Second Time's A Charm -- Ar Tonelico II: Melody Of Metafalica Review

GamerNode - Gust is known for developing highly unique videogames, sometimes sacrificing wide audiences for implementation of very specific original design elements. If there was ever a game to break this niche status, the well-crafted Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica may be it. Published by NIS America, the still-out-of-the-ordinary Ar tonelico II improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way, and proves itself as a very worthy entry into the ever-growing RPG catalog.

Ar tonelico II takes place in Metafalss, a troubled land that is caught in the midst of a war between rivals the Grand Bell and the Sacred Army. These two groups both seek to steer Metafalss toward peace and prosperity, but each has very different ideas regarding how that goal would best be achieved. The Grand Bell wishes to obliterate the Goddess of Metafalss, who has neglected the land and its people for far too long, and then build a perfect world without her impeding the people's progress. The Sacred Army believes that the Goddess is the key to Metafalss' salvation, and that the Grand Bell must be stopped in order to appease her. As the story progresses and the intricacies of each faction are revealed, the lines between "good" and "bad" or "right" and "wrong" become increasingly ambiguous.

The game's story begins when protagonist and Grand Bell soldier Croix is given the task of protecting the exalted Lady Cloche from assassination by the Sacred Army. From there, the complexities of the narrative continue to mount through one of two entirely separate story arcs -- paths that are determined by highly consequential player choices. Regardless of which way the story is directed, it is consistently interesting throughout, with very few lulls in the narrative pace. Thanks to a map system that eliminates the long-distance travel and slow exploration of many other RPGs, players spend more time in locations that advance the plot, and less time getting there. By selecting destinations from a menu, players progress quickly and continuously drive the story forward.

Character development is a huge part of Ar tonelico II, and players will spend much of their time cultivating relationships with the special Reyvateil members of their party. Reyvateils are the magical female race with the power to cast powerful spells and understand the fabled Hymmnos language. By having conversations with these ladies and "diving" into their subconscious "soulspaces," they develop both as characters and as RPG party members. The Cosmospheres, which are essentially separate game-within-a-game adventures inside the girls' minds, are especially important for revealing the girls' thoughts and feelings, growing closer to Croix, and learning new song magic to be used in battle. For the player, spending time exploring these areas adds great depth to all of the characters, and sheds new light on the different aspects of their personalities. These quirky and unusual mini-stories don't fail to entertain, although it's possible that some players may show greater interest in the more action-packed "real" world of Metafalss. After all, what's an RPG without it's combat?

Ar tonelico II's combat is complex and creative, but not so much that it disrupts the flow of battle. In fact, fighting through the game's random encounters is a pleasure compared to many other JRPGs, and something players are likely to look forward to, rather than dread. As in the previous game, the song-magic-wielding Reyvateils are the most important part of the party, but between launching powerful, charged spells with these unique characters, there is still plenty to do. Vanguards, who occupy the front line in a four-person battle formation, will see the most action in any given fight, as they are tasked not only with inflicting physical harm upon their foes, but also with defending against attacks directed at the fragile Reyvateils.

Combat involves a series of timed attack and defense phases in which players use the Vanguards to fight in semi-real-time. During the attack phase, pressing the action button associated with a character (square for the top row, X for the bottom) along with a direction on the D-pad will make him or her launch one of three attacks on the targeted foe. Two to three attacks per Vanguard can be strung together before the phase ends. If a Reyvateil is singing a song, a small graph representing her emotions indicates which types of attacks will make that magic most effective. Other factors, such as the Reyvateils' connections with the Vanguards and each other (as cultivated through gameplay), also affect the strength of spells, which can be unleashed at any time during the attack phase with a tap of the circle button.

During the defensive phase, players absorb and deflect enemy attacks using the same Vanguard-specific buttons as in the attack phase. Timing these commands with a meter that corresponds to enemy actions will result in varying degrees of defensive success. Pressing the button just as the cursor passes over the horizontal meter's sweet spot will result in a completely deflected attack, while premature input will result in a few levels of partially cancelled damage. A split-second late, and the party will feel the full brunt of the blow(s).

This new battle system makes each fight fast-paced and interesting, and makes the player feel very connected to the action. Improving one's efficiency in battle over the course of the game is rewarding and enjoyable, so long as the player doesn't mind actively participating in combat. Coupled with the limited number of random encounters per area and the clear indication of impending battles, the entire combat experience in Ar tonelico II is very well put-together.

The game's audio, too, is above average. Even on the normally unimpressive English side of things, the game's voice acting is solid, and works with the game's oftentimes peculiar and innuendo-ridden dialog to further color the game's characters. For purists, a Japanese language track is also included. The musical score, however, outshines any of the voice work. From light and playful songs, to industrial beats, to dark, foreboding tunes, there is a composition for just about every occasion, and the game's key events are all the more captivating when experienced in conjunction with the appropriate compositions. Even with such variety, there is a common multi-instrumentational and folksy sound that persists throughout the entire soundtrack, which happens to be included with the retail copy of the game on a separate audio CD.

While possibly the weakest aspect of the game, Ar tonelico II's graphics are still quite charming. The game makes use of sprites that are reminiscent of the 32-bit era, treading along backgrounds made up of a mixture of 2D and 3D objects. The sprites themselves are bulky and bland, but the low-angle perspective of the environments, with very near foreground and very distant background layers creates a unique aesthetic that makes exploring the various locales just a bit more interesting than they would be otherwise. Unfortunately, the technical quality of these visuals is less praiseworthy than the style in which they are put together, and the whole package looks fairly dated. The minimally animated, hand-drawn character portraits that accompany the game's copious dialog segments, on the other hand, are very nicely detailed and quite appealing. That's a good thing, considering how often players will be staring at them throughout the long adventure.

Ar tonelico II is a shining example of how to improve upon a franchise's shortcomings and create a truly high-quality sequel. It is also proof that a game with very niche concepts can be molded in such a way that it becomes appealing to a broader audience than one might initially expect. Ultimately, though, Ar tonelico II is a great JRPG with a unique, though not exactly cutting-edge presentation, great combat, and an interesting, well-paced story. RPG fans shouldn't miss this one.

A Little Risque -- Ar Tonelico: Melody Of Elemia Review

Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia is totally different from your typical role-playing game, yet painfully the same. The novelty of the game comes from the unique combat system and the interesting development of relationships between the game's main character and his supporting female party members. It's a traditional sprite-based, turn-based RPG with courtship elements, and plenty of sexual innuendo, but it simply fails to captivate, and is ultimately unimpressive.

The story takes place on Sol Ciel, a world twice destroyed and subsequently rebuilt. It is made up of floating islands surrounding the Ar Tonelico, a central tower that sustains all life in the Sol Ciel, and is divided into the Upper World and the Lower World. The adventure begins when a seemingly invincible "virus" appears in the Upper World, and the young knight Lyner Barset is sent to the Lower World to find a Hymn Crystal -- the only way to defeat it.

In this game, players will traverse the world in pursuit of their goals, picking up a variety of party members along the way. The overworld screen functions differently from most RPGs in that there is no free reign to explore. Players select a destination on the map and are simply taken there. Within these locations, one chooses more specific points of interest to visit from a list superimposed over a rough sketch of the area. At this point, control is turned over, and Lyner is free to move about. He's able to jump onto and over certain portions of the environment, and can even interact with objects by casting certain spells (like breaking down a wall) while exploring.

The most interesting elements of the game, however, do not focus on Lyner, himself -- but on members of the all-female race known as the Reyvateils. These legendary maidens are the key to combat in Ar Tonelico, as they provide the most substantial means to obliterate foes, as well as heal and otherwise aide the party. Reyvateils are a magical race, capable of concentrating and projecting their inner feelings into powerful Song Magic that can either damage enemies or support allies. Battle consists of a front line of three human characters who have typical commands available to them, such as attack, use skill, use item, and wait; one Reyvateil, who remains in the rear, is perpetually singing and charging magical energy. The function of the human characters is nominal, as they are mainly used to protect the Reyvateil and set up enemies for her eventual assault. The formation most closely equates to a line of meat-shield soldiers in front of a cannon preparing to fire.

Reyvateils are not restricted by the turn-based system, and can be made to perform actions at any point in the battle by pressing triangle. A song is first selected and then charges up, slowly consuming MP and becoming more and more powerful, until it is released to do critical damage. Support magic is selected and produces effects the entire time the song is sung. In the meantime, the other characters work to improve the "ambiance" of the fight by striking their foes. As an opponent is attacked, ambiance increases, making Reyvateil attacks become more powerful when they're launched. Furthering the depth of combat is the Harmonics system, which represents the synergy between a Reyvateil and the rest of the party. As harmonics increase, so too does the effectiveness of the humans' attacks, as well as the quality of the enemies' dropped items; it's best to increase harmonic levels as much as possible. Unfortunately, doing so requires curbing one's offense, and amounts to what is basically waiting. Combat becomes boring, tedious and somewhat dreadful as the hours go by. Eventually, typical combat procedure boils down to the Reyvateil beginning a song, the human party members making a few attacks as her song charges, and then activating the magic, destroying all enemies.

Just as they do in combat, Reyvateils differ from human characters in the way they advance in skill and power. Spell songs are awakened from a Reyvateil's inner consciousness by her partner, after he "dives" into her Comosphere and pokes around. In order to dive, Lyner must earn the trust of his Reyvateil by having conversations with her and developing a trusting relationship. Girls never let boys dive into their comospheres unless they trust them enough.

Through battle, Lyner accumulates Dive Points (DP), which are used to navigate inside this inner world. There is no control during these segments; the player simply chooses nodes along a path, expends DP and watches story segments unfold and reveal more about the Reyvateil. Certain nodes end in the acquisition of new song magic, which is the goal of the Dive system. When all nodes are completed, a new layer of the comosphere becomes available for diving, but only if enough trust has been built via conversations with conscious Reyvateil. The whole thing is one big sexual metaphor, slowly building up, then suddenly letting out lines like, "...let's just say I know her real hair color" or "I heard it hurts when you push it in."

The game features an item synthesis system, as well, called Grathmelding. Grathmelding allows Lyner to take components dropped by enemies -- usually in the form of crystals -- and combine them into new, useful items. He will first need a recipe card, outlining the item's creation, and then must find his way to a camp or inn where he can perform the grathmeld. The strength, function and effectiveness of the synthesized items depends on the quality of components, and much time can be spent gathering the best crystals to form the highest level items.

Searching Sol Ciel may not be the most aesthetically pleasing of endeavors, however, as this game appears to have come straight out of the 32-bit era. Just about everything about the graphics is sub-par, from the fuzzy sprites to the poorly rendered polygonal overworld. Battle animations are not fluid and unvaried, and dungeon and wilderness backgrounds are often repeated. Town areas show the most artistic merit, and the character art overlaying dialogue segments is solid. The most jarring of visual stimuli occurs during cut scenes, which are a mix of sprites, rendered 3-D video and anime animation. It doesn't mesh well at all.

Also failing to mesh is the audio. The opening title song is good, but it's all downhill from there. Voice acting is pretty horrible, and reminds me of the quality experienced in Baten Kaitos for GCN. Luckily, it can be turned off -- and really should be, unless you enjoy making fun of the characters' voices like I did. The game includes only the most basic of sound effects, and the general background tracks are mediocre at best. Some songs stand out above the rest, and are even catchy, but then you hear a common instrumental play, with totally unexpected rap delivered over top of it, and can't help but wonder what the audio director was thinking.

Overall, Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia is not a bad game, but just falls short in the execution of some pretty unique and inventive ideas. It's still an okay game, and offers some good laughs and interesting gameplay mechanics, but it looks, sounds and plays a generation behind its platform, leaving this reviewer yearning for other entries in the genre.