The Tales series by Namco has been around for a long time. The first game came out 1995, and over the last 22 years there have been 16 releases, making it comparable to other Japanese RPG series such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star.

Tales of The Rays is much more action oriented than its previous Android title from 2012, Tales of the World: Tactics Union, which was 3D Tactical RPG similar to Final Fantasy Tactics.

Tales of The Rays is an entirely different experience. As soon as the game starts we are treated with a gorgeous Anime intro, which is a staple of the game series since the second game back in 1997 (though, the original Tales of Phantasia game was also given an anime opening in its PlayStation port).

Then the tutorial begins. It's not too long (as is becoming the norm in many mobile games), and describes the basics very well. The interface is amazingly intuitive (I would risk saying that it even puts FF Brave Exvius to shame). The mechanics are very much a cross between Zelda, Kingdom Hearts and Destiny Warriors. Very fast paced and based on combos. They call it ADF-LMBS or Advanced Flick Linear Motion Battle System 😨 or if you prefer it in the original language: アドバンストフリック・リニアモーションバトルシステム, got it?

The only downside is that the story jumps right into the action without much detail (who is this Ix character??).

I guess this is a must for JRPG game fans, but may be too niche for some players. That said, it's a landmark release of the genre in 2017!