2012 · Gust · Simulation · Visual novel

Ciel Nosurge

PlayStation exclusive

Set in a distant world on the verge of collapse, Ciel Nosurge follows the mysterious girl Ionasal as she attempts to recover her lost memories and communicate with a player from another dimension. Combining visual novel storytelling, life simulation elements and music-driven science fantasy worldbuilding, the game explores themes of connection, identity and reconstruction across worlds. Originally released episodically on PlayStation Vita, the story was expanded over multiple downloadable chapters and world packs.

Released: 26 April 2012
Platforms: PlayStation Vita
Genres: Simulation Visual novel
Developers: Gust
Publishers: Koei Tecmo Games
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: First person Third person
Themes: Fantasy Science fiction

About

Ciel Nosurge is a life simulation game for the PlayStation Vita developed by Gust. The player's objective is to help Ion, a girl with amnesia, regain her memories by entering her mind, which is shown as a broken world which the player can repair. Although not a continuation of the Ar tonelico series, it takes place in the same universe with many of the same elements and expands on the series mythos. Ciel Nosurge was the first game to be developed by Gust after their merger with Koei Tecmo.

The game's first version was released on April 26, 2012. The original cart contained just the first episode of the game, with additional episodes gradually being released as downloadable content (DLC) via the PlayStation Network. Ciel nosurge Re:Incarnation, a re-release containing all of the original game's patches and DLC, including episodes one through four and a voucher to download episode five, was released on February 21, 2013. A total of twelve episodes were released in total, which are divided in three arcs: the Trials Arc, the Downfall Arc and the Empress Arc.

Keywords

life simulation
anime
amnesia

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Ciel Nosurge is a life simulation game. The player is introduced to Ionasal.kkll.Preciel, shortened to Ion, (Japanese VA: Ai Kakuma), a girl with amnesia who lives in another dimension. The player's objective is to help Ion recover her lost memories. Ion is a candidate for the next emperor in her world but lives on her own; the player can build a romantic relationship with Ion, shown by a separate "love meter",) by interacting with her. Ion may make adjustments to her lifestyle timing, which will eventually match the player's the longer the game has been played.

Another gameplay element of Ciel Nosurge is the ability to create fairies known as Sharl from scanning barcodes. Different barcodes create a different type of Sharl, which are needed to repair Ion's mind. The game also has a system where players can type short messages for other players. The game has been referred to as a social game due to its heavy focus on socializing with other players and the requirement to be connected to PlayStation Network to play. At the time of its release, many of the game's online servers were not working properly, but that problem has since been fixed by Gust through a series of patches.

Story

The world of Ciel Nosurge was designed with an intent to give Japanese players a sense of nostalgia; for example with buildings from the Shōwa era. Ion herself lives in a world called Ra Ciela. Ra Ciela is nearing destruction due to the expansion of its sun, Bezel; and due to this, most of its population built floating cities called Colons to protect themselves; while the poor still live on the ground.

Reception

Japan's Famitsu magazine scored Ciel Nosurge 31 out of 40. Merchandise for the game include a mousepad. In the week from April 23 to April 29, Ciel nosurge ranked number one in PlayStation Vita games sales (33,324 per week) and fourth overall, behind Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (PlayStation 3 version), Mario Party 9, and Fire Emblem Awakening, respectively.