Ar nosurge Plus: Ode to an Unborn Star

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 45
  3. Negative: 5 out of 45
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  1. bloodless08
    Aug 25, 2015
    8
    I really enjoyed playing this game. This is going to be an extremely basic review, just putting one out here since there are no reviews yet.

    After reading (this game's prequel) Ciel no Surge's summary for about 3~ hours (which is searchable online), I was finally ready to start my playthrough of the localized sequel. Man was it worth reading the summary. The story is pretty great if    I really enjoyed playing this game. This is going to be an extremely basic review, just putting one out here since there are no reviews yet.

    After reading (this game's prequel) Ciel no Surge's summary for about 3~ hours (which is searchable online), I was finally ready to start my playthrough of the localized sequel. Man was it worth reading the summary.

    The story is pretty great if you are able to enjoy a game that is 75% dialogue. Knowing what happened in the non-localized prequel really made events in Ar nosurge even more exciting. And the game has some pretty interesting inter-dimensional concepts thrown into the mechanics of Ar nosurge's universe as well.

    Be that as it may, be prepared for 60~80 hour of gameplay, the majority of which is text, for a single playthrough. I played the game on Veteran, which was fun, but it turns out it was completely unnecessary. I'd recommend playing on hard if you don't want to end up frustrated in some boss battles, but don't want to make the battles brainless like normal mode does.

    The characters in this game, in my opinion, a significantly more likeable if you read Ciel nosurge's summary beforehand. I feel that I wouldn't have been driven to complete this game if I hadn't read it.

    I think the best aspect of this game, aside from the main plot throughout, is the Diving mechanics. It really adds a lot of flavor, tension and depth to the rest on the ongoing plot and character development. The dives are also a really fun break from the main story as well.

    Lastly, I don't think this game has as much explosive fan service or trope-isms as many critics many it seem. Albeit, some of the CGs and the purification rituals should've earn it a M-Rating honestly. But, the game is NOT incessantly throwing stupid anime tropes and ecchi content in your face at EVERY possible moment. More like 10% of the time. Romance drives the plot quite a bit in some ways though.

    TLDR;
    Good game, great story, a bit of a 'reading grind' at times (but not awful be any means), great characters.
    Should read Ciel nosurge's online summary before playing (imo).
    Great game if you don't mind plot-driven dialogue being the majority of the game experience.    … Expand
  2. deadlysilentbob
    Sep 30, 2015
    9
    I already did a reveiw for the ps3 title so in this review im just gonna list the improvements and failings of the vitas version.

    Negative: Framerate drops are a huge issue. its important to note tho that the drops never feel like they are going to freeze the game but they are still very noticeable especialy in quanterv and during battles. Possitive: there have been an few tweaks to    I already did a reveiw for the ps3 title so in this review im just gonna list the improvements and failings of the vitas version.

    Negative: Framerate drops are a huge issue. its important to note tho that the drops never feel like they are going to freeze the game but they are still very noticeable especialy in quanterv and during battles.

    Possitive: there have been an few tweaks to the translation here and there and it reads smoother thanks to it, you get an extra costume for all 4 main characters right off the bat which, personaly, i think look better than their original costumes by miles (especialy for earthes since he used to look like the assasin droid HK-47 from knights of the old republic and now he looks like a dark samurai gundam)

    overall the simpleness of the game makes it feel better on the vita than it did on the ps3 where it felt kinda low budget. also since the vita is lacking for games of this depth in story its a welcome addition to its library.    … Expand
  3. Ogie
    Feb 2, 2017
    7
    Ar Nosurge is well made story based JRPG. If you don't like reading, this game probably can be a bit boring for you, but if you LIKE RPGs with heavy story this is exactly what you are looking for. Graphics are not bad but definitely could be better - especially some details. Compare to Atelier Ayesha Ar's graphics are slightly worse but still Nosurge looks quite well. Gameplay here isAr Nosurge is well made story based JRPG. If you don't like reading, this game probably can be a bit boring for you, but if you LIKE RPGs with heavy story this is exactly what you are looking for. Graphics are not bad but definitely could be better - especially some details. Compare to Atelier Ayesha Ar's graphics are slightly worse but still Nosurge looks quite well. Gameplay here is quite interesting, there are many features and unique, simple and enjoyable combat system. The strongest part of the game is definitely story telling... the game has amazing plot with decent amount of romance that is very enjoyable. Ar Nosurge (together with P4G) has best story of PS VITA games. Some people are saying that if you don't know prequel you can't enjoy Ar Nosurge. That is not completely true. It is good to know story of Ciel Nosurge but even without it you can fully enjoy Ar Nosurge. You probably will just need to read more off info in in-game encyclopedia but it is not such a big problem. There are also couple of negatives... The game has couple of minor fps issues, same character models in the game, there could be more and bigger maps. Even after these flaws i would definitely recommend this game cause if you are into good stories or visual novels this is just amazing experience.

    Graphic - 7
    Gameplay - 8
    Lasting Appeal - 8
    Execution - 6

    Overall - 7,25    … Expand
  4. GundamBoy
    Jun 7, 2018
    10
    One of the best JRPG i've played on my Vita, a plus if you're already fans of Ar Tonelico games.

    This game offers amazing storyline, godlike music, charming characters, and simple but addicting gameplay. The game are easy enough that if you play just for the story you won't find any problem, but for those who cared about gameplay this game offers hard mode that are quite challenging and    One of the best JRPG i've played on my Vita, a plus if you're already fans of Ar Tonelico games.

    This game offers amazing storyline, godlike music, charming characters, and simple but addicting gameplay. The game are easy enough that if you play just for the story you won't find any problem, but for those who cared about gameplay this game offers hard mode that are quite challenging and lots of fun!

    Overall, if you're looking for a great JRPG for PS Vita that aren't Persona 4 Golden then you might want to check this out.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best PS Vita Game of 2015
32
#32 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2015
15
#15 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Brash Games
    Aug 30, 2015
    80
    Ar nosurge Plus: Ode to an Unborn Star makes you work for your rewards, but put in the effort and you will be remunerated handsomely.
    Read full review
  2. RPG Fan
    Jul 31, 2015
    78
    If you can persevere through the first 5-10 or so confusing, trope-ridden hours, there are some great character relationships and an absurd/epic story to discover.
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  3. Gaming Age
    Jul 30, 2015
    75
    I'm sure that if you're willing to make the commitment, there's some kind of payoff, but considering the size of my backlog and the multitude of other JRPGs out there that aren't as dense, I can't say it's a commitment I'm willing to make.
    Read full review
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