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| Mike Salbato |
New gameplay features to increase strategy, and pre-order bonuses galore, all revealed inside.
04.14.16 - 10:22 PM
I've been deep in Atelier recently: Not only did I pick up the Atelier Sophie soundtrack during a recent trip to Japan (it's lovely... well, Japan is too, but I mean the music), this past weekend I bought both Atelier Escha & Logy, and Atelier Shallie. Now that I own the entire PS3 trilogy, I'm trying to figure out how I can finish them before Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book comes out in June.
While I figure out my very real First World Problem, let's take a look at two new trailers for the PlayStation 4's first Atelier title, with a fluffy teaser video, and a look at combat:
The platform isn't all that's new with Atelier Sophie, as the latest in Gust's long-running series has some new gameplay features to add more layers of strategy to your alchemy and battles. As you can see in the new screenshots below (and see more in our Atelier Sophie gallery), Sophie contains both a day/night system and changing weather patterns.
These two features in conjunction will alter not only the enemies you'll find in each area to battle, but certain materials will also only be able to be gathered with the proper conditions. In addition to the time and weather, your party members will also have a limited amount of stamina and be at the mercy of the Life Point system. Spending too much time adventuring and gathering will whittle away at her fatigue (giving me some Harvest Moon feels), which will reduce characters' effectiveness in battle. Simply returning to the atelier will recharge those weary bones. All of these features together mean there's likely to be a higher level of strategizing and planning involved compared to past Atelier titles.
Okay, let's talk goodies! There's several of them available for Atelier Sophie, both depending on where and when you buy the game. First, pre-ordering the PlayStation 4 version from Amazon, GameStop, or EB Canada will net you some bonus DLC in the form of alternate background music, the Aqua Suit costume seen above, a PS4 theme, and a 5-piece set of of in-game items and materials. Best Buy pre-orders won't earn you the costume or items, but will still grant access to the alternate music, plus two PS4 themes.
While most of this is about the PS4, Atelier Sophie is actually hitting the PlayStation Vita on the same day in digital form. If you prefer either Vita or just digital releases, you're still in luck: Buying either version of the game anytime during its first month on sale earns you a set of items that will boost attack, HP, and MP, along with two Atelier Sophie themes.
Now the only question is: Do you buy from any of the above retailers, or go all out and buy the staggeringly-gorgeous Limited Edition from the NISA Online Store? The LE listing was recently updated to confirm that, along with all the goodies you see here, it will also contain the five-item set, Aqua Suit, alternate music, and PS4 theme mentioned above.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book releases on PS4 and PS Vita on June 7th, 2016.
