Gust andKoei Tecmo’sAtelierfranchise has been a pillar for niche JRPG fans for nearly thirty years now. Ever since the release ofAtelier Mariein 1997, this franchise has kept a steady pace of releasing a single title per year. Even in the modern age of gaming where titles may take years to develop, this series has kept strong with this schedule and is finally getting the popularity it deserves.
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With so many games in the franchise, it can be difficult to determine where to start playing Atelier and decide which games are the best. Luckily, the games are split into easy-to-digest trilogies. If one were to examine and judge those trilogies by factors like their games and how they affected the franchise, then it becomes possible to form the following list of the best Atelier titles.
9Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland
A Long-Awaited Return
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland
Topping off this list is a title whose very existence is shocking: Atelier Lulua. While the Atelier franchise has always released itself in trilogies that take place in their own worlds, Atelier Lulua was a direct sequel to the Atelier Arland Trilogy to celebrate its tenth anniversary: showing dedicated gamers how the lives of their favorite characters changed as they grew into adulthood.
While the fan service and callbacks to the Arland Trilogy in Lulua are greatly appreciated, the actual gameplay content of this title makes it clear this was a budget title. With poor animations and almost entirely reused models, it’s hard to recommend this title to anyone other than hardcore fans of the Arland games who wish to experience a sense of nostalgia from seeing this cast again. For that reason, it ranks at the bottom of this list.
8Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey
Changed the Formula
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey
While Atelier Lulua placed at the bottom of this list due to focusing too much on fan service at the expense of the gameplay,Atelier Firisis an example of the series putting a lot of effort into doing something new with its gameplay, but not quite reaching the vision they had. This title was the franchise’s first attempt at placing the Atelier gameplay formula into anopen world, with the player having to travel across the entire land in order to deliver their items and interact with characters.
While this is a novel idea that was understandably revisited in later titles like Atelier Yumia, its execution in this Firis left a lot to be desired and makes it simultaneously feel stressful and empty with its time restraints. Thus, it ranks low on this list along with another title in the Mysterious Trilogy.
7Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book
Back to Basics
Atelier Sophie: Alchemist of the Mysterious Book
Atelier Sophie. Similar to games like Atelier Rorona and Meruru, this title features a simple yet addictive gameplay loop of switching between crafting items at home and venturing out into the field to fight enemies. While the game isn’t as in-depth as some prior games, any JRPG can find themselves putting days into this title.
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Despite its quality, returning to basics is exactly why Atelier Sophie won’t be ranking high on this list, as other games in the series simply do more notable things with the series’ formula. Atelier Sophie may not rank high on this list, but it has undeniably touched the hearts of many fans and resulted in Sophie being one of the franchise’s representatives in Koei crossover titles like Warriors: All Stars.
6Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland
Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland
Placing sixth on the list isAtelier Meruru, the original final game in the Atelier Arland trilogy before the release of Atelier Lulua. This game features the typical Atelier formula of balancing daily life interaction, alchemy, and field exploration, but with a twist: in this title, the protagonist you play is the princess of her own kingdom. This leads to plenty of fun story moments and character arcs as Meruru herself meets the cast of the previous titles.
Any fan of the previous Ateliers will enjoy this title, but while Atelier Meruru is a well-designed game, it being released after the very experimental Rorona and Totori and before the revolutionary Dusk Trilogy puts it in an awkward position of having no truly stand-out factors, and thus a low position on this list despite the quality of the game itself.
5Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland
Gave the Series New Life
Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemists of Arland
Next up on the list is the game which created the modern Atelier gameplay loop:Atelier Rorona. While this title might not be as pretty as even the other PlayStation 3 games in the series, every core element of the franchise, from how the alchemy system works to going out into the field to fulfill requests from NPCs, can be found in this humble title. Playing through a few hours of Rorona will let any player understand how Atelier has grown so big.
While Atelier Rorona is a well-designed game and should be appreciated for creating the amazing gameplay loop of the following three generations of Atelier games, it must rank low on this list due to its performance issues. This game, especially the original PlayStation 3 version, is prone to crashing often and making players lose several days of progress. While it is still recommended that you play this landmark title in the franchise, just verify you save often.
4Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland
The Cutest Game
Atelier Totori Plus: The Adventurer of Arland
Next up on the list is the second game in the Atelier Arland Trilogy: Atelier Totori. Totori features a much more open gameplay structure than Rorona did, with the player being able to visit any location they want in the game’s 3-year time limit with the expectation they will remember important dates and events, and how to unlock them quicker for future playthroughs. While future games in the series would have a similar structure, Totori had much less hand-holding in teaching the player how the game works.
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This both works to the title’s advantage and disadvantage, as while it is incredibly satisfying to learn how the game works like the back of your hand after multiple playthroughs, not every player will have the capacity to make it over that skill ceiling. So while it is easy to recommend this title to franchise veterans, newcomers may want to try a different Atelier game first.
3Atelier Shallie Alchemists of the Dusk Sea
A Fitting Finale
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea
Placing third on the list is the final game in the incredible Atelier Dusk Trilogy:Atelier Shallie. This title, like many modern Ateliers, stars two protagonists. Shockingly though, both of them are named Shallie! The tale of these two girls attempting to learn why all the water has seemingly dried up from the sea is a thrilling premise for the Dusk Trilogy’s conclusion.
While Atelier Shallie is the weakest entry in the Dusk Trilogy due to it hitting neither the story nor gameplay highs of the previous two games, it is still one of the best games in the franchise and a fitting finale to its trilogy. Add in an absolutely wonderful soundtrack and some brilliant character arc conclusions and any fan of the previous games will greatly enjoy this title, earning it a high placement on this list.
2Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
Double the Fun
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
Next up on the list is the second game in the Dusk Trilogy:Atelier Escha & Logy. Atelier Escha & Logy was the first of the modern Atelier games to feature two playable characters, a trend that would continue for most of the franchise up until the release of Atelier Ryza. While the overall plot of the game would be the same, the character interactions and endings available to the player would change depending on their protagonist.
The gameplay of this title features what is still the greatest combat in any Atelier game, with players constantly balancing the abilities of their six party members to deal massive damage to enemies. While it just barely misses out on the top position in this list, Atelier Escha & Logy is a game that any fan of the JRPG genre owes it to themselves to play at least once.
1Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk
Gust’s Magnum Opus
Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk
Placing first on this list is, of course, the first game in the Atelier Dusk Trilogy:Atelier Ayesha. This title took the gameplay loop established by games like Atelier Totori and used it to tell a gripping emotional story with one of the best parties in JRPG history. Every aspect of this title, from the battle system to the grand soundtrack, is perfection and fully deserving of being called the best in the franchise.
Atelier Ayesha is not just one of the greatest JRPGs on the PlayStation 3, it is one of the greatest games in the genre. If you have not done yourself the favor of playing through this masterpiece then pick up the Atelier Dusk trilogy and experience for yourself exactly why these games have become so beloved in recent years.
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