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[zeorhymer]

There's a Steam sale for all the various Atelier games and I have a large gap in this series. If you can only choose 2, which ones should I start off with?

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout (30% off, $42)
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk DX (10%, $36)
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky DX (10%, $36)
Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea DX (10%, $36)
Atelier Lulua ~The Scion of Arland (40%, $36)
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists ~Ateliers of the New World (40%, $36)
Atelier Rorona ~The Alchemist of Arland~ DX (40%, $24)
Atelier Totori ~The Adventurer of Arland~ DX (40%, $24)
Atelier Meruru ~The Apprentice of Arland~ DX (40%, $24)
Atelier Lydie & Suelle ~The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings~ (40%, $36)
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey (40%, $36)
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book (35%, $20)

 

[Lionel Richie]

Sorry to give you a non-answer, but I'm trying to jump into this series as well and saw a really good video about it:



The obvious answer is Ryza apparently, but there are other things to consider.

 

[Danjin44]

I myself never played any Atelier games before but I had absolute blast with Atelier Ryza.

 

[SurprisedPikachu]

Latest one is supposed to be really good. I think they got rid of the ridiculous timer where you had to rush to a certain point in the game since everything takes time. Going to a zone take take a day in game.

 

[JORMBO]

I’ve only played Ryza which is really good. Everyone says it is a good jumping in point.

 

[10000]

atelier iris LOL

start with ryza or totori

 

[SidViscous]

Ryza is the best, and the newest, and the thiccest.

 

[Sign]

I have not played any of these games, but it is my understanding that Atelier games come in groups. You can play them in any order but the ones in the same group will have reocurring characters, call backs, etc. For example, the main character of one title becomes the teacher for the protagonist of the following game.

This video gives a brief description of each game/mechanical focus.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

I'm still thinking about getting Ryza as the only Atelier games I ever enjoyed were Atelier Iris 1-3. Hated pretty much all the others I tried (mainly Arland games). My main problems were the focus on crafting, time limits and lack of exploration (all the exploration nodes were not larger than 2 screens, impossible to get lost in). Heard Ryza does a lot of these better.

 

[JohannCK]

There's a Steam sale for all the various Atelier games and I have a large gap in this series. If you can only choose 2, which ones should I start off with?

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout (30% off, $42)
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk DX (10%, $36)
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky DX (10%, $36)
Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea DX (10%, $36)
Atelier Lulua ~The Scion of Arland (40%, $36)
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists ~Ateliers of the New World (40%, $36)
Atelier Rorona ~The Alchemist of Arland~ DX (40%, $24)
Atelier Totori ~The Adventurer of Arland~ DX (40%, $24)
Atelier Meruru ~The Apprentice of Arland~ DX (40%, $24)
Atelier Lydie & Suelle ~The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings~ (40%, $36)
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey (40%, $36)
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book (35%, $20)

Start with Rorona.

Ryza isn't bad but it's far simpler (less depth, feels targeted at casual gamers) than usual, and is also the latest one meaning that it'll probably be far cheaper later. Also there's no DX version yet meaning no DLC is included.

 

[zeorhymer]

Thanks all! Rorona and Ryza it is!

 

[Ulysses 31]

atelier iris LOL

start with ryza or totori

Why not Rorona DX since it's the start of the trilogy? 0o

 

[Protocol7]

Thanks all! Rorona and Ryza it is!

Wait isn't Ryza the second part of the second Arland trilogy? (Wiki).

 

[manfestival]

I would suggest getting all of them at the same time. Unless you are some filthy pleb.

 

[jshackles]

Ryza was a great game. I hadn't played any of these since the PS2 days and last year at GAF's suggestion picked up Ryza, and loved it.

 

[_Ex_]

I thought I was way too grizzled and grognard to play this series. But one day I gave this a shot:

Yeah I ended up falling in love with Rorona's game, and thus coming around to respect the Atelier series.

These days I have no qualms throwing on a skirt and stirring a big ol' alchemy pot.

 

[KàIRóS]

This is coming from someone that doesn't really like the Atelier games, yet I've played and beaten almost all of them except for the first japanese only ones, the spinoffs and Ryza.

Don't start with the Iris trilogy, in my opinion those are the best ones and you will be really disappointed with every subsequent Atelier game you play or at least that's what happened to me. try to leave those for last.

The Rorona trilogy is especially stressful with the time limit, the first game in particular.

Starting with Totori the time limit got less stressful and more manageable and got better with each new Atelier from there.

Atelier Iris 1-3, Shallie, Sophie, Firis and Lydie & Suelle have pretty much non existant time limits.

My favorite game from the Rorona trilogy is Totori.

My favorite game from the Ayesha trilogy is Shallie.

My favorite game from the Mysterious trilogy is Sophie.

All 3 games in the Iris trilogy are great.

Hope this helps and if you're wondering why I don't like the Atelier games is mostly because of the lighthearted slice of life stories and lack of any conflict to motivate the player, I'm also not a big fan of the heavy crafting nature of the games.

 

[Pejo]

Thanks for making this thread, OP. I was wondering the same thing.

Which game did they do away with the timer? I'll probably pick that up first

 

[KàIRóS]

Thanks for making this thread, OP. I was wondering the same thing.

Which game did they do away with the timer? I'll probably pick that up first

That would be the Atelier Iris trilogy on PS2

From the ones on steam/current gen consoles, it's Atelier Shallie but that's the end of the Dusk trilogy

Atelier Sophie which is the first of the Mysterious trilogy also doesn't have it,

I'm not sure about Ryza I haven't played that 1.

 

[fallingdove]

Escha & Logy > Shallie > Totori > Everything Else

 

[zhixson]

I've been getting most of my Atelier discussion on /v/ ever since the dusk trilogy was announced and people there routinely crap on Shallie. To this day, nobody there has answered me as to why it's "bad" or "skippable." I've not played it, but always thought it looked amazing art-wise and the soundtrack is really really good. It's interesting to see it being praised in this thread and I was hoping you guys could clear up why people elsewhere might not like it very much. Is it contrarians being annoyed that the time limit was outright removed? Is there some aspect of the battle system that sucks? Is the story "bad?"
Or, well, why do you hold it in high regard if you like it?

Good or bad, I honestly can't wait to get to it because the view from the outside looking in looks so damned appealing.

 

[lachesis]

Always go for the original... Atelier Marie!
(well I have to be honest, that it was only Atelier game that I played back in 90s on my JP ps1.... so... )

 

[KàIRóS]

I've been getting most of my Atelier discussion on /v/ ever since the dusk trilogy was announced and people there routinely crap on Shallie. To this day, nobody there has answered me as to why it's "bad" or "skippable." I've not played it, but always thought it looked amazing art-wise and the soundtrack is really really good. It's interesting to see it being praised in this thread and I was hoping you guys could clear up why people elsewhere might not like it very much. Is it contrarians being annoyed that the time limit was outright removed? Is there some aspect of the battle system that sucks? Is the story "bad?"
Or, well, why do you hold it in high regard if you like it?

Good or bad, I honestly can't wait to get to it because the view from the outside looking in looks so damned appealing.

Well I've never gotten into hardcore discussion with the Atelier games, like I said I'm not a big fan of the franchise myself, so my guess is fans probably didn't like the changes in Shallie, considering it's the end of the Dusk trilogy I guess many fans got mad that it had a lot of changes and feels more like a traditional JRPG (like the Atelier Iris games) also the cast in Shallie, including the 2 protagonists are very forgettable and it doesn't have as much slice of life interaction as other Ateliers, I liked Shallie the most in the Dusk trilogy mainly because of the quality of life upgrades it had compared to the other Ateliers before it, but yeah I guess hardcore Atelier fans hated it exactly for those reasons.

If you think about it this happens with many other JRPG franchises too, hardcore fans calling the gambit system in FFXII or the real time combat in FFXV a travesty or fans from Fire Emblem getting triggered because Awakening introduced a casual mode without permadeath, Tales of fans getting angry at the new third person combat, Pokémon fans angry that legendaries can reappear. etc.

Just ignore hardcore JRPG fans they are among the most toxic people on the internet, and you'll never change their mind anyway, try Shallie for yourself or watch gameplay and see if you like it.

 

[Vawn]

Ryza

 

[Rean no Kiseki]

Emulate the first one on PS2.

 

[Doom85]

There are some sort of time limits in the previous games? Well, I'll definitely start with Ryza then. Funny, I wasn't sure if I'd have time to start it soon, I just started Dragon Quest XI and was thinking it'd be unlikely I could finish it and have enough days left to start Ryza and finish it before FF 7 releases, and then the delay was announced so I can just start Ryza with no worries.

 

[JayK47]

Rorona and Ryza are both great. And so much has changed from Rorona to Ryza. Hopefully you are able to enjoy them both.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

Ayesha and Ryza