Arcana Heart 3
Encyclopedia
is a 2D arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...

 fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...

 developed by Examu (formerly Yuki Enterprise) and published by Arc System Works
Arc System Works
is a video game developer and publisher based in Yokohama, Japan. It was founded by Minoru Kidooka in 1988. Arc System Works is best known for its arcade 2D fighting game, Guilty Gear and its sequels.-BlazBlue series:...

. It is the third entry in the Arcana Heart series
Arcana Heart
is a 2D arcade fighting game series developed by Examu Inc. . The first edition was released to arcades in late 2006...

, following the events after Arcana Heart 2. The game went through location tests in Japan towards the end of 2009 and was officially released in December 2009. An official PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 release is then announced in Famitsu and stated to be released on January 13, 2011. A European release was announced by Zen United and PQube
PQube
PQube Ltd are a publisher and distributor of games and software for video game consoles and personal computers including Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi.The company is based in Letchworth UK....

 for June 30, 2011 along with a Limited Edition, but was pushed back to August 19, 2011. The American release (PlayStation Network only) was released on April 19, 2011 by Aksys Games
Aksys Games
Aksys Games Localization, Inc. is a video game publisher that specializes in translating and localizing Japanese video games for English-speaking markets. It was founded by Akibo Shieh in 2006. Some of its clients include Namco Bandai Games, Xseed Games, and Atlus USA. Aksys Games is best known for...

.

Plot

The game's setting takes place in a fictional, somewhat futuristic Japan combined with fantasy elements. In the previous game, Arcana Heart 2, a dimensional distortion occurred in the country's Kanto region, caused by the primordial being known as Angelia Avallone. This event came to be known as the "Great Kanto Incident." The international Holy Spirit Institutions suffered harshly after the "Great Kanto Incident," but restoration has begun and about two months have elapsed.

In this time, a family that had received technical assistance during the war in Europe created "The Drexler Institution" to resume its activities around the world. The Drexler Institution was hiding in Japan. Western Europe was devastated by the Office of the Holy Spirit led by Mildred who had since defected. The West Branch of the Holy Spirit Rosenberg Agency had to be completely reconstituted. Shortly thereafter, a large number of dimensional distortions were observed throughout Japan. "Drexler" was a little unusual and unnatural with its authority behind the scenes too. Japan embarked on a convergence of the Holy Office to gain control of the situation. They were looking closely into part of an area in Japan that educates several "Maidens". This newcomer given the ability of a "Maiden" had begun her activities from the branch in Rosenberg. With the authority acquired from Drexler, a major order had been given to sink the entirety of Japan after six days.

Gameplay

Arcana Heart 3 continues the series' usage of Arcana, or celestial beings based on the characters from the Tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...

. In addition to the 23 playable characters, the 23 Arcana each have their own unique powers, to augment the abilities of the girls. The game adds a Force Gauge to the fight system. When completely filled, the Force Gauge allows the player to perform an Extend Force, a maneuver similar to the Arcana Burst from earlier games. The game also adds a "Simple Mode" which simplifies the control layout into a single button for each major function: one button for normal attacks, one button for special moves, one button for moves involving Arcana, and one button for the game's Homing Dash ability. The console version has a fully voiced story mode and HD anime graphics for super moves. It also includes the usual training mode, score attack, and online play.

Characters

There is an all-female cast of 23 playable characters in the game. Twenty of the characters are returning from previous games in the series, while there are three new playable characters (and corresponding Arcana): Weiss, Scharlachrot, and Eko.
is the main character of the game. A girl working in a secret company named "Valkyria", a branch of the Drexler Institute. She is sent to investigate the cause of the catastrophe that is happening around, and to stand on one's own. Little is known about her. Her Arcana is Gottfried (Sword), an artificial Arcana called a Geist. Drexler has developed an armored Holy Spirit inspired by the Norse
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

 war god Tyr. She is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro
Miyuki Sawashiro
is a female Japanese voice actress and singer who works for Mausu Promotion.She voiced Puchiko in the English dubbed releases of Di Gi Charat the Movie and Leave it to Piyoko, making her one of the few Japanese voice actors to have reprised a role in English in addition to the original Japanese...

.
is also one of the young girls trained by the Drexler Institute, much like Weiß. However, Scharlachrot stands against her in an extremely obsessive manner bordering on dependence. After the organization was taken down by Petra, Scharlachrot went missing. However, she reappears in order to oppose Weiß and the rest of the cast. She is the mid boss character of the game. Her Arcana, Baldr (Fang), is also a Geist, which shares its name with the Norse god of light and beauty. The Drexler Institute based Baldur on Fenrir, the massive wolf from Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

. Scharlachrot is voiced by Yuki Matsuoka
Yuki Matsuoka
is a voice actress from the Hirano-ku ward of Osaka. She graduated from Otemae Women's University in Nishinomiya. She is affiliated with Production Baobab.- 2001 :*Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi *Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san...

.
  • comes from a long line of holy maidens from the Lagerkvist family, and is the most powerful yet. Like her predecessors, she works for Sweden's Spirit Sector and is the youngest member to be selected to join their group. Her Arcana is Zillael (Sacred), a highly revered winged unicorn. She is voiced by Marina Inoue
    Marina Inoue
    is a voice actress and singer. She is signed onto Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex division. As for voice acting career, she's employed by Sigma Seven...

    .

enlisted in the Western Europe Spirit Sector after losing her entire family to demons. Elsa is usually mild-mannered and straightforward, but sometimes she's also airheaded and too strict on herself. Her Arcana is Koshmar (Punishment), who saved her life when she was mortally injured in a fight with Clarice. She is voiced by Kaya Miyake.
used to be a noble from the Demon Realm, but she abandoned such a lavish life style and decided to live in the human world due to the influence of Lilica's father, Felchenerow. She always has a composed personality and a smile on her face. When the Western Europe Spirit Sector sent Elsa to fight her to the death, Clarice saved her life by imbuing the power of the Arcana "Punishment" into Elsa. Clarice took for herself the power of the opposing Arcana Sorwat' (Sin). She is voiced by Ohara Sayaka.
is a girl who has the unique ability to move energy into something so that it can move on its own, which she mainly focuses into drawings. She shares a mutually dependent relationship with her "brother," , which resembles a large child's drawing. Since Petra had destroyed some of these "protection organizations", not much was known of Eko after that. She does seem to want to find Petra so that they can draw and play together. Eko's Arcana is Saligrama (Luck), which resembles a spirit with a die inside. Ayumi Tsuji voices Eko and Yoshimasa Hosoya
Yoshimasa Hosoya
is a Japanese male seiyū from Hiroshima, Japan. He is affiliated with Mausu Promotion.-Anime:2009*Naruto: Shippuden as Kigiri*Tegami Bachi as Mackay G2010*Hime Chen! Otogi Chikku Idol Lilpri as Yoichi...

 voices Kaz.
is taciturn and quiet. An orphan in Moscow with no memory, she joined a team of Spirit Investigators and received training at a young age. When the organization was cutting back on personnel, she took the opportunity to leave and traveled the world as a Freelance Spirit Specialist. Her Arcana is Almacia (Ice), a globetrotting penguin which became a higher being after years of experiences. She is voiced by Kaori Shimizu.
, the "Crimson-Eyed Criminal", became a cold-hearted assassin after losing her family. She travels the world alone, accompanied only by a leg-less ball-jointed puppet which carries the consciousness of Elfriede, her older sister. Her Arcana is Gier (Shadow), a creature composed of purely negative emotions that Lieselotte summons with drops of her own blood. She is voiced by Yōko Honda
Yoko Honda
is a female Japanese voice actress from Gunma, Japan.She is sometimes mistaken for fellow voice actress Yōko Honna, as their names only differ by one character when written in kanji.-Anime cast in:*Bakuman 2 as Natsumi Katou...

.
appears to be a young boy at first glance. As "Dorothy the Wizard," she performs with her parents on the stages of Las Vegas. She has a strong sense of justice and, like her mother, helps the American Spirit Department whenever she can. Her Arcana is Heliogabalus (Mirror), which resembles a giant swarm of ladybugs, spiraling like a kaleidoscope. She is voiced by Yu Kobayashi
Yu Kobayashi
is a female voice actress from Tokyo, Japan and is affiliated with HolyPeak. She also occasionally works as a key animator.-Anime:*12Riven - Yuyu Hoshino*Air Gear: Kuro no Hane to Nemuri no Mori - Emily Adachi*Amatsuki - Benitobi...

.
is also known as the Thousand Years Protector, who works with the Ministry of Elemental Affairs to protect the human world from crisis. She remains in a state of perpetual slumber until awakened by her Arcana Anutpada (Time). It is a mysterious clock-like mechanism that has lasted since ancient times and has the ability to manipulate time and space at its whim. She is voiced by Hiromi Hirata.
is from the Koinumaru clan of ninja warriors; members of her clan have the ears and a tail of a dog. Every time the Thousand Years Protector awakes, a member from the Koinumaru clan is selected to become the Millennium Guard and accompany her on her mission. Konoha's Arcana, Moriomoto (Nature), has the ability to freely manipulate plants. She is voiced by Mayumi Yoshida.
is the younger sister of Akane and part of the clan that rivals Konoha's. Nazuna seeks to find her own destiny outside of the Inuwaka clan. To prove herself, she goes off to find out more about the Drexler Institute's recent movements. She fights using her three sacred weapons Tsumiko (cane), Fusumi (crow), and Hayata (wolf). Her Arcana is Kayatsuhine (Flower), the protector the Inuwaka clan, who governs over growth, prosperity and harvest. She is voiced by Mai Hashimoto.
is the older sister of Nazuna and part of the Inuwaka clan, a family of shinobi
Shinobi
Shinobi is the Japanese word for male ninja. It may also refer to:*Shinobi , a series of video games**Shinobi , the original video game in the series developed by Sega**Shinobi , the PlayStation 2 sequel...

 that aid the Thousand Year Protector. She is overprotective of her younger sister but doesn't let it show and always appears calm and composed. She is a strategic genius who always tries to do what she considers "cool." Her Arcana is Phoenix (Sound), who was charmed by her singing voice and now lends its power to her. She is voiced by Mayumi Shindou.
is not actually a girl, but a product of China's technological advances: a humanoid robot created by Professor Mei Ling Hua, a colleague of Kira Daidohji. Mei-Fang was programmed with 4,000 years’ worth of Chinese recipes and a wide array of martial arts knowledge. Her Arcana is Lang-Gong (Fire), a wolf that lived an extremely long life in Shangri-La and seeks further evolution. She is voiced by Juri Takita.
is a genius young girl who wished to go to a medical school due to her doctor's degree, but failed and got sent back to kindergarten. Afterward she turned to world domination. She was invited by the Rosenberg branch to monitor spirit disasters in Japan. She fights using a giant semi-solid blob which she controls through her Arcana, the leviathan Niptra (Water). She is voiced by Hiromi Tsunakake
Hiromi Tsunakake
is a Japanese voice actress currently working for I'm Enterprise.-TV Anime:* Goshūshō-sama Ninomiya-kun * The Story of Saiunkoku: 2nd Series * Papillon Rose New Season * Futakoi, Futakoi Alternative...

.
is a blond-haired, blue-eyed American of Japanese descent, from the Osaka region. She has a bright and friendly personality, and an intellect that rivals Kira's; she enrolled in MIT's College of Spirit Research at the age of ten. Her Arcana, Median (Magnetism), appears as a giant turtle and helps Catherine with her spirit research. She is voiced by Ai Matayoshi.
is cheerful and openhearted, but egotistical. Seven years ago, she willingly traveled to the Arcana World from the physical world and, since then, has stopped aging. Her Arcana is Mildred (Halo), her twin sister who was caught in a dimensional split between her world and the spirit world and received new powers as a result. She serves as Angelia's guardian. She is voiced by Eri Sendai
Eri Sendai
is a Japanese female voice actress who is represented by Production Baobab.-TV animation:*Atsuko Hongō - Yomigaeru Sora - RESCUE WINGS -*Arika - Medabots*Ayaka - xxxHolic*Ayumu Oume - Best Student Council*Furfur - Umineko no Naku Koro ni...

.
hails from a wealthy family in Britain. She became good friends with Saki (who came to Britain as an exchange student from Japan) until one fateful day when they were both sucked into the Elemental world. Saki managed to escape, but Fiona was trapped and now seeks to find a way back home. Her Arcana is Orichalchos (Metal), a reptilian beast believed to be the oldest Arcana in existence. She is voiced by Maria Yamamoto
Maria Yamamoto
is a Japanese voice actress and singer.-Voice actress roles:Maria Yamamoto's roles as a voice actress include the following.* Amazing Nurse Nanako, as Nanako* Cinderella Boy, as I Lyan Rain* Chance Pop Session, as Nozomi Kaihara...

.
is introverted, bookish, and fascinated with the occult. One night, with Lilica's help, she decided to try and summon a low-level demon servant for herself. As a prank, Lilica re-drew the magic circle, and Yoriko summoned Mike, the self-proclaimed “Demon King”. A contract was formed between the two of them, and now she is unable to part with him. Her Arcana, Dieu Mort (Evil), was formerly a man sentenced to be executed known as the "God of Death." She is voiced by Yui Itsuki
Yui Itsuki
is a Japanese voice actress who works for Holy Peak. As a musician, she is the lead singer behind the band Yōsei Teikoku , and speculated to be Karen of Denkishiki Karen Ongaku Shuudan.- TV anime :2003:...

.
is the daughter of a human mother and a demon father. She enjoys skipping school and skating around town on the roller blades her father bought her, which she enhanced with ether-powered motors. Her Arcana is Tempestas (Wind), who was once gravely wounded but nursed back to health by Lilica. She is voiced by Mayako Nigo
Mayako Nigo
is a seiyu affiliated with I'm Enterprise.-Anime roles:*Angel Tales as Hamster no Kurumi*Rozen Maiden as Mrs. Rabbit *Tenshi no Shippo Chu! as Hamster Kurumi*The Idolmaster as Yayoi Takatsuki...

.
, a normal high school student, is the main character of Arcana Heart
Arcana Heart
is a 2D arcade fighting game series developed by Examu Inc. . The first edition was released to arcades in late 2006...

and Arcana Heart 2. She is currently investigating the Drexler Institute to stop their plans to destroy Japan. She possesses one of the most powerful arcana, Partinias (Love), an angel with two pairs of wings who can manipulate light. She is Heart's partner and friend. Heart is voiced by Mikako Takahashi
Mikako Takahashi
is a seiyū and J-pop singer born May 29, 1980 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Under the alias Mikako Hyatt, she forms one half of the Excel Saga seiyū duo The Excel Girls . She is employed by I'm Enterprise...

.
is Heart's childhood friend from Britain, who joins Heart in investigating the Drexler Institute. She has painful memories of getting sucked into the Elemental World with her friend, Fiona. While Fiona was unable to return, Saki was saved by her Arcana, Bhanri (Thunder), who resembles a woman trapped in a giant crystal and was once a queen revered as the Goddess of War. Saki is voiced by Yumi Shimura
Yumi Shimura
is a Japanese female voice actress. She is employed by the talent management firm I'm Enterprise.- Anime :* Mahō Sensei Negima! , Chisame Hasegawa* Rozen Maiden: Träumend , Kanaria...

.
comes from a family who has been performing blessings, exorcisms, purifications, and other rituals and assisting in all matters related to the Elemental world for centuries. Maori lives with her older sister Tsuzune and her younger sisters Koito and Kouta, whom she directs during the rituals. Her Arcana is Ohstuchi (Earth), a giant clay figure that draws its power from the faith of mankind. She is voiced by Maki Tsuchiya.
is the final boss of the game. It is the ultimate creation of the Drexler Institute, a giant artificial Arcana created to resemble Gottfried. Due to its huge size, its powers were beyond the usual Arcana.

External links

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