Topic: First time playing an Atelier game

I've now downloaded my first ever Atelier game, Atelier Rorona Plus. Liking it so far, I always love time management games so this one seems to be a good one.

I've seen more Atelier games in the store, so what's the difference between this game and the others? Are they all a combination of RPG and time management?

All of them are similar but have differences between them. All of them at the core are time management RPGs but have different goals. Rorona sees you trying to save your shop from closing, Totori has you globe trotting looking for your lost mother, Meruru has you rebuilding your kingdom, Ayesha has you trying to find your lost sister and Escha and Logy working as Civil Servants. As such that each are different, how you progress the story varies in each with Rorona and Escha having set time frames and the rest being more loose and flexible.

The storylines in each game are seperate, but the games are linked together in trilogies. The Arland trilogy is Rorona, Totori and Meruru while the Twilight Trilogy is Ayesha, Escha and Logy and the soon to be released Sharli. The first games and more light hearted and perky while the world of the later titles are more shrouded in mystery. Being trilogies, it does mean that characters return and is one of the best features, seeing how characters change and develop as time moves on while saying hello to new faces.

All in all, the titles have the game core. Make items, kill things, gather stuff and make items to fulfill some purpose within a three year time limit. How all of these elements are brought together in each title however is varied just enough to not leave you not feeling like you are playing the same game, but keep the same heart. The only feature that does change significantly is the combat system as with each title it keeps getting improved on, which is a good thing.

If you have any questions about the series, feel free to ask. I didn't realize just how big an Atelier nerd I am until I finished typing. xD

Been thinking of giving these games a go if I can find the time! Taking a quick gander at the wiki page, I find it strange that they ported Totori and Meruru first, despite Rorona being the first one in that trilogy. Oh well, seems they're bringing each release over to Vita so if I like them I'll be able to get all the best versions in the palm of my hand!

Nicola, do you know if anything is taken out in the Vita ports compared to the PS3 versions (in terms of say animations, voiceover etc), or are they identical?

Nothing is taking out of the title, but is in fact added. There are normally outfits to collect, DLC characters are available for free and Meruru even has an extra ending. Our review of Ayesha will be up shortly and will highlight some additions you can expect.

As for Rorona being the last, it was because it was the most graphically outdated. Totori on-wards uses the same same system so for the plus version, Rorona had to be completely revamped to bring it up to the quality of the other titles. This is also why Atlier Rorona Plus was re-released on the PS3 too.

Thanks @NicolaHayden for your answer, I can read the way you like these games through it. Always nice to find fellow enthusiasts! The funny thing is that years ago I tried a bit of Atelier Annie in the DS and not liking it at all. But that was shortly after I'd started playing videogames at all, and most of my experience then was in Animal Crossing and Pokemon. I guess gaming tastes change over the years too.

I find Rorona to have a visual style that reminds me of Rune Factory, and I like it that they have a lot of spoken text, as opposed to only written text lines. The game does require reading up on things, at least for me. The tutorial does a nice job, but some things still elude me. But I don't mind that at all, I love delving into a lot of background and additional tips when playing a game.

I can see that I have a lot of good games ahead of me!

Ah ok so it was a case of a complete overhaul for Rorona, compared to a bit of sprucing up for the others, that makes sense. Thanks for the info

I am a big JRPG fan but have stayed away from the Atelier series because I understand these are games in which item crafting is the main mechanic.... (actually, my understanding is that the Atelier series is the one that made item crafting a thing in JRPGs) I don't enjoy item crafting don't have the patience for it,..

Yeah that's my only reservation about them really, but I find it can be good when done right, so if that's the main basis of the game and they've achieved a good level of popularity, I can only assume that they get it right! Either way I'll definitely give at least the first one a go

I couldn't resist writing about my experiences with the game:
Better late then never: Atelier Rorona Plus, Alchemist of Arland http://wp.me/p43dCw-tw