Game Groups > Ar tonelico / Surge Concerto universe

This group contains games from the Ar tonelico and Surge Concerto series, which were developed by Gust Co., Ltd. under the direction of Akira Tsuchiya. Though the two series both exist in the same fictional universe, they seldom overlap in setting and characters. However, they share many themes, including humanity's relationship with various fictional races, planetary annihilation and rebirth, the interplay of magic and technology, and the use of song magic. This magical music exists as both a central plot element and a fixture of the games' extensive soundtracks.

The Ar tonelico series began with Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia in 2006. These games take place on floating continents above the fictional planet of Ar Ciel, where humans exist alongside Reyvateils, an artificially created race of female humanoids that can cast magic by singing. The two races have had a long history of inequality, and the plotlines of these games focus both on human-Reyvateil relationships and restoration of Ar Ciel, whose surface has been uninhabitable for centuries.

Surge Concerto's first game was released in 2012. This series focuses on Ra Ciela, a technologically advanced planet whose main races are humans, Genom, and Sharl. In addition to the similar themes of communication and planetary disaster, the Surge Concerto games also focus on a fictionalized version of quantum mechanics and interdimensional travel, which has resulted in a girl named Ion being transported to Ra Ciela from Earth against her will.