, and I eagerly dove into the world of Dahnan once again.

The context of the DLC does follow directly from the end of the main storyline, so in essence, will contain spoilers of the original story, so with that covered, let’s jump in. The conclusion of the main storyline saw the two worlds of Dahnan and Rena merge into one, with all six elements in one place, and the main areas of the original game still in play.

A year has passed since these events, and the six main characters have been helping the people of both nations assimilate to their newly combined world. Alphen and Shionne have spent the time growing closer than ever, and their friends Law, Rinwell, Kisara, and Dohalim couldn’t be happier for them. It was not until a new face entered the mix that the six had to once again band together to unravel the mysteries that Nazamil brought with her.

The most alluring aspect of Tales of Arise, for me, was the diverse dialogue on display through fully rendered cut scenes and the comic book-style skits. The Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn Expansion has continued this trend, and then some, with a much deeper narrative on acceptance, imposter syndrome, and political stances.

Alphen, The Blazing Sword, is struggling to accept the mantle of the hero, and the people of Dahnan have become almost too reliant on his help. This is also manifesting in his relationship with Shionne as he strives for a better life for her and a better future, which is where the new character subplot missions come into play.

Each character has a specific set of missions, with Alphen’s having a special proposal in mind that unlocks special entries to Shionne’s diary. These side quests, while narratively driven in the right direction, can boil down to a few checklists or fetch quests.

They are not without a few combat sequences along the way though, so the general gameplay loop will see you explore old areas that benefit from a fresh look and feel to them. Nazamil is the central driving force when it comes to the main plot, and as a non-playable character, she presents a focus for the team to rally around, and her story spans into new areas while exploring self-discovery and deception.

There isn’t a large addition to the areas you can visit, save for the end-game portion of the DLC, but the world itself feels more lived in than the first time through. The Cyslodia area, for example, is still a frozen town on top of a mountain, but now the sun has broken through the clouds and is slowly melting away some of the long-term built-up snowy regions. It has a bright atmosphere while maintaining the original feel of the area.

The final section of the DLC sees you through Rena technology Mausoleums and an astral energy-inspired area that plays well into the lore of the game, and it has the most immersive skybox art of an already beautiful game.

The game itself is a continuation of the main story and is accessible off the bat, even if you haven’t finished the original story. To do so, the game will give you a boost in levels, CP, and Glad, the game’s currency, to get on par with the world as the enemies start at level 65, spanning all the way to level 90 and higher.

This DLC can start off running through familiar ground with simple combat encounters, but be prepared for a gauntlet of fights with far-apart checkpoints and some brutal transforming boss encounters. The gear you can chase isn’t a giant step forward either, so the combat feels like an extension of the main game rather than a reinvention. Given that the combat is already expansive in nature, depending on how you want to play, this isn’t a bad choice, but it does feel limited on room to grow.

Beyond the Dawn feels like the natural progression to award-winning JRPG Tales of Arise. The story-driven narrative eases you back into the world you left behind before ramping up the combat aspect for a tough end game. Nazamil fits in so well with the main cast, and her journey takes you on many different avenues that I implore you find out yourself.

Written by: Shane Fletcher