Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk

Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk is a Japanese role-playing game which is the next installment of the extensive Atelier series. As in the case of all previous editions, the title was produced by Gust studio.

Plot

The action takes place in a completely new universe, which is in no way connected with the world of Arland, known from the three previous editions of the series. The plot revolves around the fate of the Altugle sisters - the older Ayesha and the younger Nio. One day, the younger sister disappears without a trace and everything seems to indicate that she died. After a long time, however, Ayesha encounters signs that her sister is still alive. She sets off on an expedition in search of her younger sister.

Mechanics

The basic gameplay mechanics resemble typical jRPG productions. We control a heroine with specific stats, who undertake various tasks. We increase our stats by gaining experience and leveling up. The game uses a turn-based combat system and the placement of enemies on the map plays a key role - attacking distant enemies costs more action points.

The core of the game is an exceptionally complex alchemical system. It requires us to look for valuable ingredients and resources and then use them to create new items. All components used have a certain quality and a number of different properties that determine their usefulness in the synthesis, such as shape or value. In addition, we must also take care of the development of our alchemical workshop. An interesting novelty is the mechanics of combining memories. During her adventures, Ayesha fills up the pages of her own diary. Browsing through these entries allows for additional development of the heroine's skills.

Technical aspects

Compared to previous editions, huge changes have taken place in the field of graphic design. Gust Studio has developed an improved engine, which allowed to create more detailed models of characters and give them natural facial animations. Thanks to this, the cut-scenes feature 3D characters, not their 2D versions, as was the case with the previous parts. This time, the character designs were developed by an artist known as Hidari, who played the same role in the production of the animated series Fractale.

Last updated on 09 January 2014