Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel

Infobox VG
title = Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel


caption = North American version cover art
developer = Racjin
publisher = Square Enix
designer = Tomoya Asano (assistant producer)
Hiromu Arakawa (story supervisor, character designer)
engine =
released = vgrelease|JP=December 25, 2003|NA=January 18, 2005
genre = Action role-playing game
modes = Single-player
ratings = vgratings|ESRB=T (Teen)
platforms = PlayStation 2
media = 1 DVD-ROM
requirements =
input = DualShock 2 controller

nihongo|"Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel"|鋼の錬金術師 翔べない天使|Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Tobenai Tenshi|lit. "Alchemist of Steel: The Flightless Angel", is an action role-playing game developed by Racjin and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2 console. It is based on the "Fullmetal Alchemist" manga series, also published by Square Enix. The game was released in Japan on December 25, 2003 and in North America on January 18, 2005.

The game features an original story by Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of the "Fullmetal Alchemist" manga.

Gameplay

"The Broken Angel" is an action RPG.

Characters

Edward Elric: A fifteen-year-old prodigy who became the youngest State Alchemist in history. His alias, "Fullmetal," derives from the fact that his right arm and left leg are metallic, artificial limbs known as automail. "Fullmetal" is sometimes also used to describe a person who is stubborn. He and his younger brother Alphonse are on a journey to find the Philosopher's Stone, which may hold the power for them to regain their bodies.

Alphonse Elric: Inside a giant suit of armor is a soul of a fourteen-year-old boy with a gentle heart. He journeys with his older brother Edward in hope that the both of them will regain their original bodies. Always calm and stable in character, Al is the one who chides Ed, who is quick to lose his cool. Al is Ed's perfect companion. Al is the younger brother of Edward Elric, but is often confused to be older than Ed because he is trapped in a suit of armor twice as large as he is.

Roy Mustang: A military colonel who goes by the nickname "The Flame Alchemist." His gloves are made of pyrotex, which he uses to create alchemy-controlled flames.

Riza Hawkeye: A military lieutenant, and a close aide to the Colonel. A woman highly capable in any assignment, she is secretly feared by her peers for her imperturbable manner.

Alex Louis Armstrong: A major in the military. He is capable of fancy footwork despite his burly physique. His giant knuckles enable him to perform powerful alchemy, for which this State Alchemist has been given the alias "The Strong-Arm Alchemist."

Armony Eiselstein: The daughter of Professor Eiselstein, she believes her father is cold to her because she is inept in the art of alchemy and has been forbidden to learn alchemy as a result. However, it is actually because of the Philosopher's Catalyst she contains in her own body. He is afraid that if she uses alchemy, it may have some effect on the alchemic amplifier, which she has no knowledge of having. She becomes Edward’s student in hopes of becoming proficient in the ancient science. She has a cheerful disposition and is a hard worker with a love for flowers, especially the Etherflower.

Professor Wilhelm Eiselstein: One of ten famous Alchemists and considered a world authority on catalytics – the study of making efficient alchemy. He was researching the “Philosopher’s Catalyst,” a legendary material that has powers comparable to the Philosopher’s Stone. When the town of Hiessgart (where he and his daughter resided) came under attack of chimeras, he brought the refugees to safety and led the efforts in building New Hiessgart.

Selene Eiselstein: The true daughter of Professor Eiselstein, she is no longer of this world. Selene used to help her father with his alchemic experiments as he tried to obtain the legendary amplifier: the Philosopher's Catalyst. However, she got caught in a rebound from one of his attempts to create a prototype of the Catalyst, and her body mutated. As a result, the Catalyst, taking the form of a glowing white wing, fused with her and she became the girl Wilhelm now calls Armony. Armony however, having memories of playing with Selene as a child, has no knowledge of the fact that she (in a sense) is Selene, and believes that Selene was her older sister who had died. There is a grave for Selene at the church near Hiessgart that Armony often visits and leaves behind an Etherflower for her, but Armony does not know that the grave holds no body of her "sister". Edward and Alphonse, when they had visited the Professor with their teacher in the past, hadn't gotten to see Selene before they had left. Before the Professor informs them of what had happened to Selene, Edward believes that she was just being cold, but Al thinks that perhaps it was just too hard for her to say good-bye. Selene was always quiet, yet very intelligent and an alchemic prodigy.

Camilla: A mysterious and beautiful woman dressed in black. Old records describe her as a legendary alchemist who disappeared several years ago. She is now a bounty hunter of sorts seeking out Professor Eiselstein's "Philosopher's Catalyst". Camilla helps the Professor create the true Catalyst by posing as a scientist named Greta, who he makes his assistant. After he discovers that she is only helping him to take the Catalyst for herself, she kidnaps Armony in an attempt to take the wing from her to become more powerful. However, Wilhelm interferes (using the alchemic power of an Etherflower) and the wing is destroyed.

Senior Colonel Genz Bresslau: A military policeman who proclaims himself to be "The Armor-Piercing Alchemist" and the strongest in the military. He has no interest in rank or honor; his only pursuit is his own physical strength. He is quick to anger, and shows no mercy for subordinates who fail in their duty.

Brigadier Mudi Nemda: Chief of the military police in the Hiessgart region. Tenacious in expanding his own power, he has almost completely privatized the army. His ambition is to build his own Nemda Kingdom.

Margott Orange Peko: An assistant to Professor Eiselstein. Later in the game, it is revealed she is none other than Riza Hawkeye in disguise, and she has infiltrated in Eiselstein's estate in order to gather info on his work.

Greta: An assistant to Professor Eiselstein. Later in the game, is revealed she is none other than Camilla. She posed as his assistant in order to help him complete the Catalyst, which she planned to steal from him later.

tory

Taking place between episodes 17 and 18 of the anime, the game begins with the Elric brothers (somewhat unwillingly being escorted by Major Alex Louis Armstrong) heading to Central City via train. As Ed moans, Al consoles, and Armstrong flexes, the train is suddenly attacked by terrorists. The skirmish eventually ends with one destroyed train and the brothers in the town of New Heissgart, looking for a ride to Central. There, they meet a girl named Armony and learn more of the Philosopher's Catalyst, an item nearly as powerful as the Philosopher's Stone itself, but used to increase the efficiency of alchemy. The Philosopher's Catalyst seems to be directly linked with the berserk chimeras running about, the rogue military force, and the gathering of alchemists in the town. The Elrics soon find that their simple mission for a train turns into much more as they learn about the Catalyst and the dark mysteries surrounding it.

Development

"Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel" was developed by the Japanese company Racjin and initially produced by Enix, before their merger with Square in April 2003.cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/550/550507p1.html |title=TGS 2004: Fullmetal Alchemist Q&A |accessdate=2008-05-28 |author=Gantayat, Anoop |date=2004-09-24 |publisher=IGN] Development for the game began before that of the "Fullmetal Alchemist" anime series.cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/437/437525p1.html |title=Square Enix's New Game |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=IGNPS2 |date=2003-09-10 |publisher=IGN] Hiromu Arakawa, the author of the original manga, oversaw the story of the game and designed its characters, while Bones, the studio which would be responsible for the anime series, produced 30 minutes of animation.cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/515/515365p1.html |title=E3 2004: Fullmetal Alchemist - Interview |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Alfonso, Andrew |date=2004-05-13 |publisher=IGN| pages=pp. 1-3] Themes emphasized during the creation of the game include the bond between Alphonse and Edward, as well as the series' basic concept of Equivalent Exchange, which states that "man cannot gain without sacrifice". The developers looked at other titles for inspiration, particularly Square's action role-playing game "Kingdom Hearts", in addition to other games based on manga series, such as "Dragon Ball", "Naruto" or "One Piece" games. The biggest challenge they had to overcome was to try to make the title a "full-fledged" game rather than a simple "character-based" game. Tomoya Asano, the assistant producer for the game, noted that development spanned more than a year, unlike most character-based games.

In Japan, the game was showcased at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2003, the first time that Square and Enix had appeared at the show as a single company. [cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/452/452206p1.html |title=TGS 2003: Hands On with Fullmetal Alchemist |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Gantayat, Anoop |date=2003-09-28 |publisher=IGN] In the United States, the game was showcased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo of Los Angeles in May 2004, with the presence of Asano. For the North American version of the game, the developers made the difficulty level more challenging and aggressive.

Audio

Infobox Album
Name = Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel Game Original Soundtrack
Type = soundtrack
Artist =


Released = February 18, 2004
Recorded =
Genre = Video game music
Length = 60:43
Label = Aniplex
Producer =
Reviews =
Last album =
This album =
Next album = The score for the game was composed by Tomohiko Sato, Makoto Suehiro, Isao Kasai and Kenji Tani. It includes three vocal songs: "Flowers of the Hearts" sung by voice actress Motoko Kumai, "Emotionally" sung by Saori Yamada, and "The Enduring Crime" sung by J-pop singer Nana Kitade. The soundtrack was published in Japan as a copy-protected album by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, on February 18, 2004. [cite web |url=http://www.chudahs-corner.com/soundtracks/index.php?catalog=SVWC-7190 |title=Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel Game Original Soundtrack |accessdate=2008-05-28 |author= |date= |publisher= [http://www.chudahs-corner.com/ Chudah's Corner] ]

tracklist
collapsed = yes
headline = Tracklist
writing_credits = yes
title1 = Running
writer1 = Tomohiko Sato
length1 = 2:05
title2 = The Intersection of Fate
writer2 = Makoto Suehiro
length2 = 1:54
title3 = Tears of an Angel
writer3 = Makoto Suehiro
length3 = 1:21
title4 = A Young Girl's Memories
writer4 = Makoto Suehiro
length4 = 1:05
title5 = Flowers of the Heart
note5 = sung by Motoko Kumai
writer5 = Tomohiko Sato
length5 = 1:32
title6 = Rest for an Angel
writer6 = Makoto Suehiro
length6 = 1:43
title7 = A Clear Evening in the Wilderness
writer7 = Makoto Suehiro
length7 = 1:10
title8 = Eyes of Corruption
writer8 = Makoto Suehiro
length8 = 3:11
title9 = Prayers of the Saint
writer9 = Makoto Suehiro
length9 = 2:13
title10 = Bottega
writer10 = Isao Kasai
length10 = 2:01
title11 = Black Conspiracy
writer11 = Kenji Tani
length11 = 1:22
title12 = Crowd Round
writer12 = Isao Kasai
length12 = 1:05
title13 = National Alchemist
writer13 = Kenji Tani
length13 = 1:28
title14 = Crisis Game
writer14 = Isao Kasai
length14 = 1:37
title15 = Rush 2
writer15 = Kenji Tani
length15 = 2:52
title16 = Fight It Out!
writer16 = Makoto Suehiro
length16 = 1:14
title17 = Go Ahead Rapidly
writer17 = Isao Kasai
length17 = 1:05
title18 = Pizza Time
writer18 = Kenji Tani
length18 = 2:18
title19 = Armor Piercing Alchemist
writer19 = Makoto Suehiro
length19 = 3:05
title20 = Cold Breath!!!
writer20 = Makoto Suehiro
length20 = 4:21
title21 = Go!!
writer21 = Kenji Tani
length21 = 2:27
title22 = K.M.E < RA
writer22 = Kenji Tani
length22 = 4:09
title23 = Biter
writer23 = Isao Kasai
length23 = 1:18
title24 = Moving Squall
writer24 = Makoto Suehiro
length24 = 1:55
title25 = Cutting Edge
writer25 = Tomohiko Sato
length25 = 1:57
title26 = To My Small, Yet Great Teacher
writer26 = Uncredited
length26 = 4:04
title27 = Emotionally
note27 = sung by Saori Yamada
writer27 = Isao Kasai, Makoto Suehiro
length27 = 4:51
title28 = The Enduring Crime
note28 = "Raw 'Breath' Track", sung by Nana Kitade
writer28 = Uncredited
length28 = 1:20-

Reception

VG Reviews
1UP = C-cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3137698&did=1 |title=Fullmetal Alchemist (PS2) |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Smith, David |date=2005-01-10 |publisher=1UP.com]
Allgame = rating|2.5|5 [cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:45411 |title=Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Deci, T.J. |date= |publisher=Allgame]
EGM = 5.83 out of 10
EuroG =
Fam = 30 out of 40
G4 =
GamePro =
GRadar =
GameRev =
GMaster =
GI = 4.75 out of 10
GSpot = 6.2 out of 10cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/fullmetalalchemist/review.html |title=Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel for PlayStation 2 Review |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Massimilla, Bethany |date=2005-01-18 |publisher=GameSpot]
GSpy = rating|2.5|5cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/fullmetal-alchemist/580543p1.html |title=Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel Review |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Vassar, Darryl |date=2005-01-18 |publisher=GameSpy]
GameZone = 7.1 out of 10cite web |url=http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r23975.htm |title=Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel Review |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Berner, Matt |date=2005-01-26 |publisher=GameZone]
IGN = 6.4 out of 10cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/577/577654p1.html |title=Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel Review |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Dunham, Jeremy |date=2005-01-06 |publisher=IGN| pages=pp. 1-2]
Hyper =
Play = 3 out of 4
OPM = 3 out of 5
OPMUK =
OPMAU =
PSM = 5 out of 10
XPlay = 2.5 out of 5|
MC = 56 out of 100cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/fullmetalalchemist |title=FullMetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel (ps2: 2005): Reviews |accessdate=2008-05-27 |publisher=Metacritic]
GR = 59%cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/918889.asp |title=Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel Reviews |accessdate=2008-05-27 |publisher=Game Rankings] In Japan, the game had sold 250,000 copies as of 2004. [cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/523/523143p1.html |title=Fullmetal Alchemist 2 |accessdate=2008-05-28 |author=Gantayat, Anoop |date=2004-06-14 |publisher=IGN]

References

External links

* [http://na.square-enix.com/games/FMA/ Official site]
* [http://www.square-enix.co.jp/games/ps2/hagaren/ Official site (Japanese)]