Synopsis: NIS America has released it's final chapter in the Ar Tonelico, a JRPG series that includes action and rhythm elements with tongue in cheek humor to it's audience. The story takes place in Sol Cluster, which is a land ruled by the Clustania organization, a group set on consists of Reyvateils and "purified" human slaves...see where this is going? Aside from trying to avoid genoci...ahem, cleansing, you are a young buck named Aoto, and your quest is to save the girl. So without further ado, lets get to the brass tacks.
Praise: There is a lot to be said about this title, mainly because it has been a while since I have played a JRPG that was fun which caught and kept my attention, even if it is with adolescent humor and naughty enuendos. The dialogue is funny, but dirty enough to make you want to play this game by yourself and even has a panic button, for when your mom comes in to tell you dinner is ready, hiding the screen from discerning eyes. The raunchy humor is not just a gimmick, it does help carry the story along and who is to complain about party members that get stronger by losing clothing. The action is smooth, and if you time your attacks at the right moment you can purge and release stronger moves. The graphics are very bright and crisp, looking beautiful.
Gripes: Aside from trying to make sure no one catches you playing this, there isn't much i have to complain about, which I don't think I have said in a long time about JRPG titles. The first issue that I noticed immediately, was the camera, but it was only for when I was exploring that I wanted to rotate the camera to see if there was anything hiding in the cracks. You can however move the camera in battle sequences with is a good thing as I feel it would almost be unplayable if it didn't. The story moves at a slow pace, with numerous conversations, I mean there seemed to be more talking than exploration and fighting, luckily the dialogue is good and you can speed it along.
Overall, it felt refreshing to play a JRPG that had all the basics the genre needs and seems to have forgotten. Whether it be visiting towns or crawling through dungeons and wading through the storyline, you will be glued to the controller for hours at a time. If you are one that is a fan of progression and not patient playing with age old RPG mechanics of the Super Nintendo or even PS One, may not get into this title as much.
Mashbuttons.com gives Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel a 7 out of 10.
Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel is available now for the PlayStation 3.
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