I was having a bit of trouble in normal difficulty for the first 1/4 of the game or so.  Then I respecced Lelianna to melee rogue (using the developer's console) and the game difficulty plummeted.  To put this in perspective: Wynne, whose only tactics-assigned damage dealing was her staff attack (when there was no one to heal), was outdamaging Lelianna who was full-time bow dps.  Ouch.

Bioware apparently released a mod that buffs ranged damage.  Unfortunately, it also buffs enemy archers.  And I imagine that's very bad, as there's there's a number ofl encounters where there's a shit ton of archers.  Most of my game overs were set off by my mage getting preemtively stunned/pincushioned by archers before taunt went off or when it didn't work.  Fireball + Blood Wound = win.  Mage down early in the fight = loss.

Gust: Played 3 games from them (Ar Tonelico 1, AT2, Mana Khemia), and I've enjoyed them all.
NIS: Played Disgaea, lost interest about 10hrs in.  Didn't really like the mechanics, and the story was a bit too light/farcical to hold my interests.
Idea Factory: Never played a game from them.  Record of Agarest War will be my first, and it's supposedly pretty good.  Haven't heard good things about their other games, so there was never any reason to consider them.

Amazingly there's no official reviews of the European version yet, but here's a discussion thread where users scored the game and gave a brief explanation: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=941765&topic=52192176

The feedback seems pretty positive.  Sounds like Ar Tonelico enthusiasts will be right at home.

As one person put it:
"Put simply, this is a niche game - It's probably among the best options you have for a game like this on this console, and those who want it will know so, but most people won't give a damn it exists."

Um....

Gen, whatever justification you have, you're abrasive (welcome to the club).  Your habit of entering game threads, where fanboys (like me) congregate, to dismiss their favorite games as crap in one or two sentences is your right, but can rub people the wrong way.  You don't walk into a church and proclaim that belief in God is silly.  Or at least you don't do that then get indignant when people get upset.

And aquagon...you need to chill.  Seriously.  People will walk all over you if you show them how easy it is to push your buttons.  However outrageous his opinions, he's entitled to them.

And my contribution to the argument: Judging games by developer isn't a bad way to go, but it's good to keep an open mind.  If you spurn all future games from a company, just because you hated previous games...well, you might end up missing out on something you'd really like.  If other indicators (reviews, description, etc.) suggest you might like a game, then further investigation might be warranted.

Aksys has announced that they're considering a collector's edition (possibly for both 360 and PS3) and is asking fans what extras they'd like inclluded: http://www.aksysgames.com/2009/11/16/an-edition-for-collectors/

With this carrot I'm no longer considering importing.

The main problem I see with this comment is that it suggests he changed his opinion, after having played it and enjoyed it, because of the hype surrounding it (although, to say Gust games are "overrated", outside of their dedicated fanbase, is kind of odd).  I try not to let other people tell me whether I like a game or not.

I've been reading up on the differences between the 2 console versions: the Xbox 360 version has additional voice acting, 4 more CG, variations on some CG (different, not necessarily better), a gallery mode, and additional downloadable content (probably costs money): extra dungeon, extra items.  Rumor has it the Japanese 360 version also introduced bugs that were never addressed (which I'd assume Aksys would fix).  Overall, very minor improvements.

That was supposed to be praise. :P  Despite not caring for the game, he was *thanking you* for editing the topic title rather than creating a new topic to make the announcement.

Thanks for the link though.  I was eagerly awaiting this news.

Ok, now I'm impressed.  I left a city that was about to get attacked (that I was supposed to help defend), and when I came back the city had already been sacked.  That's narrative realism you don't often see.

I preordered through Amazon (free but slow super saver shipping) and it arrived the day of release.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Amazon has always been hit or miss for me.  I select free shipping whenever possible, and I get some rather nasty delays sometimes.  Their prices are hard to beat though.  I used to rely on Gamestop; they're always very punctual, but the shipping and tax really crank up the price.

"Odd" to your first statement.  To your second, you're right, you can't just order it any place; you have to find one that ships overseas.  Ebay is one place you can find the game where you can get it shipped overseas.  There's others as well, if you look around.

You have a credit card don't you?  Most credit cards will convert the currency for you for a small fee (on my card it's 1%).

It's a digital release, so the only additions of importance I could imagine are a dub or the extras from the 360 version.  The UK collector's edition (includes artbook, poster, postcards) is currently available for $63 (including overseas shipping).  I'll give them some time to make their announcement, as I have a backlog already, but as a download-only title their version better be better AND significantly cheaper if Aksys wants my money.

Although, why there'd be two different companies translating the same game into the same language for the same console is beyond me...

I've gotten the exact opposite impression.  WRPGs (Bethesda games in particular) often focus overly much on setting and world building, while ignoring characters and narrative.  JRPGs focus on characters and narrative, but have settings that are often silly, simplistic, or inconsistent (insert generic fantasy RPG here).  It's the nature of an open-ended game to focus on setting, while a linear one will focus on characters and narrative.

In any case, I'd say the emphasis in Dragon Age is on characters and narrative, not setting, although they do make an effort to provide plenty of history and background on the world in the codex.  Even in those, however, the history is generally provided as tales of notable characters, not essays on particular topics.

Check out NISA's lineup.  You'll probably find some games you like.  NIS developed Disgaea, and their American branch localizes a number of similar games.

Also, if you liked Neverwinter Nights, then Bioware and Black Isle's (now Obsidian) lineup will interest you.  Neverwinter Nights 2 is an obvious recommendation.  You should also give Baldur's Gate 2, Planescape: Torment, Knights of the Old Republic, and Mass Effect a try.  Dragon Age just came out and would probably also be up your alley.