Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 30
  3. Negative: 1 out of 30
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  1. RPG Fan
    91
    Because of its hybrid nature as an RPG/visual novel, it's quite different from our previous tastes of Gust (in Atelier Iris 1 and 2). And, when you stop and think about how rare the dating-sim, visual novel, and love adventure genres are in the US (some Hirameki titles and a few other obscure releases), it's great to see a game like this represent that faction of Japanese culture, on the PS2 no less.
  2. Play Magazine
    85
    Ar Tonelico pretty much has it all. The story and especially pacing is fantastic; the music is truly special, the battles are incredibly engaging via the Revyatelis, and the art is simply gorgeous. [Feb 2007, p.36]
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  3. GamingTrend
    84
    This is a very nice RPG, and if you enjoy Japanese RPGs at all you owe it to yourself to pick up this title.
  5. Gaming Target
    83
    This was the first time in a long time that I felt like I went on a real traditional RPG adventure.
  6. Deeko
    80
    A unique role playing experience and one that is dripping with sexual innuendo and overtones. However, if you can get over this fact (and I'm sure you can), you're going to find an adventure that is often amazingly fun, but ends up feeling rather dry and contrived at times. The concepts within are fantastic, but the combat, which makes up the majority of the game, is beyond tedious and that hurts the title quite a bit.
  7. TotalPlayStation
    80
    Despite its pedantic handling of some topics and questionable dialogue parts, the game never takes itself too seriously. That, and it's actually a pretty awesome RPG at that.
  8. Just RPG
    80
    A very average game, enjoyable without standing out, and sadly forgettable.
  9. VGPub
    80
    If you’re looking for a unique RPG experience that graphical harks back to RPGs of the SNES or early PS1 era, this is your game.
  10. Digital Entertainment News
    79
    While Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia may not be host to cutting-edge graphics, its script and game play make up for it, delivering solid turn-based entertainment for at least 50 hours of enjoyment. A solid choice for NIS America fans.
  11. Gaming Nexus
    78
    A solid RPG/dating sim that will please those that love all things Japanese.
  12. GamePro
    75
    What the game lacks in the battle and exploration departments, it more than makes up for in the experience of getting to know a girl intimately.
  13. Game Revolution
    75
    Its tone is a perfect balance—not cutesy and not over-serious. The characters may be stereotypical, but there’s a real sense of self-awareness and satirical humor in them as well.
  14. ZTGD
    75
    Overall, this game offers a solid RPG experience despite its flaws it also has many things going for it, and makes a nice addition to the PS2s massive RPG collection.

Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best PS2 Game of 2007
41
#41 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2007
54
#54 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2007

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 57
  3. Negative: 6 out of 57
  1. MushaS.
    Feb 11, 2007
    10
    Finally a real 2d turn based RPG. If you like real RPGs this is for you. If you like watching movies then get FF or one of those other 3d Finally a real 2d turn based RPG. If you like real RPGs this is for you. If you like watching movies then get FF or one of those other 3d games with real time battles that only work in theory.… Full Review »
  2. seieko_pherdo
    Jul 13, 2011
    7
    Ar Tonelico is a difficult game to judge, as fan of Japanese things and story I tend to like these kind of things. However my reviewer self isAr Tonelico is a difficult game to judge, as fan of Japanese things and story I tend to like these kind of things. However my reviewer self is not a kind. This game excels in story, music, and character development. Not going to lie despite all the characters being generic I liked them a lot. I loved the concept of diving into people's minds to know more about them as well as the conversations after making a item. The encounter rate at bottom was a nice and once you killed enough things in a area they would all leave you alone. However the battles themselves are easy and boring. While I don't mind turn based combat this game does not do it well though the song magic was nice twist. However while you acquire new ways to kill foes by singing the you get overburdened with songs most of which you never use. It is quite possible to beat the game using the default beginners magic for the entire game. However I liked the concept of Ar Tonelico and while the combat isn't at all great a lot of detail went into the creation of it's world. While it's all done in sprite based artwork and doesn't look all Final Fantasy fantastic I enjoyed the look of it. Not to mention you can switch over the god awful English voices for the Japanese ones. While it's a nice treat for us fans of Japanese things it's easy to see why someone would get bored of it.… Full Review »
  3. jessicom.
    May 7, 2007
    7
    Very boring at first but it gets addictive/enjoyable to play spcially when you get a new song/technique for your reyvateil.
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