If you follow Japanese gaming news closely, you're probably well-aware that Gust has announced their third RPG for the PlayStation 3, a direct sequel to last year's Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland, which will be called Atelier Totori: Alchemist of Arland 2.
Taking place approximately 8 years after the events of Atelier Rorona, the story follows the young and shy alchemist Totooria "Totori" Helmold, who leaves her small fishing village in search of her adventurer mother who disappeared several years prior.
The game is in development for PlayStation 3, and appears to be running on the same engine that Ar Tonelico 3 and Atelier Rorona were developed on, and is planned for release in Japan early this summer.
As usual, the Atelier series remains one of the most charming obscure RPGs on the market, but since NIS will likely publish it over here, you might want to consider importing if you'd like to play it any time within the near future.
Atelier Totori: Arland no Renkinjutsushi 2 will be available for PlayStation 3 on June 24, 2010 in Japan.
If further proof was needed that the PlayStation 3 has taken the curious position of 'niche RPG console' of this generation, look no further than small Japanese developer Compile Heart's latest RPG offering, titled Neptune.
Though still little is known about the game, it appears to be sort of a 'meta-game' (i.e. a game about games), taking place in a world known as the 'Geimu-Gyoukai' (the Japanese word for the video games industry) which is split between the four worlds of Platetume, Rinbox, Lasdition, and Ruwii, each ruled by its own goddess, Purple Heart, Green Heart, Black Heart, and White Heart, respectively. (Certainly by looking at each, you should be able to figure out what they represent, though I'm still not sure what the purple one is supposed to be).
The game is reportedly Compile Heart's first fully 3D title, will be co-developed with Nippon Ichi, Gust, and Idea Factory, and will be published by Sega for the PlayStation 3, though no release date has been mentioned yet.
Well, it definitely sounds... unique. Oh, and the 360-tan they have made for Green Heart is hot.
Ar Tonelico III was announced last week for the PS3, and now, with the launch of the game's official site, a new trailer with (a very small amount of) gameplay has emerged.
Check it out below!
The music and art style remains quite cool, and the graphics seem like they have stepped up even since Atelier Rorona. However, my stark lack of a lolita complex prevents me from really getting hot and bothered about this title. Also, Ar Tonelico II was not much fun, so if this wants to impress me, I hope it takes more cues from the original rather than the sequel.
Either way, we'll know soon enough as Ar Tonelico III: Sekai Shuuen no Intetsu wa Shoujo no Uta ga Hiku will be available for PlayStation 3 in Japan on January 28, 2009.
Ar Tonelico III is coming to PlayStation 3. It marks Gust's second PS3 title, and Namco Bandai's first RPG to start on PS3 instead of 360.
The game was revealed via the latest issue of Famitsu, but Namdai has followed up with a debut teaser today, which you can watch below. (Just don't anticipate much.)
Underwhelmed? Don't say I didn't warn you. At least the music sounds like it will once again be awesome.
If you are needing a better fix of the game, you can check out Famitsu.com's article on it, which features a few in-game screens. Beyond that, you'll have to wait for the game's official site to go live, which the teaser promises will happen on Monday (October 19).
I just hope it's better than Ar Tonelico II, which was far from a worthy successor in my books.
Ar Tonelico III: Sekai Shuuen no Intetsu wa Shoujo no Uta ga Hiku will be available for PlayStation 3 on January 28, 2010.
The economy may be down, but Gust is keeping themselves busy as ever. The little RPG developer has come forward with news that they will again be teaming up with Namco Bandai to create the third entry into the dating sim-meets-JRPG series, Ar Tonelico.
Ar Tonelico III brings the Reyvateils and the end of the world stuff into the 3D realm on the PlayStation 3, running on what looks like the same engine as Atelier Rorona (Gust's entry into true 3D graphics).
The scan that has sufaced is too taxing to read all the way through, so I'll hold off on a full translation until something clearer shows up. However, I can tell you that the hero's name is Aoto. Surely he will end up involved in some world-threatening plot that somehow involves Reyvateils, but this remains speculation until I read everything fully. ;)
As usual, the hero will be accompanied by two main Reyvateil heroines. This time around the Asian-looking heroine is Finnel, while the blonde is named Saki (sort of opposite naming conventions, apparently). Though not yet confirmed, it is likely that neither of these girls is of legal age.
One interesting difference in this title (picked up from skimming a few sections), is that it seems that the girls may have multiple personalities, which actually change their appearance.
The game is currently announced for PlayStation 3, but given Namco Bandai's frustrating tendancy to re-release their RPGs on the other console with new content, a 360 port is not unthinkable.
Ar Tonelico III will be available on PlayStation 3 on January 28, 2010 in Japan.
RPGamer.com is just wrapping up their annual Run to the Sun event, where they make rounds to most (if not all) of the North American RPG publishers in California. During their visit to NIS America, they reported that while the company could not confirm an official connection with the title, NISA had an import copy of Atelier Rorona: Arland no Renkinjutsushi to demo.
Atelier Rorona is the first of the Atelier series to make the jump to 7th generation consoles, and the first Gust title to use full 3D graphics. It was released in Japan last month on June 25, 2009.
This is not an official confirmation, but it seems highly suspicious for a publisher to demo a game that they have no connection with. However, given NIS's typical localization speed, I wouldn't hold my breath for a 2009 release if I were you.
NIS America, the North American arm of Nippon Ichi, has announced this week that they will be bringing Gust's 2nd DS Atelier title, Atelier Annie to North America this October as Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island.
From my personal time with the Japanese version of Atelier Annie, I can definitely say that it's an improvement over Atelier Lise, the studio's first DS title. However, it felt (to me) rather heavy on dialogue and short on meaningful gameplay. For Gust fans, however, this should be nothing but a good announcement.
Additionally, NIS also announced that they will be shortly adding Trophy support to their PS3 SRPG, Disgaea 3. So I guess if you like Trophies, you can, uh, play it again?
They have also confirmed Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love for release this Fall on PlayStation 2, and have announced a limited edition boxset that will include discs for both English and Japanese language tracks.
I guess I just noticed this, but NIS really likes to announce several games at once, don't they?
In an article from Dengeki PlayStation last week, it was confirmed that Gust's upcoming PS3 RPG, Atelier Rorona: Arland no Renkinjutsushi, will indeed be making the transition to full 3D.
The character models will utilized a cell-shaded look in order to retain a 2D feel, but the game will be made using a full 3D engine.
While I think the character models are quite attractive, the environments look a little bland to me, though its hard to really judge either from screens alone. Hopefully we'll get to see the actual game in motion sooner than later.
Other details including a first look at some of the characters, a quick rundown on the battle system, and a sneak peak at the game's story are also included.
You can take a look at the scans below, or give the game's first teaser a watch (though it doesn't really show anything).
Atelier Rorona: Arland no Renkinjutsushi will be available for PlayStation 3 on June 25, 2009 in Japan.You can check out the game's official site here.
Scans are available for translation requests in the comments.
The blurry photo you are seeing above is actually a mini-article on the recently announced Atelier Rorona for PlayStation 3. Rorona is the 11th official entry into Gust's Atelier series, and the first title to officially make the jump to 7th generation hardware.
If you recall last time we talked about this, there was some worry over whether the game will actually take advantage of the PS3's hardware, or if it would just be another Disgaea 3 underachievement fest all over again.
Well, unfortunately, the above scan is too blurry to properly read or see what's going on in the provided screenshots.
However, the one-paragraph article does mention that the fields, at least, will be 3D, and that the game will be "fully-voiced."
Gust has been messing with basic 3D fields since the original Ar Tonelico, so that news is not particularly shocking, and I'm not 100% sure what "fully-voiced" means, as other "fully-voiced" games actually weren't.
One thing we can definitely confirm from this blurry shot, however, is that your characters will interact via hand-drawn talking portraits. So if you were worried that was disappearing, you can now rest easier.
It also confirms the heroine's full name, which is Rororina Friksen. Which is pretty great, I would imagine.
Oh, and the game also will be released on PlayStation 3 in Japan on June 25, 2009. So there's that too.
Well, "teases" is maybe a better word than "announces."
With Atelier Annie coming to DS tomorrow in Japan, I guess Gust felt like it was time to show what the company is doing next. That "what" being Rorona no Atelier: Arland no Renkinjutsushi (Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland) for PlayStation 3.
The scan in question (viewable below) shows off some character artwork (I would imagine that the girl with the funny hat on the second page of the first scan is the Rorona in question) along with the phrase "I'm tired of saving the world."
It might also be worth mentioning that the first page says "blu ray" under PS3, meaning this isn't being made as a downloadable title for PSN.
The pages further hint to check out the next DPS (Dengeki PlayStation) for further information.
Beyond that, we really have no information. Will the game retain the 2D graphics Gust is known for, or will it finally take the plunge into 3D? Will the game revert back to the older Atelier games which are more focused on item creation than story?
Personally, I'm a little surprised to see Gust go with PlayStation 3. Though the Atelier games started on the original PlayStation, their seeming hesitance to move away from 2D makes the Wii seem like a choice better suited to their tastes, especially since they have already made 2 DS Atelier titles.
(And frankly, I'm not sure how I feel about Gust pulling something like NIS did with Disgaea 3 - i.e. putting a PS2 game on PS3 just to say that they are "with the times.")
As you may recall, Gust's latest entry into their alchemy-RPG series, Annie no Atelier: Sera Shima no Renkinjutsushi, was supposed to be out in January, then delayed until sometime in March. Gust feared that the miniature figures included with the premium boxset posed a choking hazard to younger children, and pushed the game back in order to deal with the problem.
Though I'm not sure what they did to change the figures, the game has been officially redated for a March release in Japan, and will still be available with a premium box (including figures of Annie and Pepe) for the collector-at-heart.
The new Japanese release date has been set for March 12, 2009 on Nintendo DS.
Gust has announced that their upcoming DS entry into their alchemy RPG 'Atelier' series, Atelier Annie: Sera Shima no Renkinjutsushi, has been delayed by about a month.
Originally scheduled for a Japanese release of January 29, 2009, the game has now been pushed back to March, though no solid date has been confirmed yet.
According to the official press release, the delay is due to the company's decision to remake the figurine that was to be included in the game's limited bundle, which they feared might pose a choking hazard to young children.
We'll let you know when the game gets a firm release date.
NIS America has just released an official English trailer for the upcoming Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica, which, thanks to the modern conveniences of streaming video, is watchable below.
(As a small warning, the trailer features some mild sexual themes that the more prudish may find offensive. In other words, don't watch it while your boss is looking over your shoulder.)
Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica will be available on PlayStation 2 in North America on January 20, 2009.
Remember this banner? Well it looks like it was right on the money, and NIS America has come out and made the January 20, 2009 release date for Ar Tonelico II official.
Pre-orders from RosenQueen will net you the game's premium package which comes with a limited print box, an artbook from the character designer, Nagi, and a select soundtrack by Gust's sound team (Ken Nakagawa, Daisuke Achiwa, and Akira Tsuchiya) and Akiko Shikata.
It should also be noted that this puts AT2's release on the same day as the PSP port of Mana Khemia. Good news if you want to buy 2 games at once, but perhaps a head-scratcher if you like to spread out your purchases.
While checking out a site I regularly visit, I saw something that I don't normally see - a banner ad for Ar Tonelico II (posted above). Cool sauce.
However, what makes this ad sighting newsworthy is that it lists a date: January 20, 2009. Sound like a good date to you? Hey, at this point, if NIS is putting dates on banner ads, that's good enough for me.
Since NIS has yet to release an "official" statement regarding Ar Tonelico II's release, good journalism requires that I label this story as a rumor. But it's a pretty damn convincing rumor.
NIS America has unfortunately pushed the release of their highly anticipated Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica back to January 2009. Originally slated for mid December 2008, this is unfortunate news for those looking forward to return to the world of Ar Tonelico this Christmas.
With all of the games coming out in October/November/December, my wallet certainly doesn't mind the extension, but my order for this game was made together with Persona 4 from RosenQueen, meaning I won't get either game until January.
Guess I'm off to try and cancel P4 from RosenQueen and pick it up from Amazon...
We'll let you know when a final release has been solidified.
There's something very unique about Gust's Atelier series of RPGs. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but the old school feel, anime style designs, cheery-yet-haunting soundtracks, and surprisingly interesting stories always keep me hungry for more.
Well, they seem to have done it again. The recently announced Atelier Annie has just got its first teaser trailer that really shows off very little besides some character and location art, all displayed in terribly tiny resolution. And yet here I am, already super stoked for the game.
Give it a watch and see if you are as in love with Gust as I am.
So, Mana Khemia 2 has been out in Japan for a while, and while we all know that Gust is working on a PSP port of Mana Khemia, that certainly shouldn't be tying up all their resources.
Well, thanks to the latest issue of Famitsu, we now know what they've been up to: Atelier Annie for the Nintendo DS.
Following the young (and apparently good-for-nothing) alchemist Annie Irenberk, Atelier Annie looks like its building off of Atelier Lise's engine, feauturing heavy graphic novel elements and super SUPER deformed character sprites. The character artist from Lise is back as well (unfortunately, I don't know who it is). Unlike Atelier Lise, however, Atelier Annie will feature combat on what looks like a system similar to Enchanted Arms battle system (i.e. allows for strategic placement of characters on an SRPG-esque grid, but separated between allies and enemies).
The game is vaguely slated for release sometime in 2009 in Japan. There has been no announcement regarding North American or European release.
You can check out the Famitsu scans below (thanks Gamekyo). As usual, I will translate them if you are interested.
Yes, the game hinted at by RPGFan, and heavily rumored by RPGLand has indeed come to fruition. This announcement has been a while coming, and I know that a lot of Gust fans (myself included) have started to get worried that it wouldn't happen.
But via OPM this month, At Tonelico II has been confirmed for North American release this December, courtesy of NIS America. There is currently no press release from NIS, but we expect to see one by the end of the week.
Having loved the first Ar Tonelico to death, I'm very excited get my hands on the sequel. I don't know, there's just something I find very charming about Gust's titles, and Ar Tonelico definitely takes the good things that Gust has done with the Atelier series and applied it in a way that is both familiar and completely new at the same time.
If you follow Japanese gaming news closely, you're probably well-aware that Gust has announced their third RPG for the PlayStation 3, a direct sequel to last year's Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland, which will be called Atelier Totori: Alchemist of Arland 2.
