Ar tonelico Melody of Elemia

Stop me if you heard this one: a young hero is chosen to find an ancient artifact that can be used to save the world and along the way he is joined by a number of quirky characters and there is, of course, the love interest whose fate is intertwined with yours. Yes, when it comes to role-playing games we’ve seen and done it all and while there are some exceptions to the tired RPG themes none come close to adding unusual twists quite like Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia for the PS2. While being different is certainly a very good thing, this unforgettable RPG isn’t as ground-breaking as it could have been.

Ar Tonelico tells the tale of Lyner Barsett, a young Knight of Elemia who just so happens to be the one Lady Shurelia (the administrator of a massive Tower Ar Tonelico in the upper tower area of Platina) sends to go to the lower world to find the mythical Hymn Crystal after virus attacks Platina. You see, the Hymn Crystals have been used before to save the world but years later the world forgot how to sing. Fortunately, Lyner comes to learn that Reyvateils (women who are born to harness the power of song) can help him on his quest when he meets a young Reyvateil named Aurica and later a girl named Misha, who seems to recognize him.

The game does begin like any other RPG until you embark on your first required mission. For starters, you aren’t given the freedom to explore much of your surroundings like in Dragon Quest VIII. In fact, you’ll be given a list of choices as to where to go and that also includes towns. Want to head into a town’s inn for some much needed rest? Simply select the name of the inn and you’ll be automatically transported to it. If you’re a fan of the more traditional world-ripe-for-exploration gameplay, the instant travel found in this game might feel like a huge disappointment. This is but one of the few things that doesn’t work but we will concentrate on the things that make this game unique.

Early in the game you will be introduced to Grathmelding, a sort of item combination method you will use to create health elixirs as well as explosive weaponry like bombs and missiles. On paper, Grathmelding is a great idea had there been more to it than simply combining two colored items. Instead, the process of creating useful items just feels more like the item combination options found in early Resident Evil games. It’s a waste, really, since there are recipe cards you can purchase that allow you to learn how to create various new items.

Interestingly enough, the game also includes a sort of dating simulator. During rests in camps or an in inn, Lyner has the option to flirt with any Reyvateils he meets throughout the game. A list of dialogue topics appear before you and they range from pleasant flirtatious banter to some surprisingly lewd comments. This is actually a nice touch, especially since romancing these ladies means you can dive into their psyche and unleash their full potential to use during battle. In fact, this ability to jump into their “soulspace” is called Diving (where you get to explore their psyche and fix many of the unresolved issues that trouble them).

Speaking of battle, combat is rather simplistic in this game. The turn-based action is nothing new to RPG fanatics and there’s nothing really innovative about it. In fact, this is the weakest aspect of the game since battles come up frequently. You can mix things up during battle thanks to your Skills (each character has a unique skill) and the Reyvateils’ songs have a number of different effects during battle. This is too bad, really, since the game’s story is interesting and the situations the characters find themselves in make for a compelling tale despite the clichéd theme.

On the visual side of things, Ar Tonelico manages to display some impressive graphics … that is if this was meant to be an original PlayStation game. That fact that this game brings PSOne visuals to the PS2 can be forgiven, though, seeing as the game does manage to display some great-looking anime cutscenes. The character models also have their own anime-styled look and while it might look dated it still works nicely. As for the environments in the game, they range from nicely detailed to quite dull. There are some flashy effects but there is nothing about the graphics that really impresses.

There’s also a wonderfully sweeping score that might not be in the same league as the score found in the recent Final Fantasy game but it still manages to evoke emotions during the game’s most tender moments later in the game. The sound effects are nothing to write home about but at least the do the job. There’s also some excellent Japanese and English voice acting found in this game and most of it is due to the intelligently-written dialogue. While some characters do sound like anime stereotypes, the rest of the cast manages to display some sense of personality.

If anything, Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia attempts to be a refreshingly original and interesting role-playing game but fails to deliver a complete package fans of the genre will love completely. While it does strive to rise above the same RPG elements or go its own path that goes beyond the Final Fantasy franchise, the many faults hold this game back. It isn’t to say that this is a bad game, but if you’re an RPG aficionado you could do better than this. Still, those willing to look past the flaws or those looking for something different should at least check this game out.

Gameplay: 7.0
The game leaves very little freedom to discover this universe but the real problem lies in the dull combat that starts feeling more like an annoyance rather and a fun distraction. Some features, like Grathmelding, just lacks innovation. Still, there’s a great story, good characters and the dating and diving features add an interesting twist to this genre.

Graphics: 7.0
Visually speaking, Ar Tonelico looks more like an original PlayStation game rather than a PS2 game. The character models do look good and the anime style fits the game’s theme but the rest just looks like it would feel more comfortable on the PSOne.

Sound: 8.0
The English voice acting is actually pretty good but doesn’t come close to matching the excellent Japanese voice acting. While you’ll be thankful for the language option, it’s the game’s score that really works out beautifully and the sound effects aren’t bad either.

Difficulty: Medium
You’ll encounter some rather tough monsters and battling viruses later in the game will prove to be challenging. There’s very little about this game that will stump you … unless you find diving a bit too complex.

Concept: 7.0
Mixing a dating sim with your RPG is a refreshing change and while the many interesting concepts introduced here aren’t as good as they could have been you must applaud NIS America for attempting to stray from the usual RPG clichés. The game also comes with a nice hardcover book filled with character and background art.

Overall: 7.2
Ar Tonelico certainly wins points for originality but in the end it does very little to get past its boring combat and limited exploration options that drag this game down considerably. While some of the things that would have made this game deeply engrossing fall a bit flat, there is a good story here that is worth discovering if you’re enjoy quirky role-playing games.