The Atelier Series

[Royal]

eschatology contains JAP dub option. YES!

[Ramza]

eschatology contains JAP dub option. YES!

Oh my gosh.

Only now did I realize that Japanese Escha and Logy, "Escha to Logy" = eschatology (study of the end of time).

That's baller.

[Starmongoose]

...oh.


Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[Dice]

Surprisingly clever Japanese naming convention...

Code: [Select]

For once
...
...
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YEAH I SAID IT.
....

[Cyril]

Well, here have another naming convention you might have missed.  It's not as clever as Escha to Logy though.

Ayesha: Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk or Alchemist of Dusk Ground.  The Ground was removed in localization, but remember the focus on Earth and flowers.
Escha and Logy: Alchemists of Dusk Sky, a focus on flying and airships.
Sharri: Alchemists of Dusk Sea.

[Starmongoose]

That one I clicked on when we were all talking about Sharri being all Sea-like. I was gonna comment about it but then got too tired halfway through.

[Klutz64]

^ Going a little off topic but that's why I always wished when they did Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver they remade the third as well. Because going by that naming convention, the third would have been Pokemon MindCrystal

[Dincrest]

I haven't played a lot of Atelier games, but I have a mixed relationship with the series.  I loved Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana.  Veola, the magic shop clerk, has one of my favorite JRPG character stories.  Killer soundtrack too.  I still play the Deceitful Wings guitar arranged album during my commute.  

The only others I've played are Atelier Annie (which I reviewed positively for the site), Mana Khemia (which I simply could not get into), and the first Ar Tonelico (excellent music, but I couldn't get into that game either.)

It is a series I'd like to return to someday.  Though, like my homegirl Dice, I prefer something more in line with Iris than Annie.  

And as an aside, Marie is one of the best looking JRPG heroines http://www.game-ost.com/static/covers_soundtracks/1/5/15537_840252.jpg

[raisel]

I haven't played a lot of Atelier games, but I have a mixed relationship with the series.  I loved Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana.  Veola, the magic shop clerk, has one of my favorite JRPG character stories.  Killer soundtrack too.  I still play the Deceitful Wings guitar arranged album during my commute.  

The only others I've played are Atelier Annie (which I reviewed positively for the site), Mana Khemia (which I simply could not get into), and the first Ar Tonelico (excellent music, but I couldn't get into that game either.)

Though Ar tonelico isn't part of the Atelier series.

[Dincrest]

Okay, so it's a cousin series in the Gust family tree.

[Cyril]

On the subject of Marie's design, I still think Kohime Ohse is one of my favorite overall designers in the series.  I love Hidari's bright and colorful work in Dusk, too, but there's just something about Kohime's art - I think it's the coloring - that feels very airy.  It suits the series well.

[raisel]

Though I personally think that each one of the character designers fit very well the sub-series in which they worked. Still, it was a bit strange that they changed the character art styles (at least the in-game coloring) midway through in the Iris sub-series.

[Klyde Chroma]

I haven't played a lot of Atelier games, but I have a mixed relationship with the series.  I loved Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana.  Veola, the magic shop clerk, has one of my favorite JRPG character stories.  Killer soundtrack too.  I still play the Deceitful Wings guitar arranged album during my commute.  

The only others I've played are Atelier Annie (which I reviewed positively for the site), Mana Khemia (which I simply could not get into), and the first Ar Tonelico (excellent music, but I couldn't get into that game either.)

It is a series I'd like to return to someday.  Though, like my homegirl Dice, I prefer something more in line with Iris than Annie.  

And as an aside, Marie is one of the best looking JRPG heroines http://www.game-ost.com/static/covers_soundtracks/1/5/15537_840252.jpg

Mixed feelings about this franchise sums it up nicely for me as well. I too am on the "Iris" side of the coin.

Thing is, the Atelier series in very peculiar for me in a certain sense. That is, when I think about what the more traditional Atelier games concern themselves with and reflect on the mechanics they don't entice me. However, once I am actually playing them I couldn't be more engrossed. Even Rorona (which I couldn't stand for a lot of reasons) had a certain "hold" on me that kept me playing to the end and even caring a great deal about what ending I got.

This is usually the complete opposite for me... Typically I find myself being enticed with idea of a game, only to be let down with the actual experience.

One thing is for certain though, when it comes to art and soundtracks the whole Atelier universe and spin-offs are a cut above in my book. I really wish Gust would apply such talents to more Epic/Traditional games as an aside to the Atelier stuff to be honest.

And for the record, I do certainly feel that if Ar Tonelico were dubbed "Atelier Tonelico" no one would have questioned it.

Lastly (since you brought up shop keepers), I want to throw out a little "Pamela" love. Not only a fav shop-keeper, but a spectre to boot!

[Kevadu]

And for the record, I do certainly feel that if Ar Tonelico were dubbed "Atelier Tonelico" no one would have questioned it.

I would.

They're very different games as far as I'm concerned.

[Dice]

And for the record, I do certainly feel that if Ar Tonelico were dubbed "Atelier Tonelico" no one would have questioned it.

I would.

They're very different games as far as I'm concerned.

I "feel" the similarities*, but they're definitely two *too* different games. 

*I dunno; both are basically an anime series with lots of customization and big fancy music...and lack a lot of polish.