John-ShepardYou might not expect what appears to be a cutesy JRPG to boast a heavy "M"-Mature rating. But you know, sometimes there's a whole lot of innuendo beneath that "cutesy" setting.
Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel is supposed to be the final entry in the series and it'll hit the PlayStation 3 in March. It'll probably include a mix of traditional role-playing elements and unique features, which the fans likely expect. But according to the ESRB , there's something else to consider…and it's best if you read their description:
"Some power moves cause female characters' clothes to vanish in layers. The characters are often depicted holding (covering) their breasts, wearing only underwear, or standing behind strips of light that obscure their genitals."
Really? There are even parts where a male character asks a woman to strip, and there are several "suggestive moans and comments" throughout. If you're wondering what the ESRB's definition of "suggestive" is, consider the following quotes from the game- "Aoto's putting his hand inside Soma" and "Fumble around every inch inside of her…you will find what you're looking for… !" Well then. Guess we discovered the reasons behind the rating, now didn't we?
For JRPG fans, the last Ar Tonelico installment may be high on the priority list.
Related Game(s): Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel
Wow, that is pretty funny.
OFF TOPIC QUESTION
I'm thinking about upgrading my HDD and am wondering if I transfer all my saves onto a flash drive if they will transfer or will I need the original game data? Also, where is the best place to get let's say around a 500gig hard drive that is not to expensive?
newegg dot com. And you can only transfer saves that are unlocked, you may use them after reinstalling the game data on a new hard drive.
Locked saves will require a backing up or some such, Highlander can help you with that.
What is a good one on there. I'm searching but not coming up with anything specific. A brand to search would be much appreciated.
not sure if all ps3's use seagates but the 80gb drive mine had was one so i bought the same brand with the same speed only bigger when i upgraded.
i know i'm not the only one here to have ever swapped hard drives on my ps3. i noticed i can't log into Home since i did the swap. might have nothing to do with it but just thought i'd mention it. has it happened to anyone else?
with the exclision of that detail, i've been perfectly satisfied with the way it's performed.
Last edited by RockhounD on 1/18/2011 12:42:14 AM
Try the WD 500GB – AV-25 range. They are built for extended operation, have 32MB of cache (4 times the standard 8MB) and are built to be extra quiet and low power/heat.
@Rockhound. Delete Home, not the Home saves, but the main Home item. Then re-download/install. It should be fine.
I just swapped out my 120GB Slim HDD(Hitachi) for a 500 gb WD. I think it was a Scorpio Blue. It's a 5400rpm only has 8mb but I've found them to be enough for what I'm using them for…that and I only paid 40 bucks for it from tiger direct dot ca….
I've got some external HDD's but the best ones I've used so far are the WD's or the Seagates in my opinion.
thanks very much Highlander. i appreciate it.
I hope this is pretty good, I could use a JRPG fix. Same hope goes out to Hyperdimension Neptunia.
MY question is…will there be a limited edition? 🙂
@sonic1899
It's too soon to tell. But I think that is a strong possibility since the NA publisher of the game is NIS.
Oh yes. I have already been well aware of this games quirks for some time now. Not that I have anything against the quirks.
Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel is definitely a day one purchase for me. The reason for this is because I've heard that the game actually does quite well in terms of story and characters. So I am definitely on board with this one.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 1/17/2011 9:40:20 PM
I cant say I'm very surprised by this rating; I know the US is very restrictive in regards to sexual content. Funny how this is the reason the game is rated M while the previous to games also had loads of innuendo and were still rated T. But like I said before, I'd rather this game go untouched and receive an Mature rating than to be 'violated' by censorship to receive a Teen.
At least you have an M 17+ rating.
Australia's limit is MA15+, which means that anything rated higher is either banned or censored to suit 15 year olds. This happened to all the GTA's with Left 4 Dead 2 being the worst victim of such idiocracy.
The debate on whether to introduce an R18+ rating has been pushed further back, and even though there was overwhelming demand for an R18+ rating here (96% Yes, 4% No out of 56,000) the Government is still undecided or don't consider it a real issue.
Children around 10 to 16 years old playing games like GTA, Dead Space or Gears of War and being desensitized to such violent acts is something I consider to be quite serious, Lord knows many parents are oblivious to mature video game ratings because "video games are for children!!" :S
I hope Ar Tonelico doesn't get censored or banned here in Australia, I've been dying to get my hands on a classic turn-based RPG on a current-gen console.
@Dancemachine55
Actually, Ar Tonelico Qoga is not turn-based. As I understand it the combat is real-time and similar to that of Star Ocean III: Till the End of Time.
Although on the other hand the way that "Song Magic" is handled in this game is rather interesting. As I understand it's timing your attacks to synch up with music or something like that.
And by the way, aren't things going to be changing in Australia before long with the departure of Michael Atkinson from office in about 3 years? Although I understand that it's probably going to be a rough 3 years.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 1/18/2011 8:18:51 AM
I might even preorder this sucker, I am so in need of a JRPG right now. The mature elements are common to JRPGs and anime in general, nothing new there. In fact if it only has near-nudity then it is tamer than most M rated games. The special moves sound an awful lot like changing Dress Spheres with the girls on FFX-2. Remember Yuna giving that back massage to LeBlanc? Yeah that wasn't suggestive or anything.
JRPGs for the mother effing win!
wasnt that massage on screen? i believe its the suggestive part, those ratings people always think the worst.
I preordered when I bought LBP2 today 🙂
Why is it the final entry? That's odd… Or will they just be taking it in a different direction.
As for the innuendos, well, we all know how perverted lonely boys with jrpgs can be.
Um, it should be worth noting that it's not just the female characters that can lose their clothes during battle. That also happens to the male characters too.
Alienage, Ar Tonelico was always intended to be a trilogy.
There has been some mentions of the creators wanting to make another Ar tonelico game but nothing is set in stone yet.
The current story is definitely a trilogy since there's only 3 towers on Ar Ciel, but that doesn't mean a spin-off, side-story, or maybe even like an Ar tonelico game set in a different time are not possible because they are possible. Or maybe there can be a game that's a prequel.
Um, well considering that Soma is a Reyvateil (aka an artificial being) and the Reyvateil have crystals called Grathnode Crystals (similar to Materia in FFVII – sort of) physically installed into their bodies by their partners (Reyvateil require a male partner who they have to form strong a bond with in order to correctly formulate their songs – their form of magic). I think that it's fair to say that as usual dialog taken out of context can be quite racy. The game features a boatload of innuendo and fan service, but for it to jump from that the the sexual act implied by the dialog and reaction of the ESRB seems unlikely.
I can think of two contexts in which this dialog would actually work in a totally non-sexual manner. The first is if the character Aoto is fumbling around trying to install, or replace a Grathnode crystal in Soma. The other possibility is in discussing a dive into Soma's Cosmosphere/Mind in order to find some kind of information or other 'thing'. Either way, this is another example of the current trend of the ESRB being quite tolerant of the most abhorrent violence, but extremely reactionary against any suggestion of sexual content – even animated obscured nudity and innuendo. Pathetic.
Heck I remember in Xenosaga Episode 1, Albedo plunges his hand into Momo, she of course moans in pain. Depending on the part of the cut scene you see you understand what is going on or you don't. The close ups only show Albedo's arm moving as he apparently fumbles around inside Momo, but the longer shots show that his hand has passed straight into her abdomen and the scene is symbolic of him reaching into her mind looking for information. Yes there is innuendo in the scene, and yes there is mental abuse on an epic scale being committed, but it's not sexual. However I believe that the scene exists in an edited form that makes it look far worse than the original because it is actually less clear what is going on.
I wish that the ESRB wouldn't do this. If they have played the game and played through the scene with the dialog and it is indeed sexual in nature, that is one thing, but if not, and they are simply making their decision based on synopsis and quotation, their rating is a steaming pile.
The hardline stance against sexuality and lax standards for violence is hardly associated solely with the ESRB. It seems to be a culture bred by society. It doesn't really matter where you look, it's the case all over.
Maybe it's a worldwide government plot to reduce population numbers by ostracising sex, and with it reproduction, while killing off untold millions with an army made up of those that think violence is normal.
Stupid conspiracy theories, FTW!
Peace.
Perhaps it's a worldwide plot coordinated by News International at the behest of Rupert Murdoch? I mean, it's not like FOX News and the other related news networks of News International are known for their progressive viewpoints on such matters. 😉
looool Best idea ever.
Well, that certainly is… different. Colour me interested.
And a note to all the female gamers out there.
It's not just the female characters that lose their clothes during battle. That also happens with the male characters.
Quite a thoughtful gesture don't you think?
Last edited by Looking Glass on 1/18/2011 8:21:10 AM
Further note to all.
This isn't the first or only (or last – I am sure) game to feature destructible outfits; Soul Calibur 4 does (for example) as do many fighters such as Arcana Heart. If you've ever seen anime such as Ikkitousen, you'll know that this is hardly exceptional either.
@TheHighlander
I think you may have forgotten to mention Bayonetta.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 1/18/2011 10:59:40 AM
You're most correct, I did indeed forget to mention Bayonetta. Hopefully people will realize this game is hardly unique in many, if any, of it's more controversial aspects.
Lol these games are so f'kin QUEER!
Please mind your manners comrade.
You may have confused JRPGs with LiamDanielses
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 1/18/2011 10:44:38 AM
The game features girls who can lose some clothing and that's consider homosexual? Nice logic you got there. Seems like the word 'gay' is becoming more and more useless anytime I hear it.
I don't understand why some people are trying to start a controversy with this game; From the age of some of the characters to the style of the game. As Highlander said, something like this isn't new to videogames (or media in general) in anyway.
Last edited by sonic1899 on 1/18/2011 10:58:14 AM
How very mature of you Liam.
Okay..
Lookingglass – Since when are we in soviet russia? XD
TheWorldEndsWithMe – Whatever you say bud.
Sonice1899 – Umn…"Aoto's putting his hand inside Soma" and "Fumble around every inch inside of her…" Yeah that sounds very queer to me. Just to remind you, queer means weird, not gay, so yeah.
TheHighlander – Sorry I'll try better next time.
@LiamDaniels
Actually, the word queer has numerous meanings. One of which is to be used as a slang word for homosexual (Although don't get me wrong. I have nothing against same-sex relationships). Look it up on dictionary.com.
People overreact. Get with the times, we're in the 21st Century. A little sex appeal doesn't hurt.
Aside from that it's a solid series. It's also a jrpg, even better.
Neptunia + Ar Tonelico 3, and then WKC2 later this year. Jrpgs are still alive, just gotta find them.
Hopefully we get Agarest War 2 this year too.
Last edited by Scarecrow on 1/18/2011 2:21:26 PM
Neptunia + Ar Tonelico 3, and then WKC2 later this year. Jrpgs are still alive, just gotta find them.
That's three purchases of mine this year. I still have to catch Agarest War, VC3 on the PSP may come this year, and there is a new Atelier game coming as well.
I still hold a minute amount of Hope that Namco is actually going to do localizations of the Tales games despite their bluster. But I'm no longer going to hold my breath waiting. SE? Don't know, don't care. It would have to be a game that was as good or better than FFVII/FFVIII are perceived to be, to win me back.