http://www.rpgland.com/content/?p=5944
Bam.

Like with Disgaea 3, it was a matter of when.

Good news and good timing to release the time. I can ask for as a present for X-mas.

It is about damn time ~_~. Been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. To appease my hunger for AT2, I've been spent MORE DAYS playing AT1 and have 98 hours on it with a group of lvl96 players and found just about every item/grathnode in the game.

I could care less about this game... But I like Bomb guarantees.

Nice, even though I still haven't played the first one yet. Or Mana Khemia for that matter. I just can't keep up with RPG releases anymore. x_x

Looks like a good year for PS2 rpgs. I haven't played the original Ar Tonelico either, but I will look into it to see if it's worth playing.

Like others have said the same, I haven’t played the original Ar Tonelico either. I’ve actually seen used copies at game stores though, but I’ve never picked it up. Not too sure if I will, but it’s good to see the second one coming anyway.

I'm just curious. What is it about games like these that turns you people off from buying them?

It's not that. I just don't know enough about it to know if I want to buy it or not.

Fantastic news So far from what I've played of Ar Tonelico it's a cracking game, beautiful art style too and probably some of the best soundtracks for a videogame I've ever heard. I certainly won't be hesitating to buy the second game this time around the special edition original cost me £50 (over $100) because I waited too long.

Part dating sim. I have no interest in those, so I try to stay clear of them when I'm buying a game. Otherwise it's usually like Athrun said, I just don't know enough about the game.

~_~ I can give plenty information on AT, but I'm lazy D:. It's sort of a date sim and it sorta isn't. Thousand Arms is 100% dating sim, and AT is more like 20%. Just me though, I've always had the attitude that if it was an RPG, I must buy it(except for a few out there). Nobody likes Tales of Abyss, yet I went out and bought it. AT2 is without a doubt going to be a huge improvement from the first. Oh well, to each their own .

I got the first one a long time ago, about two months after it was released, I think I just put it in my ps2 to check it out briefly, if i remember correctly it had an interesting intro song and movie. I dont know where the game is right now. I hope I get to it eventually. I'll probably end up buying the second one even if I dont get to it soon because here RPGs are turly a niche genre so if you see it at the store, get it. Chances are you wont find it a month from that day because rpgs are not so popular and there are just never enough copies of Winning Eleven 876. God I ##### hate that game series.

Also, is this like a direct sequel or just like the Atelier Iris games?

It's hardly even considered a dating sim. There's dialogues, and you pretty much just choose which girl you want to share dialogues with. And then there's the Soulsphere, which is only KIND OF like a dating sim, but there's a good bonus out of just tolerating the dialogues going on in there. (Costumes, which can be visibly seen in battle.)

I'm excited for AT2, even though I've still yet to finish the first one. (Battle System easy, much?) So I guess once I get things into gear and organized, I can finish up AT1 and work on the second when it comes out.

also; same question as Raz. Is this a direct sequel? I looked at the character designs over at CreativeUncut and it doesn't seem like it.

I've just kept reading that it's got bits of a dating sim, so I've been avoiding it because I didn't know what it entailed. It doesn't sound as bad though. If I see it again at a reasonable price, I'd consider picking it up. Just didn't know enough on it to really want to take the chance.


=o. I love that game. I think it's one of the only games where I ever got it at full price.

LOL, what the heck gave you that idea? Most people here who played it thought it was a good/great game. In fact, it's my favorite game on PS2 and one of my top 5 favorite RPGs.

Anyway, I don't know when I'm going to get Ar Tonelico 2, or even the first one for that matter, as there are several other RPGs that I'm still looking forward to getting.

Rpgdreamers Forums isn't the whole internet Wasn't saying everyone on this board does.

People complained about the loading times, but that's all.

Really? Several Tales fans I know hold it as among the best in the series. (Here's on internet example.)

Yeah, I've seen people constantly bitch about ToTA on another RPG forum but there aren't many RPGs they don't slag off to be honest. If you go that forum they'll have you believe that virtually every RPG is badly cliché and pretentious - I don't know why they call themselves RPG fans. AT and ToTA are two of the most enjoyable RPGs on the PS2.

In my case, I kind of just lost interest in NIS altogether ever since Phantom Brave. I tried out Altelier Iris (found it for only 7 bucks at a Blockbuster) and while the few hours I have played of it wasn't bad, it wasn't interesting enough to play through considering the other games I wanted complete at the time. I admit that Ar Tonelico looks neat, but knowing where it is coming from, I am worried that it going to be a very tedious game involving a lot of level grinding, boring dungeon crawling with a very generic story.

Isn't that part of the deal with RPGs in general, once you've been gaming for a few years, though?

For what it's worth, I thought the dialogue and character interaction were the best parts of the original. I LOL'd at the dialogue a number of times. It was pretty well done. *Shrug*

A lot of RPGs are cliche now a days, and the more you play the more you can pick up on. But there are those that tell their tales better than others.

Edit: Talking about Tales of the Abyss, I am playing through that right now, and I think that is a good example of what I am talking about. Yeah, I am already catching on to a few things, like for instance there is no doubt in my mind that Van is going to turn out to be a traitor, but the game's story structure is well done from what I have played through so far.

I can't say I'm fed up with NIS. Even though Disgaea 2 didn't interest me, I really liked Mana Khemia for a number of reasons, so I'll probably check out the Ar Tonelico series soon.


Well that voice actor, has he ever not played a badguy in any other game? lol
Though the part of the story I didn't find appealing was how the fonons and hyperresonance was used as an explanation for almost every plot event. And because their function was never explained well enough, you just sit there and look stupid as the answer is revealed, which you had no way of guessing.
*Quoting myself from a previous post*

Jade: Well basically, the reason why the outerlands got raised through the Sephiroth is because a surge of fouth fonons collided with sixth fonons, which created a reaction that released seventh fonons and created a hyperresonance.

Me: "Ohhhhkay...."

How was I supposed to have guessed or even understood that? It felt like I was in chemestry class listening to a lecture, only I was never given the textbook to study.
Yeah, Hyperresonance was an omnipotent thing that could do anything from fuse peoples souls together, raise entire lands, teleport people to other places, and toast bread.

Great game though. But that particular part I wasn't very fond of.

Now this is true lol. They ALL pretty much have similar stories. Rehashed one way or another. The only uniqueness they have is how they are begun and their battle system. Then it slowly degenerates into the same stuff we've seen for the last 15-20 years.

I suppose I'm a bit miffed at AT's overall reception, it's obvious I'm a huge fan of it. I just think it deserves more credit than it gets ;o. (they still arent off the hook for making me wait a full year and some months >_>)

Even if that's true, RPGs do tend introduce new and extra concepts to their storylines that can improve those same-old plotlines and present them in better and more exciting ways, making them more in-depth and complex than ever before. I think this is where the appeal of RPGs lie, and is what makes the difference between, say, Tales of the Abyss and Dragon Quest 8. As long as the quality of the storytelling is constantly improved upon and new approaches to the typical story material are introduced, I think RPGs will stay exciting for at least another 20+ years.

But wow, this is getting a bit off-topic. Sry about that. =p

It was only published by NIS. Ar Tonelico was developed by both Gust and Banpresto and AT is definitely different and quirky enough compared to the usual stuff NIS (and Gust) puts out there to deserve a try.

Yeah, I am not even trying to pay attention to the fonon crap throughout the game, but I do love how it is apparently "common knowledge" (as Guy put it), like it is something easy to understand.

And Cloud, I am aware of Gust being the creators of the game, just like Atelier Iris, it just that from what I have seen and heard, their games seem to be very similar to what NIS creates, just in a different format. I do admit that Ar Tonelico has a lot more appeal to it compared to everything else NIS has released recently. I doubt I'll play it anytime soon, but it is one I'm willing to try none the less.

Unfortunately, you pretty much have to learn the whole fonon/hyperresonance/replica thing if you want to understand the story, since, as I believe Hiku put it, about 80% of the story is centered around these three things. Still, my favorite thing about Tales of the Abyss was how complex and sophisticated the plot was, and how it challenged you to try to understand everything, and I think that was the main appeal of the game.

Granted, I didn't understand every little thing, but I'd say I generally understood the terminology and how it applied to the plot events and various happenings in the game (at least, at the time I was playing it--I don't remember everything now). It just wouldn't have been the same game without the whole fonon/hyperresonance thing, and TotA is one of my all time favorite games because of it. =)

Come on Athrun and Viligen check out the intro(and that music) and tell me you aren't tempted to try it now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu4UaeaPBVs

The first one was pretty good, and I was hoping to get another chance for me to ''dive'' into girls again. Music to my ears.

Took them long enough to announce this.

Now, now, all they need is release Mana Khemia 2.

There is more than three Reyvatails this time(4). There is going to be 2 returning characters, Spica is obviously one of them and she'll play a huge role in the story. The other I'll keep to myself ;p. Could be more but I didn't see any pictures on the ones I was looking for.

Anyway, after doing a bunch of research on the first game, I'm convinced the "Trio of Elemia"(seen as Goddesses) is actually the three remaining Reyvatial Origins (Eoria, Frelia and I forgot the third one)Due to this I believe Gust will have this game end as a trilogy. A story arc for each of the three origins.

With Banpresto completely absorbed into BandaiNamco, if Ar Tonelico ever comes to its third installment, I fear for the fate of its localisation. We are lucky enough to get AT2 as it is.

The chances of the third installment are not as slim as first thought, it has been hinted at by a member of the development team as part of a blog focusing on the series, whilst most of the post was inane babble it would appear that the game is at the least being considered which can only be a good thing. However as for a localisation... well it may be unlikely but never say never.

Namco been much better localizing their titles as of late, but still, I do wonder if AT3 is made, would they bring it over. After the disappointment of ToD PS2 failing to make it over seas, I have my doubts. Still, Namco has released Tales more frequently than before, so we'll see.

Until they start releasing the DS Tales titles, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Question: Should I play the first one before the second one??? oooooooor has anybody here even played the second one yet...???

I would recommend a rent first because I'm not sure how well would you received it. Most of my friends found ''Diving'' system boring and with that, the whole game did not appeal to them. I, on the other hand, liked everything about it so I can't wait for this one.

Chronologically you want to play the first game first.

As for localization of the possible third game, well..the first game apparently didn't well in america(>_>). ATII is in my opinion only coming over because NIS is answering the pleas of what little AT fans it has. I suspect they had to go through a lot of red tape to bring it over.

I'd thought AT1 would at least do better than their Gust-only Atelier Iris counterparts?

Well, too bad that graphics sell and AT isn't known for that. If only music and sound can sell games...

I know Nash. Playing a game where 40GB of disc space is eye candy and 10GB is content is totally appealing! Look at how many vertices and extrudes were used to make dis char modelzzz!!!! >_>

Ar Tonelico 2 has now gone up for pre-order on www.rosenqueen.com, the full title confirmed as Ar Tonelico II : The Melody of Metafalica.



The standard version, purchasable at any retailer, will contain the game, an original soundtrack and another artbook, hopefully of a quality on par with the first installment of the series.

If you pre-order from rosenqueen however, you will get a second exclusive soundtrack - with a few more pages of artwork as part of the insert. This is a limited edition item and is such restricted to the first 2000 pre-orders. For a full track list of this and the original soundtrack click the link above to get the low down on all 75 tracks of Ar Tonelico goodness.

Needless to say my copy is pre-order, and I don't even mind the fact i've been gouged on the p&p. Anyhoo roll on mid-December