After reading the OP, I think I'll go to Gamestop and get Atelier Totori. The title comes off as too defensive IMO, but based on his main point it really does sound like a good game. I've played a fair share of games recently that people would probably object to based on the posts here, and they've brought me countless hours of entertainment: Recettear, Chantelise, Fortune Summoners, Arcana Heart 3, etc. The first three come from a localization company called Carpe Fulgur, and particularly Recettear has had unprecedented success for the English version. Recettear being an action RPG/item shop simulator, Chantelise and Fortune Summoners being also action RPGs. Granted these games had little to no objectionable content, but all the same they all feature cutesy anime girl characters, and they are all protagonists. They were all great games, and as a gamer I would be doing myself a disservice for not playing them due to prejudices caused by how a game looks (not saying this is the case for everyone here, but it's a real issue).
As a competitive fighting game player, I also enjoyed the shit out of AH3 as well. I've played AE, SCV, KOFXIII, T5-T6, SFxT (ugh) all competitively. It has one of the most unique fighting mechanics I've come across and it was a joy to play it at the arcade (Arcade UFO in Austin was one of the only arcades in the US that had this sadly). The game also featured an all-girl cast, but to the best of my knowledge there's no stuff like pantyshots. Unfortunately, the console release came out extremely late and on top of that, the publishers decided to add animated sidebars and galleries for the sole purpose of fanservice, which I think only served to take away from the game itself.
From the perspective of the developers/artists, I can't blame them for sneaking in panty-shots or the like
if they believe it will help the game sell, even if does not elicit any reaction from me and possibly offend others. However, games are not necessarily centered around this aspect, and while the looks of a game is part of the overall package and determines how much you enjoy a game, I think it's also important to not judge the quality of the game itself based on its aesthetic. I could care less for random bouts of fanservice in a game as long as things like the story, game mechanics and such deliver.
Another thing worth noting is that I find it really easy to get into games like these, because it's simply a game, and it's made for
my entertainment. Sure, I wouldn't want my boss seeing me play Atelier Totori, just as I wouldn't want him seeing me watch random food recipes or cat videos on Youtube.
Here's an example of a game I played recently, Ys Origin:
I thought to myself "What? Ys: The Oath in Felghana's protagonist was this badass red haired dude, why is it generic moe axegirl now?", and well, I was pleasantly surprised. There's a lot of incredibly badass moments in the game, I loved the fighting, I loved the soundtrack, it was a joy to play. It's also really challenging, which I like (on Nightmare difficulty). Granted there's also 2 additional male main characters, but you have to unlock the third one by playing the first two, and the girl was the first choice.
Anyway, enough of my ranting. I can understand people passing on games if it doesn't fit their taste aesthetically, and some other games are diamonds in the rough which I'm very willing to look past its weak points (including unnecessary fanservice), while others are not. It's sad that people will judge you based on a game you can buy at some random Gamestop, but that's just how it goes. At the end of the day it's just entertainment and a new experience for me.
