Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Gust. It was first released for PlayStation 3
on June 25, 2009 in Japan and released as a Japanese Best Version on September 23, 2010 due to its sales figures. North American release follows on September 28, 2010 along with European release on October 22, 2010. Atelier Rorona is the eleventh installment in the Atelier
series, and it continues the series' emphasis on item synthesis. The game is the first title in the series to be developed for PlayStation 3, and it is also the first to utilize 3D computer graphics
as opposed to 2D sprites
in earlier titles. A sequel entitled Atelier Totori: Alchemist of Arland 2
, which takes place five years after the end of Atelier Rorona, was released in Japan on June 24, 2010.
Atelier Rorona consists of four different styles of gameplay
: field maps, a battle screen, an alchemy
system, and a visual novel
system. Navigation occurs via two static map illustrations, which depicts the Arland town and its surrounding area in a scaled down view. Field map areas such as the town and forests are depicted as realistically rendered environments, in which the player can converse with locals, gather items, or encounter enemies. Enemies on field maps are openly visible to the players, and players can either engage or avoid the encounter. Contact with the enemies initiates a separate battle screen.
Battles in Atelier Rorona are turn-based and continues until either side is defeated or flees. The player may use physical attacks, items, or skills to either wound targets or heal characters. Each character and enemy has a number of hit points
which depletes as he or she is attacked or performs certain skills. When a character loses all hit points, he or she faints; if all of the player's characters fall in battle, he or she is sent back to the game's town. Certain items and skills also affect the battle's element, which, depending on the element, could either increase or decrease the efficiency of certain skills performed, or make additional skills available.
Atelier Rorona storyline is presented as a series of twelve tasks. Each of these tasks amounts to three months of the game's storyline, and requires the player to complete it by the end of the period. If the player fails to complete the task, the game ends and must be restored from a previously saved game. The plot develops as the player progresses through text conversations akin to a visual novel
-style gameplay. Gameplay in this segment requires little player interaction as most of the duration is spent reading the text that appears on screen. There are fourteen main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience. To view all of the plot lines, the player will need to replay the game multiple times and perform different quests for the game's various characters.
' Dengeki PlayStation
magazine. Yoshito Okamura, main planner for the Mana Khemia
series, served as the game's director. Ken Nakagawa, who contributed to previous Atelier soundtracks, also returned as the sole composer for the title. Mel Kishida, who also provided the game's illustrations, designed the game's characters. Okamura appointed Kishida, whose work is the artist's first video game contributions, to serve the position after finding his work meeting his desires for a "modern and clean design in visuals". Atelier Rorona is described by the development team as a recreation of the series' starting points. It is the first title in the Atelier series to be produced for the PlayStation 3
, and it is also the first to feature 3D computer graphics
.
on its first day of release, and by 1:00 pm, the majority of the district's stores were sold out of the limited edition release. This is because the majority of the stores reserved a limited amount of copies for regular sales to meet pre-order demands. The game was the third best-selling title and sold 43,000 copies between June 22 and June 28, 2009. It dropped to the ninth highest, selling 11,000 copies for the following week. According to public sales information published by Gamasutra
, Atelier Rorona was the best-selling PlayStation 3
title on the Japanese
Amazon
website for the week ending on July 9, 2009. The game dropped to the second highest the following week ending on July 17, 2009, marking its final appearance in the ranking; overall estimates from this time put Rorona at or near 70,000 copies sold, with low-level sales continuing since. This makes Atelier Rorona the fastest and best selling title in the franchise since at least Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana
. In December 2009, developer and publisher Gust noted that the company was pleased with Atelier Rorona sales, because of the overall sales exceeding 130,000 copies in Japan. Atelier Rorona fared well in the West, increasing its sales to world 200,000 copies, very good numbers for the generation HD RPG.
Atelier Rorona has generally received positive reviews since its inception, receiving 90/85/80/75 in the Dengeki PlayStation
magazine, and 8/7/8/7 in the Famitsu
magazine. However, Western reception was mixed. Gamespot
awarded it 6.0 out of ten and said "confining deadlines and shallow exploration undermine the fun" of the game.
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on June 25, 2009 in Japan and released as a Japanese Best Version on September 23, 2010 due to its sales figures. North American release follows on September 28, 2010 along with European release on October 22, 2010. Atelier Rorona is the eleventh installment in the Atelier
Atelier (series)
The Atelier series is a series of role-playing video games developed by the Gust Corporation since 1997, primarily for the PlayStation consoles , though portable versions for the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable have also been made. Two of the games in the...
series, and it continues the series' emphasis on item synthesis. The game is the first title in the series to be developed for PlayStation 3, and it is also the first to utilize 3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
as opposed to 2D sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
in earlier titles. A sequel entitled Atelier Totori: Alchemist of Arland 2
Atelier Totori: Alchemist of Arland 2
is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Gust. It was first released for PlayStation 3 on June 24, 2010 in Japan. Atelier Totori is the twelfth installment in the Atelier series, and it continues the series' emphasis on item synthesis...
, which takes place five years after the end of Atelier Rorona, was released in Japan on June 24, 2010.
Gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
: field maps, a battle screen, an alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
system, and a visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
system. Navigation occurs via two static map illustrations, which depicts the Arland town and its surrounding area in a scaled down view. Field map areas such as the town and forests are depicted as realistically rendered environments, in which the player can converse with locals, gather items, or encounter enemies. Enemies on field maps are openly visible to the players, and players can either engage or avoid the encounter. Contact with the enemies initiates a separate battle screen.
Battles in Atelier Rorona are turn-based and continues until either side is defeated or flees. The player may use physical attacks, items, or skills to either wound targets or heal characters. Each character and enemy has a number of hit points
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
which depletes as he or she is attacked or performs certain skills. When a character loses all hit points, he or she faints; if all of the player's characters fall in battle, he or she is sent back to the game's town. Certain items and skills also affect the battle's element, which, depending on the element, could either increase or decrease the efficiency of certain skills performed, or make additional skills available.
Atelier Rorona storyline is presented as a series of twelve tasks. Each of these tasks amounts to three months of the game's storyline, and requires the player to complete it by the end of the period. If the player fails to complete the task, the game ends and must be restored from a previously saved game. The plot develops as the player progresses through text conversations akin to a visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
-style gameplay. Gameplay in this segment requires little player interaction as most of the duration is spent reading the text that appears on screen. There are fourteen main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience. To view all of the plot lines, the player will need to replay the game multiple times and perform different quests for the game's various characters.
Development
Atelier Rorona was first revealed on March 13, 2009 in ASCII Media WorksASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
' Dengeki PlayStation
Dengeki PlayStation
is a Japanese gaming magazine published by ASCII Media Works . The magazine originally featured information pertaining to PlayStation video games, but since then has also incorporated information from PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable games...
magazine. Yoshito Okamura, main planner for the Mana Khemia
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis is a console role-playing game developed by Japanese developer Gust for the PlayStation 2. The game was released in Japan on June 21, 2007 and in the US on March 31, 2008...
series, served as the game's director. Ken Nakagawa, who contributed to previous Atelier soundtracks, also returned as the sole composer for the title. Mel Kishida, who also provided the game's illustrations, designed the game's characters. Okamura appointed Kishida, whose work is the artist's first video game contributions, to serve the position after finding his work meeting his desires for a "modern and clean design in visuals". Atelier Rorona is described by the development team as a recreation of the series' starting points. It is the first title in the Atelier series to be produced for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and it is also the first to feature 3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
.
Reception
Atelier Rorona sold quickly in AkihabaraAkihabara
, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...
on its first day of release, and by 1:00 pm, the majority of the district's stores were sold out of the limited edition release. This is because the majority of the stores reserved a limited amount of copies for regular sales to meet pre-order demands. The game was the third best-selling title and sold 43,000 copies between June 22 and June 28, 2009. It dropped to the ninth highest, selling 11,000 copies for the following week. According to public sales information published by Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
, Atelier Rorona was the best-selling PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
title on the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
website for the week ending on July 9, 2009. The game dropped to the second highest the following week ending on July 17, 2009, marking its final appearance in the ranking; overall estimates from this time put Rorona at or near 70,000 copies sold, with low-level sales continuing since. This makes Atelier Rorona the fastest and best selling title in the franchise since at least Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana
is a console role-playing game developed by Japanese developer Gust for the PlayStation 2. This game is the first of the Atelier Iris saga to be released on the PS2. The Atelier strategy RPGs have been released on various consoles in Japan since 1997...
. In December 2009, developer and publisher Gust noted that the company was pleased with Atelier Rorona sales, because of the overall sales exceeding 130,000 copies in Japan. Atelier Rorona fared well in the West, increasing its sales to world 200,000 copies, very good numbers for the generation HD RPG.
Atelier Rorona has generally received positive reviews since its inception, receiving 90/85/80/75 in the Dengeki PlayStation
Dengeki PlayStation
is a Japanese gaming magazine published by ASCII Media Works . The magazine originally featured information pertaining to PlayStation video games, but since then has also incorporated information from PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable games...
magazine, and 8/7/8/7 in the Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
magazine. However, Western reception was mixed. Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
awarded it 6.0 out of ten and said "confining deadlines and shallow exploration undermine the fun" of the game.