Ar Tonelico 2 announced for UK! • Gaming • PS2 • Eurogamer.net

HiddenAway 27 Apr 2009 19:41:13 15,147 posts
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Quadruple unexpected news! Koei to publish along Ar Tonelico 2 with Prinny (PSP) and Cross Edge (PS3).

Release date: May 29th 2009

GoneTomorrow 27 Apr 2009 20:34:02 294 posts
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Sweet. Is it a direct sequel to its impossible to acquire prequel?

I recommend everyone who wants it pre-order it from a big name store, such as Play. The first, like many lesser JRPGs, vanished into the abyss as soon as it was released.

It's good that the PS2 will live on in the UK for another month. Hopefully KH:CoM (PS2) will get released to keep the PS2 alive for even longer.

Aretak 27 Apr 2009 21:08:58 10,391 posts
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GoneTomorrow wrote:
I recommend everyone who wants it pre-order it from a big name store, such as Play. The first, like many lesser JRPGs, vanished into the abyss as soon as it was released.

The first one wasn't even released in the UK. Those useless morons 505 Games handled its European distribution, and only released it in limited quantities on the continent.

FabricatedLunatic 27 Apr 2009 21:11:55 13,125 posts
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Hooray for Ar Tonelico 2. The UK gets a long overdue dose of cute anime girls and filthy innuendo, and all's right with the world.

EDIT: Ł20 RRP as well. Sweet.

GoneTomorrow 27 Apr 2009 23:56:33 294 posts
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Really? I thought the UK got lucky and 10 copies got an official UK release. I wasn't sure either way because, like I said, I never picked up a copy.

I'm unsure who licensed what out of the JRPGs that were supposedly released in the UK. I thought it was Koei who semi-screwed up the recent Mana Khemia release but it was actually NIS Europe who published it over over. Never knew NIS released games in the UK.

What's Ar Ton about exactly? Like Mana Khemia, I know sod all about it and I'm only going to order it in case it's the last PS2 JRPG. I'm a little worried about buying it and discovering that I'll need to play through the first first in order to understand it..or Wiki for the plot.

One_Vurfed_Gwrx 28 Apr 2009 06:09:23 4,468 posts
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The big question is whether Koei will fix the bugs in the US version that were apparently quite nasty (got US version but no played it yet as out of the country).

One_Vurfed_Gwrx 28 Apr 2009 06:25:19 4,468 posts
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From what I recall if you let the final boss use a particular attack (normally it uses it in 3rd turn) it crashes or freezes so you have to be able to kill it quicker. So yep that one, I don't recal if any minor bugs were added althoguh I think I heard some of the localisation was a bit ropy too (but doubt they'll touch that)

Scimarad 28 Apr 2009 07:11:40 9,965 posts
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My major problem was that they turned all the innuendo up to 11 when they translated it - It comes across as incredibly childish as a result. The first one suffered from that a fair bit but the sequel is just ridiculous.

Scimarad 28 Apr 2009 07:19:42 9,965 posts
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It was quite amusing in the first one but it quickly becomes tiresome in AT2.

JohnnyWashnGo 28 Apr 2009 08:10:53 1,544 posts
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505 Games?
Weren't they the idiots who handled the Battle Fantasic release over here?
If so, they are muppets.

Ar Tonelico 2 look great. I played a bit of it in Japan last year and resolved to get a copy as soon as possible - then forgot all about it

Blerk Moderator 28 Apr 2009 08:58:56 48,222 posts
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Whoa! Koei really aren't going to let the PS2 die, are they?

Machetazo 28 Apr 2009 09:04:42 6,373 posts
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PS2 board, or not, I'm made up, anyway, that Cross Edge is now confirmed, and shouldn't be far behind the US release.

I hope this deal works out well, between these companies.

neonemesis 28 Apr 2009 17:37:07 1,647 posts
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Blerk wrote:
Whoa! Koei really aren't going to let the PS2 die, are they?

All the better for us imo. I take it that Play are taking preorders for AT2? I'm off to find out...

EDIT: Pre-ordered. Ł15 is a very fair price I guess.

GoneTomorrow 28 Apr 2009 17:55:44 294 posts
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GoneTomorrow wrote:What's Ar Ton about exactly? Like Mana Khemia, I know sod all about it and I'm only going to order it in case it's the last PS2 JRPG. I'm a little worried about buying it and discovering that I'll need to play through the first first in order to understand it..or Wiki for the plot.

The slutty character/perverted jokes stuff has me interested.

Cheers for mentioning that Play have it listed for Ł14.99 - it wasn't there when I looked yesterday.

neonemesis 28 Apr 2009 18:06:54 1,647 posts
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GoneTomorrow wrote:

GoneTomorrow wrote:What's Ar Ton about exactly? Like Mana Khemia, I know sod all about it and I'm only going to order it in case it's the last PS2 JRPG. I'm a little worried about buying it and discovering that I'll need to play through the first first in order to understand it..or Wiki for the plot.

The slutty character/perverted jokes stuff has me interested.

Cheers for mentioning that Play have it listed for Ł14.99 - it wasn't there when I looked yesterday.

Yeah, it doesn't show up on the preorder chart, you have to actually type it into the search bar to find it.

The dirty innuedo stuff has me intrigued too much to my self disgust.

Man, I am sad...

GoneTomorrow 28 Apr 2009 18:30:40 294 posts
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I'm hoping Ar Ton is a less graphically impressive version of what I've seen from SO4. I can't play SO4 because I lack the required equipment, but I want to do so because of the anime inspired lulz contained within.

Childish and perverted comedy from SO4, exhibit #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm_J0jjNibM

Scimarad 28 Apr 2009 18:36:35 9,965 posts
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I think it's safe to say it's a hell of a lot better than SO4.

GoneTomorrow 28 Apr 2009 18:37:26 294 posts
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Show me evidence to back-up your claim.

Scimarad 28 Apr 2009 18:47:09 9,965 posts
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No evidence, but SO4 is starting to sound utterly, utterly awful according to most of the people who've played it and post on here*

AT2 is actually a very good game marred some translation issues and the odd irritating bug. And one really, really irritating bug that requires excessive leveling to avoid.

*might actually be only the 1 person, come to think of it!

GoneTomorrow 28 Apr 2009 18:58:06 294 posts
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SO4 may very well be an awful game - the story and characters appear to be woeful, and the fury systwm sucked balls in SO3 - but it does have the best cut-scene in video gaming history.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Vej1p1nhI&feature=PlayList&p=E4580085C96AB0DA&index=41

What does Ar Ton have that can compare to the above scenes greatness?

neonemesis 28 Apr 2009 18:58:16 1,647 posts
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Scimarad wrote:
No evidence, but SO4 is starting to sound utterly, utterly awful according to most of the people who've played it and post on here*

AT2 is actually a very good game marred some translation issues and the odd irritating bug. And one really, really irritating bug that requires excessive leveling to avoid.

*might actually be only the 1 person, come to think of it!

Wasn't it itamae in the JRPG group? Sounded bloody awful to me too (SO4) so I'm not too sad about not owning a current gen console if the RPG offerings are as lacklustre as that. I think the PS2 will see me through for a good while yet - still got Rogue Galaxy, DQ8 and Persona 4 in my backlog as well as Mana Khemia which I'm quite a way through at the moment.

Would have been nice if Koei had released both AT games in a special double pack to recify 505 uselessness but I'm not complaining about this in any case.

Scimarad 28 Apr 2009 19:04:47 9,965 posts
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GoneTomorrow wrote:
What does Ar Ton have that can compare to the above scenes greatness?

Oh dear! It seems my opinion of SO4 has reached even greater depths before I've even played it.

itamae 28 Apr 2009 20:02:10 10,213 posts
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neonemesis wrote:
Wasn't it itamae in the JRPG group?

It was! Having played both, I can attest that AT2 is about ∞ times better than SO4. The new Star Ocean is just about bearable if you skip all the cut-scenes and ignore the bugs, whereas Ar Tonelico is fun from start to finish. It looks a bit shit though and it would be better without all the sexual innuendos.

GoneTomorrow 28 Apr 2009 22:13:44 294 posts
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I'm angered by the fact that no-one has bothered answering my simple question about if Ar Ton 2 follows on directly to the events of the first Ar Ton. Am I really expected to look on Wiki to discover the truth?

Also, what the hell is with the subtitle of this game?

Here are some random Ar Ton 2 videos:

Animated OP - I sense lesbians. The animated OP was, once again, lacking on the animation front, like Mana Khemia's OP, but this OP has better music...and lesbians.

Gameplay - In Japanese, because English voice acting sucks in comparison usually. I see PS1 graphics and lots of artwork appearing. Maybe I'll be able to trick myself into thinking it looks good if I warp myself back in time, back to when the PS1 ruled the planet?

itamae 28 Apr 2009 23:34:42 10,213 posts
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GoneTomorrow wrote:
I'm angered by the fact that no-one has bothered answering my simple question about if Ar Ton 2 follows on directly to the events of the first Ar Ton.

Just for you then, angry internet person: no, you don't need to have played the first game. Apart from two recurring characters and a sub-plot which references the storyline of the first Ar Tonelico the two titles are mostly unrelated. Thanks to my phenomenally bad memory I didn't even recognize the two characters, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm in the slightest.

GoneTomorrow 29 Apr 2009 02:31:34 294 posts
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Thanks, Mario. (For some strange reason, "It'sa me, Mario!!!!" entered my head when I saw your name)

Ok, since I've discovered someone willing to answer my questions, here's another:

Are Mana Khemia and Ar Ton similar in any way, shape or form? They look alike and, afaik (note: as far as my nose from my eyes) the games were made by the same people. I ask because Mana Khemia looks like childish shit, without pervy fun to make up for the lack of graphics.

Also, I can't see how anyone can hate SO4 when it has a cut-scene THAT retarded. I mean, a guy acting like a cat on a space ship in an attempt to not look like a pervert? It's so retarded you have to just laugh and enjoy.

itamae 29 Apr 2009 03:06:11 10,213 posts
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Star Ocean 4 simply doesn't work, on any level. The acting (voice and motion) is just abysmal, but then again the script is terrible to begin with. The game can't decide if it wants to be a comedy or serious story, and fails miserably trying to be both. The main character is a whiny bitch who needs to be shot in the face with extreme prejudice, and his female side-kick is an equally annoying relic from the pre-emancipation era. One of the characters is borderline child pornography plus furry fetish. Another one is basically just some talking tits. All the other ones are less than one-dimensional, and have nothing relevant to contribute to the game.

Also, compared to the previous three games, the following things have changed:

* We have plenty of game-crashing bugs now
* The music is forgettable
* The battle system is significantly worse
* The frame rate regularly collapses
* The item creation and skill systems have been stupified
* You can't choose party members any more
* Gone are the multiple endings
* Personal Actions are also awol
* You are constantly changing discs near the end of the game

I... can't really recommend the game to anyone.