There's a ton of Atelier games out there. And if you're new to the Atelier franchise, you're gonna feel lost over which game to start with first. While Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is the newest release for the Vita, Atelier Shallie Plus isn't actually new: it's an updated re-release of the third game of the “Dusk” trilogy. While you can play Atelier Shallie Plus as a standalone title, if you want to get the complete experience, it's better to start off with Atelier Ayesha Plus first, then play Atelier Escha & Logy Plus and then finish with Atelier Shallie Plus, in that order. Admittedly, that's a lot of Atelier! 

Atelier Shallie Plus is a unique RPG where alchemy is the main attraction of the game. Crafting has been a constant in RPGs for a good while, but the Atelier series prides itself in making crafting the focus of the gameplay instead of a sideshow. Set in a barren desert world devoid of water and vegetation, Atelier Shallie Plus stars two young (and cute!) alchemists, both named Shallie. Shallistera is the princess of a village who is traveling through the desert sands with her family by boat in order to save her village from perishing, and Shallotte is an alchemist working in her town as an apprentice. Both Shallies are playable and offer some insight into the state of the world, whether it's within the confines of civilization or out in the elements of what's left of nature.

The gameplay in Atelier Shallie Plus is similar to the other Atelier games: you explore, talk to folks, battle some monsters and craft a bunch of stuff in between. Gone is the time limit system that was present in the other Atelier titles. Instead, you have tasks that come up depending on your play style and/or completion of previous tasks. Battles are turn-based and the combat system is simple compared to other modern Japanese RPGs. Field work is going from point A to B and harvesting occasional resources for alchemy. It's pretty basic, but at the same time, there's a lot of explanations and exposition during the game, especially early on. 

My biggest gripe with Shallie is the fact that it's slow. That's not a good attribute to have especially for a handheld title. Lots of exposition can kill an experience. As far as other issues go, there is some graphical downgrade compared to the PS3 original, in addition to a slower frame rate, but that's expected for a game that was ported to a less powerful system.

Being the third in a trilogy, Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea may leave new players a bit puzzled, but it's still a solid addition to this unique franchise. And like the other Plus re-releases, the cool thing is that you can play Shallie anywhere and there are some extra goodies sprinkled in for good measure. 

Hint: If you haven't downloaded the DLC packs yet, do so! They're free and you can change the clothes of your characters and you can also change background music at will!

by Ray n.