Completed Project Metafalica ROMhack (retranslation, bugfixes, scaling, hard mode, etc.) clocking in at over 80 hours, 100 IPD with 92 Cloche fan club members, acquiring all crafts, and completing routes for both Cloche and Jakuri. I hesitated to delve into Luca's route, touted as excellent on forums, as I wasn't keen on gathering IPD again and crafting from scratch. Maybe another time.

Here are some (messy) notes after finishing this:

+ The story and setting feel more mature and well-developed compared to its predecessor. The world's conflicts are urgent, with resource depletion, overpopulation, the IPD epidemic, conflicts from the past impacting the present, political intrigues against the goddess, conspiracies, and more, making the setting feel vibrant and alive.
+ I enjoyed the character drama of the two main heroines, Cloche and Luca. They are truly flawed and far from typical heroine material, which initially put me off. Cloche with her ojou-sama demeanor and Luca in the infamous prison scene. The momentum for these two characters starts building afterward, dissecting their banter, entering the Infelsphere to empathize with each other, delving into their psyches in the Cosmosphere, and culminating in moments where both heroines shine in the climax, which deeply moved me. This, in my opinion, is an improvement from the first installment where Aurica and Misha lacked chemistry.
+ Jakuri's introduction as the third main heroine adds a fresh dynamic, especially for those who played the first game, evoking sympathy and endearment through her motivations in this game. Her "gap moe" is quite pronounced.
+ The story's ambitious and optimistic message is packaged more concisely and effectively than the segmented and awkward feel of the first installment. The conflicts' urgency is palpable, making the villains' conflicts in Ar Tonelico 2 feel more compelling. I genuinely sympathize with the main villain.
+ The OST is a masterpiece. It's incredible—I thought the music could stand alone and be appreciated even by those who haven't played the game. Yes, it's that good.
+ The gameplay is more active, incorporating rhythm game elements for defense and allocating time during the attack phase to raise four graphical stats with increasingly intense and rapid gameplay over several turns.
+ NPCs like Cynthia, Sasha, Skycat, and Spica (from the first game) are more than just crafting stations; they have their own events, character arcs, and are truly memorable. I can still remember their names as I type this, without needing to check the wiki.
= The crystal build process, which I initially thought would make the game more challenging, turns out to be quite overpowered. Once you can equip IPD imprints, even the final boss couldn't damage me, and random dungeon enemies were easily dispatched.
= Replekia is incredibly broken but epic with the Method_Replekia OST, making battles feel exhilarating. Unfortunately, Replekia is too easily obtained, unlike Harmonic Sync, which is more challenging to build and often prematurely overshadows other gameplay mechanics.
= Installing crystals has become a dual stall scene, akin to soaking in a bath with crystals (the music is addicting, by the way). I honestly don't enjoy this process as it feels random, and baiting characters for crystal effects, coupled with conversation points, makes me less invested.
= Honestly, it's more ecchi than its predecessor, especially in Cloche's route, with just one scene, albeit not sexualized like the first game's CGs and fetishistic events. Jacqli has only one short scene as well.
- The game's storytelling doesn't work as well as the first installment. Because it builds its drama on flawed characters, you have to endure at least 2/5 of the game before reaching moments where you can truly enjoy and appreciate the character aspects. I imagine watching anime series like Mushoku, Re:Zero, and Tower of God without prior knowledge or liking for the art style; I wouldn't continue past three episodes.
- The difficulty curve in this game is problematic. I felt intense battles at the beginning, where no enemy could withstand me for more than three turns, though for story purposes, this wasn't a big issue.
- Crafting is limited to the main NPCs, and the item crafting system is underutilized due to poor UI display and functionality. Spamming crafting becomes tedious as you have to scroll through item descriptions, which are often confusingly named. Imagine crafting a bomb with 9999 damage and never using it because it's too much hassle.
- Gathering 100 IPDs is ridiculously exhausting.
- Dive Frelia is poorly executed, relegated to a sidequest with minimal rewards, meant to increase the player's familiarity with a character trait introduced too late in the game to be impactful.
- The main character lacks a strong presence; I wouldn't mind if Cloche and Luca dominated the narrative. His lack of defining character traits, clear motivations, or notable flaws, and his passive role in many scenes make it difficult to see him as the protagonist. His spotlight scenes (protecting Cocona, facing the prince) are not compelling enough to establish him as the MC, while scenes with heroines delving deeper into the dive feel out of place. His "talk no jutsu" moments feel forced, lacking the enlightenment and clear character arc seen in Lyner from the first installment. It's akin to Vaan in FF XII.
- The gameplay pacing is exhausting. After three phases focusing on the story (about 25 hours), players are bombarded with numerous side quests (IPD hunting, dive therapy, diving, main NPC events, etc.), easily leading to player fatigue. The game lacks breathing room and small moments to prevent player burnout.
- Non-main NPCs feel lifeless; they don't react or update based on recent events. It's odd in a world on the brink of destruction to encounter NPCs talking about trivial matters instead of the impending doom, reminiscent of FF or Legend of Heroes series.
- The reward for defeating Raki 15 times is disappointing—a mere promotional art. I expected more, perhaps CGs or something similar.

Overall, I consider this one of the best JRPGs I've played on the PS2. The story, themes, and messages are more ambitious and well-developed than the first installment. The characters are charming, their chemistry palpable, with solid character arcs and closures. And finally, the OST, which I consider a masterpiece. There are many flaws, but they didn't hinder my enjoyment of the game (perhaps aided by patches from the ROMhack), and I'm genuinely satisfied with my experience. My Score: 9/10.