Tales of Arise “marks a new beginning” for the series

The latest in Bandai Namco’s 25-year-old franchise is due for release in 2020

Bandai Namco has officially announced Tales of Arise, promising it “marks a new beginning” for the Tales series.

Tales of Arise will be the 17th game in the franchise and will launch in 2020, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the original game, Tales of Phantasia.

Arise focuses on two neighbouring planets, Dahna and Rena, which have a complicated relationship.

The people of Dahna see Rena as a planet of the divine and righteous, and legends and lore about the people of Rena have been handed down through the generations.

In reality, though, Rena has ruled over Dahna for the past three centuries, stripping the planet’s resources and inhibiting its people’s freedom: the positive stories Dahna’s people tell are designed to mask what’s really going on.

Tales of Arise will feature an original cast of characters, but will also include “some classic Tales Of elements”, according to Bandai Namco.

Yusuke Tomizawa, head of the God Eater franchise, is leading the project.

Bandai Namco announced last month that the Tales series has hit 20 million lifetime sales.