In attempt to get myself LJing more, I'm writing about Atelier Totori.
So, I've been neglecting LJ a bit. Mainly because I spend far more time on Twitter now. And occasionally Facebook, since a lot of my friends play the games there and need "neighbors!" I figured occasional insights on what I'm gaming should help.
Atelier Totori has been absolutely fantastic. Cute, but not super saccharine, and I love how prominent the returning Atelier Rorona characters are. I actually paid for DLC for this game, which is quite rare if you know me. I just had to have Ceci, Iksel and Cordelia for my party.
For those completely unaware of the series, Atelier Totori is a JRPG and simulation where the focus isn't on saving the world. It's on helping the lead character, in this case Totooria Helmold, become a better alchemist and adventurer. Totori's mother was a famous Arland adventurer, but disappeared when Totori is a child. Not long after, Totori's father fished Rorona, from the previous game, out of a lake and Rorona became Totori's teacher. Totori's kind of a big deal in the kingdom of Arland, since it only has 3 alchemists. (The third is Rorona's currently MIA teacher Astrid.)
The overall goal of the game is to ensure Totori acquires and remains active enough to keep her adventurer license. How she remains active is up to you. The nature of the game is you can do practically whatever you want to earn the adventuring points needed to upgrade her license. You can alchemise items, explore areas, fight monsters or perform quests submitted by citizens to the local adventurer guild. You can also fufill requests from your party members and trigger certain special events with them by spending time with them, which can influence the ending.
Which means its a pretty non-violent and relaxing experience. Well, not totally nonviolent, since there are standard turn-based RPG battles. There are also a few areas with one super-strong enemy, beating which earns you additional adventurer points.
You get five-six in-game years to accomplish Totori's goals. Fusing items, walking around the world map, participating in battles and gathering ingredients all takes up time. Eventually, Totori can fuse items that can cut down on time spent in the activities, the most helpful of which is a warp gate with unlimited uses that instantly returns her to her or Rorona's workshop.
I'd say it's honestly the best Atelier game I've played yet. Mainly, because you have so much time to do whatever you want, however you want to. It also looks beautiful, like you're playing in a hand-drawn world sometimes.
There are a few downsides though. The biggest being that is pretty much I.M.P.O.S.S.I.B.L.E to earn the best ending on the first playthrough. It's very difficult to earn money and you need quite a bit to purchase all the necessary recipe books. Also, when it comes to RPG battles they're pretty difficult after Totori reaches Arland. Since money and characters' equipped items carry over to future playthroughs, it's best to spend your first playthrough earning as much money as possible and fusing the best weapons and armor possible for Rorona, Gino, Melvia and Sterk. You can fuse items for the other characters as well, but Totori always has to be in the party and Gino, Melvia and Sterk are the strongest secondary characters.
Atelier Totori has been absolutely fantastic. Cute, but not super saccharine, and I love how prominent the returning Atelier Rorona characters are. I actually paid for DLC for this game, which is quite rare if you know me. I just had to have Ceci, Iksel and Cordelia for my party.
For those completely unaware of the series, Atelier Totori is a JRPG and simulation where the focus isn't on saving the world. It's on helping the lead character, in this case Totooria Helmold, become a better alchemist and adventurer. Totori's mother was a famous Arland adventurer, but disappeared when Totori is a child. Not long after, Totori's father fished Rorona, from the previous game, out of a lake and Rorona became Totori's teacher. Totori's kind of a big deal in the kingdom of Arland, since it only has 3 alchemists. (The third is Rorona's currently MIA teacher Astrid.)
The overall goal of the game is to ensure Totori acquires and remains active enough to keep her adventurer license. How she remains active is up to you. The nature of the game is you can do practically whatever you want to earn the adventuring points needed to upgrade her license. You can alchemise items, explore areas, fight monsters or perform quests submitted by citizens to the local adventurer guild. You can also fufill requests from your party members and trigger certain special events with them by spending time with them, which can influence the ending.
Which means its a pretty non-violent and relaxing experience. Well, not totally nonviolent, since there are standard turn-based RPG battles. There are also a few areas with one super-strong enemy, beating which earns you additional adventurer points.
You get five-six in-game years to accomplish Totori's goals. Fusing items, walking around the world map, participating in battles and gathering ingredients all takes up time. Eventually, Totori can fuse items that can cut down on time spent in the activities, the most helpful of which is a warp gate with unlimited uses that instantly returns her to her or Rorona's workshop.
I'd say it's honestly the best Atelier game I've played yet. Mainly, because you have so much time to do whatever you want, however you want to. It also looks beautiful, like you're playing in a hand-drawn world sometimes.
There are a few downsides though. The biggest being that is pretty much I.M.P.O.S.S.I.B.L.E to earn the best ending on the first playthrough. It's very difficult to earn money and you need quite a bit to purchase all the necessary recipe books. Also, when it comes to RPG battles they're pretty difficult after Totori reaches Arland. Since money and characters' equipped items carry over to future playthroughs, it's best to spend your first playthrough earning as much money as possible and fusing the best weapons and armor possible for Rorona, Gino, Melvia and Sterk. You can fuse items for the other characters as well, but Totori always has to be in the party and Gino, Melvia and Sterk are the strongest secondary characters.