Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star Review (PS3)

I’ve never played any of the Ar tonelico games, but I’ve always thought that they looked like futuristic Atelier games, and so I had some expectation in store when I sat down for this Ar nosurge Ode to an Unborn Star review.

 

Whilst it may look graphically similar to Atelier, the gameplay is much different and the story is vastly darker. You play as Delta, a young adult with a troubled past who’s currently running a restaurant until he’s hired as an impromptu mercenary, alongside his friend Casty. You’ll later be able to switch between Delta’s group and Ion and Earthes’ group, who again are thrust into the protector and song magic-singer role.

 

The plot has many threads sewn into it, but the primary objective for Delta and Casty is to protect Felion from the robots who are trying to destroy the barriers preventing them from getting in, as well as find out who is controlling them; this isn’t discrimination, as those machines tend to go on a killing spree once inside. Ion and Earthes’ revolves around trying to prevent and old friend from destroying Delta’s world so she can return to her own, and both of these stories intertwine.

 

There’s a main theme of human bonds and trust in the game, as you’ll have the option to use Geometrics, the ability to dive into your partners heart, to find out more about them; however, you need to solve the problems deep inside their hearts so that they learn to trust you. These issues will be vastly exaggerated, but will relate to things that they say and do in-game. You can also visit purification sites with them, which is essentially a bath so you can chat, get closer and give your partner new abilities via the crystals you collect from their hearts.

 

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Combat is fluid and fast-paced, pitting you against multiple waves of enemies per random encounter; most enemies will fall quickly, but they’ll be replaced by other enemies. These are time-based but you’re able to activate your partner’s song to wipe out multiple waves, and so this is rarely a problem; if you spend more time fighting them without activating the song however, you’ll gain more experience and a better ranking score.

 

Outside of battle you’ll be navigating areas to progress the story, or finding items so that you can synthesise items to use in battle; only your song caster has a health bar, and you’ll be tasked with defending them in battle, so make sure you’re carrying a few buff and healing items at all times. Although it isn’t required, I highly recommend that you play the Geometric sequences to unlock new song magic and learn more about the characters.

 

During these sequences, you’ll be faced with multiple choice options, with only one being correct; pick the wrong one and you’re forcibly removed from your partners heart. Some of the choices cost dive points, but they’re not always correct. You’ll continue doing this until you’ve cleared one layer of their heart, and then you’ll go onto the next to unlock another song to use. You can also talk to them when walking around by pressing the square button if it’s showing up next to the character portrait; whilst trivial, it’s enjoyable reading some of the humorous conversations.

 

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Whilst the graphics aren’t particularly outstanding, the art style fortunately is. Felion, and the areas surrounding it, are rich in sci-fi, colour and life, coming together to create an outlandish yet realistic and believable world. The sci-fi isn’t overwhelming and feels natural to the everyday life of the characters, and in turn it’s easy for as to accept it as part of an established universe. This is prominent in the beautiful animated cutscenes.

 

Similar to the Atelier games, character models and animations are quite stiff during conversations, and seem to have preset emotions that the characters jump to and from. I’m fond of Casty’s outfit in particular, although orange and purple together will always remind me of Halloween! Battle animations are much more spectacular and smooth, with all moves seamlessly linking together in bursts of explosions and magic. Don’t get me wrong, I like the graphics and the anime-inspired look they’ve created, but it would be nice if they were more fluid in future.

 

The voice-acting is great, with well-known names such as Johnny Yong-Bosch and Cristina Valenzuela (Vee) fitting into their roles perfectly; never fear though, as you’ll have the option to choose the original Japanese voice-over if the English dub isn’t to your liking.

 

The official soundtrack is also a delight to listen to, perfectly meshing with the environment and providing upbeat, orchestral tunes to battle to. Being a sci-fi game, there are some techno beats to enjoy throughout although there aren’t as many as I expected, but this isn’t a problem.

 

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The journey itself is lengthy, and you’ll easily be able to squeeze a couple dozen hours out of the main story and Geometric sequences; no worries, as it keeps things feeling fresh by allowing you to switch between two teams. The social aspect of the game is one of the most enjoyable parts of it, and although they’re optional, you’ll be missing out on some of the greatest parts of the game.

 

Whilst I can’t recommend it if you’re a fan of the Ar tonelico series, as I haven’t played that series, I can recommend Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star as a solid JRPG in its own right, even if it is quite easy.

 

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You can pick up Ar NoSurge from the Rice Digtal store for just £34.84 which includes free UK delivery. We also ship internationally. All orders come with free DLC!

 

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