Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland, is a fantastic game in the Atelier series and is out now. Lulua is a bright and cheerful character and the daughter of a previous game protagonist. She has to step it up when her mother Rorona vanishes and soon finds herself on a quest. With her friends in tow, she will certainly be fine. The Atelier series is all about alchemy and this game is no exception. Lulua might not be the greatest alchemist but she does her best. She soon finds a magic book, that tells her how to do alchemy. It’s a vital moment in the game as, without it, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to help the world. This girl is going to need all the help she can get but she is in capable hands.
This book is different than other tomes, as only Lulua can read what is within. The book contains step by step instructions on how to create powerful and important items. The player will have to gather items in the world and do lite alchemy first, however. Once all of the items are in place, the true alchemy begins, and suddenly Lulua has the answers to all her problems at the tip of her fingers. Alchemy is the most important aspect of the game as all of the collecting and questing centers around it. Players will need to gather all that they can from the world so they can complete all of the alchemic recipes. It will take a lot of work but by the end, Lulula will be the best alchemist she can be. Will she surpass her mother, that is the question the player needs to answer.Alchemy takes a good amount of know how to master. Players will need to collect all sorts of items to complete the Alchemy compendium. There are quite a few ingredients to find throughout the world so look in every nook and cranny. These ingredients are ever helpful in making things from healing items to weapons, so always pick everything up.
Lulua is joined by a few friends on her journey. Her best friend Eva is a powerful Bazooka wielding friend. It’s a little unwieldy for this thin girl, but she pulls off using it with gusto. Then she is joined by a swordsman who initially nearly forces her to help him using her alchemy. He’s a powerful fighter and important member of the group, combat wise. Pinia is the last member of the group and she is Lulua’s teacher and is a powerful mage, who can cast solid spells to take on enemies. She will be of great help to the young girl and her allies.Combat in this game is turn-based and it flows rather nicely. Players will attack enemies and take turns, sometimes switching up the order as the battle goes on. Lulua gains the power to interrupt combat and can do that once for every charge. Using this can turn the tide in battle, as Lulua can set an action that could potentially cause a great amount of damage.
The world of the game is nicely crafted and there is much to see and explore. The world is split between a map and vast open sections. Players will need to direct our heroine where to go on the map and then explore the areas. There is even a percentage of exploration features that players will need to be aware of if they want to fully explore the areas of the game. There is also voice acting in this game but there isn’t an English dub. The story is well written though with subbing so it makes up for the lack of a dub. The Japanese voice acting is solid too so everything plays well. Despite not having an English dub the game’s story is still quite moving and enjoyable to take part in.
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland is another great entry in the Atelier Series. It provides players with a lot of world to explore, a solid combat system, and a lot of alchemy to do. Lulua might seem naive at first but she slowly but surely comes to be a bright and powerful alchemist. Will the player help her on her journey or will she be forced to give up her alchemic dreams?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided