The Atelier games are the longest running gaming franchise owned by Gust. They celebrated the 20 year anniversary in 2017 with the release of Atelier Lydie & Suelle. In my opinion not the best example of the Atelier games though, which was a pity as it was the first time an Atelier game came to the Switch.
But, they have a new chance to impress. This time, Gust is branching off by creating Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World. This is a town-building spinoff that celebrates the 20-year milestones by featuring characters from all prior mainline Atelier games.
For the fans: this won’t be your regular Atelier fare. Protagonist Nelke can’t even do any Alchemy: it’s her task to build the town and populate it with more people. It’s a good thing she has help from all the familiar faces we know so well.
The game is out in America on March 26, and is coming to Europe March 29. You can be sure we will have our first impressions on LadiesGamers soon.
Description by the developer
Let’s take a look at the description Gust and KOEI Techmo America have released for this game:
“In order to successfully build a new town, Nelke will be tasked with venturing out into Westwald’s surrounding lands to find raw materials; perfect to entrust one of the town’s alchemists to synthesize into sellable goods. In Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World, an adventure party of up to five characters from throughout Atelier’s collection of fan-favorite games will be formed before setting off on an investigation route, with each party member having a role: attack or support.
During an investigation, players will need to be mindful of the Action Gauge. Running through an area too fast will not only rapidly decrease the gauge, but there is risk of missing items and finishing the exploration with less rewards. The Action Gauge is also used for special field events where investigative teams will search for unique items critical to success, like a shovel.
Exploration does come with its fair share of danger, though. While venturing out on various investigative routes, players will encounter perilous foes which must be defeated in order to proceed. Utilizing a collection of different skills, players will whittle down the enemy’s HP bar during their time on the Turn Gauge. As attack and support skills are used, the Burst Gauge gradually fills – enabling characters to perform a more powerful ability, striking down enemies with a damaging blow, or using the new power to boost defense. In addition, each character will have their own Drive Gauge; a meter that will be filled from both attacks and the use of the Burst Gauge. Utilizing the Drive Gauge is of utmost importance as it enables members of the party to speed up their normal attacks.”
