NIS is at it again with their latest RPG Ar Tonelico. The game starts by telling you that the world has been destroyed twice. The first time it was due to humans, and the second time was due to robots. You are possibly on the cusp of the third time, where viruses are bringing the world to its knees. Of course there is a group above the sky that are trying to prevent this catastrophe, though they have fallen out of touch with the world below. They have advanced technology, but the amusing part is that they do not know how to manufacture it. Their counterparts below are the opposite, where they have little technology compared to them, but are evolving in the area of manufacturing it. As a member of this advanced group you must travel to the bottom world for a crystal that was once used to seal an omega virus and travel back up to use it on this new threat. On the way down to the planet the main character’s ship crashes because of a virus attack, so not only must he find the crystal but either someone to fix his ship or another way to get back to the land in the sky.
Since it is an RPG, you can pretty much assume the regular layout, so I will stick to the main interesting things. The world map is a little different than most RPGs, though it seems to becoming a bit more common lately. Mainly the map has you select locations and you automatically jump to them. This prevents random encounters on the main map, but there are plenty to be had in regular zones. In regular zones random encounters are limited in several ways. First there is a certain distance that you must travel before another attacks you, and this is indicated by a meter that goes from green to flashing red. The meter is also segmented and after each battle the meter loses a few sections. Once the meter runs out enemies will no longer attack you until you leave any given area.
The combat system is fairly interesting and it involves a group of characters, and eventually a Reyvateil, that battle against another team. The system is turn based and little meters fill up to show you who attacks next. Your front line characters will battle normally with swords and guns, though they do have a few spicy moves, and your Reyvateils will lend magical support. These Reyvateil are more susceptible to damage, but they can generally only be attacked if your defenders are defeated or the enemies has special moves, which the front characters can defend the Reyvateil from. The Reyvateil attack in the form of songs, and by singing they can create attacks that destroy enemies, heal your group, or add affects to the field. The longer that you allow them to charge up their songs the more effective they are. Also how well they do in combat will also give you an experience boost at end of combat.
The experience system was interesting as well where it varied from character to character. If a character were on a higher level than other characters, they would receive slightly less experience. This eventually allows characters to catch up to one another, but it was an interesting twist. That is not the only tweak to the levelling system, as the main character and the Reyvateils have a relationship system. The better your relationship is with these Reyvateils the more powers they have, and the more powerful they become.
The main way to get your relationship on track is by first collecting conversation points, and then visiting a rest area. Once there you can talk to any of these ladies and they will open up to you and blossom their powers. Another interesting thing is that you can dive into their mind and find out more about them. Here you try and create a better person by trying to help them overcome their mental weaknesses, like the fear of rejection. Overall the system is fairly interesting, and it does allow you to get very intimate with them -- and that sexually charges the game -- but I still wish that it were expanded just a bit more since you only jump into two different ladies.
Graphically the game continues with sprites, which is something that not everyone will enjoy. I still have a soft spot for these types of graphics, and if they entertain you, you will fall in love. They are enjoyable and plentiful, but the overuse of them can cause any given map to be reduced in size. Areas are made up by many little maps, which are stitched together rather closely. Walking in any area for a few seconds and you will be ported to the next. There is also a mapping system that shows you the layout of the area you are in, but it does not indicate where you are exactly. This was a little annoying, but you could generally figure it out quite easily.
Sound wise the game seemed to lag a bit when reading lines, especially when they included larger expression avatars. You could often read the entire line of conversation before characters verbally say anything, which is a huge let down. The characters voices do not always match what the character looks like either, nor do they always say exactly what the script says. While the graphics were great, the sound was nowhere as good. If you hate the voices though you can always turn on the Japanese version. The game has only a decent soundtrack, but nothing to email your mother about.
In the end, if you love the other NIS games you will love this one as well. If you love classical RPGs this one will claw its way into your chest. If you even like weird games, this one will be for you. At times it feels like you are a teenager balancing girlfriends, but it can even be a bit more sexual than that. The storyline is not the greatest, but it gives you enough to keep on playing throughout the entire game. Of course, since it is an NIS game, there is also a crafting system called Grathmelding. It will allow you to manufacture a bunch of new items so long as you collect the recipe cards. Overall I strongly recommend this game to any RPG fan, though non-believers of the genre will not be converted by it. Wrapping up, Captain Gordon gives Ar Tonelico a B.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? CaptainGordonEdward@Gmail.com
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