Amazing game, good storyline, new battle system. American version: Bad translation, voice acting removed, GLITCHED!

User Rating: 9.5 | Ar tonelico II: Sekai ni Hibiku Shoujo Tachi no Metafalica PS2
By Gullart | Review Date:
First of all you must be wondering why I've given a 9.5 to this game and classified it as "Broken". Actually, it's american version is broken.

The japanese version was almost perfect and would get a 10 from me if it were a little more hard. Most battles offer no challenge. But then we wait for the american version, so we can understand the game (poor us, can't read japanese). And so, NIS America makes this... crap. Disappointing...

First, the translation wasn't good. Of course, no game can be perfect translated with absolutely no errors. But these are too many. I even saw some japanese text in the game (in a balloon chat that SHOULD've been translated)!

I could endure the bad translation without ranting, but then they remove over 75% of the voice acting in the game! Most voiced events now are just plain text with the background music... boring.

OK, we can take that too right? But then, to end our patience and to make us wish that this game had been translated... the most unexpected happens... NIS America did it... they managed to leave a bug in the game... not a simple graphical bug or anything... a buffer overflow during one of the last bosses' fights (which, of course, you must defeat to progress in history and clear the game) when he uses one of his attacks (usually in the 3rd defensive phase) freezes the game. Yes, a bug that you cannot evade, and that will FREEZE your game. Details...

OK, it isn't impossible to pass it. You just have to beat the boss in less than 3 turns (power leveling, anyone?). Or you can get an unofficial patch in the internet...

Remember when I said "the battles are too easy"? Well, this one isn't...



Anyway, I know this sounded more like a complaint than a review, but I had to say that... besides these (BIG) errors, the game is great. If I were you I would buy it even knowing all these bugs. That fight is a good challenge for experienced players (or cheaters...). It's still unexcusable to let a glitch like this in the game. Ever thought about testing a game before releasing it?

Anyway, my final score:

Japanese version: 9.5
American version: 7.5

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