![]() Regarding the evolution of the franchise: the non-localized titles began with light RPG elements, focusing more significantly on the work of alchemy. For example, Atelier Marie is “Project A1,” Atelier Iris ~Eternal Mana~ is “Project A6,” and Atelier Ayesha is “Project A14.” As of the time of this article’s publication, the latest title in the main series is Atelier Ryza, “Project A21.” One might find this a daunting collection of games, then, as the franchise quantifies well beyond mainstay Japanese RPGs such as Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and even Fire Emblem. Starting with the latter point first: the Atelier series has a main, numbered franchise, though the numbers tend to be hidden in title screens and in tiny text on different portions of the packaging. Many titles in this series have been localized since, so with that in mind, any gamer new to the franchise without knowledge of the Japanese language might wonder: where to begin? To answer this question, it is important to understand the evolution of the series’ story and mechanics, as well as the anthologizing phenomenon. For comparison, consider the decades-long lag on localizations for games such as Romancing SaGa 2, Romancing SaGa 3, Trials of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 3), Earthbound Beginnings, Persona 2 Innocent Sin, Moon, and so many others. ![]() While one might - and I do - hold out hope for localization, it is unlikely to come without significant Japanese ports or remakes. To date, those first five games have never officially left Japan. After Atelier Marie, however, things began to take a turn for the better, and within the next five years, the Atelier franchise would go on to have five main titles and one spin-off. Prior to the first game in that series, Atelier Marie, they had released one PC-98 game and four PlayStation games with middling response in Japan. In 1997, the small Japanese development studio Gust accidentally stumbled onto a formula (and franchise) that would grow into something they could not have imagined. ![]() An artist’s or designer’s studio or workroom. ![]()
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