Ar Nosurge

The game plays as a JRPG with visual novel segments. but rather, the game alternates between two sets of characters; Delta and Cass on one side, and Ion and Earthes on the other. In certain areas, a bar is present in the corner of the screen. Multiple waves of enemies approach the player, which the player takes on each wave one at a time as each is defeated, with each wave placing characters on a 3x3 grid. The better the player strings together attacks, the faster the Song Magic's meter grows, which increases its attack power. ==Synopsis==

Setting and characters The bulk of the game takes place on a massive space station traveling through space. Alternatively, there's another cult-like faction of people who believe in giving up and disappearing away with the Sharl, complicating matters. Both are Ancients from the city of Felion. The other pair is Ion, also able to wield rare Song Magic, and Earthes, a humanoid robot of unknown origins. Earthes is similar to a silent protagonist in the game - he is a vessel of which the player is supposed to be communicating directly into the game world, with game characters directly addressing the player, breaking the fourth wall. Other prominent characters include Nay, a friend of the four who holds a leadership role called the "Divine Empress", Kanon, a rival-turned-friend of Ion's past, Zill a church bishop who advocates working with the Sharl, Sarly a scientist friend of Delta and Cass, and Shirotaka, an otaku computer hacker friend of the groups. ==Development==

Ar Nosurge was first announced in September 2013, as part of developer Gust's 20th anniversary plans. The game was directed by Akira Tsuchiya, who had previously directed Gust's Ar Tonelico trilogy of video games, and Ciel Nosurge. Ciel Nosurge, however, is considered a prequel to Ar Nosurge, and contains many common characters and settings, with the two often referred to collectively as the Surge Concerto duology. The game was meant to mix the anime style of Gust's other main franchise, Atelier, while added a more in-depth science fiction story element to it. Some story events, such as the "Purification Ceremony" scenes, feature sexual overtones and innuendo; Tsuchiya implemented this to create more realistic interactions and relationships between characters. Not all ideas related to creating a sense of immersion were included in the final game; at one point, the game contained enemy characters in battles that could "notice" the presence of the player, and would try to do things to "harm" the player, such as deleting their save game information. However, this was deemed too detrimental to the enjoyment of the game, and was removed prior any of the game's releases. Release and versions Ar Nosurge first released on the PlayStation 3 in Japan on March 6, 2014, slightly delayed from its initial January 2014 release date. The PS3 version was announced for an English localization shortly afterwards. While the game was commonly spelled Ar No Surge prior to localization, its final English title would be Ar Nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star. North American publisher NIS America released a limited edition on their online store that included a copy of the game, the soundtrack, a hardcover art book, and a poster. Some retailers bundled some of the game's Downloadable content (DLC) as a pre-order bonus as well. while a prequel manga was released in promotion of the game the month prior in Monthly Shōnen Sirius. An enhanced port of the game, Ar Nosurge Plus was released for the PlayStation Vita shortly after. This release contained all of the original's DLC, additional cosmetic character costumes, and a new expanded tutorial. After an extended lack of developments related to the game, in 2019, Gust and Tsuchiya announced that they planned on doing more with the game in the future. Another enhanced release, Ar Nosurge DX, was announced in 2020 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows platforms. Initially announced for a January 2021 release date, it received a small delay to March 4, 2021, for Japan to address some minor quality issues. Three separate limited editions were released in Japan, including one that costs over $1,000 due to the extra art and music related items included. No mention has been made on the possibility of a worldwide release of this remaster of the game. ==Reception==

The game was generally well received by critics. Critics generally praised the game's story, albeit with the notion that it could be confusing and overwhelming at first. Hardcore Gamer praised the game's emphasis on story over common JRPG concepts like grinding, stating that although the story and scope may be overwhelming at first, that "once the stories start to intertwine, and a few startling revelations come to light, the script doesn't seem quite as bonkers. Characters you'll grow to love change alongside your own, and a multitude of communicative sources...make it easy to become invested...while it doesn't break the glass ceiling of video game narrative design, it certainly leaves its hand prints across the stretch." Similarly, RPGSite said that the Plus version of the game "remains one of the better modern entries in the genre. Players will uncover some brilliant character relationships and outstanding music that will remain with you long after the credits have rolled." The PlayStation 3 version of Ar nosurge sold 27,037 physical retail copies within the first week of release in Japan, placing fifth within the Japanese software sales rankings for that particular week. The Vita release of the Plus version sold another 9,240 units at retail in Japan later in the year as well, placing ninth for the week. While no exact Western sales figures were released, Sony revealed that Plus was the eighth most downloaded game for the Vita in North America in its release month of July 2015, which encompasses all sales of the title, as it did not receive a physical retail release outside of Japan. ==See also==