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The Atelier series

Emily

Arcane
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
3,068
So simple question. I have a craving for playing this, as i played it way before but never finished.
However i dont know which one to go for.
My pc can run ps2 emulators with no problem, and i do own ps3 but would rather avoid it due to TV not being in my room.
I am mostly looking for the most hard one/complex
 

Vikter

Learned
Patron
Joined
Jan 17, 2015
Messages
148
Location
Brazil
PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015
I played only Atelier Iris 2, 3 and the two Mana Khemia games.
If you want the most challenging first, avoid Atelier Iris 2 like the plague. It's a good game but it's easy as hell. Atelier Iris 3 is more balanced, and apparently is more like the first one, which is considered the best in the series.
Mana Khemia, while not an Atelier in name, is basically Atelier. It's made by the same people and has the same core mechanics. I honestly don't like it much, but it can be appealing if you want to try it out. I haven't played the recent ones for PS3, but apparently Ayesha is the hardest, or something like that.
 

Luckra

Educated
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
64
Location
Montréal
The PS2 ones are fine but Mana Khemia are basically the same concept with better execution. Careful about the PS3 Atelier, they are a bit on the
pedobear.gif
side.
 

vonAchdorf

Arcane
Joined
Sep 20, 2014
Messages
13,465

I'd start with Rorona, the Vita version was revamped and the rough edges were polished by inheriting some mechanics of Meruru (the newest in the trilogy). It's the beginning of the Arland trilogy, so you could as well play them chronologically.
 

Emily

Arcane
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
3,068
So i finished Mana Khemia on psp, and it is actually pretty decent game overall. Has some interesting mechanics and rather unique story for an JRPG at least.
I mean dont get me wrong it is a kid's game but i just find these types of games to be nostalgic to play from time to time.
Also i would recommend Mana Khemia 2 over first one, as it is much more complex and better system, altho story and characters are lacking.
 

StaticSpine

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 14, 2013
Messages
3,232
Location
Moscow
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
I'd start with Rorona, the Vita version was revamped and the rough edges were polished by inheriting some mechanics of Meruru (the newest in the trilogy). It's the beginning of the Arland trilogy, so you could as well play them chronologically.
There are 2 of them on PS Store. And the one with DLCs is cheaper. Do you know anything about this?

TLU6.jpg
 

vonAchdorf

Arcane
Joined
Sep 20, 2014
Messages
13,465
There are 2 of them on PS Store. And the one with DLCs is cheaper. Do you know anything about this?

No, here it says: time limited offer, get the 3 DLC for free 4 weeks after launch – seems to me like a "day-1 version". Launch was July 2014 though - I think they just forgot to update the price and description (here both versions cost the same 39,99€).
 

Gerrard

Arcane
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
11,925
My demand for moe is quite high, who do I need to pester to get the Arland trilogy ported to PC?
 

vonAchdorf

Arcane
Joined
Sep 20, 2014
Messages
13,465
My demand for moe is quite high, who do I need to pester to get the Arland trilogy ported to PC?

Gust, which is owned by Tecmo Koei makes them, the original series was published by NIS America / Europe while the aforementioned Plus versions were published by Tecmo Koei themselves. So Tecmo Koei would be the best bet – though IMO also the mostly unlikely to respond.
 

Gerrard

Arcane
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
11,925
Gust themselves have never made any PC games/ports though, have they?
 

vonAchdorf

Arcane
Joined
Sep 20, 2014
Messages
13,465
Gerrard
vonAchdorf
Incorrect. Marie and Ellie (the first two) were ported to the PC. They're untranslated and I doubt they work with modern OS, but they have been ported

Thanks. That must have been a pretty obscure release, I never heard about it. It's not even in Wikipedia, but Wikia has it, though without much information.



It even has mouse support – unlike some modern PC ports ;)
 

Raghar

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
22,500
Just finished Atelier Rorona. I had Cornelia ending on first try, awesome stuff.
 

Raghar

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
22,500
Yes, don't recruit that bard like character, because it hangs the game in some situations, and save often because it has bugs. I didn't play HD version, which might have corrected bugs. (Thought when I used main characters I didn't encounter them.) Also have nearly empty inventory just before festival, and be in the town during the festival.

Otherwise first months are relatively simple and you'd have time to learn stuff fast. I managed to get about 20-30 popularity in half month or so, while I don't recommend it, even with relatively low popularity you can get the true ending.
The more nasty are for new game+ .
 

Exhuminator

Arcane
Joined
Sep 10, 2015
Messages
609
I recently finished Rorona Plus for PS3. This was my HLTB review:

291939_front.jpg


In the fantasy kingdom of Arland, a little alchemy shop sits underutilized by its lady owner Astrid and assistant girl Rorona. One day the development body of the kingdom decides the space taken by the alchemy shop would be better served by a factory instead. Astrid and Rorona are given three years to prove their alchemy shop is actually useful, or they can kiss it goodbye. Astrid couldn't care less though and leaves the task to Rorona instead. Rorona having little actual alchemy experience has a challenging road ahead of her to prove the alchemy shop is worth keeping around.

For the player this means taking primary royal requests from the kingdom and fulfilling them before a time limit runs out. There are twelve tasks in total of varying difficulty. The tasks usually focus on synthesizing special items via alchemy. To do this, Rorona and her friends (or hired mercs) must venture out into the dangerous countryside and collect the necessary ingredients. But that is not all Rorona can do in this game by far. There are copious side quests, cooking, gardening, equipment crafting, and even bounty hunting elements as well. That means the true challenge is managing your time, as everything you do costs days on the calendar. Run out of days before the primary royal request has been filled, and Rorona's little shop will be in dire straits indeed.

Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland is an incredibly charming game to play, with an uplifting spirit to the whole affair. Though graphically simple for a PS3 game, the aesthetics are consistently upbeat and exude cheerfulness. Characters are written well and come to life via competent voice acting. The catchy and perky music is seriously great, but if you don't like it, you can change it, because Rorona Plus allows the player to pick tons of tracks from all of the games in the series and assign them however they like. And while the plot is relatively simple, it never gets caught up in overwrought melodrama as so often plagues JRPGs. (The only questionable element being that Astrid is ostensibly an overt child molester who admits to fondling Rorona when she sleeps.)

Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland is not a game for everyone. Those seeking classic JRPG structure and tropes won't find that here. This is a laid back experience about a seventeen year old girl just trying to keep her job. But if you want to enjoy a relaxing game, explore some countryside, collect ingredients and synthesize all sorts of crazy alchemic goodies, Rorona Plus lets you do that. With a decent combat system and optional super bosses, you can get into lots of involving battles as well. By the end, Rorona's friends and acquaintances will likely grow on you enough that you'll understand why Rorona wants to stick around Arland so bad. This game might not ultimately synthesize gold, but it never stops synthesizing fun.

PS After you finish the original game, the "Plus" version includes a large bonus scenario where the protagonists from Atelier Totori and Atelier Meruru travel backwards through time and end up in Rorona's shop. A whole new series of adventures opens up for the three to endure. This includes new super tough dungeons and incredibly hard enemies and bosses. Also extra costumes are unlocked for Rorona to wear (which are a bit scanty because that ol' lech Astrid designed them for her).

I didn't expect to like the game, but I ended up enjoying it so much that I bought all the other PS3 Atelier games.
 

StaticSpine

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 14, 2013
Messages
3,232
Location
Moscow
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
The combat in Rorona is so plain and boring. All the other aspects of the game are nice tho.
 

StaticSpine

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 14, 2013
Messages
3,232
Location
Moscow
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Rorona is the first game that crashed on my Vita:lol: I thought it's impossible.
 

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