Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel Review

I've played a fair share of Japanese RPGs in my days, from the ever popular Final Fantasy and Pokemon series, to the niche, over-the-top Disgaea and Tales games, and even one-hit wonders like Folklore - kudos to you if you remember a fun little game that goes by that title. So here we are with another JRPG jumping the rift from the PS2 era to the current generation. Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel is the third game in the series and the first, as well as the last, entry on the PlayStation 3. That alone ought to get fans' appetites going.

Set in the world of Sol Cluster, Ar tonelico Qoga follows the story of a young teenage boy, who gets wrapped up in a conflict that will more than likely consume the whole world. Throw in an amnesiac, air head female lead, your resident tsundere, and a cast of charming archetypal characters and you have your typical JRPG plot. Don't stop reading this review now though; while the plot may be as classic as they come, Gust have outdone themselves with the execution, giving players a surprisingly enjoyable experience with the final Ar tonelico game.

Ar tonelico Qoga is a very story-driven experience. Just about any and everything about the game is tied into the plot. From the battle system to the character progression and yes, even those highly sexualized events you've no doubt heard about. Events are a mix of 3D cutscenes and mostly visual novelesque events. In addition to the main plot, you'll be able to cosy up with one of the female leads through nightly conversations. These can be triggered at any rest point and Talk Topics can be found as shiny orbs scattered throughout the game. The more you unlock, the closer you get to your girl of choice and the better they perform in battle.

It won't take long for players to get into the swing of things, as unlike a certain other game, the story is paced quite well and the gameplay mechanics work well in conjunction with that. You'll never really experience a lull that's too long. In fact, the game's design doesn't really encourage grinding at all. Each area is demarcated with an encounter gauge that slowly depletes with every battle you encounter until, eventually, you'll have to move on to the next area. It's not necessarily a bad thing since battles don't depend only on your level, but grinders will feel a bit left out, like myself. However, it's not something that's too difficult to remedy as all you have to do is move in between areas to refill the gauge.

The battle system, as mentioned earlier, is tied quite heavily into the plot and it'll be easier to understand it if you can quickly grasp the context by which it was designed. Parties consist of three Vanguards and one Reyvateil, an all-female race - there's a huge back-story and glossary about Reyvateils. Fans of the Ar tonelico series will instantly recognize them, while newcomers to the series might get a bit confused at first. They are basically an artificial life form capable of manipulating symphonic energy. Translated into English, that means they sing, and that's about all they can do in battle.