Atelier (series)

The Atelier series (アトリエシリーズ) is a series of role-playing video games developed by the Gust Corporation since 1997, primarily for the PlayStation consoles (original, PS2, PS3, and PS4), though portable versions for the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita and WonderSwan Color have also been made. Two of the games in the series were ported to the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast. The series has been primarily released in Japan, though recent titles have been localized for other markets. The game series, based on the definition of "atelier" as an artist's workshop, draws heavily on the pseudo-science of alchemy, requiring the player to find and collect items and combine them in recipes to create better items with which to progress further in the game. A manga adaptation by Yoshihiko Ochi has also been published.

Common elements

Alchemy is the distinguishing theme of the Atelier series.^[1] Players control the game's character, roaming the game world to collect objects to use in alchemy recipes to create new objects, including cooking ingredients, recovery items, tools, weapons, armor, and accessories.^[1][2] Synthesized objects are commonly required in order to create more powerful or potent objects through alchemy. Many of the games feature a method of transferring properties of one item from the recipe to the synthesized item.^[3][4] Recipes also often allow the substitution of items, which can either lend better properties to the final synthesized item, or can lead to the character thinking of a completely new recipe.^[5][6] The games generally feature a turn-based combat system,^[2] in which the items made through alchemy come into play, either to boost the character's abilities, or for offensive, defensive, or support items.

The games' stories are typically light-hearted and humorous, often deriving conflict from a source other than an antagonist and the player ends up with a large group of characters to explore the world with.^[7][8] In most games of the series, the player has a limited in-game time to accomplish one or more main objectives and actions like gathering items, traveling or synthesizing spend a portion of that time.^[9] Failure to accomplish the game's main tasks in time may cause the game to end abruptly or lead to a bad end.^[9] The first entry in the "Mysterious" Atelier series Atelier Sophie does away with the time limit system, but the second entry Atelier Firis has a time limit for completing the game's first story objective, after which players can play at their leisure.^[10]

Games

There have been eighteen main games in the Atelier series which are subdivided into seven sub-series. There are three games in the Salburg series, two games in Gramnad series, three games in the Iris series, two games in the Mana-Khemia series, three games in the Arland series, three games in the Dusk series and two games in the Mysterious series.^[11]

Side games

In addition to the main games, several side games have been released.

Remakes and ports

Several of the series' titles were remade or ported, mostly for portable devices.

Other

• Marie from Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg, and Liliane Vehlendorf, Rozeluxe Meitzen, Whim and Rewrich Wallach from Mana Khemia 2 joins many other out of game characters in 2008's Cross Edge.^[98][99]
• Viorate from Atelier Viorate: The Alchemist of Gramnad 2 appears in the 2009 company-collaboration RPG, Trinity Universe released in the United States by NIS America.^[100]
• Company-collaborative 2010 RPG Hyperdimension Neptunia's in-game character Gust displays Atelier characters in numerous special attacks in the game.^[101] Gust also has a costume that directly resembles a costume from Atelier. She also has a hobby of making items out of strange ingredients, a play on the Atelier series' focus on alchemy.
• As of January 2015, Koei Tecmo's My Gamecity Card Collection browser collectible card game features more than 170 Atelier themed cards.^[102]
• Astrid Zexis, Rorolina Frixell, Cordelia von Feuerbach, Lionela Heinze and Pamela Ibis, from Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland appeared in 2013's Kaku-san-sei Million Arthur.^[103]
• Sterkenburg Cranach from Atelier Arland series, appeared in Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate, sporting his Meruru appearance and his Rorona appearance as DLC costume.^[104]
• 2013's Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends has a Rorolina Frixelle-themed (from Atelier Rorona) costume for playable character Wang Yuanji.^[105]
• 2014's Deception IV: Blood Ties has a costume based on Totooria Helmold, from Atelier Totori.^[106]
• Chain Chronicle's October 2015 update added Rorolina Frixell and Cordelia von Feuerbach from Atelier Rorona, Merurulince Rede Arls, Keina Swaya and Sterkenburg Cranach from Atelier Meruru, and Totooria Helmold and Mimi Houllier von Schwarzlang from Atelier Totori, as playable characters.^[107]

Anime and manga adaptations

Atelier Marie and Elie - The Alchemist of Salburg (マリーとエリーのアトリエ ザールブルグの錬金術士) by Yoshihiko Ochi is a five volume manga adaptation first published in Japan by Enterbrain,^[108][109] published in German by Egmont,^[110][111] published in French by Ki-oon,^[112][113] and four of the volumes were published in English by Tokyopop.^[114][115] The series was later re-edited and re-released in two tankōbon volumes on July 25, 2007.^[116] The manga later received a sequel titled Marie to Elie Atelier: Salburg no Renkinjutsushi Second Season (マリーとエリーのアトリエ ザールブルグの錬金術士 Second Season), as of September 2015 Enterbrain released seven tankōbon volumes.^[117] In 2005 Enterbrain also released a one-shot manga titled Viorate no Atelier: Kiteretsu Muraokoshi (ヴィオラートのアトリエ きてれつ村おこし).^[118]

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky was adapted into a manga series by Chako Abeno.^[119] It features some arrangements to the story in order to let supporting characters play a bigger role.^[120] As of January 2015 two tankōbon volumes was released.^[119] It has also been adapted into a 12-episode television anime series, produced by Studio Gokumi and directed by Yoshiaki Iwasaki, aired on Tokyo MX between April 10, 2014 and 26 June 2014.^[121]

See also

• Quintet (company)
• List of Japanese role-playing game franchises
• Chronos Materia

References

External links

• Arland Portal (Japanese)
• Atelier Marie and Elie - Zarlburge Alchemist (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia