A burst arte (バーストアーツ baasutoaatsu?) is a powerful class of arte introduced in Tales of Vesperia that can only be used during Over Limit mode.
Function[]
Burst artes are activated when, in any level of Over Limit, the player holds the "Artes" button while performing an arcane or altered arte. Doing so will activate the burst arte upon completion of the previous arte. They are powerful, forming another tier of artes only surpassed by mystic artes. They have three tiers of power; the weakest is activated at Level 1 Over Limit. At higher levels, with 3 and 4 sharing the effects, the burst artes evolve into more complex forms, capable of dealing more damage, performing more hits, or expanding their range. Yuri's Divine Wolf - Flood, for example, will hit a larger radius around him at higher levels. Rita Mordio's Mystic Drive, on the other hand, expands what is initially a burst of energy with a wider range and more attacks.
The initial burst arte a character learns is non-elemental. Through certain skills, they can become elemental altered artes: Fire through the passive skills Hell Fire and Chain; Earth through Athenor and Crucible; Wind through Gale and Alembic; and Water through Great Deluge and Dispersion. The effects can vary from simply changing the color and style of the attack to forming a new one altogether; Yuri's Divine Wolf is a series of slashes, but his Divine Wolf - Flood, the Water variation, involves him thrusting his sword into the ground to cause water to rise from the ground.