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| Peter Triezenberg |
And we say Final Fantasy is the series that never ends.
06.05.16 - 8:15 PM
Gust has announced the latest entry in the long-running Atelier series, Atelier Firis: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Journey, which will be coming out for PlayStation 4 and Vita in Japan later this fall. Pictured below is the game's logo and artwork of the main character, Firis, as well as some initial details about what players can expect from this latest Atelier.
After launching Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book last year, Gust is aiming at a new standard for the Atelier series.
The next Atelier is set in a world where players can unravel a story all their own. In order to realize this goal, the theme of this new game is "journey."
The protagonist of this game is an innocent girl who has never left her town and longs to see the outside world. One day, thanks to an unexpected opportunity, she comes into contact with alchemy and sets her sights on the world beyond her own.
From great plains to snowy mountains, in this vast world with a variety of faces, the girl will be met with first time wonders and discoveries, as well as face various challenges.
How will this girl, with alchemy by her side, face these challenges? There is no single answer. The story will change, little by little, based on the girl's decisions.
The player will be the guide to what road the girl will take and how the story will unfold. By all means, please enjoy the new world of the Mysterious series.
Firis Mistlud, the protagonist, is fifteen years old and is, as one would expect, an alchemist. She hails from an underground mining town closed by a giant door, and possesses the unique ability to locate hidden ores. She years for the outside world, and once she gets a feel for alchemy, she uses it as an excuse to travel the vast world (which is a principal theme of the game). Pictured above is Liane Mistlud, Firis' older sister who is an excellent hunter, and therefore able to leave the town. She cares deeply for her sister and understands her desire for the outside, secretly grieving for Firis' unfortunate circumstances.
Firis and Liane will travel the world together, and this game world will contain "grand scale fields never before seen in the series." While visiting different areas in this vast world, the sisters will adapt to the climate with a different outfit, adding variety to the journey. In addition, Firis will have a degree of choice when it comes to overcoming certain obstacles, such as coming across a broken bridge, and these choices may affect the story and area. For example, Firis can use her alchemic skills to locate materials to repair the bridge, or circumvent the situation and come across a hidden and mysterious cave.
Because of the renewed focus on travel, Atelier Firis won't focus on a specific town, but synthesis will be performed at "Traveler's Bonfires," where Firis can use materials she finds to synthesize new items and pitch a tent (does this make Atelier Firis "the Dark Souls of Atelier games?). Synthesis in Atelier Firis will see players solving a kind of puzzle to create an item "their own way," and there's also something called "Superdreadnought Synthesis" which is separate from ordinary synthesis and ignores the size of the alchemy pot, presumably in order to craft enormous items. Gust promises more information on this feature at a later date.
As we've come to expect from Gust, Atelier Firis will also have a couple of special editions available for their most avid fans. First-print copies of the game will come with a pair of special outfits for Firis, while the Premium Box comes with an artbook, a costume for Firis, an exclusive theme, cloth poster, soundtrack, and three art cards. The Special Collector's Box comes with all of the aforementioned goodies from the Premium Box, along with another cloth poster, nine crystal paperweight cubes, and another exclusive theme.
Atelier Firis will be making its first video appearance during a Niconico broadcast on June 13th. We'll keep you updated as we learn more.
