Software:Ar Tonelico 2

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Short description: 2007 video game
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Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica
Developer(s)Gust
Publisher(s)
SeriesAr tonelico
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • JP: October 25, 2007
  • NA: January 20, 2009[2]
  • EU: June 5, 2009[3]
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica, known in Japan as Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). is a role-playing video game, developed by Gust for the PlayStation 2 which was released in Japan on October 25, 2007, in North America on January 20, 2009,[2] and was set to be released in the EU on 29 May 2009, but a problem with the barcode delayed it by a week.[3][4][5] It is the sequel to Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia, taking place roughly one and a half years after that game's canonical ending.

Gameplay

Prerelease screenshot demonstrating the Ar tonelico II battle system in action. While several of the displays differ from the final version, it shows how different it is from the one used in the first Ar tonelico.

Though superficially similar to its predecessor in both aesthetics and style, Ar Tonelico II's battle system is new. The new version removed the ability to jump and its platforming sections. The field exploration marks indicating points of interest, the Camp Circles (which restore health, save the game, and offer gameplay tips), and the encounter bar (which indicates how many battles can be fought in that particular area) remain the same as in the previous game. In Ar Tonelico II, the player can control up to four characters in battle, in two pairs. Battles are divided into two phases. In the Attack Phase, characters can attack until the Time Gauge expires and the Defense Phase begins. The player defends the Reyvateils against attacks by pressing buttons indicated on the screen. The better the timing, the better the guard. Player receive special power upon filling the Emotion Indicator.

Plot

Setting

The setting for the game is the same as the previous game: the planet of Ar Ciel, albeit centered on a different region this time. The Tower of Ar tonelico from Metafalss is different from the tower in the first game since it does not look like a tower initially, but still has some of the same essential facilities (Plasma Bell (represented as the Lift Generators) and Musical Corridor (called here the Wings of Hynemos)). The Song Magics are still used like programs, but in this tower there are two Song Magic servers: the Sol Marta server and the Infel Phira Server. The Sol Marta server is located in the upper zone of the tower, acting like a stationary satellite. However, Sol Marta is not a proper Song Magic server, and instead, it serves as a relay for the First Tower of Ar tonelico, which was the setting for the first game. On the other hand, the Infel Phira server is located in a satellite that orbits the sky around the tower and shares its name with said server. Given Sol Marta's purpose as a relay for the First Tower, it works with the same kind of hymmnos as it and executes the EXEC variety of hymns. On the other hand, the Infel Phira server works with another kind of hymmnos called the New Testament of Pastalie hymmnos, and executes the METHOD variety of hymns.

Story

The region of Metafalss (メタ ファルス, Meta Farusu) surrounds the second Tower of Ar tonelico, which is said to represent the Goddess Frelia of the Trio of Elemia. Reyvateil in this region have been succumbing to a raging Reyvateil-exclusive epidemic called the Infel Phira Dependency (I.P.D.). Croix, a Knight under the Grand Bell Church of Pastalia, is sent to find the source of the problem and contain the epidemic. There is more transpiring in this region than just the epidemic, however, and one mission will throw him into an adventure to unravel the mysteries of the planet Ar Ciel and seek out a legend handed down by the people of Metafalss: the lost Hymn of Metafalica.

Characters

As with the original Ar tonelico, II features eight playable characters and many more who are important to the story. Croix Bartel is the main protagonist, whose life is changed when a routine mission goes awry. He becomes involved with two Reyvateils named Cloche Leythal Pastalia and Luca Trulyworth.

Music

The Gust sound team of Akira Tsuchiya, Ken Nakagawa and Daisuke Achiwa returned from the first game to compose the music for this game, as did Haruka Shimotsuki, Takashige Inagaki and Akiko Shikata for the composition of several of the songs and Hymns.

Like the soundtrack for Ar tonelico, the music of the game was released across three albums: a two-disc Original Soundtrack and two Hymnnos Concert CDs which contain all but one of the songs and Hymns that were absent from the OST. That missing song (titled "Emptiness") was later on released in one of Akiko Shikata's albums.

All four singers from the first game returned to sing the songs and Hymns of this game's Reyvateils: Luca - Haruka Shimotsuki, Cloche - Akiko Shikata, Jacqli - Noriko Mitose, Reisha and Frelia - Yuuko Ishibashi.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings73% (19 reviews)[10]
Metacritic71% (17 reviews)[11]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GamesRadar+StarStarStarHalf star[9]
IGN8.4/10[6]
RPGamer4/5[7]
RPGFan81%[8]

The game was praised in Japan. The U.S. release was also well-received, but many fans have criticized its localization for bugs and glitches. The accuracy of some aspects of the translation is also debated, as approximately half of the Japanese voice overs were removed to make room for the English dubbing.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}

Notes

References

  1. ↑ "Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of the Metafalica". TECMO KOEI Europe Official Forum. http://www.tecmokoei-europe.com/forum/showpost.php?p=16316&postcount=15. Retrieved May 28, 2012. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Ar tonelico® 2: Melody of Metafalica Official Website launches; join our "Ar tonelico 2 Girls Gone Towel" Contest!". NIS America. October 24, 2008. http://nisamerica.com/news/20081024_2.html. Retrieved May 28, 2012. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of the Metafalica". TECMO KOEI Europe Official Forum. p. 5. http://www.koei.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=809&page=5. Retrieved May 28, 2012. 
  4. ↑ "KOEI FORGES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH AWARD WINNING PUBLISHER". MCV UK. April 27, 2009. http://www.mcvuk.com/press-releases/read/koei-forges-new-partnership-with-award-winning-publisher. Retrieved May 28, 2012. 
  5. ↑ "Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of the Metafalica". GAME.co.uk. Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091016085103/http://www.game.co.uk/PS2/RolePlaying/~r329368/Ar-Tonelico-2-Melody-of-the-Metafalica/?%2F. 
  6. ↑ IGN's review of Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. URL retrieved 11th May 2014.
  7. ↑ RPGamer's review of Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. URL retrieved 11th May 2014.
  8. ↑ RPGFan's review of Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. URL retrieved 11th May 2014.
  9. ↑ GamesRadar review of Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. URL retrieved 11th May 2014.
  10. ↑ GameRankings.com page for Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. URL retrieved 11th May 2014.
  11. ↑ Metacritic on Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. URL accessed 11th May 2014.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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