Genre: JRPG
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo Games
Release Date: Sep 20, 2018
Edited by Thorstag

Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland DX is developed by Gust and published by Koei Tecmo Games. Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland DX is ultimately a slice of life anime inspired JRPG.

Rorona, a young girl, is put in charge of preventing the “workshop” from being shut down even though she isn’t the leader of the workshop. The woman in charge seems to be pretty selfish and lazy. Right after all this happens, your parents also come to you to tell you they are going on vacation without you. They entrust Rorona’s wellbeing to the Workshop master who again… LAAAZZZZZYYYYYY. At one point, Rorona wants to bake. So she bakes a pie, and the master gets on her about baking in the workshop even if it was a good pie and tells you no more cooking, unless, of course, Rorona can do it by using Alchemy. After all, this is an alchemic workshop.

Honestly, the story of Rorona isn’t all that great. It isn’t terrible, either. However, there was never a moment in the 22 hours of play time that I thought, “Wow, the story of this game is incredible.” Story progression moves forward by finishing the tasks given each month. I often found myself cringing a lot because of the story, but I feel that was by design.

The world is separated on a map by segments. Using the map or town as a hub, you progress through a zone and reach an exit you haven’t previously been through yet to unlock a new zone. You also advance the story by finishing the checklist given to you by the local government.

You can unlock characters as you progress. Some of them are exploration-based and paying them. Story progression enables you to unlock other characters. Some characters like Hom, for example, have further usefulness such as doing jobs for you in the realm of Synthesis and Gathering.

The voice acting, however, is pretty damn good — a stellar cast delivering stellar performances. The sound effects are equally as good. There wasn’t much ambiance included so if you are looking for an immersive experience Rorona isn’t going to do that for you.

As we get into the gameplay of Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland DX, there are a few things to remember. Rorona is classic style JRPG with a lot of time management and resource management, nearly adding in a sort of strategy to the game as to how you explore the world and gather resources. If you manage to fail to complete the main task, you will get a game over. There are many tasks you can complete each month but the priority being the only real requirement. Of course, completing optional tasks or work orders gets you various rewards. Getting stamps on your card can reward you with equipment and permanent stats. Completing work orders can get you equipment but, more often than not, it gets you gold.

The crafting, however, has some pretty in-depth features or mechanics. Such as each piece you gather has a quality stat. On top of that, some recipes can use different types of materials in them. You can have a small or rather large effect on the crafted item, depending on the stat and material used Then you also have stat-enhancing items you can add as well, such as increasing quality further or adding new stats entirely to the crafted item. While playing, you can find or buy new recipes. Experimenting is a fun and thrilling part of the game. I almost felt like a real alchemist!

The combat of the game is that of, as I already said, a classic JRPG. Turn-based, where each character gets an action based on that characters speed. Some characters have roles or abilities. Most characters can jump in front of Rorona to help prevent her from taking damage. Then Rorona, of course, gets to use her alchemy in combat. Throwing harmful gathered or crafted items at enemies or helpful items at allies. You can play most of the main story without any real combat. There are very few unique encounters in the game and if you really want that experience, you have to do them post game.

Visually, the game looks better, and the colors seem to pop more on the Switch version over the release of Rorona Plus back on PS3. Ultimately, there is still some date aspects visually and while Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland DX isn’t the best looking re-release or remake, it still has some upgraded visuals. That said, I am not too big on the art style of the game itself. While I can appreciate cuteness, the world and most of the characters within it seem rather dull except for our main character Rorona.

Pros

• In-depth Alchemy system
• Stellar voice acting

Mileage may vary

• Story

Cons

• Dull art style
• Little emphasis on combat

Draul gives Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland DX a Drastik Measure 7.8 out of 10 (78)

Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland DX is still a decent gaming experience, and for $39.99 there are definitely worst purchases to be had. Of course, there are also better JRPGs currently on the Switch you could also check out. If you are looking for more action and wanting a solid story experience, then Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland DX might not be the right choice for you. As for someone who in general just likes JRPGs and anime inspiring gaming content then, by all means, check it out. Of course, you will be able to buy the Deluxe Trilogy that also comes with two other games, and we will be reviewing them in the weeks to come!