Ar tonelico - hands-on

Ar tonelico strays a bit from the Iris-era of magical, medieval fantasy. Right from the start you're dealing with space ships, living computer viruses and a planet that seems to consist solely of floating continents. The strange mixture of past and future tech reminded us a bit of the classic Phantasy Star games if they appeared in this form instead of a 3D, online hackfest.

Ar tonelico strays a bit from the Iris-era of magical, medieval fantasy. Right from the start you're dealing with space ships, living computer viruses and a planet that seems to consist solely of floating continents. The strange mixture of past and future tech reminded us a bit of the classic Phantasy Star games if they appeared in this form instead of a 3D, online hackfest.

We're just getting started with tonelico, but it's safe to say that fans of publisher NIS America's other RPGs will dig this one too. It's got the same goofy-yet-melodramatic storyline going for it that the Iris games did, plus a slice of old-fashioned gameplay that still manages to remain fun after all these years. Look for Ar t onelico to hit stores around February.

We're just getting started with tonelico, but it's safe to say that fans of publisher NIS America's other RPGs will dig this one too. It's got the same goofy-yet-melodramatic storyline going for it that the Iris games did, plus a slice of old-fashioned gameplay that still manages to remain fun after all these years. Look for Ar t onelico to hit stores around February.

Brett Elston

A fomer Executive Editor at GamesRadar, Brett also contributed content to many other Future gaming publications including Nintendo Power, PC Gamer and Official Xbox Magazine. Brett has worked at Capcom in several senior roles, is an experienced podcaster, and now works as a Senior Manager of Content Communications at PlayStation SIE.