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Not for everyone, but amazing if you give it a chance

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 14
Date: March 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia is one of the newest games to be produced by NISAmerica in collaboration with Gust Studios. The game follows the story of a young man named Lyner Barsett on his quest to save the city of Platina and the whole tower of Ar Tonelico from a deadly new strain of virus.

The game takes place in the a world that has twice met destruction at the hands of God and man. As a result only a small portion of land remains inhabitable. To solve this problem, the Tower of Ar Tonelico was constructed. The tower is composed of many sections having the poorer more agricultural folk at the bottom and the industrious technological cities towards the top.

The story begins in Platina, one of the upper cities. Here we meet Lyner Barsett, a knight of Elemia. As a knight it is his job to protect the tower from viruses that threaten to destroy their very world. When a new strain appears that is immune to all of the knights attacks, Lyner is intrusted to retrieve the Purger Grathnode Crystal from the lower lands and return to Platina. However, when his airship crash lands at the base of the tower, things become much more complicated as he meets many new people and will be forced to climb back up the tower level by level to get home. Hopefully in time to prevent its destruction.

There are only a few things that really help to define this game from other JRPG's. The most important of which being the Rayvateils. Rayvateils are basically androids or cyborgs (although they have the ability to reproduce so it has evolved into a substrain of the human species really) that have the ability to harness the spirits of songs from stones to generate powerful magic. You will meet several Rayvateils along the way, but there are two key ones that will shape the entire story (there is another, but it'd be a spoiler), they are Misha and Aurica.

You use the Rayvateils magic in battle in a slightly less conventional way than you might expect. You select the magic for her to use and she will begin casting it. She will continuously amp up the power of the spell until she runs out of MP (or you tell her to cast it) for devastating damage (you can easily amp the power to 10,000% on some early bosses). All the while you can have up to three regular humans attacking in the traditional ways.

Thus far, everything seems not to different from a regular RPG. Then you find out there is a complex dating-sim-esque mechanic that is essential to building up the abilities of your Rayvateils. Since they are part machine, there are places called Dive shops where you can go into the subconscious mind of your Rayvateil and help her work through her demons and scars from her past. By doing so, she will use the strong emotions built up and pent up to craft new spells. It isn't all that simple though because she will not let you delve into the deeper levels of her mind until she grows to trust you and your intent. By having conversations with them at rest points and a few other actions, you grow relationships with your spell casters that allow them to become more powerful. This is truely the heart of the game and is the main reason I purchased it in the first place.

Aside from the relationship system, everything is none to different from other RPGs. Although the text heavy portions for the relationship scenarios is apt to turn several people off. Unless you are a fan of bishoujo games (Japanese dating sims), some more dramatic animes or movies, or are just willing to try something unique that hasn't been done to this extent before, you may want to steer clear. But for those of us who love having things really driven by story, characterization, and the relationships between the characters as opposed to just nonstop action, I cannot recommend this game any more.

Very cool!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'll admit,at first I didn't like this game too much.One reason being that like alot of new rpgs nowadays,it makes the grave error of throwing a bunch of info at you when you first start to play.

This isn't really a game that you can just pop in and understand everything right off the bat.You have to learn how this world works which includes creating new items and getting along with your singing partner (no,I can't remember the actual term because it's spelled ridculous)However,it was a breath of fresh air when I realized that all of these methods were not really very complex at all,and in fact,quite fun and addicting!

The whole aspect of "diving" into the singer is quite unique and even romantic in a way.Earning more points during battle to explore further into her psyche is an excellent concept.You had to laugh when one of the main female characters said to the hero "dive into me now!" at which the hero replies "are you sure you want me to?",then she says "damn straight,
and next time be a man and make the first move!"All good fun,and you can't help but think the developers of this game have a great sense of humor!

The graphics/effects are pretty cool esp. in combat when you join with the singers.It also give you the option to turn off the voices in the storyline dialouge(which I did;I guess I'm a fan of old school rpg gaming)However the voice acting during battle was very good.

All in all this is a great game that you will have alot of fun with.Just keep in mind that at first all of it may seem overwhelming.You eventually get the hang of it and are then treated with a different rpg treasure!

Best game so far!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: February 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When I first saw the ad of this game in Newtype USA, it looked kinda cool. I was memorized by the art of course! As I gandered off looking that it had the same style world similar to Final Fantasy Advance, I had some drawbacks because I don't really like those tatic games or those kinds of games that look like they're really supposed to be gameboy games. The most things I like about RPG games is the voice acting and so far, I'm not disappointed! The voice actors are great, the art is truly wonderful and the songs so far are truly amazing!

There's even an option for those of you who cannot stand English voice acting, for you to change it to japanese, though I wouldn't know how that works just yet.

The only thing I didn't like was the battle system. You have your main fighters and your Reyvatail in the background that gives you back support for either fighting or health replinishment. I'm still not quite to used to it yet but I'm sure I will as I play on.

Though this game has a majority of lead female characters and little male lead characters, I do reccomend this game to anyone else who may want to give it a chance! I was skeptical but I gave it a chance and I don't regret it!

It's cute!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: February 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I just bought this game last week and so far I really like it. It reminds me of Atelier iris ( which is also a great game). The Graphics are great and the characters are fun. I think this game is more for girls than guys. The game comes with a cute little book of illistrations and art. Overall I give it a 8 out of 10.

A nice little RPG with lots of character depth

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia is the latest 2-D RPG from the developers at Gust, who are mostly known for the long-running Atelier series. The game was released in North America by NIS America, over a year after the Japanese release. Originally scheduled for a much earlier release date, the game was delayed several times due to NIS America not realizing just how much dialogue needed translating.

Ar Tonelico takes place in a unique fantasy world centering around a massive tower called *shockgasp* Ar Tonelico. At the base of the tower lie the Wings of Horus, a land where the common folk live their puny little lives. Much farther up Ar Tonelico is the holy city of Platina, where our whiny protagonist, Lyner Barsett, resides. As an Apostle of Elemia, Lyner's job is to fight off viruses invading Platina.

Soon, however, Lyner crashes his airship (why does that always happen?) and lands on the Wings of Horus. He comes to meet two cute beings known as Reyvateils. This strange race consisting of only attractive young girls is a vital force in Ar Tonelico's world, as they are the only capable bearers of Song Magic.

The shy, traumatized Aurica, and the spicy loli, Misha, are the two Reyvs fighting for Lyner's, and thus the player's, attention. You must make a choice between the two at one point, so I suppose there is a tiny element of dating simulator here, but it certainly isn't prominent.

This branching point, among others, create seven possible endings. The girls' personalities, as well as the two paths, are different enough to warrant playing the game more than once, despite the lack of a "New Game+" option.

Other characters include the stereotypical lone gunman Jack, the unsocial, chainsaw-wielding female mechanic Krusche, and the holy knight Radolf. These party members don't have many lines or really much depth, because most of the narrative attention is (understandably) given to the Reyvateils.

As you explore Ar Tonelico's varying environments, you will, just like in any RPG, have to engage in combat with assorted foes. The battles are random (ie you don't see the enemies on the field), which is, as usual, annoying. A nifty little encounter feature helps make up for this, however. A green bar appears on the lower-right corner of the screen whenever fiends are present. As battle draws near, the bar begins flashing red. After each encounter is complete, the bar is drained a bit. When it empties, you no longer have to fight monsters in the current area (unless you exit and re-enter). This aspect helps lessen the tedium of fighting countless battles in massive areas, in that you can actually feel progress being made with each fight.

The battles themselves take place with a party of four: Three normal combatants plus a Reyvateil. Reyvateils can do nothing but sing Song Magic, which works by charging the magic to a certain point, then using it. Song Magic itself is really just a fancy name for standard RPG spells (attack magic, healing, and stat enhancers), except for the charging aspect. Most Song Magic is extremely potent, and can obliterate foes in one shot if charged long enough. This means the Reyvateils are the focal point of battles, and the flow of conflict largely depends upon them.

Combat is generally extremely easy and doesn't have much depth. For example, each normal character can learn only four skills throughout the entire game, and even most of those are entirely useless. Dependence on the Reyvateils is made even greater by this.

Each fight is also overly lengthy, partly due to the irritatingly long animations for both charging and using Song Magic. You'll often have the urge to forget about Song Magic and simply use brute force, entirely because of those damned animations.

However, I don't believe the battle system was meant to be the crowning achievement of this RPG. Its main appeal comes from the relationship Lyner forms with each of the cuties, and much of this relationship is formed through the well-publicized Dive System. Basically, you can visit Dive shops, which are present in most towns, and "dive" into each girl's mind.

Diving is the only way to learn new Song Magic or stat-enhancing costumes for the girls, so it very much serves a functional purpose. Regardless, the main attraction is learning more about the girls' thoughts, feelings, and memories. The Reyvateils have compelling personalities, so diving is always fun and never a chore.

As Ar Tonelico comes late in the PS2's lifespan, some might expect dazzling or incredible visual artistry. This certainly isn't the case, but what is given is more than acceptable. Sprites are large and clear, and the world is detailed. The 3-D world map looks rather rough, but you won't be spending much time there anyway. The game looks nice and purty overall, just don't expect something on the level of Odin Sphere.

Most of the music here is quite good, with the several beautiful, angelic hymns sung by the girlies as particular high points. Each Reyvateil has a unique voice and all are lovely. I could live without the execrable rap interludes present in a few songs, but they at least aren't quite as mind-numbing as one might imagine.

NIS America thankfully gives gamers the choice between the original Japanese voice acting and an English dub. I thank them for consistently giving their consumers this choice.

Sadly, though, the Japanese acting is serviceable, but not extraordinary. Most of the seiyuu sound as if they are phoning this one in, and much of the emotion in their voices sounds forced. An exception is Kanako Sakai, who is very convincing as the pseudo mother figure Shurelia. The English dub was poor judging from the very small sample I listened to.

The game should last a good 30-50 hours, subject to how much diving is performed. Of course, you can at least double that total if you plan on taking all paths and viewing all endings.

Ar Tonelico is highly recommended to 2-D fans, general RPG fans, or fans of anime-style hijinks. To the rest of you, well, give it a rental and see what you think.

Deteriorates into Standard Sci-Fi

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Another RPG by Nippon Ichi Software (most famous for Disgaea), Ar Tonelico has a more futuristic bent and a fairly unique setting.

The setting is a world twice destroyed, first by humans and then by a massive virus. The virus was captured and sealed in a great tower by the "heroes of Elemia". Now the Knights of Elemia watch over the sealed virus. However, in mysterious circumstances, the virus is set free. Lyner, a knight of Elemia, must flee the overrun tower and recover the ancient item necessary to purge the infestation.

The game features two major races, one of which is responsible for the game's main gameplay point. The first is humanity; these make up the majority of characters in the game. These live both in the tower and the "lower world", the actual planet beneath the tower. The other race are the Reyvateils; created to maintain the higher world, Reyvatiels are capable of singing hymns to give powerful effects to their fellow combatants. As such, they are treated as tools by many humans in the lower world. The playable humans in your party will make up your combatants (who play in a standard RPG style), and the Reyvatiels will take up a unique party position where they sing to support the combatants by upgrading their synchronization. Synchronization increases damage, defense, and also the type of items you get at the battle's end. Thus, it is important to protect your Reyvatiel.

The other major game element involving the Reyvatiels is the Cosmosphere, an interactive fiction sub-game set in the consciousness of the Reyvatiel characters. By helping the characters with their psychological issues, you improve their synchronization and hymn powers. Going deeper into their psyche is unlocked by using the Reyvatiel in battle.

The graphics are cutesy, as with other NIS games (Atelier Iris, especially, looks similar). Compared to other games in general, this is sort of unique, but specifically compared to other NIS games, it's nothing special. The sound has a large part in the game due to the use of Reyvatiel Hymns, but truthfully neither the music nor the voice acting is that good.

Apart from a few new gameplay twists, most of this game is nothing new. For some people, I suppose, that's not a bad thing, but as a whole this game feels almost unnecessary. The setting starts off intriguing, but quickly deteriorates into a standard sci-fi "moral dilemma" where the hamhanded message is really just "be nice to people". I suppose it's not actively terrible, but mostly it's just not that impressive.

7/10.

Great Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: February 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game for anyone who likes to your RPGs with a good story line and background. I picked this game up at the store not expecting much, however I was pleasantly surprised when I was sitting there for a few hours playing it.

The game's graphic are good, but use small forms of characters instead of full sized versions. I like to listen to the characters in thier original language of Japanese, but was disappointed when the cut-scenes still played in english, even if the voice over for the rest of the game was in Japanese.

I gave the game 9 out of 10: 5 of 5 for fun and 4 of 5 for game overall becuase of the language thing.

A Game Worth Playing Once

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: July 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game, Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia, has a pretty good story-line and some good characters, but sometimes, the game play just seems a little too easy. The graphics, however, are deffinately what holds this game back for me; it seemed more like I was playing a PS1 game instead of a PS2 game, especially with all of these awsome games of late that have proven that great graphics add to a game to make a life-like experience.

Pros:
Interesting story
Interesting Characters
New Battle approach

Cons:
Unexciting graphics
Unexiting battling and walkthrough

RPG Game That plays like old school

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Not bad.If your into rpg games that love to play the hero
of saving the world.Mostly played enjoying random long battles,and
like the story and old school feel of the game.Graphics and sound could be
done better, but overall it's a fun game.

A fun JRPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 08, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If you are into Japanese RPG that has anime visuals, traditional 2D sprites, and character development, check this game out.

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