Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland DX

Ultimately, Atelier Totori is a captivating adventure full of characters with pure charisma. It may not be perfect as a JRPG, but it's far from a subpar experience. I guarantee that if you liked Atelier Rorona, it will be very difficult to hate this. Furthermore, for what it sets out to be, it still fulfills its role of being a game designed to be a relaxed experience that keeps the Atelier formula intact so that it can continue to improve itselft further.

The Atelier Arland series continues to amaze me in ways I never expected from the outset. Atelier Totori, like Rorona before it, features deep, engaging gameplay systems which demand thinking and strategy despite people frolicking around in what is to be considered the alchemical equivalent of “tutus.” The story isn’t going to be the driving force of the whole experience, but it does have the potential to wrap up neatly enough in the end. The pacing here is so much smoother than that of Rorona, to the point that I wish that this would have been my first foray into Arland. Alas, you really should play Rorona before diving into this one, unless you don’t care about the story and characters whatsoever. That said, if you enjoyed Rorona, definitely give this one a go. It won’t blow your socks off, but it is still worth your time.

Atelier Totori follows up on its predecessor but rather than using alchemy as the basis of the game's mechanics, Totori puts more emphasis on combat and exploration, with mixed results. If the plot is interesting and captivating, the combat feels rather stale, which is a shame as combat is now a more necessary feature than before, given the game's reliance on exploration. While some aspects are to be praised, Atelier Totori missed a chance to rise above its predecessor.

If you're not looking for something more complex, Atelier Totori can make your weekend a little happier. However, the story, gameplay and mechanics in general, are a little boring and repetitive.

Atelier Totori ~The Adventurer of Arland~ DX has a brilliant story but feels like a step backwards with its mechanics. The narrative and overall gameplay aspect of this second title in the Arland collection is great, I couldn’t ask for more. My only issues lie with the backwards step the game took over the first game in the series, Atelier Rorona, although I imagine that’s because that one was touched up AFTER this game. Sure, there are some aspects of the game I would have asked Koei Tecmo and Gust to bring in line with the other games before releasing this in the DX collection, but they never really impacted my enjoyment that much.