[Release Data]
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Tecmo-Koei
Localization: Acttil
Platform: PS3 (Both Retail and Digitally)
Genre: RPG
NA Release Date: March 11, 2014
PAL Release Date: 7 March 2014
Text Language: English
Audio Language: English, Japanese
NA PSN Store Page
Official NA Site | Official EU Site | Official Facebook Page
[Boxart]
[Story]
Atelier Facebook Page said:
[Features]
For the first time in the series since Mana-Khemia 2, there are two protagonists! Choose between Escha or Logy to experience the story in different perspectives!
Caution: Graphic may not be entirely accurate
Escha's story is more in the vein of traditional Atelier games like the Arland games or Atelier Ayesha, in which the story focuses on her daily life and alchemy assignments. Her synthesis style is also much more similar to the past games, as she uses a cauldron.
Meanwhile, Logy's story is more like a traditional RPG's, where it focuses more on exploration. He uses a new alchemy method known as imbuing, which is more similar to blacksmithing than anything, as he customizes weapons and armor.
Obviously, you see different events depending on who you choose in the beginning, but the story should be mostly the same overall.
Speaking of events, there seem to be new field events that make exploring and monster encounters more dynamic. As you gather or fight more, you fill up an event gauge that eventually triggers different things. You can even battle special and more power enemies using these field events, and defeating them may even yield some rare items!
[Battle System]
Much like the two protagonists thing, Atelier Escha & Logy's battle system draws a lot from Mana-Khemia! First of all, you can link support characters to the characters active in battle. Meaning the effective number of people in battle is now six, and the support characters can easily do follow up attacks much like in Mana-Khemia!
The battles are still turn-based, but the character actions and commands are optimized for a fast-paced system. And with the added support system influenced by Mana-Khemia, you can do lots more damage during a character's turn!
Escha and Logy even get their own super special alchemy attack called the Double Draw, which allows for consecutive item use that even increases the effects they have.
[Fancier Graphics]
Since Gust now has access to Tecmo-Koei's stuff, they used the Dynasty Warriors engine to make the game look even nicer! Also, the characters' lips actually stop moving when they're done talking this time around! As much as I personally miss the character dialogue portraits, at least Gust is trying their best to make the cutscenes look better without them!
[Screenshots]
[Trailers]
Digitally Downloaded - 5 Stars
God is a Geek - 7/10
GAMRs
RPGSite - 9
RPGamer - 4.5/5
PlayStation Universe - 9
Slant Magazine - 3.5 Stars
Push Square - 7/10
GamesRadar - 4 Stars
Operation Rainfall - 5 Stars
HardcoreGamer - 4 of 5
GameInformer - 7.75
GameCritics - 9.5 out of 10
TechGaming - 85%
Vandal Online (Spanish) - 8
3DJuegos (Spanish) - 7.5
Meristation (Spanish) - 7.9
Q: Are there any preorder bonuses?
A: Yes, there are! Sadly there are different ones that are exclusive to different retailers:
In North America, Gamestop will have Logy's "Tails Butler" costume and Escha's "Apple Pirate" costume.
For Europe, Amazon.de will have Escha's "Apple Pirate" costume, GAME will have Escha's "Enchanted Witch" costume, and Smartoys and Amanzon.co.uk will have Logy's "Tails Butler" costume.
It is not yet known if these costumes will be sold on PSN later, but it is doubtful because they were not sold in Japan.
Q: Is this a good place to start if I'm interested in the series?
A: Anywhere is pretty much a good place to start, I'd say! If you want to play all of them, I'd start with the earliest you can get (yes, I'm including the Japanese-only games and the Iris and Mana-Khemia games, though these don't really matter as much since they're so different)! Though most people seem to say to skip Rorona (I personally liked it though), so you might want to do that and wait for the possibility of a localized New Rorona, which is a remake with many improvements. Though if you wanted to do that, you should play Totori first because New Rorona probably has better mechanics by that point.
Q: Does it matter if I play this before Atelier Ayesha? Do I lose anything?
A: Nope! The story should be standalone on it's own. Obviously you will miss the little references to Ayesha, but it should not detract from your enjoyment of the story.
Q: Is there a time limit in this game too?
A: Yes, there is! I'm not sure how many years this game gives you at the moment. But I'm pretty sure both Escha and Logy's stories have a set amount of years you have to finish your tasks in.
Also, there are assignments much like Rorona, where you have a set amount of time to finish, like 3 in-game months.
Q: Does it matter who I play as first? What exactly are the differences in the stories?
A: It shouldn't matter! And according to some, it seems there aren't really any differences at all in how the game plays, no matter who you choose.
Unfortunately, the two stories aren't vastly different like Mana-Khemia 2's at all. The only differences should be the perspectives the story is seen in. One should expect the different stories to be more like Tales of Xillia's separate stories, mostly the same, but with some different events and slightly different endings.
Q: Is there any DLC?
A: But of course, the DLC includes allowing returning character, Wilbell to be playable once again, as well as the new characters, Micie and Katla.
There's also two DLC dungeons, an area called "The Palace Interior, Where the Beast King Dwells" and "The Palace of Paupers". These DLC areas will most likely be much more difficult than anything in the core game, much like Meruru and Ayesha's DLC dungeons.
And there's the BGM pack as usual, with music from past Atelier games, like the Arland Trilogy and Atelier Ayesha.
Q: You keep mentioning Mana-Khemia, why?
A: For one thing, a lot of people seem to have been asking for a new Mana-Khemia so I thought it would help draw them in. Also, Escha & Logy definitely borrows a lot of things from Mana-Khemia (2, especially) what with the two separate protagonists, and the dynamic support battle system. It also goes back to an assignment system for the first time since Atelier Rorona, which was also in Mana-Khemia. Though since the game works like traditional Ateliers, please don't expect it to be exactly like Mana-Khemia was. Think of it more like a traditional Atelier game with Mana-Khemia's battle system.
By the way, if you're thinking Mana-Khemia was an Atelier spin-off, it was not. It is definitely part of the main series, as they were projects A9, and A10 respectively.
Q: Atelier Ayesha did not have dual audio, will this?
A: Tecmo-Koei have confirmed that there will indeed be dual audio. Ayesha's situation was hopefully just a one time thing.
Q: So, there's no Limited Edition set or anything again, right?
A: Nope, sadly these seem to no longer be a thing since NISA doesn't publish them anymore.
Q: Who's Acttil? Should I worry about the localization style being different from past games?
A: Nope! Acttil is actually a company set up by former NIS America staff that have previously worked with the series, so there should be nothing to worry about! Hopefully Tecmo-Koei gets them to localize Ar nosurge, too! Well, if that's getting localized, anyway.
Q: I hear the name Escha & Logy actually means something! What does it mean?
A: Via the Official Atelier Facebook Page:
[Credits]
Thank you to Noxie who did the lovely banners and character images! Also to dakkumauji who helped with the subtitle! As well as the Atelier Facebook page and official sites for information and story summary, and Gematsu for screenshots. If you want more details on the features of the game itself, please visit the official sites! That's what they're there for.
Thanks to Uthred who pointed out the error for EU preorder bonuses.
Please let me know if you find any errors and I'll make the appropriate corrections, thank you!
