like previous games in the series, "tales of arise" is an action role-playing game, although its gameplay has gone through unspecified alterations as part of its development goals while retaining the basic "tales" battle system, dubbed the linear motion battle system. "arise" takes place in a setting divided between the medieval world of dahna and the advanced world of rena. rena's superior technological and magical advancement cause it to hold power over dahna, taking its resources and treating its people as slaves. the protagonists are a man, alphen, native to dahna, and a woman, shionne, from rena, who end up travelling together.