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Atelier Meruru |OT| of Atelier Chronicles: My Life as a Princess

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
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What is Atelier Meruru?

Atelier Meruru is the third and final installment of the Arland trilogy of Atelier games, preceded by Atelier Rorona and Atelier Totori.

What’s the set up for this installment?

Arls Kingdom – this tiny nation is located far to the northwest of the Arland Republic. Compared to Arland, with its highly developed machinery and alchemy, Arls is rather quaint, but with unlimited potential for prosperity. Gio, leader of Arland, proposes to Lord Dessier, King of Arls and Gio’s longtime friend, that Arls join the Arland Republic. But there are many tasks to be completed before their goal can be realized. In order to minimize criticism from opposing parties, Arls begins a development project to increase the kingdom’s influence.

To begin, they decide to dispatch a number of skills adventurers to Arls from Arland. Among the delegation is the alchemist Totori Helmond. Meruru, Princess of Arls, soon encounters Totori, and alchemy, for the first time. Impressed by Totori’s alchemic abilities, Meruru forces her way into becoming Totori’s apprentice with aspirations of becoming an alchemist in her own right. However her father, Lord Dessier does not approve of her alchemy studies, viewing them as worthless. After some arguing, they reach a compromise; Meruru will have three years to use her alchemy to develop the kingdom and increase their population to 15,000 people. If she succeeds, he’ll recognize her alchemy study.

What’s the gameplay like in Atelier Meruru?

Like the prior games, Meruru must become an alchemist by exploring the neighboring lands, gathering materials with which to craft new items via alchemy. Using her kingdom as an atelier, she synthesizes items, completes quests for the kingdom, and gains further recipes. Like in Rorona and Totori, whenever Meruru does alchemy, explores lands, etc. she uses a certain number of days to do so. Part of the fun of the Arland trilogy is learning how the system works to best manage your schedule and learn to complete the maximum amount of tasks in as little time as possible.

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synthesis.jpg

battle.jpg


Okay, this is sounding exactly like the other two games. So what’s different this time?

Where Rorona earned store reputation and Totori earned adventurer license points for completing quests, tasks, and alchemy requests, Meruru earns development points that she can use to develop her kingdom by creating new buildings and upgrading existing ones. Gaining points will increase Meruru’s Kingdom Rank, which is very much the same style of system as Totori’s Adventurer Rank. Developing facilities will actually affect the terrain of the world map, so plan carefully!

Additionally, now some party members will attack groups of enemies in battle, rather than just one (Sterk and Mimi still only attack one). Otherwise the battle system is very similar to Totori’s.

Characters:

meruru.png

Merurulince Rede Arls (Meruru)

Meruru is the Princess of Arls Kingdom and Totori’s apprentice. She’s bright and optimistic, but has a tendency to act without thinking. She admires Arland, but wishes for her own kingdom to become equally as prosperous. Because of this, she decides to set out and use alchemy to develop the land.

totori.png

Totooria Helmond (Totori)

This heroine from the previous game has become a full-fledged alchemist after finishing her adventure searching for her mother. She’s also become pretty famous all across Arland. Originally, Rorona was supposed to come to Arls to assist in the development project, but for reasons unknown Totori was sent on her behalf. She’s still brutally honest at times, although she does seem to be trying harder to watch what she says.

rorona.png

Rorolina Frixell (Rorona)

Rorona is the heroine from the first game in the series, and also Totori’s alchemy teacher. Her personality hasn’t changed all that much – she’s still a total airhead and still really loves Totori. But she’s a true genius, and her knowledge of alchemy is beyond comprehension. Before the game begins, Gio ordered Rorona to head to Arls. But due to some sort of disruption, she was forced to stay behind in Arland. Eventually, she’s able to make her way to Arls and shows up in this form. What happened, exactly, remains a mystery…

keina.png

Keina Swaya

Keina is our heroine’s best childhood friend. She also works as a maid at the castle and can do anything, from cooking to cleaning and all things inbetween. She serves as Meruru’s devoted caretaker and best friend. Being forced to deal with Meruru’s constant state of pandemonium has made her very mature for her age.

dessier.png

Dessier Hahlsner Arls

Lord Dessier is the king of Arls and Meruru’s overprotective father. He’s an old friend of Gio and has gone on a number of adventures with him in the past. He entrusts Rufus with all of his kingdom’s political issues, meaning his public profile is at a minimum. Regardless, he remains popular among the people of Arls, which attests to his commanding presence.

rufus.png

Rufus Falken

Rufus acts as the official butler of Arls Kingdom. He’s very intelligent, he handles nearly all of the kingdom’s political issues single-handedly, and he’s also Meruru’s private instructor. Because of these talents, Meruru doesn’t stand a chance against him. Rufus is highly protective of Meruru, but instead of pampering her, he expresses his concern by being ruthlessly strict with her. Rufus is a borderline-tyrant and very stingy when it comes to time and money. He never shows his true emotions and tends to talk in a calm, indifferent manner.

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Lias Falken

Rufus’s younger brother spends his days serving as a castle gatekeeper. He basically worships the ground Rufus walks on, and his ultimate goal is to become as much like Rufus as possible (though he’d never admit it). Meruru tends to occupy most of Rufus’s time, which makes Lias more than a little jealous. But at the same time, Rufus asks him to act as Meruru’s personal escort.

mimi.png

Mimi Houllier Von Schwarzlang

Mimi is an Arland Adventurer Guild member and a good friend of Totori’s. She appears in Arls as if she only has Totori on her mind. She’s certainly gained plenty of experience since her last adventure and has gotten much stronger. She’s made an effort to become more ladylike, but her true character comes out whenever she interacts with Totori.

gino.png

Gino Knab

Totori’s childhood friend once claimed to be the strongest adventurer around. He may not be able to back that up just yet, but he’s certainly earned the right to call himself a real adventurer. After Totori left for Arls, he partnered up with Mimi. But eventually he decides to follow Totori into this new land. He’s certainly matured, but his playfulness shows itself whenever he’s around his old friends.

filly.png

Filly Dee

Filly worked as a receptionist in Arland and came to Arls with Totori. She used to get really nervous around strangers, but her job has forced her to deal with her phobia. Her powers of imagination have also powered up, so any regular relationship becomes a target of her delusions.

homs.png

The Homs

The Homs are utterly loyal to their master(s) and assist in a variety of tasks, including alchemy. Their primary order is to look after the tiny Rorona, but they receive another order to help out Meruru while Rorona is left in her care. They’ve also started to display a small amount of emotion, bringing them one step closer to real humans.

hanna.png

Hanna Olses

Hanna manages a shop in Arls. She doesn’t fret over tiny details and she considers herself a good friend of Meruru.

sterk.png

Sterkenburg Cranach

A former knight of Arland, Sterk still lives as a self-proclaimed knight. He acts as a guardian of the local adventurers while he continues to search for the retired king who seems to have wandered off. Meeting Princess Meruru has awakened his knightly desires once more.

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Esty Dee

Acting as Arland’s secret investigator, Esty has left the guild in her sister Filly’s hands to pursue a career in espionage. She also has no choice but to act as Gio’s chaperone in Arls.

gio.png

Gio

The head of the Arland Republic and the world’s greatest known swordsman still enjoys wandering the land aimlessly. For whatever reason, he has decided to make Arls his base of operations for the time being.

Release info:

Japan Release Date: 6/23/2011
USA Release Date: 5/29/2012
Europe Release Date: 5/24/2012

ESRB Rating: T for Teen

Developed by: GUST Corporation

Published by: GUST (Japan) and NIS America (US and Europe)

Looks like the LE is sold out now!

merurule_soldout.jpg

DLC Schedule:

5/29 - VGM pack and Rufus (optional party member) $2.99
6/5 - Hanna (optional party member) $3.99
6/12 - Pamela (optional party member) $3.99
6/19 - Makina Domain (gathering spot) Free

Reviews:

Technology Tell – 95/100
http://www.technologytell.com/gaming/91991/review-atelier-meruru-the-apprentice-of-arland-for-ps3/
Technology Tell said:
How fitting that the last game in the Arland Atelier trilogy is the best.
Atelier Meruru is a fantastic way to wrap up the Arland segment of the Atelier story while also providing gamers with proof that it is still possible to have an engaging, well made JRPG in this console generation. It encourages collection, creation, battling and relationship building, while also requiring players to maintain a careful balance of each to ensure a fantastic ending is achieved. While people who are familiar with the Atelier series, specifically Atelier Rorona and Atelier Totori will get the most out of Atelier Meruru, it’s also quite welcoming and a good experience for anyone who has a hankering for a lighthearted JRPG.

Diehard Gamefan – Final Score: Great Game (no number provided)
http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/05/10/review-atelier-meruru-the-apprentice-of-arland-ps3/

Diehard Gamefan said:
Atelier Meruru turns out to be more than I expected it to be. If you can manage to get past the slow beginning, it ends up becoming quite an addicting game with a fun alchemy and combat system. The town growing simulation is a nice feature that is sure to keep you heavily involved. While at times the dialogue cutscenes do kill the game’s momentum, it isn’t enough to ward you away from your pursuit of your main objective. Despite Atelier Meruru being relatively short, it does warrant multiple playthroughs and offers plenty of content, so you are sure to find something new each time. On top of that you have 30 possible endings, so you can try to improve upon each playthrough with a new incentive each time. Atelier Meruru is the first Japanese RPG that I have played since Dragon Quest 9 that I thoroughly enjoyed and I highly recommend it.

Gamrreview - 8/10
http://www.gamrreview.com/review/88939/atelier-meruru/

GamrReview said:
The last couple of months have been quite great for JRPG fans like myself. With all these long awaited games finally making it to western shores, it's easy to forget or take for granted the series and companies that have been consistently giving us enjoyable and unique experiences like Atelier, but that would be a mistake. While it isn't the standard ideal for the JRPG genre, these item synthesis focused games can be incredibly addicting and no developers can come close to how well Gust does it. This is definitely the best of the lot, and I hope Gust and NISA continue their work for years to come.

ZT Game Domain - 8.5/10
http://www.ztgd.com/reviews/atelier-meruru-the-apprentice-of-arland/

ZT Game Domain said:
For fans of the series, you will not be disappointed. Almost every character you have known in the trilogy will return, and the new characters you come across are as goofy and loveable as the older ones. For new comers, I would suggest playing the first two games, but Meruru does offer some good back story in the menus for the ones not too familiar with the series. I have to say, JRPG fans should really look into this game. There is enough here to keep players busy for well into the 30 hour mark. The game really can get addicting for players wanting to do “just one more quest.” The trilogy really goes out with a bang with Meruru, and amine fans and JRPG players should not miss out on it.

RPGamer - 4/5
http://www.rpgamer.com/games/atelier/ameruru/reviews/amerurustrev1.html

RPGamer said:
It's heartbreaking to have to say farewell to the Arland trilogy with Atelier Meruru. It's not easy to say goodbye to a world you've grown so fond over the course of three games. However, Atelier Meruru gives me faith that the Atelier series will continue to grow and mature. Fans of the Arland trilogy will surely adore their experience with Meruru, but for newcomers, this may not be the best place to start if you want to get a feel for the entire world. Still, Meruru is the silver lining at the end of this wonderful trilogy, and it will no doubt bring joy and closure to the long-time fans who stayed along for the journey.

EGM - 7.5/10
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-atelier-merurur-the-apprentice-of-arland/

EGM said:
SUMMARY: Though the Atelier series might not be the epitome of Japan’s RPG industry, I’ve always had a soft spot for its various chapters. Atelier Meruru isn’t “epic,” “intense,” or “exhilarating”—it’s charming, friendly, and fun, and it’s not ashamed of it.

The O-Network - A-
http://www.t-ono.net/Game-Reviews/Atelier-Meruru-the-Apprentice-of-Arland-PS3-Review.html

The O-Network said:
Although the game remains a relatively niche title, those who are looking for a traditional JRPG or are fans of the series will love it. With its fine-tuned battle and synthesis systems, fantastic soundtrack and fun characters, the game is a definitive conclusion to the Arland series. Atelier Meruru has easily been the most fun that I’ve had with a role playing game this year.

IGN - 6/10
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/24/atelier-meruru-the-apprentice-of-arland-review

IGN said:
I had high hopes for Atelier Meruru. The way the series shuns world-threatening evils for personal conflicts is refreshing, and the crafting system is so deep I could get lost in it forever. But this latest entry makes changes to the overall structure that obscure the game's best elements instead of accentuating them, and the lack of any central conflict left me completely uninterested in the story and characters. All that's left is an occasionally fun grind to finish your chores and an overall aesthetic that you will either love or hate.
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
So compared to the other two, how are the battles and more importantly are the days / time limits as strict? Any time to explore? Those are what turned me off most from Rorona and Totori
 
Cool, this series has been such a pleasant surprise.

I wish the LE was available outside of NISA's store. It's so expensive to ship to Canada.
 

Saroyan

Member
I'll be picking up my copy next week, it looks like the series keeps on improving.

Also Rorona has been changed into a little kid? Interested to find out what happened there
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
Ack, I'm not finished Totori yet and another one's already almost out! :(

I'm enjoying Totori so far, though. A bit more than Rorona. I guess I'll get Merururuuuu and put it in the backlog until I finish Totori's plat.
 

Torillian

Neo Member
So compared to the other two, how are the battles and more importantly are the days / time limits as strict? Any time to explore? Those are what turned me off most from Rorona and Totori

If you found Totori too strict then you'll probably think the same about Meruru, personally I can see how you might say that about Rorona but Totori was great at giving you tons of time to do whatever the crap you wanted.

Also I wrote and published a review if you'd like to include it. My site used to be banned around here it was a subsite of a very disliked sales site but we've split off and have our own url which isn't banned. I informed the moderation team about this and they didn't get back to me and didn't ban the site so I think I can talk about it.

http://www.gamrreview.com/review/88939/atelier-meruru/

All that said, if you don't like me or my site then feel free to not use it, no hard feelings.
 

Alex

Member
I'll be picking up my copy next week, it looks like the series keeps on improving.

Also Rorona has been changed into a little kid? Interested to find out what happened there

Something stupid as hell, I'm sure, as the reason it was done was because they didn't want her to age past 30. Surprisingly, polls I saw seemed to indicate that it actually pissed the fanbase off, so that's nice.

Unlike most of their peers, Gust actually has some talent, so it'd be nice to see them pander a little less to the creeper sect as time goes on. Besides, it was fun to see the characters age, even if it was anime aging and christ almighty does Rorona look fucking ANNOYING in the trailers for this.

So compared to the other two, how are the battles and more importantly are the days / time limits as strict? Any time to explore? Those are what turned me off most from Rorona and Totori

I think Ayesha cuts it out entirely, so if you hate time management you may wanna just wait and try that one in the future.
 
Still a little cranky over the fact that they made Rorona a kid again.

Anyway, still going through Totori. Hopefully I'll have that done by the time this gets here. I'm excited!
 

Eusis

Member
Something stupid as hell, I'm sure, as the reason it was done was because they didn't want her to age past 30. Surprisingly, polls I saw seemed to indicate that it actually pissed the fanbase off, so that's nice.
Would she even be in her 30s though? If each game is three years then I think she'd be in her twenties. Which frustrates me, I'd appreciate having her at a more sensible age rather than throttling it down for crossing that 20 year mark.

I haven't seriously played Rorona or Totori yet, otherwise I'd probably be inclined to get this sooner that later. Well, I also managed to get the LEs of both at a discount, but unless stock stays at NISA's store for awhile it'll break here.
 

Alex

Member
Would she even be in her 30s though? If each game is three years then I think she'd be in her twenties. Which frustrates me, I'd appreciate having her at a more sensible age rather than throttling it down for crossing that 20 year mark.

I haven't seriously played Rorona or Totori yet, otherwise I'd probably be inclined to get this sooner that later. Well, I also managed to get the LEs of both at a discount, but unless stock stays at NISA's store for awhile it'll break here.

She would be I think, a lot more time passes than three years, not that you could really tell because of the type of designs, I mean hell I think Sterk and Esty are in their 40s in Meruru.
 

OceanBlue

Member
Unlike most of their peers, Gust actually has some talent, so it'd be nice to see them pander a little less to the creeper sect as time goes on.
Maybe if they get out of that niche status. You probably won't see any more shenanigans like de-aging protagonists, which was an awful idea no matter who you asked, but I doubt they'll stop having characters like Cordelia or Totori appear in their games. After all, in the end they're making games and we're buying games about pre-teen girls going on adventures and making friends.

I'm glad Gust is a niche developer and I hope they stay that way, by the way. :)

Is the kingdom development aspect similar to the development aspect in Atelier Annie? That was a ton of fun and I'm really hoping they use that idea, or at least include more NPCs, like they did in Annie.
 

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
If you found Totori too strict then you'll probably think the same about Meruru, personally I can see how you might say that about Rorona but Totori was great at giving you tons of time to do whatever the crap you wanted.

Also I wrote and published a review if you'd like to include it. My site used to be banned around here it was a subsite of a very disliked sales site but we've split off and have our own url which isn't banned. I informed the moderation team about this and they didn't get back to me and didn't ban the site so I think I can talk about it.

http://www.gamrreview.com/review/88939/atelier-meruru/

All that said, if you don't like me or my site then feel free to not use it, no hard feelings.

Added.
 

Eusis

Member
She would be I think, a lot more time passes than three years, not that you could really tell because of the type of designs, I mean hell I think Sterk and Esty are in their 40s in Meruru.
Damn, I figure it'd be closer to 10 from start of the series to the end, but I kind of ignored the blocks of time that'd exist between installments.
Maybe if they get out of that niche status. You probably won't see any more shenanigans like de-aging protagonists, which was an awful idea no matter who you asked, but I doubt they'll stop having characters like Cordelia or Totori appear in their games. After all, in the end they're making games and we're buying games about pre-teen girls going on adventures and making friends.
They do seem to be stepping the ages up though, isn't the newly announced title staring a 17 year old this time around, not a 14-year old made 17 via localization?
 

Alex

Member
I sorta want, but I never played a game from this series before. Would this game be a good entry point?

This set is a trilogy, Rorona - Totori - Meruru.

Rorona is pretty... iffy though, they made huge leaps with the sequels. Totori doesn't require any knowledge of Rorona at all so I'd imagine Meruru will be the same to Totori.

If you're unsure you could just nab a cheaper copy of Totori and give it a spin.

I'm glad Gust is a niche developer and I hope they stay that way, by the way. :)

Yeah, when they can turn out solid B-tier efforts on a one year turn around with as much polish as they have, I do too. I don't mind the JRPG air and frills, I'm been playing these things for eons and I'm immune to most of it and it's part of the reason my wife likes these too, actually, but wouldn't I mind seeing them keep lame (and pretty creepy) shit like de-aging characters out when the time passage is a cool feature between games, too.
 

OceanBlue

Member
They do seem to be stepping the ages up though, isn't the newly announced title staring a 17 year old this time around, not a 14-year old made 17 via localization?
Yeah, I guess that's true. One of the girls is 14, but for the most part the characters in Ayesha are pretty old as far as JRPGs go IMO.
 

kiunchbb

www.dictionary.com
Pre ordered limited edition =o

This will be the third Atelier game that I brought the limited edition...

which I never played.

CURSE YOU DIABLO 3, LoL, Tera online, Uncharted, Street Fight, SC5..etcetcetcetcetc...
 

Shizzlee

Member
This set is a trilogy, Rorona - Totori - Meruru.

Rorona is pretty... iffy though, it was a big drop down from their PS2 efforts and you can easily skip it and just start on Totori now and not miss anything significant for someone who doesn't want to dip into it all so I'd imagine Meruru is probably the same way.

Totori is a really solid game though, so if you wanna give it a shot maybe just find a cheaper copy of it and give it a whirl.

Ah, I see. I'll buy Meruru and Totori next week. Thanks.
 

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
This set is a trilogy, Rorona - Totori - Meruru.

Rorona is pretty... iffy though, they made huge leaps with the sequels. Totori doesn't require any knowledge of Rorona at all so I'd imagine Meruru will be the same to Totori.

If you're unsure you could just nab a cheaper copy of Totori and give it a spin.

I can agree with this. Totori is a huge step up from Rorona, and while a couple of characters from Rorona are in the game they're explained in-game and in the Library in Totori so you can skip Rorona.
 

tiff

Banned
Totori's a big step up over Rorona but Rorona is still worth playing. If nothing else it will make you appreciate Totori's improvements that much more.
 

Eusis

Member
Totori's a big step up over Rorona but Rorona is still worth playing. If nothing else it will make you appreciate Totori's improvements that much more.
This is what motivated me to still play through EO1 while I had EO2 (well, and having an inkling of how the plot would twist for the final part.) I don't believe the game's particularly long or hard either, so unless I ignore Rorona for forever or try again only to get bored I'll finish that first before Totori, and it sounds like Totori's good enough I'd definitely want to get through that before Meruru. If I got bored with Totori... well, then Meruru's probably not worth getting for me.
 

Alex

Member
Opinions are opinions, but I'm not the kind of person who believes it's worth playing an entire series of games just because you're interested in one. It's not a scenario like a movie, we're talkin' 'bout long (well, these aren't that long by contrast but its still a lot of time) reiterative RPGs, so I'd just pick a good starting point and go at it.

You can always go back if you become weirdly obsessed or something, and if someone says that "but you wont want to go back after ____" that just means it wasnt worth your time!

I had fun with Rorona because I liked the time management and certain other aspects but it really is a middling game at best and suffers from a lot of jank that up and vanished entirely in Totori. I just don't view it as really being worth it for an unsure new comer when there are now two vastly superior ones to pick from that dont need prior knowledge or experience.
 

Akselziys

Aksys Games Dev.
I just finished Totori last weekend, (finished Rorona back when it came out), so I'm excited to play and tackle the final game in the trilogy :)
 

Eusis

Member
Opinions are opinions, but I'm not the kind of person who believes it's worth playing an entire series of games just because you're interested in one. It's not a scenario like a movie, we're talkin' 'bout long (well, these aren't that long by contrast but its still a lot of time) reiterative RPGs, so I'd just pick a good starting point and go at it.
I think this really depends on how much continuity matters, and the Arland series is sort of in the middle there. If I didn't have them (or couldn't find them) I wouldn't really worry about it, but I do and Rorona seems good enough, so may as well.

I would, however, not really care for Ayesha if it came to that, just as I'm not ever bothering Iris 2 and 3 since the first bored me somewhat and that series ran from what sounded interesting about Atelier in the first place (more relaxed pace adventure focused more on making stuff and running a business.)
 

zulux21

Member
Gah is it getting that close already @_@.
Guess I will pick back up Neptunia 2 and finish it this week so I can jump right into this game guilt free.

Anyways really looking forward to this. I have really started to fall in love with the series. If they keep improving it could easily become one of my favorite rpg series of all time.
 

Gravijah

Member
does ar tonelico qoga only come with the deluxe box? one of my local gamestops seems to have it and i figure i might as well add it to the collection for 40 bucks.
 
I kinda got over my anime phase around 1995, but damned if I'm not a sucker for the main character in this. Been in my Gamefly queue for months. I regret nothing!
 

raven777

Member
This is one series that I enjoy playing more with a guide. I will probably hold off for a week or 2 to get US guide to show up.
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
If you found Totori too strict then you'll probably think the same about Meruru, personally I can see how you might say that about Rorona but Totori was great at giving you tons of time to do whatever the crap you wanted.

Actually I beat Rorona and only played up until leaving the first town of Totori so far so I was just making assumptions for how that would go.


I think Ayesha cuts it out entirely, so if you hate time management you may wanna just wait and try that one in the future.

Delightful.
 

Ravage

Member
Not pleased with kiddy Rorona (my favourite character btw) but damn if i'm not hyped to play this :)

Can't wait to find out how the new alchemy system works.
 
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