Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star

 PlayStation 3
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 23
  3. Negative: 2 out of 23
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Oct 3, 2014
    90
    By enforcing a system of communication and bond development amongst its characters, Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star achieves what great novels and only the most lovingly crafted virtual experiences can: it offers the opportunity to not only interact with the characters but to, possibly, form memorable relationships with them as well.
  2. ZTGD
    Oct 22, 2014
    85
    Spanning well over thirty hours with five different endings, there’s a great deal of fun to be had in the world of Ar nosurge. It’s just unfortunate that the lack of localization for the prequel ends up hurting the full enjoyment of this great sequel.
  3. Impulsegamer
    Oct 10, 2014
    80
    Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star is a fun Japanese RPG that goes outside the square in terms of its bizarre story and combat techniques.
  5. NZGamer
    Oct 7, 2014
    80
    The best JRPG this side of Atelier Rorona Plus.
  6. Game Over Online
    Oct 3, 2014
    80
    The storyline is too goofy to take seriously, with a cast that you can get behind on a surface level, but aren’t fleshed out enough to really hook you for a significant length of time. Still, the battle system is really fun to use and is so exciting that it’s worth playing through the game just to keep using it.
  7. 3DJuegos
    Sep 25, 2014
    75
    Unique and extremely strange JRPG granted with multiple gameplay elements and mechanics.

Awards & Rankings

42
#42 Best PS3 Game of 2014
29
#29 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2014
16
#16 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 58
  3. Negative: 7 out of 58
  1. thakinggaming
    Sep 24, 2014
    10
    For those who are JRPG fans I highly recommend this title. It released yesterday and it is also the spiritual successor to one of my favoriteFor those who are JRPG fans I highly recommend this title. It released yesterday and it is also the spiritual successor to one of my favorite turn-based franchises of all time Ar Tonelico. Its battle system feature a ton of depth as you assign your commands to a face button plus you can change and combo them whenever you like. The story is an improvement over the Ar tonelico series since Tonelico wasnt that deep but it was charming with likable characters while Nosurges storyline is much more deep and while it still has the charm and likable characters of Tonelico which is awesome. Once again if you are a JRPG fan I highly recommend checking this game out as it deserves your time.… Full Review »
  2. DanHazy
    Feb 29, 2016
    7
    So you will know what type of gamer is writing this review, I'll list three of my favorite games.. 
    Danganronpa 
    Fire emblem  Artelier    So you will know what type of gamer is writing this review, I'll list three of my favorite games.. 
    Danganronpa 
    Fire emblem 
    Artelier Totori 

    (I'm giving this a 7 out of 10 because that is the score I would give a game that I didn't particularly enjoy playing or hate playing.) 

    IN DEPTH REVIEW:

    I'll start with the dialogue, THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF IT. I would say during my play through that I spent 80 percent if the time reading, 15 percent of the time fighting, and 5 percent of the time rolling my eyes when I was trying to back out of a shop to save it. Sometimes the dialogue will hold you up when you was just wanna call it quits for a day. 

    Why is it so much reading? Well, a big part of this game is synthesizing items and there are a lot of items to make. You get a paragraph or two to read when you make an item. It's pointless gibberish about what the characters think of it. Then when you exit the shop menu, you typically get another paragraph or two to read about the story going on with the shops owners or about new recipes. If you're a typical adult playing this game, then halfway though completion of the game, you will be skipping the characters thoughts on the new item created. It's gets old rather quick. The scenes about the store owners lives are slightly more interesting so I managed to watch those without complete boredom.
    The games main story wasn't anything special either. I found the ending disappointing as well. After I've spent about 70 hours playing through a game, I expect a ending that will stay with me awhile, but this game decided it wasn't necessary. 

    The battle system is slightly entertaining. You have moves assigned to each of the four buttons and each move has a certain amount of uses for each turn. You can increase the moves count or other various benefits can be given to the moves through equipment. Every move can have three pieces of equipment tied to it. Some moves are better at breaking the opponent while another hits a group of enemies.
    There is no clock in the battle system, meaning that if you stay still, enemies do not attack you. You also defend against enemy attacks by pressing circle at the right time to help negate some of the damage you recieve. The idea is to protect the heroine until she has gathered enough energy to unleash her song, which deals damage to all enemy waves. One thing I particularly liked about this game was the fact you could fight enough waves of enemies in an area to clear them out of it completly. No more battles so that you can explore that area in peace. The game set on normal difficulty is far to easy. I only used healing items maybe 3 times through the entire playthrough. If you are looking for any kind of challenge, set the difficulty to hard. 

    I also experienced some lag on my game at the beginning and the final boss fight. These are the only times I experienced lag so it wasn't very bothersome. 
    The music was great and the graphic was ok. One of the characters had half her rear showing through the game and the graphics really didn't work for it. Also, expect to see the same npcs on the same scene. 
    I was also surprised to see a teen rating on this game. I believe the esrb may have missed something. During a purification ceremony, which is where you can install crystals into you or the heroines arm,legs,breast,stomach,or head, there was some unexpected camel toe. There was a clear indention in the swimsuit. I know that might not technically be considered nudity but it doesnt get closer than that.Also you will see plenty of rear from the heroines and some of the other female characters in this game. 

    In my opinion, these games have steadily went down in playabilty. The first being ar tonelico for ps2. This game was great, really a perfect ps2 rpg. Ar Tonelico 2 was good too but not as great as the first, as well as Ar Tonelico 3. The new Ar Nosurge is a different direction in these games, hence the different name. If you are looking for a great RPG with about the same sexy tone as Ar Nosurge, I recommend the Ar Tonelico series over this.

    That wraps this review up, hope it helps.    … Full Review »
  3. Deki81
    Jan 16, 2015
    9
    Finished the game after 80h of play. That only tells you how much i loved it. If you want true ending make sure you create every single itemFinished the game after 80h of play. That only tells you how much i loved it. If you want true ending make sure you create every single item in all of the shops. I will not tell why but its important. To all new players, switch to VETERAN difficulty immediately at the start of the game. Difficulty should be revised, as easy, normal, hard instead of normal, hard, veteran.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »