I have a pretty interesting history when it comes to the first two Ar Tonelico games released for the PlayStation 2. They were games that I didn't play until a little later after their induction dates and when I was finally really deep into the first game, Melody of Elemia, while playing it on my PlayStation 3, the console died on me. I then skipped right to the sequel, Melody of Metafalica, because I decided to get a new PS3 and the save file for the first game is still hiding deep inside my dead PS3. Mid-way through playing that, I stopped because I missed the characters from the first game and I wanted to wait until I finish that first game before I would proceed. Yeah, maybe I need to go see a shrink. Thankfully, with my recent success with going back to Dragon Age: Origins, I know I can just go back to that save file for the Metafalica and continue it until I get to the end.
But what's this? It looks like Metafalica has to wait for a bit because today, the third game, Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel for the PlayStation 3, has been inducted into my Game Library. No, please don't ask me about that title. Not sure why they bothered changing that title from the Japanese version (translated to English as "Ar Tonelico III: The Girl's Song that Pulls the Trigger of World's Demise") but I suppose maybe it will make a lot more sense once I start playing it. [Update Note: Just booted up the game - Ar Ciel is apparently the planet where the story takes place. I have fogotten about it from the previous games.] Developed by Gust, Qoga is a role playing game that contains a heavy emphasis on item synthesis and more importantly, a trademark of the Ar Tonelico series, the relationship-building between your character and the game's heroines. I see that this third game finally got a "M" ESRB rating - I seriously think Metafalica should have been rated the same - which should be appropriate because judging from my experience from the first two games, it will be packed with sexual overtones. The relationship building I mentioned earlier is accomplished by "diving" into your fellow heroines so yes, you get the idea. Let's see how bad things will get in this game when it comes to whole sexual nastiness. Qoga is the first in the series that uses 3D character models and the battle is real time instead of turn-based. Overall, I am can't wait to get into the game since I haven't played a traditional Japanese RPG in a while. By the way, the game is released in a special large cardboard box and it contains a nice hardcover "Visual Book" and a music CD.
The box may look really nice...
...but I can guarantee that you will hate trying to open it.
In the Ar Tonelico world, "less is better" when it comes to the clothing.
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