Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica

As the epitome of niche, Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of Metafalica will never enjoy mass-market appeal, and it’s kind of a shame. As far as JRPGs go, AT2 does absolutely everything right, with an innovative battle system that never seems to get old, well-developed characters, a complex yet easily-followable story, and even a well-streamlined map system that eliminates the tedium of traveling. Unless you totally hate RPGs, you will enjoy this game ...

"It’s a big time commitment and it’s really text heavy, but if you’re even remotely into JRPGs, Ar Tonelico 2 is easily worth it. Then again, if endearing, well-written characters and well-crafted turn-based battle systems aren’t your thing, well, it’s your loss. "

"A great continuation of a solid RPG franchise, Ar Tonelico 2 is worth the time and effort you'll put into its lengthy quest."

An epic adventure invloving a vast roster of characters dealing with moral issues on a quest to provide freedom and life to reign supreme within the world.

There's been plenty of discussion in the IGN offices about what to do with this game's score. If I hadn't passed the aforementioned bug, the score would have tumbled to "don't-touch-this levels." Instead, it's become a cautious recommendation of a game that would've otherwise been a huge recommendation. As it stands, Ar Tonelico II is still a brilliant RPG -- albeit one with some borderline creepy bits and plenty of giggle-worthy dialogue -- but in this case, buyers most definitely should beware.