The story is admittedly not the strongest aspect of Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland, if only because of the rather hit-or-miss writing present here. Though many tired anime tropes are trodden here, the characters are likeable and have enough charisma khổng lồ keep you invested in the various plights và predicaments they find themselves in. The plot certainly thickens as the chapters wear on, but certain sub-plots and character relationships feel rather tacked on or unearned, & this makes the narrative feel a bit too cheap in some places, almost as though the writers ran out of ideas.
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Still, one doesn’t necessarily come into an Atelier trò chơi for its thought-provoking và in-depth story, và there’s something oddly refreshing about an RPG that doesn’t take itself very seriously & is simply concerned with standing firm in its quality identity. Make no mistake, this is ultimately a ‘girly’ story about young girls in pink dresses running around và fighting woodland creatures while they pick flowers and snag beehives lớn mix together in the cauldron. Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland understands this, and rather than try khổng lồ play to lớn audiences that likely aren’t interested to begin with, it instead focuses on creating goofy or entertaining mini-arcs that play host to plenty of sufficiently hammy performances from the voice actors (all Japanese by the way, no dub here).
The chip core of the gameplay progression is ultimately centred around the Alchemyriddle, with each page containing a series of objectives that, once fulfilled, will reward you with a new recipe to further your alchemic exploits. Sometimes these pages have to lớn be cleared khổng lồ push the story further ahead, but most of the time you’re simply after it lớn get much better gear to make your journey that much easier. The objectives you have khổng lồ fulfil can range from visiting new locations lớn speaking with certain NPCs lớn using a specific cống phẩm enough times, & though none of the tasks here move very far beyond standard JRPG questing tropes, they nonetheless create a rewarding feedback loop that has you always pursuing multiple objectives. Often, you can’t complete a page all at once, so you’ll have several half-finished pages at any given point while you keep your eyes open for something that might fit the cryptic hints each objective gives you. The Alchemyriddle is an interesting concept for sure, as the engine that keeps the game moving at a brisk pace, but the real draw of the gameplay lies in the famed crafting system.
All your exploits throughout Arland are ultimately in service of you getting a wider variety of better things with which you can set together back in the Atelier, & the crafting system at the heart of this is significantly more in-depth than equivalent systems in most other games. See, each recipe calls for a certain number of objects from various ‘classes’ – such as vegetables or threads – and each of these classes has a huge number of items that can potentially be used. Each type of these items has differing elemental qualities, such as a “snow stone” contributing ice or a “phlogiston” contributing fire, và the amount of an element in the final sản phẩm will have an effect on the kind of abilities it can express. Things are made even more granular when you then consider that multiple copies of the same type of thành phầm will have unique chất lượng stats và transferrable traits, such as a percentage buff to lớn healing or the ability to lớn inflict a status effect on an enemy, & that after mixing all these things the recipe needs together, you can then use ‘Boost’ items to showroom additional modifiers lớn the final product.
To say that synthesis can be overwhelming is a bit of an understatement given how you can effectively control every tiny stat point and trait of each tác phẩm you craft, but what’s nice about the system is how it doesn’t force you khổng lồ min-max everything you make. You can just pick anything that works, slap the chiến thắng together, và be on your merry way; you won’t have lớn really focus on getting it just right & maximizing potential until way later in the game when fighting against some brutal bosses.
But, for those of you that love khổng lồ get lost in kitting out a buổi tiệc ngọt in the very best of the best gear, there’s seemingly no ceiling to lớn how far you can push those numbers. It’s all a matter of finding the absolute perfect balance between the items available lớn you for mixture, & once you’ve unlocked the deeper aspects of crafting and built up quite a reserve of items, it can be easy to lớn spend quite a bit of time fooling around with different recipes lớn see what you can concoct. The crafting is brilliant, to lớn say the least, and the small chất lượng of life features lượt thích robust sort và filter features to cut down on the tedium go a long way towards making this a legitimately enjoyable part of the game.
Naturally, you’re going khổng lồ have to go out at some point lớn get stuff to craft with, & this is where the more traditional adventuring portion of the trò chơi comes in, as your buổi tiệc ngọt traipses its way through all sorts of gorgeous locales in an endless tìm kiếm for more items. The world map is divided up into an interconnected series of isolated areas, each containing their own enemy and item types, & more areas are gradually unlocked as you keep the story moving forward. Each area is smartly laid out, and though there isn’t much in the way of puzzle-solving khổng lồ be found here, there are several ‘pick up points’ that require some extra gear, such as needing a fishing rod to catch marine life or a bug net lớn catch insects. One minor nitpick here is that it’s a bit annoying to have khổng lồ press the ‘A’ button and watch the animation as Lulua grabs the object every single time you want to lớn pick something up, especially given how often you have to vì it, but you vì learn to ignore it as the hours roll by.
When you happen to encounter one of the many enemies in the field, things then shift to a battle screen in which a turn-based system takes centre stage. At the đứng top of the screen, a timeline lists out exactly when each character will get lớn take a turn, và depending on the kích hoạt performed during their turn, a character will be placed closer or farther on the queue for their next turn. One notable way in which you can change things up, however, is through the “Interrupt” system, which allows Alchemist characters in the các buổi tiệc nhỏ to act outside of their turn và use a pre-equipped item. It takes a couple turns to passively charge an Interrupt for a character, but these can allow you to vì things lượt thích toss out a bomb to kill an enemy before they act or heal up a character who’s about lớn take a beating from oncoming blow, and judiciously using them can enormously turn the tide of a battle.
At any given point, you can only have three characters actively taking part in battle, but you can also have two characters behind them in the backline offering tư vấn abilities. Backline characters don’t get a turn, but every tiệc nhỏ character has a passive skill which will be triggered under certain conditions when they’re in the back. Who you pick for the backline và who you position them behind will have a significant effect on the outcome of a turn, & you can swap any of the five members between the front và backline on their turn. This backline system proves khổng lồ be an elegant way to lớn ensure that you keep a solid rotation of các buổi tiệc nhỏ members going – rather than simply focusing on just a few for the whole game – and the strategic options that it offers, when coupled with the Interrupt system, keep the turn-based battles from becoming too stilted and boring. Combat hasn’t always been a strong suit in the Atelier series, but as far as Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland is concerned, you probably won’t be disappointed with what’s on offer here.
From a visual perspective, Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland proves to lớn be a delight, employing a sweet and cutesy anime art style that perfectly fits the tone of the narrative and gameplay. There are hardly any dark colours lớn be seen here, everything is gleaming and bright, with the hues taking on a certain watercolour-like look that calls to lớn mind the stellar CANVAS art style employed in the Valkyria Chronicles series. Environments are pleasingly diverse, whether you find yourself in the mysterious advanced ruins of an ancient civilization, the blackened và hot interior of a volcano, or the golden fields of wheat beside a humble farmhouse, và a rolling day/night cycle does an impressive job of drawing some quality views out of these places. Also worth mentioning is that the technical performance remains excellent whether you’re playing on the go or on the dock, with solid framerates và crisp resolutions making up most of your experience. Matching the wonderful visuals is a soundtrack that in some ways calls to mind the charm of the Kirby series, as multiple tracks of sweet and relaxing tunes wash over your ears. It’s not a very catchy soundtrack, but this is still one that you may want khổng lồ use the headphones for in tabletop mode.
Conclusion
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland proves lớn be a great entry in Gust’s long-running series, and much lượt thích the many concoctions made by Lulua, this is a refined final hàng hóa that reflects several of the best traits of the predecessors that came before. If you can get past the ho-hum storytelling and learn khổng lồ master the intimidating crafting system, you’ll find that Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland has plenty khổng lồ offer in its surprisingly involved combat system, gorgeous locales, and rewarding gameplay loops. We would give this game a strong recommendation khổng lồ both longtime fans of the series và to those looking to see what it’s all about; Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland is one of the best entries in the franchise & it’s a wonderful RPG that’s certainly worth your time.
Great 8/10
Scoring PolicyReview copy provided by Koei Tecmo
Mitch has been a tín đồ of Nintendo ever since he got his start on the GBA in 2005. When he"s not busy playing games or writing, you can find him down at his local MMA training facility learning how khổng lồ punish the unrighteous.
Sun 26th May 2019
Looks gorgeous, although it"s a little pricey at the moment. Joins a huge waiting danh sách of RPGs on the Switch that is becoming seriously hard khổng lồ keep up with...best problem ever!
Sun 26th May 2019
I really ought to try one of these games one day. It"s this massive, storied franchise, và I barely know anything about it.
Sun 26th May 2019
Finally this trang web gives a higher score than 6 to atelier series on Switch. Well done
Sun 26th May 2019
There are times when I can take one look at a game và know it"s definitely not for me. This is one of those times.
Sun 26th May 2019
Girl with Dress or Girl with huge Boobs... So original.Am I the only one that wants diverse teams in cool & stylish armor?
Sun 26th May 2019
I would like to get this as RPG"s are my favorite genre. But i hate crafting the only trò chơi i"ve every used crafting in is Zelda: BOTW
Sun 26th May 2019
This iP went down hill a bit when still on VITA. But still fun to play on the GO at times... They were just rushing them out.
Will pick up whatever version hits $19.99 by đen Friday (Or always a Steam Sale).
Sun 26th May 2019
I"ve always wanted lớn play these games but dont know where khổng lồ start. Would starting here be a bad idea?
NESlover85 I"ve never played any of these before & I had a fine time with it. There are characters from the previous games that show up & I"m sure fans get more out of those interactions, but l think this is as good as any a place to lớn jump in và see what it"s about. From what I"ve been able lớn gather, the thiết kế decisions they made here (i.e. Removing the time limits) have taken a lot of the best parts of previous games và merged them together into one cohesive whole.
Sun 26th May 2019
I probably might not lượt thích this because RPGs are not my thing, I do like the girls though.
Ralizah This was my exact reaction lớn the Legends of Heroes series. If you"re unfamiliar with it and love JRPGs, I can"t recommend it enough.
Sun 26th May 2019
At a superficial level, I can"t say I have any interest in this series. As others have pointed out, it looks generic and is awash in anime tropes. It"s always nice lớn see more JRPGs come khổng lồ the platform, but this is one I"ll definitely be skipping.
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JayJ I respect it. But despite the look, these games are actually pretty deep in story & the RPG mechanics. I played a different game in the series, thinking I wouldn"t lượt thích it. But here I am, now I have 5 Atelier games on switch.
Custom1991 Haha, respect. However, the game is also kinda lượt thích a visual novel, and has crafting mechanics in the game.
Sun 26th May 2019
Looks great on Switch. Not as sharp as the PS4 version, but damn near. It’s definitely a much much better looking and performing trò chơi than Atelier Lydie và Suelle on Switch.
SwitchVogel Thank you for the reply. Glad khổng lồ hear time limits are removed. I vì love niche japanese titles.
Sun 26th May 2019
I had this since launch, but haven"t been able lớn get far yet. Good khổng lồ see that Nintendo Life warmed me up lớn my purchase.
Then again, I enjoyed Lydie & Suelle (That trò chơi doesn"t deserve a 6/10, Nintendo Life. Super Mario tiệc nhỏ does), so what"s gonna stop me from enjoying Lulua?
Sun 26th May 2019
I didn"t get on too well with Lydie & Suelle (I got the basic ending, but was overall very "meh" on the whole thing), but I"m glad the Switch is still getting these for the people that like them.
I"m in the middle of FFXHD on Switch và Tales of Zestria on PS4, so no need for a new JRPG for me at the moment anyways.
Sun 26th May 2019
I"ve played through the first three Atelier Arland games in the last few months và really enjoyed them all so I can"t wait khổng lồ get stuck into this one when my copy arrives later this week.
Anri02 I started with Atelier Rorona và would recommend doing the same. All of the Arland series games are on the Switch và the best way to lớn experience them is to lớn play them in order. Ronona then Totori then Meruru then Lulua.
BenAV Thanks. I’ll kiểm tra them out sometime. Unfortunately Persona q2 is a week away, so that’ll be my JRPG for a while.
Sun 26th May 2019
AtelierZac I see.
Sun 26th May 2019
jtmnm I played Trails in the Sky FC after seeing people talking it up for years and wasn"t hugely impressed. The music, battle system, characterization, etc. Were all merely adequate, & I hated the incest-bait romance. Worst of all, it was slooooooooooooooooooow.
The chất lượng dialogue for the treasure chests was cute, though, I"ll admit.
I"ll probably play SC one day, if only khổng lồ see how it resolves the cliffhanger ending.
Mon 27th May 2019
Added to lớn the backlog. And what"s weird? I live in nhật bản and it is still cheaper khổng lồ import the American version. Not that I am complaining. Lol
Mon 27th May 2019
I tried Lydie & Suelle last year and after 10 hours or so put it down và never went back. Decided the series wasn"t for me but now I find myself curious about this one. Maybe I"ll give this one a go when it"s $20
Mon 27th May 2019
BenAV Are they physical releases or digital only?
Mon 27th May 2019
NESlover85 Unfortunately the first three are digital only outside of japan and the Japanese versions don"t have English. They"re also pretty pricy & take up a fair bit of space so a bit of a hard sell. I was reluctant to download them despite really wanting to lớn play them but eventually gave in when they went on special. Glad I did in the over as they"re some of my favourite JRPGs on the system.
Heavyarms55 Lol, this must be a one-in-a-million What about getting it from other asian countries? đài loan trung quốc with taobao.com has a huge selection of resellers.
mazzel Not sure, I just imported the American version. I rarely, if ever bother to check anything other than nhật bản and America. Since I live in japan but am from America.
Heavyarms55 Just an idea I live almost 5 years in trung quốc and never bothered khổng lồ import anything from Germany, taobao was thr place khổng lồ be
BenAV The file kích thước and price are disheartening. I may pick up the trilogy on PS3, as it is quite cheap.
NESlover85 That"s fair. The steep price on the Switch is the only thing stopping it from being an easy recommendation, as the games are great. Bit of a shame.
Mon 27th May 2019
Grabbed the collector edition, as I have all the Atelier CE on Switch so far. Now I just feel compelled lớn get them so I’m not missing one.
Ralizah I don’t know much about this series either, despite buying the last three titles on Switch
