The setting for the game is the same as the previous game: the planet of Ar Ciel, albeit centered on a different region this time. The Tower of Ar tonelico from Metafalss is different from the tower in the first game since it doesn't look like a tower initially, but still has some of the same essential facilities (Rinkernator, Plasma Bell (represented as the Lift Generators) and Musical Corridor). The Song Magics are still used like programs, but in this tower there are two Song Magic servers: the Sol Marta server and the Infel Phira Server. The Sol Marta server is located in the upper zone of the tower, acting like a stationary satellite. It is collocated with the S. P. U. and Rinkernator and is the main server for the tower. The Infel Phira server is located in a satellite that orbits the sky around the tower and shares its name with said server. The Sol Marta satellite is a relay station used to increase the range of Song Magic usage of the first tower, so it works with the same kind of hymmnos and executes the EXEC variety of hymns. Plus, it also has the function of receiving energy from the first tower and sending it to the second tower. On the other hand, the Infel Phira server works with another kind of hymmnos called the Pastalia hymmnos, and executes the METHOD variety of hymns.
Reviews View More
Melody of Midtafalica
"We must appreciate the fact that the world allowed us to exist."
This is one of the highest peaks a JRPG can reach with a narrative and character-driven story, yes, it has both.
t-h-a-n-k y-o-u
The Legend of Ar tonelico.
The best series I have consumed in the last 11 months, and I'm so happy that I finally had the courage to play it, and the fact it's this incredible.
Four-dimensional characters (saying they are only three-dimensional is disrespectful).
Impeccable and frenetic writing, it doesn't divert the focus for a single minute, having perfect pacing.
AT's soundtracks are the most unique you're able to listen in the medium
there is no comparison.
It's better than its successor in literally every aspect and literally even improves a little on the first game's plot.
Jakuri and Croix my GOATs
Luca and Cloche's relationship is one of the BEST RELATIONSHIPS I'VE EVER SEEN IN A JRPG
In this story we see what it really means to be human. Ar Tonelico would be the first story I'd present to a robot. Its ability to have explored the human mind, our greatest flaws and goods, is something I have rarely seen in any story I've ever read. Even a robot would've a doctorate in the human mind after finishing this game.
It's a dive into the human mind, into our deepest depths, into our greatest perversities and evils, but also into our greatest brilliance as a human being. What an immersive experience that leaves me speechless.
All characters have masterful writing. Through the music, manages to increase the impact of its plot and twists beautifully.
A great conductor in worldbuilding, Ar Tonelico has its mastery especially in music. It's a game about the art of music.
Those songs are among the most beautiful and well-written songs I've ever seen in gaming medium, and only playing it to understand, I'm saying this as a person who has a high understanding of music and experience in orchestras, as I am a violinist although not a professional one
Just
Unique.
The story is dense, complex, extremely creative and with heaps of dynamism, between the characters themselves and the world itself, which has a wonderful construction. There are literally no bad or irrelevant characters, everyone fulfills their role, everyone has their reasons, they are ALIVE and are part of this journey.
For me, this game becomes a classic of the century among JRPGs, a hidden gem that I hope one day will receive more applause and recognition for conveying such a fantastic story that I've only praises.
The creator of this story, genius Akira Tsuchiya, created an entire new language for the game called Hymmnos, is the official composer of Ar Tonelico, director and writer of this story, who spent 5 to 6 years writing it.
Thank you, simply thank you. For me, you wrote one of the greatest JRPG classics and marked your story in my books.
"My song gives you endless courage."
This is one of the highest peaks a JRPG can reach with a narrative and character-driven story, yes, it has both.
t-h-a-n-k y-o-u
The Legend of Ar tonelico.
The best series I have consumed in the last 11 months, and I'm so happy that I finally had the courage to play it, and the fact it's this incredible.
Four-dimensional characters (saying they are only three-dimensional is disrespectful).
Impeccable and frenetic writing, it doesn't divert the focus for a single minute, having perfect pacing.
AT's soundtracks are the most unique you're able to listen in the medium
there is no comparison.
It's better than its successor in literally every aspect and literally even improves a little on the first game's plot.
Jakuri and Croix my GOATs
Luca and Cloche's relationship is one of the BEST RELATIONSHIPS I'VE EVER SEEN IN A JRPG
In this story we see what it really means to be human. Ar Tonelico would be the first story I'd present to a robot. Its ability to have explored the human mind, our greatest flaws and goods, is something I have rarely seen in any story I've ever read. Even a robot would've a doctorate in the human mind after finishing this game.
It's a dive into the human mind, into our deepest depths, into our greatest perversities and evils, but also into our greatest brilliance as a human being. What an immersive experience that leaves me speechless.
All characters have masterful writing. Through the music, manages to increase the impact of its plot and twists beautifully.
A great conductor in worldbuilding, Ar Tonelico has its mastery especially in music. It's a game about the art of music.
Those songs are among the most beautiful and well-written songs I've ever seen in gaming medium, and only playing it to understand, I'm saying this as a person who has a high understanding of music and experience in orchestras, as I am a violinist although not a professional one
Just
Unique.
The story is dense, complex, extremely creative and with heaps of dynamism, between the characters themselves and the world itself, which has a wonderful construction. There are literally no bad or irrelevant characters, everyone fulfills their role, everyone has their reasons, they are ALIVE and are part of this journey.
For me, this game becomes a classic of the century among JRPGs, a hidden gem that I hope one day will receive more applause and recognition for conveying such a fantastic story that I've only praises.
The creator of this story, genius Akira Tsuchiya, created an entire new language for the game called Hymmnos, is the official composer of Ar Tonelico, director and writer of this story, who spent 5 to 6 years writing it.
Thank you, simply thank you. For me, you wrote one of the greatest JRPG classics and marked your story in my books.
"My song gives you endless courage."
This review contains spoilers
I joked to my friend about this game being the "Xenosaga Killer" and I'll be damned. They did it. And How. How did they do it? I love Xenosaga 3 to death, and this review is not about that game, this game is about Ar Tonelico 2. Also, I know the spoiler warning is here, but we're spoiling the whole game baby. DON'T READ IT UNLESS YOU'RE DONE. I AM BEGGING YOU.
------
This review will mainly be covering 2 things, Party Dynamics; and Music. As I think that is what this game does the best above all. I mean yeah, the story is great, makes sense thematically, all that good stuff, but a story is a canvas for characters to grow and to experiment with all sorts of crazy ideas.
-----
I personally love party members being honest. I think games thrive when the party members can sit down and talk to each other about their sincere feelings about each other, negative or positive. Because that's how a real human relationship is; we fight; we love; we hate; we argue; it's just part of reality.
Luca Trulyworth. That smiling little lady on the box art, I embarked on my journey. I checked both of the Phase 1 Route splits, because I wanted to learn. I ended up going with Luca's.
But why? Why did I go with Luca. Well. I sit down in the prison and she goes up to Cloche and calls her (paraphrased) a murdering bitch, who killed her sister, goes up to the main character Croix, and tells him that she's been using him the whole time.
What goes through my mind during scenes like this; first off; Holy shit. I am like 7 hours in. How did we even get here to begin with?
Second off; I realize the game is already up my alley. Why? Because it is willing to make a party member aggressive. My party member is allowed to think for themselves, they don't need to prevent to be likable. This expression is something that I love.
So Luca. I double down, I need to understand Luca. I am now fully drawn into the situation.
Before this; Luca also tells Cloche to her face that she's privilaged princess who has never had to worry about a penny, has always had people their to support her, and that she'll never understand.
Cloche of course, defends herself. Why wouldn't you? If someone shits all over you without a tiny bit of knowledge of you outside of your position of a princess, of course you would be mad.
We have created a rivalry. A route split, if you will.
Then in Phase 2, Luca's unfiltered feelings come in to Cloche to understand, Luca being casually s***lly harassed at work, her relationships being flimsy due to Dive Therapy and feeling like she always exposes herself to people, her strained relationship with her Mom due to lack of communication, all of these issues pile up before she explodes, all on top of this is Cloche; who if she denies it or not; is adjacent to the deaths of thousands of IPDS; and more importantly; Luca's sister.
I am left in shock. The first game has some good themes, but this game is feisty. The main conflict in this game; is it better to suffer through life; or dream on in our own minds forever; and the two leads live their life suffering; all they can do is release their rage on each other.
But there's a light. A light that progresses and gets brighter and brighter. The fight of humans is what makes us closer. The only way to evolve as people is to face these issues forward and learn, why did we do this? Why do we act like this?
Are any of these people's issues invalid? Of course not. They should be mad, they should be frustrated, These struggles build us up, and break us down. When Luca looks at Cloche, all she sees for a while is class, and the blood that has stained Cloche's hands.
But Cloche has her own trauma. A caged bird, not able to spread wings, while also watching all of her fellow birds burn around here. She watches, that's all she can do. And the princess is not even what she is; Luca ends up being the one holding the Crown. So what is Cloche? A puppet to the government? Is she any better than any other person in the world?
Alice. Alice is part of Cloche. Luca is part of Luca, Cloche is part of Luca; and Luca is part of Cloche.
The puzzle starts adding up. The tension is at an all time high, but the Infel wants Luca and Cloche to learn something before all of it boils over. The sister that Luca has been fighting for; basically her whole life; is Cloche.
The fog has lifted, and the perspective has changed. Cloche who has never had any sort of family, and has been chained to the ground, Luca who's mom; who she already has a strained relationship with; had her real child right in front of her eyes. This fixes some issues, but it can not fix the IPDS, it can not fix Luca manipulating Croix's emotions, there are things that can not be fixed.
But they can be forgiven. Cloche can atone for her sins, make a real Metafalica where there is no need for warfare, where the IPDS can be cured with Dive Therapy. Luca needs to communicate; make real friends; craft real relationships with her family; including Cloche as a start to creating the perfect world.
And they do. They understand humanity at it's core; people contradict, people make terrible decisions they can't even comprehend, but do they understand them? Can they recover from them?
Jakuri; The last of the singers; feels that Humans can not recover from them.
Another caged bird, stuck to human will, demanded to do anything that people demand. If she cannot preform for warfare, why does she exist?
She cannot give people hope, the people have given her no hope to begin with; the one song that she created; has been thrown away because; it's just useless. Why would humans need to do anything other than win the fight?
She cannot fully accept humans, but she watches as Luca and Cloche create this world, this new world. She knows that it is possible for humans to work together, but she's also seen what they've done to Reyvateils, in the first Ar Tonelico, they're basically slaves to human will, they are created for power. At some point, this paradise has a chance of ending.
But paradise even for a limited time, is still a eutopia, we can be human. We can still fight, and argue, and still live in a world that we want to live in. A full life is one full of conflict and reflecting on that conflict. Croix realizes the only way he can truly reach Jakuri's heart and it is through Song. "The Heart Talks"
---------
Music is the secret backbone to any RPG. Sometimes I wonder if games like Xenoblade would be nearly as good without the score. And Music, music is the thing that gives Ar Tonelico 2 a real identity.
The Hymmos is something that has never really been replicated to me; They can show any emotion; Fear; Anger; Sadness; Happiness; Calm; Serene; Destruction; Death. This is all within human range. These are something that humans go through everyday. The lyrics perfectly reflect this, the composition is all beautiful. The flexability within these songs is something that I don't know will ever be matched. It's hard for me to really articulate why it is so special without just listening to it.
-------
I apologize if this has been worded a little clunky, or a little scattershot at time, but when I feel passionate about something it just comes in waves. I just hope I portrayed how I felt about this game in a way that is easy enough to understand. It is a game that makes me love being human, and love being in this world.
"We must appreciate that the world allowed us to exist"
------
This review will mainly be covering 2 things, Party Dynamics; and Music. As I think that is what this game does the best above all. I mean yeah, the story is great, makes sense thematically, all that good stuff, but a story is a canvas for characters to grow and to experiment with all sorts of crazy ideas.
-----
I personally love party members being honest. I think games thrive when the party members can sit down and talk to each other about their sincere feelings about each other, negative or positive. Because that's how a real human relationship is; we fight; we love; we hate; we argue; it's just part of reality.
Luca Trulyworth. That smiling little lady on the box art, I embarked on my journey. I checked both of the Phase 1 Route splits, because I wanted to learn. I ended up going with Luca's.
But why? Why did I go with Luca. Well. I sit down in the prison and she goes up to Cloche and calls her (paraphrased) a murdering bitch, who killed her sister, goes up to the main character Croix, and tells him that she's been using him the whole time.
What goes through my mind during scenes like this; first off; Holy shit. I am like 7 hours in. How did we even get here to begin with?
Second off; I realize the game is already up my alley. Why? Because it is willing to make a party member aggressive. My party member is allowed to think for themselves, they don't need to prevent to be likable. This expression is something that I love.
So Luca. I double down, I need to understand Luca. I am now fully drawn into the situation.
Before this; Luca also tells Cloche to her face that she's privilaged princess who has never had to worry about a penny, has always had people their to support her, and that she'll never understand.
Cloche of course, defends herself. Why wouldn't you? If someone shits all over you without a tiny bit of knowledge of you outside of your position of a princess, of course you would be mad.
We have created a rivalry. A route split, if you will.
Then in Phase 2, Luca's unfiltered feelings come in to Cloche to understand, Luca being casually s***lly harassed at work, her relationships being flimsy due to Dive Therapy and feeling like she always exposes herself to people, her strained relationship with her Mom due to lack of communication, all of these issues pile up before she explodes, all on top of this is Cloche; who if she denies it or not; is adjacent to the deaths of thousands of IPDS; and more importantly; Luca's sister.
I am left in shock. The first game has some good themes, but this game is feisty. The main conflict in this game; is it better to suffer through life; or dream on in our own minds forever; and the two leads live their life suffering; all they can do is release their rage on each other.
But there's a light. A light that progresses and gets brighter and brighter. The fight of humans is what makes us closer. The only way to evolve as people is to face these issues forward and learn, why did we do this? Why do we act like this?
Are any of these people's issues invalid? Of course not. They should be mad, they should be frustrated, These struggles build us up, and break us down. When Luca looks at Cloche, all she sees for a while is class, and the blood that has stained Cloche's hands.
But Cloche has her own trauma. A caged bird, not able to spread wings, while also watching all of her fellow birds burn around here. She watches, that's all she can do. And the princess is not even what she is; Luca ends up being the one holding the Crown. So what is Cloche? A puppet to the government? Is she any better than any other person in the world?
Alice. Alice is part of Cloche. Luca is part of Luca, Cloche is part of Luca; and Luca is part of Cloche.
The puzzle starts adding up. The tension is at an all time high, but the Infel wants Luca and Cloche to learn something before all of it boils over. The sister that Luca has been fighting for; basically her whole life; is Cloche.
The fog has lifted, and the perspective has changed. Cloche who has never had any sort of family, and has been chained to the ground, Luca who's mom; who she already has a strained relationship with; had her real child right in front of her eyes. This fixes some issues, but it can not fix the IPDS, it can not fix Luca manipulating Croix's emotions, there are things that can not be fixed.
But they can be forgiven. Cloche can atone for her sins, make a real Metafalica where there is no need for warfare, where the IPDS can be cured with Dive Therapy. Luca needs to communicate; make real friends; craft real relationships with her family; including Cloche as a start to creating the perfect world.
And they do. They understand humanity at it's core; people contradict, people make terrible decisions they can't even comprehend, but do they understand them? Can they recover from them?
Jakuri; The last of the singers; feels that Humans can not recover from them.
Another caged bird, stuck to human will, demanded to do anything that people demand. If she cannot preform for warfare, why does she exist?
She cannot give people hope, the people have given her no hope to begin with; the one song that she created; has been thrown away because; it's just useless. Why would humans need to do anything other than win the fight?
She cannot fully accept humans, but she watches as Luca and Cloche create this world, this new world. She knows that it is possible for humans to work together, but she's also seen what they've done to Reyvateils, in the first Ar Tonelico, they're basically slaves to human will, they are created for power. At some point, this paradise has a chance of ending.
But paradise even for a limited time, is still a eutopia, we can be human. We can still fight, and argue, and still live in a world that we want to live in. A full life is one full of conflict and reflecting on that conflict. Croix realizes the only way he can truly reach Jakuri's heart and it is through Song. "The Heart Talks"
---------
Music is the secret backbone to any RPG. Sometimes I wonder if games like Xenoblade would be nearly as good without the score. And Music, music is the thing that gives Ar Tonelico 2 a real identity.
The Hymmos is something that has never really been replicated to me; They can show any emotion; Fear; Anger; Sadness; Happiness; Calm; Serene; Destruction; Death. This is all within human range. These are something that humans go through everyday. The lyrics perfectly reflect this, the composition is all beautiful. The flexability within these songs is something that I don't know will ever be matched. It's hard for me to really articulate why it is so special without just listening to it.
-------
I apologize if this has been worded a little clunky, or a little scattershot at time, but when I feel passionate about something it just comes in waves. I just hope I portrayed how I felt about this game in a way that is easy enough to understand. It is a game that makes me love being human, and love being in this world.
"We must appreciate that the world allowed us to exist"
Somehow i got the evil goth gf ending
Really kino story and gameplay. Im glad i play the de-anglicisation ver.
Really kino story and gameplay. Im glad i play the de-anglicisation ver.
If Frelia has a million fans I am one of them.
If Frelia has ten fans I am one of them.
If Frelia has one fan then that is me.
If Frelia has no fans then I am no longer on this earth.
If the world is against Frelia I am against the world.
I love Frelia until my last breath.
I wouldn't be here without Umineko, Akiko Shikata and a random video in my home (Looking Back at the Ar Tonelico Trilogy - Tarks Gauntlet).
Thank you Will of Ar Ciel.
If Frelia has ten fans I am one of them.
If Frelia has one fan then that is me.
If Frelia has no fans then I am no longer on this earth.
If the world is against Frelia I am against the world.
I love Frelia until my last breath.
I wouldn't be here without Umineko, Akiko Shikata and a random video in my home (Looking Back at the Ar Tonelico Trilogy - Tarks Gauntlet).
Thank you Will of Ar Ciel.
I highly recommend you don't play this in english dreadful translation. Otherwise great game.