Tales of Luminaria is a free-to-play action RPG that fits into the popular and long-running "Tales Of" series. Heavily influenced by Japanese anime, the game allows you to enter a fantasy word in which magical heroes do battle against monsters and villains.

Although it belongs to the same series as Tales of Zestiria and Tales of Vesperia™: Definitive Edition, Tales of Luminaria puts its own spin on core gameplay. In particular, it is geared specifically towards mobile play, distinguishing it from its computer/console cousins.

A "Tales Of" adventure for mobile

Tales of Luminaria is influenced by the "gacha" game genre, with its emphasis on unlockables and collecting. The game starts with the player in control of a heroic swordsman named Leo Fourcade, but Leo is not the only playable character. Over the course of the game, you will be able to unlock 20 more heroes. Characters' weapons range from bows and arrows to magic.

An engrossing storyline

As with all RPGs, Tales of Luminaria is focused heavily on storytelling. The game is divided into multiple episodes, with each of the 21 characters given a segment of the overall story. The intricate story will appeal to fans of fantasy JRPGs.

A vertical-only viewing screen

One definite oddity with Tales of Luminaria is that the game's screen is portrait-only. Even by rotating your phone, you will not be able to switch to landscape. This is a strange creative choice, as the portrait format serves only to truncate and squash the game's fantasy world.

A solid addition to the series

If you can look past the awkward presentation, Tales of Luminaria captures both the gameplay and the general atmosphere of the series as a whole. The fact that it is free to play also makes it appealing, although some features will require purchases.