#gpat1

Always a good day to make a faustian deal, isn’t it?

So a few weeks ago I made a contract with @fates-end-does-vns; I would liveblog the PS2 JRPG “Ar Tonelico Enema” or however that last part is spelled, and in exchange they’d blog my favorite show in existence, Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight. They got through the manga a couple of days ago, and I spent yesterday setting the emulator up so it *should* be working now.

Things I know:

- It has a big focus in music

- It is turn based, and you have multiple party members as well as an overworld

- ????

lmao what the fuck are these subtitles

So, with a very, very low budget anime cutscene, we have been hit by a “monster from the blastine(?)” and crash landed near Nanoha.

Aurica, alright. Her ponytail looks like a monkey’s tail. 

Looks like Lyner got fucking *catapulted* away from the ship, goddamn. And Auri can summon a lyre angel to heal people. 

This happened less than five minutes ago, we don’t need a flashback, what is this, One Piece?

And as we gain control of our character for the first time and find a... embroided napkin, I must end today’s session. I started this way too late, and had to pause for some reasons. I look forward to continuing this, since I realize I’m barely into the prologue so far. 

So far... I don’t know, not much to comment on. I got some info clarifying what stons and “AD” are in this world (3.1 meters and “post the Era of Divine Sounds, which I assume is when magic was normal). Characters look extremely generic so far, but eh. Setting looks neat, I suppose. Hope it all kicks into gear soon.

OH I WAS WAY OFF. SHURELIA IS WHITE ZERO. And uh... that’s some high level boobplate. Ah well. Uh, sorry Lyner, I think your charge’s evil. Probably.

savage, but makes me respect you more as a parent and possibly good guy

That’s just a fucked up Arceus tho

Bold move to give the player the control of the big bad and some dude (maybe the dragon) in the first fight

Either that isn’t how percentages work, or we’re getting a glimpse of how bs powerful she’s gonna be later. Look at her HP bar!

And that fight, uh... didn’t go well. Boomed right out the door. And apparently this is way worse than I thought, being immediately compared to the first two events. Thought we’d get that inciting incident a bit later.

Well he’s dead

So, current mission: Go away, get our bearings, and a [Hymn Crystal][Purger].

what the fuck is a ston

Is everything important in this game with a name gonna have brackets around it? Also hey Touhou girl.

(Disclaimer: I have never played a Touhou, or watched a Nanoha. I apologize if I grossly misrepresent those series by comparing these designs to them.

Is this mcProtagonist? Hairstyle looks like it. Lyner, then. And he’s... a prince? Heir to the apostles? Also this would imply that he already knows Touhou, while I imagined he’d know Nanoha. Interesting.

...

This game is old enough subverting “extremely obviously evil guy” wasn’t a thing yet, right?

I do not trust you, Mr. Leard.

Ah, so this is what we’re doing today. ROLL THE ROULETTE!

1. Blood Knight 2. Tempting fate, and this will cause him to lose something precious 3. He’s just gonna get knocked down a few dozen pegs

After the second crisis, a type of sometimes-physical Virus was created… implying it was a result from the ALFs, but not exactly *them.* But Reyvateils (ayy logo lady) rose up against them with crystals of hymn, and I assume, [Songs]. They imprisoned the mother virus, until presumably it got tired of being imprisoned and went off to do virus shit. Like reproduce and kill its host. The bugger.

Alright, let’s go.

First off, the opening. I can hear the words “Ar Tonelico” amidst some of the made-up language lyrics (though most of it sounds like japanese), activating a giant burst of energy from a tower. Can’t wait to find out what it means. Probably the kind of shit that makes veteran fans go “heheheheh” when they see newbies trying the game for the first time. Also who Elemia is. Maybe the lady from the logo, cause that sure doesn't look like Dude.

Next, [Songs]. Our magic system, or just one of them? We have a priestess-looking Touhou-esque lady who appears to be part of the main trio, and a Mage who for some reason gives me Nanoha vibes (might be the clothing) alongside Dude mcProtagonist. So [Songs] might just be an ancient and forgotten type of “Natural” magic, rather than “Arcane.” Also the priestess(?) looks to either be in the snow, or in suspended animation inside a tube. Cloning? Goku’s healing chamber?

The setting seems like a very JRPG-y blend of fantastic locales like flying islands and a giant Tuba tower with sci-fi spaceships, holographic displays and... discs? CDs?

And we get a look at who I assume will be our main villain: White Zero.

The lack of any music here in the title screen gives me the willies. Welp, let’s begin.

Going into the settings page to change the language as requested, I can't help but notice the lyrics. As far as I can make it out, they seem to be saying "THEY ARE D-U-N. E-M-I-C. YES, THEY, ARE, D-U-N. E-M-I-C." Dunemic...alright. Gonna file those phonems away for later, cause I probably got a few letters wrong.