The Good Ol’ Days of Gaming: Ar Tonelico II

Ar Tonelico II is a fantastic game that left me wanting more from its creators, NIS America and Gust. As suggested by the name of the game, Ar Tonelico II is heavily based upon the tone of music to drive its plot. There are a variety of songs placed within the game to help fit the different moods of certain areas and evoke overall feelings of satisfaction and sorrow. The player is first introduced to the region of Metafalss, a region of land connected to a tower that controls the world. We play as a young knight, named Croix, whose role is to help deal with IPD outbreaks (Infel Phira Dependency) that have threatened the world of Metafalss. This IPD epidemic is a virus that infects those called “Reyvateils,” female magic song users, and causes them to go berserk. With the epidemic of the IPD virus, the people of Metafalss have lost faith in their goddess and are rebelling because she refuses to help them with their land and food shortage. Through the plot, the game emphasizes a theme of remembrance, which we see in the town’s symbolic name of “Pastalia.” The game gives a feel for classic RPGs that revolve around a turn-based battle system. These effects contribute to my desire for RPGs with an older feel that have not been influenced by the advances of today. NIS America and Gust did a fantastic job creating Ar Tonelico II. By spending less on 3D visuals and focusing more on the importance of pleasant anime visuals, game play, and connecting their soundtrack to the plot, the game company created a masterpiece that reminds us of what makes a great classic RPG enjoyable.

In the fantasy world of Ar Tonelico II, the game’s visuals bring out the life within its world, not through 3D effects, but through its use of anime-styled drawings of its background, adding a vibrant color of life within the game. Clearly drawn fields of blooming flowers and the green emerald hills of a world so majestic and beautiful like that of one’s imagination are made so vivid through the colorful use of anime styled drawings. This technique helps create a calm atmosphere for one to enjoy like many old RPG games. A stage in particular that delivers this feel for classic RPGs is within a Reyvateil’s world, where the environment is in the form of a pop-up book. While travelling around the imaginary pop-up book, it reminded me of my childhood and often made me smile out of happiness at how some images were drawn. These simple visuals, such as the stick figure drawings, brought back my memories of playing 8-bit videogames as a child. The game’s simple environment is not approached by the gaming companies of today because they feel it is not complex enough to match today’s 3D effects. However, Ar Tonelico’s pleasant atmosphere of innocence in the stage’s drawings and its similarity to a child’s dream bring out a playful mood and an overall feeling of nostalgia and satisfaction that only the classic 2D RPGs can provide. Ar Tonelico II’s visuals help bring back the classic feel for RPGs that today would seem very outdated to game companies.

The game play of Ar Tonelico II rivals that of most great RPG games. A feeling of playing Dance Dance Revolution is combined with a revolutionized battle system of fighting with partners. Though the game is turn-based, it has a unique way of engaging the player so that the player can still be active on the enemy’s turn. There is the attack phase (player’s turn) and the defense phase (enemy’s turn). I do not enjoy the attack phase as much as the defense phase because when defending, Dance Dance Revolution mechanics take place. This is where the real fun begins as I try to synchronize the enemy’s lines with my own keeping me active throughout the battle. Furthermore, the unique positioning of attackers in front of their partners (Reyvateil) makes the whole battle experience much more satisfying because the characters must trust one another as a pair. Since the Reyvateils sing their songs to help damage the enemy or heal party members, they need to trust their partner to strengthen their songs. This trust is called “harmony” and is a very important aspect of battle because battles depend on the strength of Reyvateils to turn the tides of the battle. Another great aspect of the game play is that the game not only allows the player to learn about the protagonist of the game, but also connect with the other characters, particularly the Reyvateils, known as "Dive." I love this aspect of the game because, like dating, I am able to learn more about one Reyvateil and affect the outcome of the game. My answer choices change the flow of events, which is something not many RPGs of today approach. Overall, I truly enjoyed Ar Tonelico II for its inventive and varied game play that makes me addicted to the game’s unique qualities. Ar Tonelico II is a great representation of creative classic RPG elements that surpasses 3D visual game play elements any day.

Regarding an ign.com review by Sam Bishop, I very much agree with him on the matter of the music quality of the game. He describes the music as, “Ranging from a languid harmonica-driven town theme to a smattering of techno-industrial aural backdrops, to multiple choir-driven hymns that serve as the foil for almost all of the game's most dramatic moments” (Bishop). Ar Tonelico II’s soundtrack is unbelievably the best I have ever heard because of its astounding use of songs to generate multiple amounts of feelings at the same time. I found myself in utter awe at how spiritual some tracks express their author’s feeling of love, sorrow, hope, and joy. A song that plays a very important role in the game’s plot is called "Metafalica." It is the song that gives birth to the world the characters of Metafalss desire to create. Singing the song requires the will of all the inhabitants of Metafalss to come together. However, due to disasters, the people have become divided and afraid, making things complicated. The song varies from spiritual to upbeat then ends with a feeling of being reborn. I love Ar Tonelico’s soundtracks because I am often left with a feeling of amazement because it is nothing compared to several RPGs’ soundtracks. Some of the game’s songs are so beautifully composed and I often find myself feeling like I am a part of the chorus and wanting to sing with them.  Ar Tonelico II’s songs left me with a memorable lasting appeal and wanting the story to continue even with its satisfying ending.

Advanced technology has shown itself as the corruptor of our precious videogames and it is making them into ticking gas time bombs that will fill our world with boring and very clichéd storylines. Ar Tonelico II helps remind its gamers about the importance of creativity over enormous amounts of visual enticing effects but poor and dull characters and plot. The classics of our youth help bring back joyful memories of playing that one game that influenced our whole childhood. Advances in technology do not always improve life’s quality. Sometimes it can be the cause of our own videogame’s demise and the loss of our childhood memories.

About the Author: My name is Jimmy La and I was born in Los Angeles, California. I am currently a freshman at UC Davis majoring in Animal Science. My hobbies include playing videogames, playing the violin, and spending my time around animals.

Works Cited

Bishop, Sam. "Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica Review - PlayStation 2 Review at IGN." Sony PlayStation 2 - PS2 Games, Cheats, Walkthroughs, News, Reviews, Previews, Game Trailers & Videos at IGN. IGN, 20 Jan. 2009. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.